Floor Laptop computer 8 overview: Yesterday’s laptop computer, tomorrow’s value

Worth When Reviewed

$3,299

Greatest Costs In the present day: Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 8 for Enterprise

For the primary time in many years, I wasn’t excited to overview a Floor machine. Now that I’m completed, I’m nonetheless not.

The Floor Laptop computer eighth Version (or Floor Laptop computer 8) for Enterprise has two issues going for it: an improve to Intel’s wonderful Core Extremely 300 collection processors (Panther Lake) and a reasonably helpful privateness display screen, which may dim and obfuscate the show on the contact of a button. Sadly, Microsoft has left the normal Floor premium in place, a value ladder that pushes the laptop computer’s price to unattractive heights.

To be truthful, it is a business-class laptop computer. A shopper model of this Floor Laptop computer will comply with later this yr, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Excessive chip inside it. Primarily based upon my very own testing of each chips, it’s most likely truthful to say that Intel’s Core Extremely 300 processor will outperform it by a slight quantity, not less than in graphics and possibly battery life.

Some Floor followers might say that Microsoft has reached the heights of the design and might go no additional. Others might criticize it as stale. I fall into the latter class. I now use sticky notes hooked up to the underside of the Floor Laptops I overview. Why? They’re all just about indistinguishable from each other.

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Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 8: Configuration

Microsoft’s Floor Laptop computer 8 is accessible with show sizes of each 13.8 inches and 15 inches, formally often called the Floor Laptop computer for Enterprise (eighth Version) or the Floor Laptop computer 8 for Enterprise.

You may as well buy the laptop computer with a 13-inch show. Microsoft has by no means provided the Floor Laptop computer with such a display screen dimension earlier than, which means that it’s merely often called the Floor Laptop computer for Enterprise, 13-inch. Shopping for the smaller Floor Laptop computer saves you many hundred {dollars} (costs begin at $1,499.99, versus $1,949.99 for the 13.8-inch Floor Laptop computer) and limits your part choices to only a Core Extremely 5 325 processor, as much as 24GB of RAM, and as much as a terabyte of SSD storage.

On paper and within the hand, the Floor Laptop computer 8 for Enterprise is actually similar to 2024’s Floor Laptop computer 7, which weighed 0.01 kilos much less and was priced at $999 on as much as $1,999.99. Certain, that was a shopper model of the Floor Laptop computer, utilizing a Snapdragon X1 Elite… however the reality stays: the minimal value basically doubled from two years in the past. That’s a tricky promote in any market.

At press time, the Floor Laptop computer 8 for Enterprise is simply obtainable from Microsoft itself and at no different retailer. The configuration beneath displays the 13.8-inch model.

• Processor: Core Extremely 5 335, Core Extremely 7 366H, Core Extremely X7 368H (368H as examined)
• Show: 13.8-inch (2304 x 1536) PixelSense Stream, 24-120Hz, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, anti-reflective ISO-9241 or anti-glare with built-in privateness display screen (privateness display screen as examined)
• Reminiscence: 16GB/32GB/64GB LPDDR5X, 16GB as examined
• Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 NVMe SSD, 512TB as examined
• Graphics: Iris Arc B390
• NPU: 50 TOPS
• Ports: 2 USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, 3.5mm headphone hack, Floor Join port
• Safety: Home windows Howdy digicam
• Digital camera: 1080p (user-facing, Home windows Howdy)
• Battery: Design capability: 52.3Wh, Full capability (as examined): 54.1Wh
• Wi-fi: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth Core 5.4
• Audio: Twin Studio Mics, Omnisonic audio system with Dolby Atmos
• Working system: Home windows 11 Professional
• Dimensions: 11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69in.
• Weight: 2.97 lb
• Colours: Platinum and Matte Black
• Costs:  $1,949.99 to $3,699.99 ($3,299 as examined)

Floor Laptop computer 8: One thing previous, one thing new

The aesthetics of the Floor Laptop computer haven’t modified in years. Out of the field, the Laptop computer matches comfortably within the hand, whereas the shiny aluminum chassis now boasts as much as 64 % recycled content material. It does appeal to fingerprints, so hold a microfiber fabric round to shine them away. I don’t discover 2.97 kilos to be uncomfortable, both within the hand or in my backpack, so you should not have any considerations there.

A number of issues differentiate the Floor Laptop computer 8 from its predecessors. First, there’s the processor, a spec bump to the Intel Core Extremely Collection 3 chip, often called Panther Lake. The obtainable configurations embody each the “base” Core Extremely 5 and seven configurations together with the Core Extremely X7 368, which incorporates Intel’s highly effective built-in GPU. Don’t be too excited by that, because the restricted cooling inside the Laptop computer thermally throttled the GPU significantly over extended durations. Second, there’s an odd omission. The Floor app, which is used to observe the Laptop computer’s battery charging choices and some different tweaks. I needed to obtain it from the Microsoft Retailer.

