Microsoft could equip its next generation of Surface PCs with Arm-based processors from AMD, according to details shared by a tipster. They are expected to arrive as the successors to the Surface Laptop 7 and the Surface Pro 11 models. The firm’s 2026 device lineup is said to include models with Arm-based chips that could arrive at a lower price than its existing PCs. Microsoft currently offers Surface devices that are equipped with Snapdragon X series chips from Qualcomm, as well as x86 processors from Intel.
Microsoft to Equip Some Surface Devices With AMD ‘Sound Wave’ Processors
In a post on the NeoGAF forums last month, (via ITHome) user KeplerL2 states that AMD is working on an Arm-based APU codenamed Sound Wave that will be used on the Microsoft Surface lineup for 2026. The new Sound Wave processor from AMD is said to be produced using TSMC’s 3nm process technology.
According to previous reports, AMD’s new Sound Wave APU will be equipped with two performance cores and four efficiency cores. It is expected to feature a 128-bit LPDDRx-9600 RAM controller. Laptops equipped with this processor are said to arrive with 16GB of RAM.
If these claims are accurate, then the number of Windows on Arm (WoA) laptops is set to increase next year. Microsoft already offers Surface laptops equipped with Snapdragon X series chips, and the addition of a new Arm-based processor should help to offer more customers more choice.
It would also be the first time in years that Microsoft has launched a Surface device with an AMD chip. Based on the purported specifications, the AMD Sound Wave APU could power more affordable, low powered Surface devices.
Earlier this month, Microsoft launched new Surface Pro (12-inch) and Surface Laptop (13-inch) models with Snapdragon X Plus processors. These laptops could offer better performance than the ones equipped with AMD Sound Wave APUs.
