The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is better suited for intensive tasks such as gaming, 3D modeling, and machine learning because of its high-performance components including a powerful processor and advanced graphics card. However, it is much heavier and less portable, and also has a higher price. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is more portable and budget-friendly, making it a better choice for everyday use and general productivity, with an elegant design. It also has a higher resolution display but is not as powerful for demanding software or 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 Aorus 17
Very good for engineering and design
Very 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
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
6.1/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 360Hz, is equipped for intensive gaming and 3D applications that demand quick rendering of visuals. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, making it less suitable for demanding games and 3D tasks despite its high-resolution display.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.1/10
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 Aorus 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17, with its more powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, excels in CPU and GPU intensive engineering and design tasks, supported by a quality IPS display and a larger but less portable form factor, which also impacts its battery life and portability negatively compared to the lighter Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
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 Gigabyte Aorus 17 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.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
7.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
For everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing, both the Gigabyte Aorus 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 provide clear and vivid displays with suitable resolution and brightness, making them pleasant to use for general purposes. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate the accurate color reproduction on both laptops, as they cover a wide range of colors essential for precise work. However, gamers and 3D designers may find the screens on these laptops less than ideal due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced games or when working with complex 3D models.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
Fair
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,700
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a price of $1,700 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Software Development
7.5/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
7.4/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Gigabyte Aorus 17 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 Gigabyte Aorus 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
"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 Aorus 17 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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