Lastly, Microsoft added a “privateness display screen” expertise, unique to the 13.8-inch model.

Primarily, the Floor Laptop computer’s “privateness display screen” expertise, mentioned extra right here, capabilities about the identical because the the Privateness Show function on Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 telephone. It’s triggered by a brand-new key on the keyboard, mounted because the F1 key subsequent to the Esc key on the highest row. Press it and the show each darkens and configures itself to make it tougher to learn from the edges. (Microsoft explains how the privateness display screen works, right here, with out explaining the way it truly works.)

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The privateness expertise makes use of the laptop computer’s means to regulate its personal show brightness each as a response to the consumer’s preferences in addition to the ambient mild. The dimmer the show, the tougher it’s for somebody subsequent to you to make out what’s on it. However a dimmer show can be tougher to learn, interval.

In my exams, it was a blended bag. In a dim room, from just a few ft away, the show dimmed to nearly opaque from about 15 levels off the axis of the show. In a brighter room, extra of the show’s content material turned seen. I may at all times make out the kind of content material on the display screen, if I wasn’t capable of learn the whole thing of it. Nonetheless, not less than a part of the display screen was left comparatively unobscured, until I used to be seated distant.

It’s laborious to characterize how efficient the privateness display screen is, just because its effectiveness diversified inside the identical set of circumstances in the identical room. Take into account the next comparisons. Within the first, the angle adjustments barely.

From that perspective, the privateness display screen appears barely efficient. For this, I attempted to think about what it will be like from the angle of somebody sitting in an aisle seat on an airplane, casually glancing towards somebody working within the seat close to the aisle. On this angle, I don’t actually assume Microsoft’s privateness protect works.

However, shot from one other angle, it’s not too dangerous. It will have been useful if Microsoft would have been capable of inform us below what eventualities the privateness protect could be best. In a darkened airplane, with an overhead mild on for illumination? In a reasonably shiny room corresponding to this? In a dimmer room, the protect appeared simpler… however must you be pressured to regulate your working circumstances to compensate?

Lastly, as I famous in my different article, I did discover a faint little bit of speckling on the show, like a faint dusty haze contained in the show glass. I think that’s because of the building of the privateness glass itself; maybe a number of the pixels are offset barely? In any occasion, considered straight on, a white Internet web page had a barely dusty look to my eyes. It’s not bothersome and even significantly distracting, nevertheless it was noticeable and detracted from the expertise.

From an I/O perspective, it’s pretty easy: a pair of Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports adorn the left aspect, connecting to 3 4K, 60Hz shows with the suitable dock. (That implies that a consumer who mouses with their left hand might be competing for area with the show cables.) There’s additionally a USB-A port and a headphone jack.

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On the right-hand aspect, the Floor Join port, which vanished from the smaller Floor Laptop computer and new Floor Professional, nonetheless stays. This implies that you may cost the machine both with just about any off-the-shelf USB-C charger or the accompanying tiny little 60-watt Floor charger within the field.

All in all, the design of the Floor Laptop computer 8 for Enterprise feels sturdy and well-constructed. It’s price mentioning, nevertheless, that the exterior cooling design stays utterly unchanged from prior generations, with air shifting out by grillwork mounted within the hinge. Even on the laptop computer’s default setting (“Greatest Energy Effectivity”), I didn’t must do a lot for the fan to cycle on. Beneath load, nevertheless, the fan noise was unobtrusive.

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Floor Laptop computer 8: Show

Put merely, I don’t prefer it.

On paper, there’s nothing unsuitable with it. The HDR show boasts Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ help with adaptive shade and distinction as much as 1300:1. Microsoft provides two show modes, sRGB and Vivid. The corporate claims it may well output as much as 600 nits. I recorded 491 nits of luminance, whole, although that dropped to 163 nits with the privateness protect on.

The colour gamut is sort of good, and remained the identical with the privateness display screen on and off.

Mark Hachman / Foundry

The Floor Laptop computer 8 does supply a contact show, however solely in your finger. Pen enter just isn’t supported. The show doesn’t absolutely recline, anyway, which might make utilizing a pen difficult.

What I do admire concerning the show is an underappreciated function: its variable refresh fee ranges from 120Hz right down to 24 Hz. That’s terrific. The 120Hz show will increase the refresh fee once you’re actively utilizing it, giving any mousing or gameplay the next refresh fee, leading to smoother movement. While you’re gazing a static display screen (or off into area) the refresh fee drops to 24Hz, lower than the normal 60Hz. That reduces energy with out you actually noticing, saving battery life.

