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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers superior processing power and graphics with an Intel i7-12700H processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, making it well-suited for intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming. It boasts a larger, high-resolution OLED display which is excellent for creative work, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which affects portability. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is lighter and has a longer battery life, which makes it highly portable and better suited for general use, on-the-go productivity tasks, and typical office work. However, it has a less powerful Intel i7-1255U processor with integrated graphics, which could limit its ability for heavy workload tasks. 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 Aero 5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.1
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts a high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and an OLED screen, catering excellently to gaming and 3D tasks, but at the cost of heavier weight and lower battery life. Comparatively, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a modest Intel Iris Xe GPU and uses an IPS screen, offering lower performance suitable for less demanding gaming and 3D applications, with the benefit of greater portability and better battery efficiency.
Engineering and Design
8.7
7.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers superior computing and graphical performance due to a high-end CPU and powerful dedicated GPU, complemented by an OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, making it very good for demanding engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aero 5 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
7.9
7.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
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
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
446.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 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 Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and excellent brightness, making it ideal for general use and detail-oriented work in engineering and design due to its wide color coverage. However, the Aero's refresh rate isn't suited for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is key. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a good balance of resolution and color accuracy that satisfies general users and professionals in design fields, but it similarly lacks the higher refresh rate gamers need for fluid gameplay.
Portability
Fair
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.4
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
446.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers high performance with its advanced CPU and GPU, ample storage and RAM, and excellent screen quality but is less portable and has shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go usage. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" provides great portability, longer battery life, and a high-quality touchscreen display, though it compromises on performance due to its less powerful CPU and GPU, and has less storage, making it better suited for users prioritizing mobility and battery life over demanding tasks.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 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.
Build Quality
7.8
7.8
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$1,200
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a price of $1,250 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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How the Gigabyte Aero 5 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 5 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.07 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 446 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aero 5
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Dig into reviews and images
The Tech Revolutionist
Zhi Cheng | May 2022
"It is unfortunate that the Gigabyte AERO notebook series have seem to lost its charm, as it’s not exactly any much different from the AORUS series now. Regardless, content creators and designers will certainly still appreciate the features on the AERO 5 XE4, which are fundamental to their work. This largely revolved around the notebook’s display, which is colour calibrated and validated, high resolution (4K) and with great AMOLED colour representation. Now that the AERO 5 XE4 has improved its performance with the latest CPU and GPU, the professionals can also appreciate the improved productivity from the notebook."
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 Gigabyte Aero 5 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.
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