Tuesday, September 29th 2026
Microsoft Blames "Limited Portfolio" For Lack of AMD-Powered Surface Devices
AMD's processors are notoriously missing from Microsoft's latest Surface device line-up, despite there being more CPU options in Microsoft Surface PCs than ever before, including an upcoming NVIDIA SKU. In a recent statement to Windows Central, Microsoft's Surface Corporate Vice President, Brett Ostrum, explained that this absence is deliberate, although not malicious, stating that Microsoft has a limited portfolio and needs to make smart choices about its offerings.
Ostrum is effectively arguing that there is no space within Microsoft's Surface line-up for another SKU that uses an AMD APU. Reading between the lines, it may be the case that AMD's and Intel's CPU offerings are too close in terms of efficiency and performance, at this point, whereas having Arm and x86 CPUs side-by-side makes it easy to segment the market.
This explanation comes despite smaller manufacturers with far fewer products offering a choice between AMD, Intel, and even RISC-V SKUs in the same line-up. It was previously rumored that AMD was also working on a new Arm CPU that carried the codename "Sound Wave," and was slated to arrive in the 2026 Microsoft Surface lineup. It's unclear when that product will launch, if it even will still, but it may be the case that Microsoft is holding off on re-adopting AMD APUs until Team Red is able to get an Arm SoC released, since Microsoft has put considerable work into Windows-on-Arm.
Source:
Windows Central
We love working with AMD. We have a limited portfolio, and so we have to make our choices pretty wisely in terms of what we're doing and where we're doing.
This explanation comes despite smaller manufacturers with far fewer products offering a choice between AMD, Intel, and even RISC-V SKUs in the same line-up. It was previously rumored that AMD was also working on a new Arm CPU that carried the codename "Sound Wave," and was slated to arrive in the 2026 Microsoft Surface lineup. It's unclear when that product will launch, if it even will still, but it may be the case that Microsoft is holding off on re-adopting AMD APUs until Team Red is able to get an Arm SoC released, since Microsoft has put considerable work into Windows-on-Arm.
24 Comments on Microsoft Blames "Limited Portfolio" For Lack of AMD-Powered Surface Devices
I can't for the life of me understand why Apple is the only company who can reliably put a new product out and have enough for the average person to buy whenever they want without jumping through hoops, lining up, dealing with scalpers, etc.
Gpd and xmg said it publicly.
www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/amds-laptop-oems-decry-poor-support-chip-supply-and-communication-the-company-has-left-billions-of-us-dollars-lying-around-due-to-poor-execution-claims-multiple-reports
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/amd-leaving-billions-of-dollars-on-the-table-thanks-to-laptop-ai-chip-supply-issues/
their uefi is locked and a custom made one. the hardware is bad in regards of build quality. i would not even use it myself and instantly sell it, the build quality is below ACER, DeLL.
The push in Surface devices seems a way for them to keep pushing software adoption and can eventually have their own in-house chips.
Or contract other companies they see fit without being bound to AMD or Intel.
AMD needs to stop shooting the numbs where their feet used to be.ARM has many advantages, at minimum the removal of the x86 duopoly.
The biggest hold back is poor drivers. Qualcomms GPU drivers are fucking abysmal garbage. Which is a shame as they have the GPU chops but just can't support anything they make.
However as the the Tom's hardware article reports, AMD is more affected by chip shortages than others are, they can't control supplies like Nvidia and Intel can, they're at the mercy of TSMC taking exclusivity contracts from larger players.
Qualcomm is terrible to work with, yet the OEMs seem to have no issue shipping out laptops with buggy drivers and performance being all over the place due to M$ not optimizing their OS for ARM chips.
manufacturers are lazy. The lack of support or data or datasheets etc from the manufacturers stopped me several times to buy something else as X86 or amd64.
IHNFI what your second and third sentences are trying to convey.
They have a lot of work to do, which is why I say MS seems more committed than Qualcomm. Drivers only release every 3 months or so, which is shocking to me.
videocardz.com/newz/gpd-accuses-amd-of-breaching-contract-by-not-supplying-enough-ryzen-7-7840u-apus-on-time
The same thing happened with Asus which led to them not having amd exclusively on their Zephyrus lineup.