Microsoft Surface devices are some of the most beautifully designed Windows machines on the market. Premium displays, touchscreen capability, pen support, sleek aluminium builds, and the kind of hardware-software integration you’d normally associate with Apple. They’re the laptops and tablets that turn heads in a meeting.
But they’re also expensive. A new Surface Laptop 5 starts at well over AUD $1,500. A Surface Pro 9 or newer will set you back $1,600+. And that’s before you add the Type Cover keyboard, the Surface Pen, or any other accessories.
Here’s the smarter move: buying a refurbished Surface.
At Computer and Laptop Sales, we stock professionally refurbished Microsoft Surface Laptops and Surface Pros — tested by qualified engineers, restored to excellent condition, and backed by warranty — at prices starting from just $490.
This guide compares every refurbished Surface model currently available in our store, explains the differences between them, and helps you choose the right one for your needs and budget.
Before comparing individual models, it’s important to understand that Microsoft makes two fundamentally different types of Surface devices — and choosing the wrong form factor is the most common mistake buyers make.
The Surface Pro is a tablet with a built-in kickstand that transforms into a laptop when you attach a Type Cover keyboard. It’s incredibly portable, features a touchscreen with Surface Pen support, and can switch between tablet mode, laptop mode, and studio mode (angled flat for drawing or writing).
Best for: Professionals who need maximum portability, people who take handwritten notes or sketch, presenters, healthcare workers, educators who move between classrooms, and anyone who values the flexibility of a tablet that can also be a laptop.
The trade-off: The keyboard is sold separately, typing on the Type Cover isn’t as comfortable as a traditional laptop keyboard for extended sessions, and the device can be less stable on your lap compared to a clamshell laptop.
The Surface Laptop is a conventional laptop — a premium, thin, beautifully designed clamshell with a touchscreen display. It looks and works like a traditional laptop but with the premium build quality and display technology that the Surface brand is known for.
Best for: Professionals who primarily type, anyone who wants a premium Windows laptop experience, students who need a reliable daily driver, and users who prefer the stability and keyboard comfort of a traditional laptop form factor.
The trade-off: Less versatile than the Surface Pro (no detachable tablet mode), slightly heavier, and you don’t get the same pen-on-screen drawing experience.
We currently stock three refurbished Surface Pro models. Here’s how they compare.
Price: $490
The most affordable Surface in our range — and a fantastic entry point.
The Surface Pro 7 was a landmark model for the Surface Pro line. It introduced USB-C connectivity alongside the traditional Surface Connect port, features a beautiful 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen display (2736 x 1824 resolution), and runs a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.
For everyday professional tasks — email, documents, web browsing, video calls, note-taking, and presentations — the Surface Pro 7 performs admirably. The display is sharp and colour-accurate, the form factor is incredibly portable, and at $490, it’s less than a third of what you’d pay for a current-generation Surface Pro.
Best for: Budget-conscious buyers who want the Surface Pro experience, students, light business users, note-takers, and anyone who values portability above all else.
Keep in mind: 8GB of RAM is adequate for standard tasks but will feel stretched if you’re a heavy multitasker. The 10th Gen i5 is capable but not as fast as the newer 11th Gen chips in the Pro 7+ and Pro 8.
Price: $660
The mid-range sweet spot — a meaningful upgrade over the Pro 7.
The Surface Pro 7+ looks identical to the Pro 7 from the outside, but the internals tell a different story. The 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 processor is a significant step up from the Pro 7’s 10th Gen chip — delivering roughly 15–20% better CPU performance and substantially improved integrated graphics (Intel Iris Xe versus Intel UHD). This translates to snappier application launches, smoother multitasking, and better performance in graphics-light tasks like photo editing or casual gaming.
The Pro 7+ also introduced a removable SSD — a notable upgrade for enterprise users and a practical advantage if you ever need to swap or upgrade your storage. Battery life is also improved compared to the Pro 7, thanks to the more power-efficient 11th Gen processor.
Best for: Professionals who want noticeably better performance than the Pro 7, business users who need the removable SSD for data security compliance, and anyone willing to invest $170 more for a tangible generational improvement.
Keep in mind: Still 8GB of RAM — the same limitation as the Pro 7 for heavy multitasking. Same 12.3-inch display and external design.
Price: $670
The biggest design leap in the Surface Pro line — and only $10 more than the Pro 7+.
The Surface Pro 8 was a major redesign. The bezels are slimmer, the display is larger (13 inches, up from 12.3 inches), the refresh rate jumps to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and pen input, and the ports switch to two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections — a massive upgrade from the Pro 7/7+’s single USB-C and USB-A setup. Thunderbolt 4 means faster data transfer, the ability to connect to external displays, and support for Thunderbolt docks.
