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Updated January 16, 2024·
As you are looking for advice on whether to purchase the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", it's essential to assess your needs carefully. If your primary concern is gaming or performing intense engineering tasks, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i tends to offer more robust performance with dedicated graphics hardware, making it better suited for those purposes. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is known for its sleek design, portability, and touch screen features, which are excellent for general use and for those who need a lightweight device to carry around. Consider that while the Legion may offer more power, it could be heavier and might not have as long battery life as the Surface Laptop, which values battery longevity and portability. Your decision should align with whether performance or portability is your priority, as each device caters to different user needs. 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 Slim 5i
- 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
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.1
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
165Hz
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 Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.4
7.1
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0
7.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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.
Software Development
7.8
7.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.0
7.2
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
343.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers vibrant colors and sharp images due to its high resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and professional design work where accurate color representation is important. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" also boasts a quality display with good resolution and brightness, ensuring clarity and color precision for both casual users and those in engineering and design. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications as they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion rendering in fast-paced visual environments.
Portability
Fair
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,055
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a price of $1,055 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
343.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is equipped with a high-performance CPU and ample RAM, making it suitable for demanding tasks, and it has a screen with high resolution and refresh rate which enhances the experience during general use, yet it's slightly less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13". On the other hand, the Surface Laptop 5 has a high-quality screen and is highly portable with a longer battery life, which is ideal for on-the-go users, though its integrated GPU is less powerful than the Legion's discrete one, which may limit performance in more intensive applications.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 5i | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,055 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.3'' x 0.99'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 343 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 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 | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 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 | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
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 Slim 5i 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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