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Updated January 12, 2024·
Consider the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" if you prioritize a lightweight, slim laptop with a higher resolution and taller aspect ratio screen for productivity tasks. It has a solid build and good battery life, making it suitable for general use and business tasks on the go. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, while less portable due to its larger size and weight, offers a dedicated graphics card that outperforms the integrated graphics in the Surface Laptop, making it a better fit for gaming, 3D applications, or machine learning tasks. It also has a high refresh rate screen which is preferred for gaming. However, if you plan on doing extended work without an outlet, the Microsoft might be a wiser choice owing to its better battery performance. 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 general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Key differences
General Use
7.4
6.5
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers better portability thanks to its lighter weight and longer battery life, along with a higher-resolution screen and more RAM for smooth multitasking, which makes it well-suited for general use. In contrast, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a dedicated graphics card for more demanding applications and games, its heavier weight, shorter battery life, and lower screen resolution are less optimal for general-use scenarios.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
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 GF65 Thin and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI GF65 Thin is somewhat better.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a less powerful integrated GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, making it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which comes equipped with a dedicated gaming GPU and a higher screen refresh rate better suited for such tasks.
Content Creation
7.4
6.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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" is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.2
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
262.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" likely offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, catering well to general use and detailed engineering tasks which necessitate precise color representation and clarity. However, it may be lacking in a high refresh rate, which is critical for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications, making it less suitable for those needs. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, while offering a balanced display for everyday tasks and technical work, might not excel in any specific area due to average color range and refresh rate, resulting in an overall fair performance for various uses but not particularly optimized for high-end gaming or professional design tasks.
Battery
7.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Excellent
Good
13.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin 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 GF65 Thin 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 GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.1
6.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
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 MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47.4 Wh | 51 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 | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
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 GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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