The chassis is refined, the kickstand is improved, and the overall feel is more modern and premium than the Pro 7 generation. It’s the first Surface Pro that feels genuinely contemporary by today’s standards.
Under the hood, it shares the same Core i5-1135G7 processor and 8GB/256GB configuration as the Pro 7+, so raw processing performance is comparable. But the display, port, and design upgrades make the Pro 8 feel like a much newer device.
Best for: Anyone who wants the most modern Surface Pro experience in our range, users who need Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, professionals who value the larger 13-inch display and 120Hz refresh rate, and creative users who want the best pen-on-screen experience.
Keep in mind: Still 8GB of RAM. The larger display and 120Hz panel can consume slightly more battery than the Pro 7+.
| Feature | Surface Pro 7 ($490) | Surface Pro 7+ ($660) | Surface Pro 8 ($670) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | 10th Gen Core i5 | 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 | 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB SSD | 256GB SSD (removable) | 256GB SSD (removable) |
| Display | 12.3″ (2736×1824) 60Hz | 12.3″ (2736×1824) 60Hz | 13″ (2880×1920) 120Hz |
| Ports | 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, Surface Connect | 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, Surface Connect | 2x Thunderbolt 4, Surface Connect |
| Best value | Best price | Best performance per dollar | Best features and design |
Our recommendation: If budget is the priority, the Surface Pro 7 at $490 is a great deal. If you can stretch to $670, the Surface Pro 8’s larger display, 120Hz refresh rate, and Thunderbolt 4 ports make it the most future-proof choice — and it’s only $10 more than the Pro 7+.
We stock five refurbished Surface Laptop models across three generations. Here’s how they stack up.
Price: $680
The entry point for the Surface Laptop experience.
The Surface Laptop 3 brought a refined aluminium design with a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen (2256 x 1504), a comfortable keyboard, and a large precision trackpad. The 10th Gen Core i5 processor handles everyday productivity tasks well, and the 256GB SSD keeps things responsive.
The Surface Laptop 3 marked the beginning of Microsoft’s shift toward a more professional, less fabric-heavy design (earlier Surface Laptops featured Alcantara keyboard decks). The display quality is excellent, with good colour accuracy and brightness.
Best for: Buyers who want a premium Surface Laptop experience at the most accessible price point, light-to-moderate productivity users, and anyone who prefers a traditional laptop form factor over the Surface Pro tablet style.
Keep in mind: 8GB RAM limits heavy multitasking. The 10th Gen processor is a generation behind the Laptop 4. No USB-A port on the 13.5-inch model.
Price: $580
Better performance than the Laptop 3 — at a lower price.
The Surface Laptop 4 upgraded to 11th Gen Intel processors, delivering improved performance and better integrated graphics compared to the Laptop 3. At $580, it’s actually $100 less than the older Laptop 3 in our current range, making it an exceptional value proposition.
The design is largely unchanged from the Laptop 3, with the same beautiful 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen, premium aluminium construction, and comfortable keyboard. But the performance upgrade is noticeable — applications launch faster, multitasking is smoother, and the Intel Iris Xe graphics handle casual creative tasks better than the Laptop 3’s Intel UHD graphics.
Best for: The best value Surface Laptop in our range. Ideal for students, professionals, and anyone who wants a newer-generation Surface Laptop without paying a premium for it.
Price: $580
Same price, double the storage.
This variant of the Surface Laptop 4 offers 512GB of SSD storage instead of 256GB — at the same $580 price point. If you work with larger files, store media locally, or simply want more breathing room on your drive, this is the obvious choice over the 256GB model.
Best for: Anyone choosing between the two Laptop 4 variants — unless you specifically need the $580 elsewhere, the 512GB model is the smarter buy at the same price.
Price: $780
The performance upgrade for power users.
This is the first Surface in our range with 16GB of RAM — double the memory of the other models, and a significant upgrade for anyone who multitasks heavily. The Core i7 processor provides additional processing headroom for demanding workloads, and the 15-inch display offers substantially more screen real estate than the 13.5-inch models.
With 16GB RAM, this machine comfortably handles running multiple Office applications simultaneously, keeping 20+ browser tabs open, joining video calls while working on documents, and running more demanding applications like Photoshop or light data analysis tools.
Best for: Professionals who need serious multitasking capability, users who want the larger 15-inch display, and anyone whose workload demands more than 8GB of RAM.
Keep in mind: 256GB storage is relatively modest for a 16GB machine — cloud storage or an external drive may be needed for larger file collections.
Price: $880
The newest and most powerful Surface Laptop in our range.
