Choose the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 for its superior gaming and engineering capabilities, thanks to the dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, which also supports hardware ray tracing and DLSS for enhanced performance in compatible titles and applications. It offers a larger, higher-resolution display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, ideal for multitasking and creative work. The battery life is also longer, and it includes Thunderbolt ports for fast data transfer. However, it's slightly heavier and larger, which may affect portability.
Opt for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" if you prioritize a more compact and lightweight design, making it exceptionally portable. It features a high-quality build and a touchscreen with pen support, which is great for note-taking and drawing. The Surface Laptop also has a very good keyboard and webcam, and it runs Windows 11 Pro, which may be preferable for business users. Its Intel Core Ultra processor is excellent for general use, but it may not match the Lenovo's performance in graphics-intensive tasks. Additionally, it has fewer ports and no dedicated GPU, which could limit its use for gaming and certain professional applications. 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 Slim Pro 7 14
Very good for general use
Very good for content creation
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.4/10
7.8/10
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
334.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has 12 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has 9 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.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 to be very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
6.6/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
7.7/10
7.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both good for engineering and design.
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
8.0/10
7.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 to be very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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
7.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
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 6 13.5" 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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 Slim Pro 7 14 has a price of $1,200 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
"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."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.