The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 boasts a more powerful AMD processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics, along with superior storage, making it highly capable for various tasks while offering good portability and a long battery life, enhancing its suitability for general use. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a lighter and thinner design for excellent portability, but with an integrated Intel graphics and less storage, it might be less ideal for certain demanding applications, despite a higher-quality display and speaker system.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.1/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 with an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 90Hz provides a better gaming and 3D experience, compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" which uses an Intel Iris Xe graphics component and has a standard refresh rate of 60Hz.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
7.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14, with its AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, offers robust performance and graphics capabilities for engineering and design, complemented by a quality screen with high color accuracy and brightness. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a capable Intel CPU with integrated graphics and a high-contrast screen, which is more portable and features a high-quality keyboard, but its lower GPU power might limit performance in graphics-intensive tasks.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
7.9/10
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 Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.8/10
7.2/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.4/10
7.2/10
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
334.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offer high-resolution displays that are bright and clear, providing crisp visuals and readability which enhance everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. They both also cover a wide range of colors, which is crucial for engineering and design work, ensuring that you see accurate and vibrant colors that can be critical for detailed designs and color-critical applications. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and a less responsive gaming or 3D rendering experience.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has 12 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
Very Good
Excellent
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is an attractive, portable laptop that’s ideal if you need a combination of CPU and GPU performance. It also nails the fundamentals with solid connectivity, an enjoyable keyboard, a large touchpad, and top-notch webcam. Display quality is a weakness, but it’s an acceptable compromise for the laptop’s extremely competitive $1,199 MSRP. The Slim Pro 7 is a versatile, affordable laptop and hard to beat 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 Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.