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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
Gaming and AI
8.5
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.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU and a screen that refreshes 240 times per second, providing superior graphics performance and smoother visuals for gaming and 3D applications compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which has a more modest integrated Intel GPU and a screen refresh rate of only 60 times per second.
Engineering and Design
8.8
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.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers superior engineering and design capabilities due to its more powerful CPU (Intel i9), a high-end GPU (Nvidia RTX 4070), and a higher resolution screen, which are very important for performance-intensive tasks. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers better portability and has a higher portability score, making it a good choice for users who need to move around frequently but has less powerful internals and lower screen resolution.
Content Creation
8.2
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.
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
9.0
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.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 boasts a high-resolution display providing crisp visuals for general tasks and detailed work required in engineering, and it covers a wide color spectrum, aiding precision in design tasks. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 offers a solid display for everyday activities and adequate color accuracy for engineering and design, but its smaller size could be a limiting factor. However, both laptops have screens with refresh rates that are not ideal for gaming or 3D work, where smoother motion from higher refresh rates is crucial.
Battery
4.5 Hours
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.
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
Good
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
7.8
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
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.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is well-suited for general use thanks to its powerful CPU and sufficient RAM, delivering robust performance suitable for a variety of tasks, and it offers good portability and respectable screen quality, though it trails in battery life compared to some rivals. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" excels in portability due to its more compact form factor and extended battery life, also delivering good performance for common tasks with its CPU and RAM, while also offering a high-quality screen, making it an excellent choice for productivity on the go.
Software Development
7.7
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.
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.
Cost
$1,150
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $1,150 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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How the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,150 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.69" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 627 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
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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