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Surface Laptop 5 13"
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Cyborg 15
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
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

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Gaming and AI

6.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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.

Screen Quality

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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.

Portability

Excellent
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
6.7
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$1,200
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
$1,100
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 MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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.

Engineering and Design

7.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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.

Content Creation

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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.

Software Development

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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.

Battery

7.5 Hours
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Cyborg 15
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.

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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"MSI Cyborg 15
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"MSI Cyborg 15

GENERAL

Price
$1,200
$1,100
Release Date
October 1, 2022May 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57''14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9''
Weight
2.86 lbs4.37 lbs
Width
12.1"14.15"
Depth
8.8"9.86"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-1255UIntel i7-12650H
RAM
16 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
02
Storage
512 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
7.5 Hours7.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
47.4 Wh53.5 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
13.5"15.6"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2256 x 15041920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
60Hz144Hz
Display Brightness
400 nits234 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.8/106.8/10
Portability Score
9/107.3/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/106.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
8.8/106.8/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
12
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
12
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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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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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

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125,295
Recommendations made
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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.

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