To make an informed decision between the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", consider the unique aspects of each model. If your work entails intensive tasks like video editing or 3D modeling, the ASUS with its additional screen may enhance productivity, but its weight reduces portability. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 offers greater portability for on-the-go usage with a more conventional laptop experience. Both are priced similarly, so your choice should hinge on whether you prioritize performance and multitasking or portability and simplicity. 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 ZenBook Pro 14 Duo
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
7.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
357.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo excels in general use thanks to its high-quality OLED screen, larger RAM complement, and powerful CPU, which support multitasking and rich visuals but at the expense of reduced battery life and being less lightweight. Compared to it, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers excellent portability with its lighter weight and design, as well as a longer battery life, but has a relatively lesser RAM and a less powerful CPU, which may limit performance in intensive tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.1/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is somewhat better.
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
8.5/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo excels in engineering and design due to its higher RAM capacity, stronger CPU, and superior GPU, complemented by an OLED screen with a higher resolution and color accuracy, making it very good for tasks requiring intensive processing and high-quality visualizations. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is lighter and more portable, with a slightly better battery life and a high-quality IPS display, but it has less RAM and a less powerful CPU, making it good but slightly less equipped for demanding engineering tasks.
Content Creation
8.6/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo 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.
Software Development
8.2/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.6/10
7.2/10
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
357.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo 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 ZenBook Pro 14 Duo offers superior screen resolution and brightness, making it very effective for activities like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming, which are common in general use. For engineering and design tasks that require precise color representation, this laptop provides wide color gamuts, ensuring that colors are vibrant and accurate. However, its screen falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which can result in less fluid motion and responsiveness compared to screens designed specifically for these purposes.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo has 6 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
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,299
$1,200
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo has a price of $1,299 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
"The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is a well-tuned instrument for content creators, excelling at a range of general office tasks as well as tasks that require a little more grunt like encoding and 3D rendering. The big attraction is the laptop’s dual displays. They’re the best ones we’ve used in an Asus Zenbook Duo laptop to date with a spate of year-on-year improvements that make the visuals more striking and the cross-screen integration easier than ever 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 ZenBook Pro 14 Duo 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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