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Updated January 12, 2024·
For intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 with its dedicated Nvidia graphics card offers superior performance, but it is heavier and larger, making it less portable. If portability is a priority and you engage in general use such as web browsing, document editing, or casual photo editing, the lighter and more compact Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 with its integrated graphics may be sufficient. The Lenovo has a longer battery life, which is beneficial for extended use without charging, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop has a higher resolution touchscreen for sharper images and touch capacity. 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 7 15.6"
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.1
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 has a less capable Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, rendering it only fair for the same tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.8
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.7
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion Slim and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 are equipped with displays that offer high resolution and brightness, which contribute to sharp and clear visuals for everyday activities and professional design work. Their screens also cover a wide range of colors, ensuring that engineers and designers see accurate hues and tones when working on projects. However, both laptops have lower refresh rates, which limits the smoothness of motion, making them less ideal for high-frame-rate gaming or working with 3D applications where visual fluidity is crucial.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has 9 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
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 offers high performance with its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia graphics, suited for intensive tasks and some gaming, paired with a good screen and battery life, but it is heavier and larger, affecting portability. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 has a vibrant high-resolution touchscreen and excellent portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size, making it ideal for on-the-go use despite having a less powerful integrated graphics chip and lower battery capacity.
Content Creation
7.7
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.5
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.6
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" 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 Slim 7 15.6" has a price of $1,200 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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How the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.69'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 71 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | November 2022
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a slim Legion notebook that is just as excellent with Nvidia & Intel. However, the Legion Slim 7i slightly sullied by lacklustre battery life. You get a slim aluminium chassis, great input devices, decent port selection, fast high-quality WQXGA display and great performance. Supporting Thunderbolt 4 is one advantage of the Intel/Nvidia model tested in this review. Moreover, this variant has slightly higher CPU performance as well as better GPU performance in certain applications (e.g. CUDA-based apps). The Lenovo Legion S7i is thin, premium and performant – but less efficient than its AMD counterpart."
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 7 15.6" 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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