Microsoft now offers its compact Surface Laptop 13.8 with the updated Snapdragon X2 Elite processors. The entry-level model with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD storage costs at least $1599, while the much lighter Asus Zenbook A14 with the faster X2 Elite SoC starts at $1349.
The new Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 7 combines a lighter 14-inch chassis with good business performance. Our review unit is equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 processor, 64 GB RAM as well as a matte IPS touchscreen.
Microsoft only updates the CPU of the Surface Pro OLED with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 chips. However, you only get the slowest version of the Snapdragon X2 Elite with a comparatively slow GPU, which is not much faster than the Snapdragon X2 Plus.
Microsoft once again only offers ARM versions of its Surface devices for private customers, while business customers have access to much more powerful hardware, 5G modules and additional display options.
The new Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2026) combines a compact 14-inch chassis with Intel's Panther Lake CPU and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. This combination offers better gaming performance with improved battery runtimes.
MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+ is the first device with Intel's dedicated handheld SoC, which easily beats the competition. The combination of the Arc G3 Extreme CPU and the Arc B390 iGPU reaches a completely new level of performance. Even AMD's current Ryzen Z2 Extreme does not stand a chance in a direct performance comparison.
The ThinkPad T14s is a premium business laptop, which is sitting right between the regular ThinkPad T14 and the business flagship X1 Carbon. The new Gen 7 model is lighter than before, but the overall level of performance did not really change.
Computer prices continue to increase and new gaming handhelds are also affected. MSI's new gaming handheld Claw 8 EX AI+ with Intel's new Arc G3 Extreme chip offers very good performance figures, but we are not sure there are sufficient potential buyers considering the high price of $1799.