If budget is a primary concern and you don't mind a larger, less portable option, the HP 17" laptop offers value for everyday use. However, if you're seeking a combination of performance and portability, and are open to investing more, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" provides a sleeker design and likely better performance, particularly for more demanding tasks. The smaller screen and lighter build make the Surface more travel-friendly, while its higher cost reflects the premium features and build quality associated with the brand. Consider what your day-to-day needs are, and how those align with each laptop's strengths and weaknesses. 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 17" Laptop
The HP 17" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.6/10
7.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
287.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a display with higher resolution and brightness, providing sharp and vivid images that make text easier to read and multimedia more enjoyable. The Surface's display also has wider color gamuts, appealing to engineering and design professionals requiring accurate color representation for tasks like photo editing or CAD work. However, both laptops have screens with lower refresh rates, which isn't ideal for 3D applications or gaming where smoother motion and quicker image updates give a competitive edge.
Battery
5.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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.
Portability
Good
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
4.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the HP 17" Laptop has 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 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$850
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The HP 17" Laptop has a price of $850 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and HP 17" Laptop are both good for general use.
The HP 17" Laptop, with a larger screen size and substantial RAM, provides a comfortable viewing experience and ample multitasking capability for general use, but may compromise on portability and battery life compared to smaller laptops. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers excellent portability and longer battery life with a high-quality, smaller touchscreen, making it highly suitable for general use on the go while still offering sufficient computing power and a vivid display.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP 17" Laptop and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP 17" Laptop, with its AMD Vega 8 graphics, offers fair gaming and 3D capabilities on a larger 17-inch display but is limited by a standard refresh rate; similarly, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5's Intel Iris Xe graphics also provide a fair experience, benefiting from a higher resolution 13-inch touchscreen but still constrained by the same standard refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.8/10
7.1/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to be good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 17" Laptop offers a large screen with high contrast, suitable for detailed engineering and design work, but its larger size and heavier weight decrease portability compared to the more compact Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", which offers a sharper, high-brightness display with touch capability, potentially better for precise design tasks and portability, yet both have comparable CPU and RAM capabilities for robust performance. The Surface's high portability score is a boon for mobility but may come with trade-offs in fan noise management, whereas the HP's larger form is more manageable in heat and fan noise areas, offering a quieter work environment but more bulk to carry around.
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and HP 17" 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
7.1/10
7.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and HP 17" Laptop 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.
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How the HP 17" Laptop and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
"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 17" 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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