The Gigabyte A5 offers powerful performance suitable for gaming and demanding tasks but at the cost of heavier weight and typically shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is known for its portability, sleek design, and longer battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go use and general productivity tasks. The Surface will likely have a higher quality display and build but may not excel in heavy-duty tasks as the Gigabyte A5 would. If you require a laptop mainly for high-performance activities and can compromise on portability and battery, the Gigabyte A5 may be your choice, else the Surface Laptop 5 13" should serve you well for everyday use and travel needs. 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 Gigabyte A5
Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Excellent portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
6.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 is 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.
Screen Quality
7.2/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Gigabyte A5 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offer displays with adequate resolution and brightness, ensuring clear and vivid visuals for tasks like web browsing or streaming videos. Engineers and designers benefit from these laptops as they provide good color accuracy and range, necessary for precise work in applications that demand a true-to-life color representation. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, both models may fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion and could detract from the immersive experience that high-paced games and 3D simulations offer.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte A5 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 Gigabyte A5 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
$830
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A5 offers robust performance with its AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU for varied tasks, and ample RAM coupled with a sizeable screen makes it ideal for multitasking and entertainment, but its bulkier build and shorter battery life may limit portability compared to the lighter and more power-efficient Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, which boasts a high-resolution touchscreen and a balance of CPU power and battery life conducive to on-the-go use, though at the expense of losing out on dedicated graphics hardware and gaming performance. Both laptops provide a good screen quality and sufficient RAM for general use, but the Gigabyte A5 leans towards users who may occasionally dabble in gaming or graphics-intensive tasks, while the Surface Laptop 5 caters to those prioritizing portability and longer unplugged usage.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte A5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte A5 offers a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, which are preferable for demanding engineering and design software, alongside a larger screen with a high refresh rate beneficial for detailed visual work. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 with its Intel CPU and integrated graphics is less powerful but boasts a higher resolution touchscreen with better color accuracy and portability, plus features like facial recognition, making it a versatile choice for on-the-go professionals who prioritize display quality and laptop mobility.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Gigabyte A5 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
7.0/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Gigabyte A5 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.
Battery
6.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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.
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How the Gigabyte A5 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
"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 Gigabyte A5 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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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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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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Laptops Expert
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