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Updated January 12, 2024·
For gaming, 3D, or machine learning tasks, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is a better choice as it comes with a more powerful dedicated graphics card and a larger screen for immersion. However, it is also heavier and bulkier, making it less convenient to carry around. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is more portable, with a higher resolution screen that makes it ideal for general use and perfect for those who appreciate sharp visuals and a compact form. It has a longer battery life, but its integrated graphics are not as suitable for demanding tasks as the Lenovo. If you need a laptop for on-the-go use with good battery and a sharp display for everyday tasks, opt for the Surface Laptop. Choose the Lenovo if you require a laptop primarily for performance-intensive tasks and can manage with less portability. 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 Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.1
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is equipped with a robust Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, making it well-suited for immersive gaming and 3D applications. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a less powerful integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, positioning it for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is equipped with a high-performance CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, making it suitable for demanding engineering tasks and design work that require powerful graphics processing, although it is less portable due to its larger size. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers better screen resolution and quality with touchscreen capabilities, alongside a good balance of CPU power, making it adequate for engineering and design, while being more portable with a lighter and more compact form factor.
Screen Quality
7.3
7.2
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
305.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen for software development.
For general use, both the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" provide displays with adequate resolution and brightness, making text and images clear and easy to see in various lighting conditions. In engineering and design tasks, these laptops offer good color accuracy and a wide range of colors, which is crucial for creating and reviewing detailed and color-sensitive work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth motion and a less immersive experience compared to displays designed specifically for high-frame-rate gaming.
Battery
4.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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
Poor
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.5in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
305.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers a larger screen, higher performance CPU and GPU, and a solid keyboard, making it suitable for a broad range of tasks including some gaming, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" shines with its high-resolution touchscreen, excellent portability, better battery life, and a modern operating system, though it has lower performance components and less ideal heat management.
Content Creation
7.2
7.4
7.4/10
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 Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.0
7.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Lenovo Legion 5 17" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$1,200
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a price of $1,200 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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How the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 17" | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.57 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.41" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 305 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 4 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
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 Lenovo Legion 5 17" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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