Microsoft could ditch Intel for AMD with its Surface Laptop 3

(Image credit: Future)

It appears that Microsoft could be launching a 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 which will run on AMD Ryzen processors at its Surface hardware event on October 2.

If true, this will be the first time AMD hardware would be powering a Surface device – as previously Microsoft has stuck to Intel processors.

It would certainly be a big win for AMD – and a nasty blow for Intel – if that is the case. Microsoft’s Surface devices are premium products that are supposed to show off what Windows 10 devices are capable of, so having AMD hardware in them could be seen as a strong recommendation from Microsoft.

The rumors, reported by WinFuture, come from entries in non-public databases of European retailers, which leads the website to claim that it is “confident that the new Surface Laptop 3 15-inch model will definitely be equipped with AMD CPUs.”

15-inch wonder

The Surface Laptop 3 is also rumored to have a 15-inch display – with previous models only offering 13-inch screens.

By offering a 15-inch Surface Laptop 3, Microsoft is able to target people who are looking for a larger laptop.

While we don’t know what AMD chips Microsoft would use for a 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 (if one even exists), WinFuture suggests that the AMD Ryzen 5 3550H and the Ryzen 7 3750H are likely candidates, due to being powerful quad-core chips with integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega graphics – which makes them ideal for powering a large-screen laptop.

We’ll be attending the Surface event on October 2 ourselves, and if the Surface Laptop 3 is there, you can be sure we’ll get our hands on it and report back.

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Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.