PC World - USA (2020-01)

72 PCWorld JANUARY 2020

REVIEWS MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP 3 15-INCH (CORE i7)

CHASSIS: THE PLATINUM

OPTION SPURNS

FINGERPRINTS

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 offers various

chassis options that include either a solid

metal finish or the now-traditional Alcantara

fabric inside. We tested the Surface Laptop 3

for Business (Core i7) in the Platinum color.

Though we would have preferred the lovely

“Sandstone” option, it’s not available in the

15-inch Surface Laptop 3.

I actually prefer the look and feel of metal

under my palms. It does get a little chilly on

your lap, but its conductivity surely helps with

cooling. The Platinum model doesn’t soak up

fingerprints like the Matte Black option does,

and the keyboard and touchpad contrast

nicely with the chassis itself.

Surface Laptops

have always aspired

to be more than just

computing devices,

and the sleek

swathes of metal

that inform the

15-inch Surface

Laptop 3 are lovely

both to view and to

hold. The Surface

Laptop 3 joins other

laptops in its class

that have moved to

lighter materials,

and slimmed down

their internal components. It feels surprisingly

light. Even Microsoft’s 65W charger is tiny.

At the same time, the Surface Laptop 3 is

sturdy beyond concern. It’s a standard

clamshell design: It folds back to about 45

degrees off the horizontal plane like previous

models, but it doesn’t go completely flat.

THE FAN PLAYS A SLIGHTLY

LARGER ROLE

Microsoft paid attention to cooling in the

Surface Laptop 3. Note that in all three

Surface Laptop 3s that we reviewed, all of the

Windows power settings were set to

maximize battery life and presumably keep

the fan noise at a minimum. In the Ryzen 5

consumer model, the fan was nearly

nonexistent, though it ramped up a bit more

Metal or fabric? It’s your choice, though which you choose also determines

which configuration of the Surface Laptop 3 you’ll receive.