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Surface Laptop 5 13"
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Prestige 13 AI Evo
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 13, 2024·

For general use with a focus on lightweight and sleek design, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a good choice with strong build quality and a high-resolution touchscreen that's excellent for everyday tasks and media consumption. If your work involves engineering software, 3D design, or machine learning, the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo provides better performance with dedicated AI features, although this may come at the cost of shorter battery life and a bit more weight to carry, so it’s less portable compared to the Surface Laptop 5. 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"
  • Excellent portability
  • Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo
  • Very good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Very good for content creation
  • Very good overall display quality

Key differences

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General Use

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
8.0
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
415.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.

Gaming and AI

6.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
6.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo is somewhat better.

Engineering and Design

7.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
8.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.

Content Creation

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
8.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.

Software Development

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
7.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development, though the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo is somewhat better.

Screen Quality

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
8.2
13.5in
SIZE
13.0in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
415.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Cost

$1,200
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
$1,280
Product image
Product image

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

$1,800

$2,000

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo costs $1,280.
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Key similarities

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Battery

7.5 Hours
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
8.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo has 8 hours of battery life.

Portability

Excellent
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
Very Good
13.5in
SIZE
13.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to have excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.8
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Prestige 13 AI Evo
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo both have good build quality.

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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo

GENERAL

Price
$1,200
$1,280
Release Date
October 1, 2022February 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57''11.8'' x 8.3'' x 0.67''
Weight
2.86 lbs3.53 lbs
Width
12.1"11.77"
Depth
8.8"8.27"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-1255UIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
00
Storage
512 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
7.5 Hours8 Hours
Battery Capacity
47.4 Wh73 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
13.5"13"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2256 x 15042880 x 1800
Refresh Rate
60Hz144Hz
Display Brightness
400 nits415 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.8/107.4/10
Portability Score
9/108.6/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
8.8/107/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
11
USB-C ports
12
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
13
Thunderbolt Version
44

Shopping

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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."

Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo

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.

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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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