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Aorus 7
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Surface Laptop 5 13"
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·

The Gigabyte Aorus 7, being less expensive, offers a larger 17.3-inch screen and dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics, making it better for gaming and intensive engineering tasks but less portable due to its size and weight. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is more portable with a smaller 13.5-inch screen, with better display sharpness and an improved build quality. The Surface Laptop is more suited for general use and boasts a longer battery life. Consider the Gigabyte Aorus 7 for performance-demanding tasks and the Surface Laptop 5 13" for portability and day-to-day operations. 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 7
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Good for gaming and AI
  • Very good overall display quality
  • Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
  • Excellent portability
  • Very good speakers

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

7.8
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
6.1
8.1/10
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 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.

Engineering and Design

8.1
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.

Screen Quality

8.3
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.2
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
351.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.

Battery

6.0 Hours
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has 6 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Fair
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
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 7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.6
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
351.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.

Content Creation

7.6
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.4
8.5/10
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 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.4
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.2
8.5/10
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 7 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development.

Build Quality

7.4
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Gigabyte Aorus 7 both have good build quality.

Cost

$1,190
Aorus 7
Surface Laptop 5 13"
$1,200
Product imageProduct image

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

$1,800

The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a price of $1,190 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.

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How the Gigabyte Aorus 7 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Gigabyte Aorus 7Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Gigabyte Aorus 7Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"

GENERAL

Price
$1,190
$1,200
Release Date
March 1, 2023October 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02''12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57''
Weight
5.95 lbs2.86 lbs
Width
15.7"12.1"
Depth
10"8.8"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i5-12500HIntel i7-1255U
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
45
RAM Slots
20
Storage
512 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
6 Hours7.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
99 Wh47.4 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
17.3"13.5"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10802256 x 1504
Refresh Rate
360Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
351 nits400 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.4/107.8/10
Portability Score
6.2/109/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
6.5/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
8/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
7.5/108.8/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
21
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
NoYes
Display Outputs
21
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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Gigabyte Aorus 7

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Dig into reviews and images

TechRadar

Matt Hanson | July 2020
"The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is a gaming laptop that is pitched at perhaps the hardest market to get right: the mid-range. So, unlike high-end gaming laptops that can throw the latest and greatest components together in a bid to attract gamers with plenty of money to spend, or budget gaming laptops that can make wise cuts that are justified as long as the price is low enough, mid-rangers like the Gigabyte Aorus 7 have to balance the two."

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 Aorus 7 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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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.

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