The Surface Laptop 5 is the most recent generation, featuring a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor — a meaningful leap in both single-threaded and multi-threaded performance compared to the 11th Gen chips in the Laptop 4. The hybrid architecture of 12th Gen Intel (combining performance and efficiency cores) delivers noticeably better real-world performance, particularly for demanding multitasking scenarios.
With 16GB of RAM, a premium touchscreen display, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, and the refined Surface design language, the Laptop 5 is the closest thing to buying a new Surface Laptop — at a fraction of the current retail price.
A new Surface Laptop 5 with these specifications retailed for well over AUD $2,200. At $880 refurbished, you’re saving more than $1,300.
Best for: Professionals who want the best performance and newest technology in the Surface Laptop line, power users, and anyone who values having the most current generation hardware available.
| Feature | Laptop 3 ($680) | Laptop 4 i5/256GB ($580) | Laptop 4 i5/512GB ($580) | Laptop 4 i7/16GB ($780) | Laptop 5 i7/16GB ($880) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | 10th Gen i5 | 11th Gen i5 | 11th Gen i5 | 11th Gen i7 | 12th Gen i7 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB | 16GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 256GB | 512GB | 256GB | 256GB |
| Display | 13.5″ Touch | 13.5″ Touch | 13.5″ Touch | 15″ Touch | 15″ Touch |
| Price | $680 | $580 | $580 | $780 | $880 |
Our recommendation: The Surface Laptop 4 with 512GB SSD at $580 is the best value in the entire Surface Laptop range — a newer processor than the Laptop 3, double the storage, and the lowest price. If you need 16GB RAM, the Laptop 4 i7 at $780 hits the sweet spot of performance and value. The Laptop 5 at $880 is the choice for those who want the latest generation technology.
The decision comes down to how you work.
Choose a Surface Pro if you:
Choose a Surface Laptop if you:
| Model | Processor | RAM | Storage | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Pro 7 | 10th Gen i5 | 8GB | 256GB | $490 |
| Surface Laptop 4 (i5/256GB) | 11th Gen i5 | 8GB | 256GB | $580 |
| Surface Laptop 4 (i5/512GB) | 11th Gen i5 | 8GB | 512GB | $580 |
| Surface Pro 7+ | 11th Gen i5 | 8GB | 256GB | $660 |
| Surface Pro 8 | 11th Gen i5 | 8GB | 256GB | $670 |
| Surface Laptop 3 | 10th Gen i5 | 8GB | 256GB | $680 |
| Surface Laptop 4 (i7/16GB) | 11th Gen i7 | 16GB | 256GB | $780 |
| Surface Laptop 5 (i7/16GB) | 12th Gen i7 | 16GB | 256GB | $880 |
New Surface devices command premium prices — often AUD $1,500 to $2,500+ depending on the model and configuration. The devices are beautifully designed and perform well, but the depreciation curve is steep. A Surface Laptop that retailed for $2,200 twelve months ago delivers essentially the same performance today — it’s just no longer the newest model.
When you buy a refurbished Surface from Computer and Laptop Sales, you get that same premium hardware — the same display, the same build quality, the same performance — at a fraction of the original retail price. Every machine is professionally tested by our qualified engineers, restored to excellent condition, and backed by warranty.
The savings are significant. A Surface Laptop 5 with a Core i7 and 16GB RAM that retailed for over $2,200? Yours for $880. A Surface Pro 8 that originally cost over $1,600? $670. That’s money you can put toward accessories, software subscriptions, or simply keep in your pocket.
Premium hardware. Professional quality. Prices that make sense.
Browse all refurbished Microsoft Surface devices →
The Surface Pro 7 at $490 offers the best entry value — Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, touchscreen and pen support. For more recent silicon, the Surface Pro 8 at $670 adds a 13-inch 120Hz display and Thunderbolt 4.
Surface Pro 7 has 10th Gen Core i5 ($490). Surface Pro 7+ adds 11th Gen Core i5 and removable SSD ($660). Surface Pro 8 adds a larger 13-inch 120Hz display, Thunderbolt 4, and the newer Slim Pen 2 ($670).
Yes. Refurbished Surface devices typically save 50-70% versus new. They include touchscreen, pen support, kickstand and Windows 11 Pro — features the comparable MacBook Neo doesn’t have at any price.
Expect $490 for Surface Pro 7, $660 for 7+, $670 for Surface Pro 8 with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. Higher-RAM or larger SSD configurations cost more. Anything significantly cheaper may not include the Type Cover or warranty — check before you buy.
Most CLS refurbished Surface listings include the Type Cover keyboard. Surface Pen is sometimes bundled, sometimes sold separately — check the specific listing. All come with a 12-month warranty regardless of accessories.
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