When choosing between the HP 14" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", consider that the HP is more budget-friendly and offers good everyday performance with decent battery life, making it suitable for general use and basic tasks. The Surface Laptop, on the other hand, is more expensive but comes with a higher-quality display, better build, and is lighter and more portable. If you need a laptop for more intensive tasks, such as engineering or creative work, and value a premium build and display, the Surface Laptop may justify the higher cost. However, for casual use and if budget is a constraint, the HP may serve you well. 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 HP 14" Laptop
The HP 14" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.7/10
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
265.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for general use, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 14" Laptop has a slower CPU, less RAM, and a lower-quality screen compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which compromises its performance for general use; moreover, its keyboard and speaker quality are just fair while its battery life, though adequate, falls short of the Surface's. The Surface, nonetheless, not only boasts a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, leading to a superior performance for general use, but also a higher-resolution touchscreen offering better screen quality, along with a better keyboard and speakers, although it has a lower fan noise performance and heat management compared to the HP.
Engineering and Design
6.0/10
7.1/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for engineering and design, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is better suited for engineering and design due to its higher-performing Intel i7 processor, double the RAM for multitasking, and superior Iris Xe graphics, which benefits rendering tasks. Additionally, it offers a touchscreen with a higher resolution and pixel density for more detailed visuals, whereas the HP 14" Laptop, with its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and integrated graphics, delivers adequate but less robust performance for engineering applications, and its screen, while fair for the category, is not as sharp or advanced as the Surface's.
Screen Quality
6.3/10
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the HP 14" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the HP laptop's display offers decent clarity and brightness suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5's higher resolution and more vibrant screen provides a more crisp and vivid experience. In engineering and design, color accuracy and range are crucial; the Microsoft Surface delivers better performance with its wider color gamut, meaning more accurate representation of colors. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion rendering, though they may manage less demanding graphics with acceptable quality.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
3.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the HP 14" Laptop has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality, while the HP 14" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The HP 14" Laptop has a price of $418 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP 14" Laptop is poor.
The HP 14" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are fair for gaming and 3D because they have integrated GPUs and standard screen refresh rates, which limit their gaming performance and 3D graphics rendering compared to laptops with dedicated gaming GPUs and higher refresh rates. The HP has a Ryzen 5 with Vega 7 graphics, while the Surface Laptop 5 comes with Intel Iris Xe graphics; both devices have 60Hz display panels which are adequate for casual gaming but not ideal for fast-paced games that benefit from smoother visuals.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.4/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and HP 14" Laptop 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
6.8/10
7.2/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to be good for software development, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
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
8.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The HP 14" Laptop has 8.5 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 HP 14" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"This feels like an ideal laptop for someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a laptop and isn’t too bothered by things like build quality or construction. It’s a laptop that will be used to pay bills, keep track of expenses, do some online shopping, and will be tucked away in a spare bedroom/home office. It’s an appliance designed to do a job without fuss. It’s not a premium experience—the materials do feel a little cheap, the display won’t exactly wow you, and the battery life is nothing to write home about, especially if you’ve used more expensive devices. But overall it’s not too shabby, especially for the price."
"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 HP 14" Laptop or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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 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
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