If you're looking for high performance for tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, or machine learning, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is designed for that kind of intensive use, but it's heavy and not as portable. Its larger screen and higher-end components, such as a gaming-grade graphics card, also mean it will have a shorter battery life. On the opposite end, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is more portable, with a lightweight design that's easier to carry around and will have longer battery life, making it well-suited for general use and productivity on the go, although its integrated graphics are not designed for intense graphic work. 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 17
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Excellent portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
6.1/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
360Hz
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 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 excels in gaming and 3D tasks due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 360 Hz, which provide smooth visuals and superior graphics performance suitable for demanding games and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
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 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17, with its more powerful Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, offers superior performance for intensive engineering and design tasks compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which has a less powerful Intel i7 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics.
Content Creation
8.2/10
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 17 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
8.1/10
7.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offer screens with pleasing resolutions and brightness, making text, images, and videos clear and vibrant, which is essential for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. When it comes to engineering and design, these laptops display a broad range of colors accurately, meeting the requirements for professionals who need precise color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short due to lower refresh rates, meaning they don't render fast-moving images as smoothly as screens with higher refresh rates, something avid gamers and 3D designers usually look for.
Portability
Poor
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a price of $2,499 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17, with its high-performance CPU and dedicated graphics card, provides exceptional power for various tasks and demanding applications, alongside a sizable screen with high refresh rate for crisp visuals, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which offers a balance of performance suited for everyday tasks, a high-resolution touchscreen that's excellent for media consumption, with greater portability and longer battery life, making it convenient for on-the-go use.
Software Development
7.5/10
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
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 laptop review: liquid metal 7 nm AMD Zen 3 is stunning. The raw performance increase is absolutely bonkers if you're upgrading from a laptop on Coffee Lake-H or older. The 45 W Ryzen 9 5900HX is neck-to-neck with the thicker, heavier, and hotter Schenker Ultra 17 running on a desktop-class Core i9-11900K despite their wide TDP differences. The performance-per-watt advantages can make Intel Rocket Lake feel like a last generation platform at times. As for the chassis itself, it's a huge light show with RGB LEDs on almost all sides of the system."
"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 17 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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