How Long Do Owners Say Microsoft Surface Laptops Usually Last?

Microsoft Surface may be considered a cheaper alternative to a MacBook Pro, but it goes far beyond its status as an Apple killer. The series actually offers some premium specs at a relatively affordable price point. Then again, Microsoft may lack the pedigree of some of its competitors. If you rank the best major PC brands, for most customers, Lenovo, Dell, and HP routinely take the cake in terms of reputation and overall reliability. So, can Microsoft's laptop series outlive a MacBook or a Lenovo machine? How long do owners say Microsoft Surface laptops usually last?

If you include all devices under the Surface umbrella — traditional laptops and tablets with detachable keyboards — generally speaking, you can squeeze quite a lot of years out of them. Users on Reddit report that their Surface Pro and Surface Book laptop/tablet hybrids stayed alive for nearly a decade. In fact, it's hard to find users who report catastrophic failures. Keep in mind that these devices may work, but they likely won't spend their sundown years in the best shape. Multiple people report that particular batteries are practically shot. In other words, be prepared to have it plugged in at all times.

For traditional laptops, the expected lifespan is about the same. Numerous users note their computers still function, meaning that you can, if careful, stick with them for at least five years or longer. Granted, there are always lemons. For instance, one user said that every product in the Surface line lasted two to three years before dying. A few responses echoed it to a T, and although they didn't specify the models, some mentioned battery swelling — a common issue for Surface Pro and Surface Book products.

Not surprisingly, older Microsoft Surface devices, at least those with detachable keyboards, come with battery problems galore. From battery swelling on some models, thanks to the heatsink being located above the battery, to rapid deterioration, you can find almost everything under the sun if you dig hard enough. However, this may also be the case of unhappy customers being more likely to vent online freely. Case in point, one person says their office has three Surface Pro models, and only one of them had battery difficulties.

Standard clamshells may fare better in this department. For example, one person held on to the original Surface Laptop from 2017 until 2026, while another added that both their Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Pro 7 work amazingly. Other issues with Surface devices are leaning on the cosmetic side. The detachable keyboards have a habit of peeling away, and it's not something you can stop on some of the older units. One Reddit user recommends fixing it with a leather sheet.

In 2024, Microsoft released the Surface 7, which runs on the newer Snapdragon X Elite ARM architecture. The switch to ARM, probably an effort to catch up to Apple's M2 chip, made these machines much more efficient. They generate less heat and offer better battery life, so those old problems may finally be dead and buried. There isn't much information on how long owners say ARM-based Surface devices last, as they're fairly new but owners are frequently complaining about incompatibility with x86 applications. If this is your main concern, there are a whole lot of cheaper alternatives to the Microsoft Surface 7 laptop, including the HP OmniBook 5 that offers a conventional Intel-based architecture