The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is tailored for gaming and demanding tasks with its higher-end graphics card, making it ideal for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering applications, and, of course, gaming. However, it's heavier and bulkier, affecting portability. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a more compact and lightweight design with a sharper, high-resolution display that is well-suited for general use and on-the-go productivity, but it is not designed for intensive gaming or computational tasks due to its integrated graphics. The Surface also boasts a longer battery life, a key consideration for users needing to work remotely without frequent charging. 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 TUF Gaming F15
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Good overall display quality
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU and GPU combo, which provides substantial performance, and a good quality screen, though it is less portable and noisier than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which offers excellent portability, a higher resolution touchscreen with better color accuracy, but with less power for demanding graphics tasks.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
257.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for gaming and AI, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
When choosing between the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", the panel type, resolution, and brightness of both laptops provide a clear, sharp image suitable for browsing, streaming, or office tasks, making them good for general use. For engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers better color coverage which ensures designs and models appear true to life. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the ASUS TUF Gaming F15, despite its gaming branding, may fall short due to a lower refresh rate, limiting the smoothness of fast-paced visuals which are crucial in these scenarios.
Battery
5.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 has 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
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and ASUS TUF Gaming F15 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,399
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 has a price of $1,399 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 with its high-performance CPU and ample storage is suited for more demanding tasks, but at the cost of battery life and lightweight portability, unlike the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" which offers better portability and longer battery life but less storage, making it ideal for general use on the go.
Content Creation
7.7/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
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 TUF Gaming F15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for content creation.
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.
Software Development
7.3/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 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.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"Aside from all the chassis updates, the new TUF Gaming is most notable for its much higher TGP target of 140 W compared to only 95 W on the previous generation. PC makers everywhere are using the same GeForce GPUs this year since Nvidia has yet to launch the successor to the mobile RTX 3000 series. The more demanding processors of the new TUF Gaming has directly impacted battery life and the size of the AC adapter. Don't expect runtimes to be longer than on the previous generation under most conditions and be prepared to carry around an even larger AC adapter than before."
"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 TUF Gaming F15 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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