Microsoft knows its new Surface PCs are too expensive: Combats skyrocketing prices with new 8GB RAM models that start at $849
Microsoft has released new budget-friendly configurations of its Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch to address rising PC component costs. The new models feature 8GB of RAM and start at $849 for the Surface Pro and $949 for the Surface Laptop, representing significant price reductions. These represent the company’s response to the ongoing component pricing crisis that has made Surface devices increasingly expensive in recent months.
The new configurations maintain the same 1st Edition design and Qualcomm processors as existing models, with the only change being the reduced RAM capacity. While the primary goal is to bring prices down and improve accessibility, an interesting side effect emerged: the 8GB versions don’t qualify as Copilot+ PCs, which require a minimum of 16GB RAM. This means these models run lighter versions of Windows 11, potentially offering better performance and efficiency compared to their higher-spec counterparts that must support Microsoft’s AI features. The move highlights how component pricing pressures have forced both Microsoft and other manufacturers to offer lower-spec configurations as entry-level options.