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Updated January 12, 2024·
If performance is your priority and you engage in tasks like video editing or 3D modeling, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is better suited as it typically has more powerful hardware. However, if portability and a more touch-interactive experience are important, the Surface Laptop 5 is lighter with a touchscreen interface. The Zenbook may offer more value for money in terms of raw power, but the Surface provides the sleekness and convenience of a slim model, which can make it preferable for daily travel or presentations. Battery life can be a decisive factor too; ultraportable options like the Surface Laptop might edge out on longevity compared to more performance-oriented models. Consider what you value most: raw performance and value for money, or portability and ease of 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 Zenbook Pro 15
- Excellent battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.1
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 with its Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU offers better gaming and 3D performance compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" with an Intel Iris Xe GPU; however, both laptops have the same screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is adequate for fair gaming experiences but not optimal for high-refresh-rate gaming. While the Zenbook's screen is larger, and the Surface Laptop has a higher resolution with potentially sharper image quality, the GPU is more critical for gaming and 3D tasks, making the ASUS a more suitable choice for these purposes.
Screen Quality
7.6
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
346.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15's superior screen resolution and high-quality panel type contribute to its excellent display for both general use and engineering design, where detail and color accuracy are key. Its comprehensive color gamut coverage ensures that engineering and design professionals see precise color representation, which is vital for their workflows. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D work, where a high refresh rate is crucial to render fast-moving images smoothly.
Battery
12.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has 12.5 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
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,109
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has a price of $1,109 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
346.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
12.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is a solid choice for general use due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality OLED screen, but at the expense of portability and slightly less battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers excellent portability with a lighter design and strong battery life, a sharp IPS touchscreen for quality viewing, while still providing a capable Intel CPU and sufficient RAM for everyday tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers strong performance with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and NVIDIA RTX GPU, making it well-suited for engineering tasks that require graphics processing, but it's heavier and has a lower screen resolution compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13". Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" shines with a higher-resolution and more portable design, accommodating on-the-go engineering and design tasks with its 11th generation Intel Core i7 and integrated Iris Xe graphics, though it may not handle graphically intensive applications as smoothly as the Zenbook Pro 15.
Content Creation
7.7
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 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
7.5
7.2
7.4/10
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 Zenbook Pro 15 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,109 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.9'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.94" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.37" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 96 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 346 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook Pro 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a strong CPU, chassis, and display. One of the most popular 15.6-inch prosumer or multimedia laptops out there is the Dell XPS 15. Thus, comparisons between it and the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 are inevitable. Asus has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that XPS users are still missing out on including 1080p OLED and an AMD Ryzen CPU which help separate the Zenbook Pro 15 from the XPS 15. It also integrates a numpad and a few more port options albeit at the cost of a larger chassis size."
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 Zenbook Pro 15 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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