Review: 13.5 inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (2019) with Intel Core-i7 1065G7 IceLake 10nm Processor
I purchased 13.5 inch Microsoft Surface laptop 3 exactly 1 week back and this is my initial review. I picked the matte black color with Core-i7 1065G7 processor. This CPU is a big deal because it is Intel's first 10 nanometer processor code-named Ice-Lake. Intel was stuck on 14nm processors for a really long time, but finally we have got 10nm core-i7 CPU in a laptop.
Buy Surface Laptop 3 with Core-i5
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Core-i7 1065G7 vs Core i5-1035G7
13.5 inch Surface laptop 3 comes in 2 configurations. The cheaper one comes with a Core i5-1035G7 processor. But I went with the more expensive Core i7-1065G7 processor with 4 cores and 8 threads. Both these models are available on Amazon
Matte Black Rocks
I got the matte black finish and I absolutely love this color. You can also get surface laptop 3 in Cobalt Blue, Platinum and Sandstone color. But I am a sucker for matte black and I think it looks gorgeous.
The back of the laptop is super clean, there are no ugly logos except subtle Microsoft written in light gray. On the front, there is Microsoft Surface logo which looks very classy. The logo is in glossy black and it nicely compliment the matte black color of laptop. I absolutely love the aesthetics of this laptop. This is one clean looking laptop and it totally blows away anything that Apple has ever produced in this price range.
Amazing Build Quality
Now, let's talk about the build quality. Its feels really solid in hands, very sturdy. The chassis is made of aluminum giving Surface laptop a rigid body which is also lightweight. It weighs only 2.84 lb and feels super light for a 13.5 inch laptop. I also like the fact that Alcantara fabric is gone, at least on Matte Black color. You can still get it on other colors, but I was never a fan of Alcantara fabric design. There is something about the metal construction, that gives this laptop a very premium feel
Gorgeous Screen
I absolutely love the screen quality. It’s bright and sharp and delivers punchy colors. It has good viewing angles and I really love the taller aspect ratio of 3:2. This aspect ratio is great for web surfing and productivity tasks. The screen has 2256 by 1504 resolution. That's 201 Pixels Per Inch. In my opinion, this is one of the best screens on any 13.5 inch laptop. The screen is touch enabled and supports 10-point multi touch. Phil Schiller take notes, this is how you should design a laptop screen.
Keyboard
Moving on to the keyboard. In my opinion, the perfect keyboard ever designed on any laptop is the ThinkPad keyboard. Thinkpad keyboards have perfect key travel and actuation force, but it's physically impossible to put this keyboard in a thin and light laptop design. Somehow Microsoft has managed to put the same quality keyboard in Surface laptop 3. The typing experience is as good as thinkpad keyboard. The key spacing is perfect, it does not feel cramped unlike other 13 inch laptops. The key travel is less than thinkpad keyboard but feels good. The key actuation force feels just right, giving a great feedback while typing. Overall I think Microsoft nailed the keyboard.
Trackpad
The trackpad is 20 percent larger than Surface Laptop 2 and feels very premium. It is smooth, clicky, has great tracking and palm rejection
Ports
So far, the only negative thing is the lack of ports. There is no HDMI or SD-Card slot. You only get 1 USB type C port and 1 USB Type A port. You you will need to buy a USB Type C dongle and I hate dongles
Conclusion: The Bottom Line
Based on my first week use, Surface Laptop 3 feels really fast. This model has core-i7 processor with 16 GIG RAM and 256 GIG fast SSD. I am getting around 10 hours of battery life on this laptop, which is awesome. I will cover the CPU, GPU and overall performance benchmarking in my next review, so stay tuned. But as far as my first weeks impression is concerned, I am blown away. I think, this is the laptop to buy if you are in the market for premium thin and light laptop.
Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases