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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're looking for a more portable and lightweight option with a touch screen and higher resolution for general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" would be a good fit despite sometimes being more expensive. However, if you require a laptop for intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, gaming, or engineering, the MSI Raider GE76 offers significantly more power with its superior graphics and larger screen, but it sacrifices portability and battery life. Consider the tradeoff between daily carry comfort and high-performance needs when making your decision. 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 Raider GE76
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.4
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is lighter, has a touch screen, and offers better portability and battery life, making it suitable for general use and on-the-go tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE76 offers more power with superior CPU and GPU, more RAM and storage, and a higher screen refresh rate, but it comes at the cost of heavier weight and shorter battery life, making it very good for general use plus demanding tasks like gaming or creative work.
Gaming and AI
6.1
8.9
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE76 outperforms the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" in gaming and 3D tasks because it has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate for smooth visuals, which are very important factors. While the Surface Laptop has a satisfactory Intel Iris Xe integrated GPU and a standard refresh rate, these are less suited for the high demands of gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.1
9.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE76 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is a more portable and offers good screen quality, making it suitable for mobile engineering and design tasks, yet its less robust CPU, GPU, and smaller RAM restrict its performance for more demanding tasks. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE76, with its superior CPU, GPU, larger RAM, and excellent screen quality, excels in engineering and design use cases, but is less portable and has a louder operating noise, which can be a tradeoff for its high performance.
Content Creation
7.4
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
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
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
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
8.6
13.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE76 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.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5's display has a high resolution and brightness, making it vibrant and crisp for everyday tasks and detailed enough for engineering, but its refresh rate isn't high enough for smooth 3D rendering, affecting gaming experiences. The MSI Raider GE76 also boasts a high-resolution display that's brightly lit for daily use, with a wide color gamut enhancing its suitability for design and color-sensitive engineering work, however, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for the fast-paced visuals in 3D work and gaming. These displays offer great color accuracy and detail for productivity and creative work but fall short in providing the fluid motion needed for high-end gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
7.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE76 has 6 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
Poor
13.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the MSI Raider GE76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI Raider GE76 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$3,552
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Raider GE76 costs $3,552.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Raider GE76 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | MSI Raider GE76 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $3,552 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47.4 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.5" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2256 x 1504 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 Raider GE76
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2022
"The MSI Raider GE76: with Alder Lake and RTX 3080 Ti to gaming heaven. Yes, MSI could improve some aspects (like the quality of the webcam), but the manufacturer offers a very convincing and balanced overall package. The biggest advantage is definitely the immense performance potential. The combination of Core i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and two NVMe SSDs offers a lot of performance for the next couple of years and plenty of power for 3D applications. Most titles would run smoothly on an external 4K screen no matter the quality preset. We came away impressed with the integrated 360 Hz panel's fast response times and good color accuracy."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI Raider GE76
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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