The iMac is better suited for users who prioritize display quality and processing power for desktop-based tasks. The Surface Laptop 7 is a better choice for users needing portability, long battery life, and the flexibility of Windows 11.
| Metric | Apple iMac 27-inch (2025) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | M3 Chip (8-core CPU: 4 performance, 4 efficiency; Up to 10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus processors |
| RAM | 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB Unified Memory | 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB to 2TB SSD | 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD (removable) |
| Screen Size | 24-inch and 30-inch | 13.8 inches or 15 inches |
| Screen Resolution | 5120 x 2880 (30") / 4480 x 2520 (24") | 13.8-inch: 2304 x 1536 pixels (201 PPI), 15-inch: 2496 x 1664 pixels (201 PPI) |
| Graphics Card | Up to 10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing | Qualcomm Adreno GPU |
| Operating System | macOS 15 | Windows 11 Home |
| Ports | Four USB 3.0 ports, Two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3, Ethernet jack, SDXC card slot, Headphone jack | 2 x USB-C 4.0 (with data transfer, charging, and DisplayPort 1.4), 1 x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2) port, microSDXC card reader (15-inch model only), 3.5 mm headphone jack, Surface Connect port, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Price | Not available | $1,000 |
| Battery Life (typical usage) | Not applicable | Up to 20 hours of video playback (13.8-inch) or 22 hours of video playback (15-inch). Up to 13 hours of battery life based on web browsing test on Surface Laptop 13.8 inch. Up to 15 hours of battery life based on based web browsing test on Surface Laptop 15 inch. |