Visually, nevertheless, there’s one thing lacking. The show simply seems to be a bit dingy, and there’s some faint speckling brought on by the privateness display screen that makes it look like a decrease decision than it truly is. I can’t actually seize it with a digicam. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the brand new wave of OLED shows, however for me this show falls quick.

Floor Laptop computer 8: Audio and mics

Microsoft Floor units have been one of many first to differentiate themselves with their audio high quality and nothing’s modified right here. The included Omnisonic audio system are backed by Dolby Atmos and supply extra quantity than you’ll have to fill a quiet room. The audio did sound a bit flatter than I recall, however there’s no want for earbuds with this laptop computer. The audio high quality sounds fairly good up and down the vary.

A pair of “Studio” mics boast a function known as “voice focus,” which works with sure undisclosed functions that “use sure Home windows audio processing modes.” This implies the algorithm will focus in your voice fairly than on a background name. I used my customary exams, recording my voice utilizing the Home windows Sound Recorder app whereas enjoying background music after which white noise.

Each background noises remained considerably audible, in contrast to the superb noise filtering obtainable on most Asus laptops. It did a a lot better job at filtering out the white noise, however appeared to turn out to be confused on whether or not to protect or cancel out the vocalist on the music I performed within the background.

Floor Laptop computer 8: Typing and touchpad

Once more, the keyboard is one side of the Floor expertise that was exemplary when it first debuted, however others have caught as much as over time. Nonetheless, I’ve no complaints. I wouldn’t say it’s markedly higher or worse than different laptop computer keyboards I take pleasure in utilizing.

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The Floor Laptop computer contains the haptic touchpads which it started including just a few years again, making them clickable prime to backside. That is merely a superior selection versus the normal touchpad, and Microsoft can be working to offer delicate haptic suggestions when pushing the mouse cursor over sure display screen components, such because the “X” to shut a window. It’s delicate, however a pleasant little element.

The touchpad might be managed through the Floor software, which was absent from my overview unit. (It’s downloadable from the Microsoft Retailer.) That app lets you choose which portion of the Floor touchpad is ready up for right- and left-clicking.

Floor Laptop computer 8: Webcam

The Floor Laptop computer 8 for Enterprise features a 1080p “Studio Digital camera,” which helps the Home windows Studio Results of background blur, framing, eye contact, and extra. It additionally contains face authentication, a key portion of the Home windows Howdy expertise. I by no means had an issue with Howdy through the overview interval.

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Since it is a “enterprise” digicam, I desire a webcam that makes me have a look at least considerably skilled in numerous lighting. And within the shiny, LED lighting of an workplace, most work nicely.

Right here, I examined the webcam each within the shiny lights of our workplace in addition to in additional pure lighting inside my dwelling.

I wasn’t significantly impressed with both, actually. In pure lighting (the sky was overcast that day), the webcam carried out pretty nicely, although the picture was grainier than I’d count on. Within the workplace, although, the Floor Laptop computer 8 seemed considerably blah.

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Floor Laptop computer 8: Efficiency

For now, Intel’s Core Extremely 300 (Panther Lake)’s processor represents probably the greatest premium laptop computer processors that you may purchase throughout 2026, although we’ve but to check the not too long ago launched AMD Ryzen AI 400 processor inside a check laptop computer. PCWorld has already written various tales testing the Intel Core Extremely 300 (Panther Lake) chips: at CES 2026, I examined Panther Lake and its Xe3 graphics core in opposition to a number of processors, with a followup inspecting Panther Lake and its impact on battery life.

These platforms, nevertheless, examined thicker, extra strong productiveness laptops with superior cooling options just like the Asus ZenBook Duo. When laptops function below extended load, they will throttle or gradual themselves down to stop harmful overheating. Within the case of the Floor Laptop computer 8, it’s one thing to look out for.

The Cinebench 2024 CPU benchmark features a “thermal throttling” check, the place the benchmark is run for a interval of ten minutes, again and again. In his situation, diminished efficiency is proof of thermal throttling. You may examine a single run versus the extended check to see if this happens. On this case, CPU efficiency fell from 773 to 689 in a single comparability.

The 3DMark graphics check additionally permits a consumer to run a chronic check — on this case, twenty benchmark loops — and it’ll monitor its efficiency over the course of the run. Right here, the distinction was profound. The benchmark scored highest in its first run, then dropped to about half the efficiency on subsequent runs and remained there all through the rest of the check.

What does this inform us? In some sense, efficiency numbers are misleading. The Floor Laptop computer 8 works finest in brief bursts, not less than the place gaming is worried, however it may well’t deal with extended classes. Alternatively, the cooling appears extra ample for CPU-intensive duties, which may embody the working system, compressing and decompressing recordsdata, and general-purpose functions with out plenty of visible components. Observe that, although we’re not testing the Laptop computer’s NPU capabilities, its 50 TOPS qualify it as a Copilot+ PC.

