A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Company ProductName Specs











Surface Laptop Go 3
Company ProductName Specs











What we think

Chevron down
PerfectRec Logo
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers higher-end features compared to the Surface Laptop Go 3, including more storage and memory, a faster processor, and a slightly larger, higher resolution screen, which may translate to better performance for demanding tasks and multitasking. However, it's less portable due to being slightly heavier and bulkier. The Surface Laptop Go 3 is more affordable, with sufficient specs for everyday tasks and better portability due to its lighter weight and compact size. If you prioritize high performance and screen quality, and don't mind a higher cost and less portability, the Laptop 5 could be your choice; otherwise, for casual use and easy travel, the Laptop Go 3 provides a cost-effective solution. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
  • Good for engineering and design
  • Good overall display quality
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
  • The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".

Key differences

Chevron down

Screen Quality

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
6.8
13.5in
SIZE
12.4in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.

Cost

$1,200
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
$788
Product image
Product image

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

$1,800

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a price of $1,200 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 costs $788.
Image of Laptops
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop

Key similarities

Chevron down

General Use

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.2
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for general use.

Gaming and AI

6.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
6.1
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Engineering and Design

7.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
6.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to be good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is only fair.

Content Creation

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 are both good for software development.

Battery

7.5 Hours
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
8.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has 8 hours of battery life.

Portability

Excellent
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
Excellent
13.5in
SIZE
12.4in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.8
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop Go 3
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 both have good build quality.

Give feedback

We’re constantly working to improve.

How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops

Chevron down

Spec Comparison

Chevron down
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

GENERAL

Price
$1,200
$788
Release Date
October 1, 2022October 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57''11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62''
Weight
2.86 lbs2.49 lbs
Width
12.1"10.95"
Depth
8.8"8.12"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-1255UIntel i5-1235U
RAM
16 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
00
Storage
512 GB256 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
7.5 Hours8 Hours
Battery Capacity
47.4 Wh41 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
13.5"12.4"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2256 x 15041536 x 1024
Refresh Rate
60Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
400 nits337 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.8/107.8/10
Portability Score
9/109.3/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
8.8/108.4/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesNo
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
11
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
11
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

Chevron down

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"

See more

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."

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

See more

Dig into reviews and images

PCMag

Joe Osborne | October 2023
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."

Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

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.

Give feedback

We're constantly perfecting our model

Laptop guides you might be interested in

Chevron down

FAQs

Chevron down

FAQs about laptops

Questions about PerfectRec >

Why trust us

Chevron down
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.

By the numbers

380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
125,295
Recommendations made
27,148
Consumer hours saved

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.

Featured in

Color LTT LogoGeekwire logo9to5 Mac logoPhone Arena LogoColor Daring Fireball logo