Surface Laptop 13-Inch 2nd Edition Preview: Fanless Design, 60Hz Display and $1,199 Price

What Notebookcheck says so far​

Microsoft lists the laptop at a $1,199 MSRP, available from October 13 in select markets. Notebookcheck's one-week-later preview says the six-core Snapdragon X2 Plus (X2P-42-100) powers the review unit. The same chip sits in the Surface Pro 12-inch. Microsoft describes the 2nd edition as a fanless design with passive cooling, like the Surface Pro 12-inch it shares the chip with.

The outlet's early observations are mixed:

• Cooling: Microsoft describes the 2nd edition as fanless with passive cooling over the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip — there is no fan to spin up.
• Serviceability: Reaching the compact M.2 2230 UFS SSD means removing the top of the base, keyboard included, and disconnecting cables. Notebookcheck calls this complicated, but says the SSD can be replaced.
• Display: It's an IPS touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, now rated at 500 nits. The refresh rate is 60 Hz, while the Surface Pro 12 gets 90 Hz.
• Price: The starting configuration is 16 GB RAM and 256 GB for $1,199. The test unit has 512 GB and costs $1,299. Notebookcheck says this is a big jump over the previous model, which started at 8 GB.

Fan or no fan?​

Microsoft's own announcement describes the 2nd edition as a fanless PC with passive cooling — the same Snapdragon X2 Plus chip the fanless Surface Pro 12-inch uses. Fanless designs have real advantages: no moving parts, no dust path and no noise. What the full review should still show is how the passive design holds up under sustained workloads.

Why 60 Hz matters​

Microsoft's announcement highlights the brighter 500-nit panel, but the refresh rate matters too. One coverage piece describes the Pro as able to reach 90 Hz, with 60 Hz as the standard setting, while the laptop tops out at 60 Hz. So the cheaper-feeling convertible has the smoother screen. At $1,199, some buyers will wonder about that.

Price and the RAM trade-off​

ITdaily reports the entry price rose by 280 to 340 euros over the 2025 first edition. Both models start at 16 GB of LPDDR5x, with 24 GB optional and 256 or 512 GB of UFS storage. That makes them Copilot+ PCs again, after Microsoft sold 8 GB versions in June without Copilot+ branding. So the higher price buys real memory. For business and Copilot+ use, 16 GB is the more sensible baseline.

Microsoft's claims versus independent testing​

Microsoft's headline numbers are 17% faster Office work, 18% better battery efficiency, over 60% faster graphics and 95% faster local AI inference. All are measured against the first-generation Snapdragon X Plus models and come from Microsoft's own testing. The company also advertises 22.5 hours of local video playback. That figure comes with the usual caveat that real battery life varies with use. None of it is Notebookcheck's finding.

The Gadgeteer notes that independent testing will show how large those improvements feel in practice. Notebookcheck's full review should help answer that.

A caution on the larger Surface Laptop​

Don't confuse this model with the larger one. Notebookcheck separately reviewed the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 2026 with the Snapdragon X2 Plus and called it a very good everyday laptop. It also said $1,599 for the smallest configuration there is not cheap. The 13-inch model is a different, smaller machine with its own chassis and price.

What to watch for in the full review​

• Measured thermals and sustained performance under realistic loads.
• Sustained performance against the Surface Pro 12 and the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop.
• Independent battery results, compared with Microsoft's 22.5-hour video claim.
• Real-world brightness of the 500-nit panel.
• How the soldered, hard-to-reach internals affect long-term repair and IT support.

Bottom line​

The refreshed Surface Laptop 13-inch gets a newer chip, more baseline RAM and a brighter screen. It keeps a fanless design and a 60 Hz panel, and its internals are awkward to reach. Wait for the full review before judging value at $1,199.

Correction (October 20, 2026): An earlier version of this article said the Surface Laptop 13-inch (2nd Edition) has a fan, described fan behavior from an early preview, and listed the SSD as M.2-2242. Microsoft describes the 2nd edition as a fanless PC with passive cooling, and Notebookcheck's own 2nd-edition coverage lists M.2 2230 UFS storage. The article has been corrected.