I in contrast the $3,299 Floor Laptop computer 8 with a number of 14-inch laptops of a latest classic: the $1,699 Acer Swift X 14 AI and the associated $1,499 Acer Swift Edge 14 AI. To that I added a pair of Panther Lake laptops, the $2,259 Dell XPS 14 and the $1,299 MSI Status Flip 14 AI+. Lastly, I added two Snapdragon laptops, the $1,999 Floor Laptop computer 7 (2024) with its first-generation Snapdragon X1 Elite chip inside, and the $1,849 Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, which has a second-generation Snapdragon X2 Elite Excessive chip.

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The PCMark 10 check runs the gamut from video calls by Internet shopping, CAD, and a few mild gaming, and it stays related because of the number of functions that it exams. The Floor Laptop computer advantages a bit from its sturdy embedded GPU engine, although these are primarily CPU-centric exams.

For different exams that may’t be measured utilizing PCMark, we use Cinebench 2024 as an alternative. (Although there’s a 2026 revision, we proceed to make use of Cinebench 2024 for compatibility’s sake.) Once more, Panther Lake is a strong CPU, able to sturdy efficiency briefly bursts.

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That extended Cinebench stress check, nevertheless, warns that you need to count on decrease CPU efficiency over extended durations.

Handbrake was initially the check that we used to evaluate how nicely the laptop computer and its processor held up over a chronic time frame. The app itself is beneficial, although considerably archaic. It merely transcodes a video file right into a format used for storing on a pill. With the prevalence of streaming apps, that transcoding now tends to occur behind the scenes. Nonetheless, it’s an efficient measure of sustained CPU efficiency.

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Our conventional measure of 3D efficiency is 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, which measures 3D efficiency in a means that simulates a 3D recreation. Once more, I’d count on the Floor Laptop computer to carry out fairly nicely right here and it does.

Nonetheless, I observed some extreme variation on the scores this laptop computer reported. From a chilly begin, the benchmark scores climbed to a excessive of seven,063. At its lowest, the rating dropped to 4,601. For every run, I let the laptop computer cool for the standard ten minutes. With this laptop computer, nevertheless, the outcomes present a definite distinction between working the benchmark at first of the day versus giving it an opportunity to chill for ten minutes after working a collection of different benchmarks. That is uncommon habits and a mark in opposition to it. I’d wish to assume {that a} high quality laptop computer will ship constant efficiency.

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Provided that the Floor Laptop computer 8 is a productiveness machine, I didn’t check it extensively when it comes to gaming. Nonetheless, Intel’s XeSS upscaling and body era make an infinite distinction.

Cyberpunk: 2077, examined at 1920×1080 Low, generated a mean body fee of fifty frames per second utilizing simply the sport’s rendering engine, which is near playable. However with the extra options turned on, body charges jumped 133 frames per second, which is greater than playable. Needless to say the benchmark runs for a couple of minute, so I’d count on body charges to drop whereas enjoying for a sustained period of time.

I search for distinctive efficiency in a productiveness laptop computer, however battery life is equally essential. A number of the early Panther Lake laptops I reviewed included large 99Wh batteries, the utmost allowable on a U.S plane. To maintain the burden low, Microsoft shipped the machine with a 52Wh battery. That clearly had an impact on battery life, although not a dramatic one. I’m completely positive with shaving off a little bit of weight for 17.3 hours of battery life, even when will probably be rather less whereas doing productive work.

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Must you purchase the Floor Laptop computer 8?

Shave $1,000 or so off of the worth tag and I believe that I may justify the worth of the present Floor Laptop computer 8 for Enterprise. As it’s, this laptop computer is solely far too costly to suggest, even to these on a enterprise funds.

It’s price noting that the laptops we’re evaluating the Floor Laptop computer shipped not too long ago, in order that they too are topic to the inflationary prices of reminiscence and storage which are in play right here. In any other case, does the Floor Laptop computer supply something compelling? In addition to the privateness display screen, not likely. By way of efficiency and battery life, I can discover laptops that exceed these for a lot much less.

In actual fact, this era of Floor Laptops appears confused. Shoppers would most likely choose a reasonably highly effective GPU for gaming, whereas enterprise vacationers might choose sturdy CPU efficiency. We’ll most likely see that within the upcoming Floor Laptop computer for customers, seemingly working on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. Battery life needs to be roughly the identical. However take into account this: Dell is launching a Dell XPS 13 with a 13.4-inch OLED display screen for as little as $699.

I really feel like I’ve spent sufficient phrases on this laptop computer. It’s overpriced. Don’t purchase it.