Snapdragon X Elite vs. Apple M3 Pro Battery Test!

Summary

In a 2-day battery test, the Surface Laptop 7 with Snapdragon X Elite chip and the 2024 MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip were compared across various tasks like web browsing, productivity, video calls, and gaming. Despite the MacBook's larger battery and mini LED display, the Surface showed impressive efficiency, especially in standby and video streaming. However, the MacBook excelled in audio and gaming performance, albeit at a higher battery cost. The test highlights the Surface's potential in efficiency but acknowledges the MacBook's superior user experience, with the Surface ultimately outlasting the MacBook by a slim margin.

Takeaways

• 💻 The test compares the battery life of the new Surface Laptop 7 with the 2024 MacBook Pro, both priced at $2,000.
• 🔋 Both laptops have different chips, with the Surface featuring the Snapdragon X Elite and the MacBook having the M3 Pro, which is more power-efficient despite a smaller battery.
• 📊 The MacBook has a larger battery, a mini LED display for better efficiency, and a slightly larger screen size compared to the Surface.
• 🌐 The first test involved web browsing with both laptops using Chrome, simulating real-world use with scrolling and loading of websites.
• 📈 In the web browsing test, the Surface lost 24% of battery, while the MacBook lost only 16% after two hours.
• 📊 The productivity test simulated real-life tasks with both laptops running music, Excel, and Word, showing the Surface lost 21% and the MacBook 25% after two hours.
• 📞 A 30-minute Zoom call test showed both laptops lost 6% of their battery, indicating similar performance in this scenario.
• 🔋 The standby test revealed the MacBook lost only 2% of battery after 16 hours, while the Surface lost 4%.
• 🎥 In the video streaming test, the Surface performed better, reducing the MacBook's lead to 4% after two hours of playing a movie.
• 🎮 The gaming test showed the MacBook rendering more frames per second than the Surface, which negatively affected its battery life during the test.
• 🏁 The final result of the battery test showed the Surface Laptop outlasting the MacBook Pro, but with a margin of error and considering the MacBook provided a better user experience with higher screen resolution and speaker quality.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the 2-day battery test between the Surface Laptop 7 and the 2024 MacBook Pro?

The purpose of the test was to evaluate the efficiency of the new Snapdragon X chips in the Surface Laptop 7 and compare it with the 2024 MacBook Pro, assessing their performance in various tasks such as web browsing, productivity, video calls, gaming, and standby time.

How much did the Surface Laptop 7 and the 2024 MacBook Pro cost in the test configuration?

Both laptops were configured at a cost of $2,000 for the test.

What are the key differences in the hardware specifications between the Surface Laptop 7 and the 2024 MacBook Pro as mentioned in the script?

The Surface Laptop 7 features a top-of-the-line Snapdragon X Elite chip, a slightly smaller screen size, and pushes 40% fewer pixels. The 2024 MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has a max M3 Pro chip, a 30% larger battery, and a mini LED display which may contribute to efficiency.

How did the laptops perform in the web browsing test after two hours?

After two hours of web browsing, the Surface Laptop 7's battery dropped by 24 percentage points, while the MacBook Pro's battery dropped by 16 percentage points.

What was the productivity test simulating and how did the laptops perform after two hours of this test?

The productivity test simulated a workflow involving music playback on Spotify, data copying from Excel to Word, and typing on the keyboard with four apps open. The Surface Laptop 7's battery dropped by 21 points, and the MacBook Pro's battery dropped by 25 points.

How did the laptops perform during the 30-minute Zoom call test in terms of battery efficiency?

Both laptops performed identically during the Zoom call test, with each dropping by only six points in terms of battery efficiency.

What was the outcome of the standby test after 16 hours for both laptops?

After 16 hours of standby, the MacBook Pro lost two percentage points of battery, while the Surface Laptop 7 lost four percentage points.

How did the MacBook Pro's speaker system impact the battery test results in the video streaming test?

The MacBook Pro's six-speaker system provided a richer and fuller sound, which might have contributed to a faster battery drain during the video streaming test compared to the Surface Laptop 7.

What was the performance difference in frames per second between the MacBook Pro and the Surface Laptop 7 during the gaming benchmark test?

During the gaming benchmark test, the MacBook Pro was getting around two to three times more frames per second than the Surface Laptop 7.

How did the performance cap on the MacBook Pro affect the battery test outcome in the gaming benchmark?

The performance cap on the MacBook Pro, which reduced the frame rate from 65 to 7 frames per second, allowed it to last for an additional 19 minutes before shutting down, compared to the Surface Laptop 7 which held steady at around 24 frames per second.

What conclusion can be drawn about the efficiency of the Snapdragon X chip in the Surface Laptop 7 based on the test results?

The Snapdragon X chip in the Surface Laptop 7 proved to be highly efficient, especially considering the laptop had a significantly smaller battery but still performed exceptionally well in the tests.