Microsoft has confirmed that its new midrange Surface Laptop for 2026 will be made available with 8GB RAM later this year in a desperate bid to bring its starting price down. This will be the first Surface PC to ship with less than 16GB RAM since the launch of Copilot+ PCs in 2024, meaning it'll not support any Copilot+ PC features.
The Surface Laptop 13-inch is supposed to be Microsoft's more affordable Surface Laptop offering, featuring midrange specs, but the ongoing RAM crisis has pushed the company into a tough spot. The original business model launched for $1,099 in 2025, but the new model with Intel's latest Core Ultra 3 chips, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage now starts at an eye-watering $1,499.
That's obviously a problem, and so the company's solution is to introduce a model with less RAM to bring that entry-level price down. The 8GB RAM model will start at $1,299, which is somewhat more reasonable, but it's still a laptop with only 8GB RAM in 2026. The recent MacBook Neo also launched with 8GB RAM, but that device costs just $599.
"Available starting today in select markets in 16GB and 24GB configurations starting at $1,499 (MSRP), with an 8GB configuration coming later this year starting at $1,299.99 (MSRP)," Microsoft says.
Of course, for many people, 8GB RAM is still more than enough, but that lack of headroom is going to limit the longevity of this device. Plus, buying a PC that isn't Copilot+ PC capable makes little sense these days, as you miss out on features like semantic search, Click To Do, and even Windows Recall.
The 8GB RAM model will include an NPU that is capable of outputting 50 TOPS of power, meaning it has the silicon to support Copilot+ PC features, but it won't have enough memory. That's a shame, as it means the NPU on that device will essentially be useless, as most Copilot+ features need at least 16GB RAM to even qualify to use the NPU.
Alongside the new midrange Surface Laptop 13-inch, Microsoft also announced new flagship Surface Pro and Surface Laptop hardware for business customers today. These devices start at an earth-shattering $1,949, but feature display upgrades and a new haptic trackpad, along with Intel's more powerful Series 3 chips.
The Surface Laptop 13-inch with 16GB RAM is available to order today from Microsoft's commercial storefront. The company hasn't confirmed when the 8GB RAM model will be made available.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
