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ROG Zephyrus M16
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Surface Laptop 5 13"
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What we think

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Updated January 12, 2024·

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, being slightly more expensive than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13-inch, offers significantly more power for tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering software thanks to its advanced processor and dedicated graphics card. However, it's bulkier and heavier, making it less ideal if portability is a priority. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop 5 is more lightweight and compact, with a higher screen resolution despite its smaller size, making it a better choice for general use and on-the-go productivity. The Zephyrus has better performance for power users, but the Surface Laptop scores on portability and casual use. 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 Zephyrus M16
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Very good for gaming and AI
  • Very good for content creation
  • Excellent overall display quality
  • Very good overall build quality
  • Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
  • Excellent portability
  • Good battery life
  • Good keyboard

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

8.5
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
6.1
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.

Engineering and Design

8.8
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.1
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.

Content Creation

8.2
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.4
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.

Screen Quality

9.0
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.2
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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.

Battery

4.5 Hours
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

8.5
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.8
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality.

Cost

$1,842
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
$1,200
Product image
Product image

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $1,842 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.9
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
627.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.

Software Development

7.7
ROG Zephyrus M16
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.2
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development.

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How the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"

GENERAL

Price
$1,842
$1,200
Release Date
March 1, 2023October 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83''12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57''
Weight
4.63 lbs2.86 lbs
Width
13.98"12.1"
Depth
9.69"8.8"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i9-13900HIntel i7-1255U
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
20
Storage
1024 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
4.5 Hours7.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
90 Wh47.4 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16"13.5"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2560 x 16002256 x 1504
Refresh Rate
240Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
627 nits400 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
8.5/107.8/10
Portability Score
7.3/109/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
6.3/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.5/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
9.5/108.8/10
Webcam
1080p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
21
USB-C ports
21
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
31
Thunderbolt Version
44

Shopping

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"

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Dig into reviews and images

CNET

Lori Grunin | October 2022
"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 Zephyrus M16 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.

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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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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

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Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

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Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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