Windows 11 Struggles on Microsoft’s New $900 Laptop, Users Report Frequent Freezing Issues

A recent report highlights that the latest iteration of Microsoft’s Surface laptops struggles with even the most basic tasks, like managing multiple browser tabs, streaming video, and using Google Docs. This performance issue is attributed to both Windows 11’s subpar optimization and RAM shortages linked to AI data center demands, for which Microsoft shares some responsibility.

The insights come from a review of the budget-friendly 13-inch Surface Laptop model. To provide context, this new version is only slightly different from last year’s model. The key distinction between the 2025 model, priced at $900, and the 2026 revision, now at $950, is a reduction in RAM from 16GB to 8GB.

In a bid to maintain an affordable option in its Surface lineup, Microsoft has cut the RAM in the entry-level 13-inch Surface Laptop. If users want to upgrade to 16GB, it will cost an additional $200. But how does the 8GB version perform? According to the reviewer, the experience is quite disappointing.

During a Microsoft Teams call, the reviewer noted that when a video was streamed, the laptop froze for several seconds, despite having only 10 Chrome tabs open and a couple of messaging apps running. “The Surface Laptop would hang for a few seconds like this several times a day, even when I thought I wasn’t pushing it too hard,” the reviewer explained. They also experienced similar freezes while working in Google Docs without any streaming or calls active.

What’s causing these frustrating freezes? After a fresh reboot with minimal startup apps, the Task Manager showed that the 8GB Surface Laptop was already using 4.2GB of RAM, nearly the total amount needed to run Windows 11 efficiently.

Unfortunately, Windows 11’s optimization issues are just part of the problem. The rising cost of RAM is also linked to the extensive investments in AI data centers, an area where Microsoft has committed hundreds of billions of dollars. This figure doesn’t even account for the substantial funding directed toward initiatives like OpenAI and Copilot.

In a bid to cut costs, Microsoft recently laid off thousands of Xbox employees and made significant cuts to several studios. Perhaps these savings will lead to even more overpriced hardware that many gamers find unaffordable.