This Windows laptop is 31% off in Amazon's Spring Sale and we scored it 5 stars – so why is Amazon putting a warning label on it?

The Surface Laptop 7 on a cyan background with a TechRadar deals badge.

(Image credit: Microsoft / Future)

Amazon has kicked off its Spring Sale event, and while it's no Prime Day in terms of discounts, there are some decent price cuts to be found here – a prime example is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 for just $1,179.99 at Amazon (was $1,699.99).

• Shop Amazon's full Spring Sale

This is the 15-inch 2024 model, powered by Qualcomm's speedy Snapdragon X Elite processor along with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. It's a solid deal, almost a third off the retail price – we scored it a rare five stars in our Surface Laptop 7 review, citing it as a welcome return to glory for the long-embattled Surface product line, due in no small part to Qualcomm's powerhouse chip.

The Snapdragon X Elite provides strong performance and excellent power efficiency – resulting in longer battery life – but there's one drawback here that any potential buyers should consider before making a purchase.

See, unlike conventional Intel-powered laptops, the Snapdragon X Elite is an Arm-based chip; without wanting to get too into the reeds about what this means, the upshot is essentially that the different system architecture (Arm rather than x86) is unable to run certain programs.

This in turn led to Amazon slapping one Surface Laptop 7 listing with a 'frequently returned' warning – advising shoppers to "check the product details and customer reviews to learn more about this item".

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I'm gonna be brutally honest here: anyone who bought one of these and was then upset to learn that it couldn't run a certain program is a rube, a buffoon; an ignoramus undeserving of this delightful laptop.

Okay, perhaps that's a little harsh – but if you're investing a substantial amount of money into a new laptop or PC, one of the first things you should be doing is checking it's capable of running the software you plan to use. Windows on Arm (WoA) has come a long way since the early days of SQ-chip Surface devices, with new Prism emulation allowing better app compatibility than ever before, but users with specific software requirements (especially most popular VPNs, which are still very wonky on WoA) should be wary.

Still, if you're just looking to pick up a straightforward productivity laptop for work or school, I feel comfortable recommending the Surface Laptop 7 – it's an excellently-designed device that can handle most everyday workloads with ease, and the 4.2 star rating on Amazon demonstrates that the buyers who didn't return it were pleased with their purchases.

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Christian is TechRadar’s UK-based Computing Editor. He came to us from Maximum PC magazine, where he fell in love with computer hardware and building PCs. He was a regular fixture amongst our freelance review team before making the jump to TechRadar, and can usually be found drooling over the latest high-end graphics card or gaming laptop before looking at his bank account balance and crying.

Christian is a keen campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights and the owner of a charming rescue dog named Lucy, having adopted her after he beat cancer in 2021. She keeps him fit and healthy through a combination of face-licking and long walks, and only occasionally barks at him to demand treats when he’s trying to work from home.