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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize a sleek, lightweight laptop that's easy to carry around with longer battery life for general use or productivity tasks like office work, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" would be a suitable choice with its high-resolution screen. However, for more demanding applications like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming that require stronger graphics performance, the MSI Cyborg 15, equipped with a dedicated graphics card, would serve better despite being heavier and bulkier with potentially shorter battery life. Consider also that the Surface Laptop may cost more and offers a touchscreen, which might benefit certain users, while the Cyborg offers a higher screen refresh rate, beneficial for gaming. 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 overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is 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.
Screen Quality
7.2
6.8
13.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is favored for general use due to its higher resolution and brightness, making everyday tasks and media consumption a pleasure with clear and vibrant visuals. For engineering and design, its wider color gamut support ensures accurate color representation, crucial for precise work. However, its lower refresh rate hinders performance in 3D applications and gaming, where fluid motion is essential for an immersive experience, making the MSI Cyborg 15 a less ideal but still viable option for general use and design tasks, but not for high-frame-rate gaming or fast 3D rendering.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
6.7
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$1,100
$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 MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.3
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers good general use capabilities with its powerful CPU, adequate RAM, high-resolution touchscreen with excellent color accuracy, and solid build and keyboard quality, combined with its light weight and long battery life, making it highly portable. The MSI Cyborg 15, while also suitable for general use, boasts a strong CPU and dedicated GPU for better performance in graphics-intensive tasks, a larger screen with a higher refresh rate, and expandable RAM and storage, though it trades off some portability due to its heavier weight and larger size.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" with its high-resolution touchscreen and lighter design is better for engineers and designers who prioritize screen quality and portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15, equipped with a powerful CPU and dedicated graphics card, offers superior performance for computationally intensive tasks but is heavier and less portable. The Surface's superior screen colors might appeal to designers, but the Cyborg's additional RAM slots allow for more memory expansion, which can be crucial for engineering software.
Content Creation
7.4
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.2
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and MSI Cyborg 15 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.
Battery
7.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 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.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47.4 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.5" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2256 x 1504 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
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."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI Cyborg 15
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.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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