Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra Disappoints at $4,299 as 2,000-Nit Mini-LED Lacks Local Dimming
Updated
Updated · Notebookcheck.net · Oct 19
Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra Disappoints at $4,299 as 2,000-Nit Mini-LED Lacks Local Dimming
1 articles · Updated · Notebookcheck.net · Oct 19
Summary
A review found Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra falls short of its flagship promise, with the biggest flaw a Mini-LED display that delivers over 2,000 nits in HDR but no usable local dimming.
That leaves black levels washed out at 0.61 and contrast at 1,736:1, while slow 51 ms gray-to-gray response times cause visible ghosting even at 120 Hz.
Performance is not the problem: Nvidia’s 20-core RTX Spark N1X stays stable on battery and under sustained loads, and the system can be configured with up to 128 GB of RAM.
Other compromises include a single SSD slot, no SD-Express support, a relatively bulky 2 kg chassis, wobbly hinges and battery life of 10.5 hours in Wi-Fi testing at 150 nits.
At $4,299 for the reviewed 64 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD model, the laptop faces stronger display competition from OLED rivals and Apple’s MacBook Pro 16.