A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers a high-resolution OLED display, larger storage, and a more powerful graphics card, making it well-suited for demanding applications like 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a smaller, high-refresh-rate IPS touchscreen, which might be more convenient for designers and illustrators. It's lighter and has a longer battery life, making it more portable and better for general use, but its less powerful GPU is not as optimal for the most intensive tasks. Choose the Aero 5 for performance-heavy tasks and the Surface Laptop Studio for portability and touch-screen capability. 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
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.4
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
446.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers a larger storage capacity and a more powerful CPU, which is ideal for demanding tasks, but it is heavier and has a slightly lower battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which provides a lighter and more versatile form factor with better battery life and a touchscreen, but with less storage and a less powerful CPU. Both machines come equipped with high-quality screens and adequate RAM, making them good choices for general use, with the Aero boasting a higher resolution OLED display for sharp visuals while the Surface Laptop Studio offers a high-contrast IPS panel and the flexibility of a touchscreen with a unique 3:2 aspect ratio for creative tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.6
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.7
7.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
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 Studio 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
7.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
446.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts a high-resolution, bright panel that makes it excellent for general use and detail-focused tasks like engineering and design, with its wide color gamuts ensuring accurate color representation. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while also offering a high-resolution and bright display with solid color accuracy, has a slight edge in portability and flexibility with its unique design. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to having lower refresh rates, meaning they can't display as many frames per second, leading to less fluid motion compared to specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a price of $1,250 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aero 5 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 5 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.07 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 446 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aero 5
See more
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 Studio
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 5 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Gigabyte Aero 5 vs. HP Envy 17
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 5 vs. Dell Alienware m17 R5
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 5 vs. Acer Swift X 16
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio vs. HP Omen 17
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio vs. Gigabyte Aorus 17
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio vs. Gigabyte Aorus 15
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,195
Recommendations made
21,493
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
