If you need a laptop mainly for gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering tasks, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has superior performance, but it's heavier and less portable. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is more lightweight and has a higher resolution screen, making it better for general use and portability, with the compromise being less power for demanding applications. The ASUS has better cooling for sustained workloads, but this contributes to it being bulkier, whereas the Surface's sleeker design affects its performance ceiling but enhances its ease of carrying around. Consider the Surface if you value portability and cost savings over high-end performance. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.3/10
6.1/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers superior gaming and 3D capabilities largely due to its high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 300Hz, which provides smoother visuals and more detailed gameplay. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a less powerful integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, which means its suitable for less graphically intensive tasks, leading to a less optimal gaming and 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
7.1/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 stands out for engineering and design due to its more powerful i9 processor, higher-end Nvidia GPU, and a larger screen which is beneficial for multitasking and detailed work, but it is heavier, making it less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Screen Quality
7.9/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
283.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 both have panels with high resolution and brightness, ensuring crisp, clear images for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work like engineering and design. Their coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB allows for accurate color representation which is crucial for professionals in design fields. However, their lower refresh rates, while sufficient for general use and professional applications, are not ideal for gaming and 3D work where smoother motion from higher refresh rates is a significant benefit.
Battery
5.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Fair
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,000
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a price of $2,000 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is geared more towards gaming and performance-heavy tasks with its powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality display, yet it trades off portability and has less battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a balance of portability and screen quality with a smaller, lighter build and better battery life, suitable for everyday tasks and mobility, but may not handle intensive applications as well due to its less powerful CPU and integrated GPU.
Software Development
7.4/10
7.2/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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