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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 16, 2024·
If you prioritize a lower price and more portability, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is a solid choice for general use with decent performance. But if you require top performance for demanding tasks like 3D work, machine learning, or gaming, and are willing to invest more, the MSI Stealth 17 would be powerful, albeit heavier and with likely shorter battery life due to its high-end components. The MSI also has a larger screen and higher resolution, which could be beneficial for some engineering tasks, while the Surface Laptop offers a more travel-friendly option with a significant cost saving. 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.7
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.1
9.1
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent 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.
Engineering and Design
7.1
9.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The MSI Stealth 17 surpasses the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" in engineering and design use mainly because it has a more powerful CPU and GPU setup, greater RAM, and a higher quality screen, which are critical for intensive tasks and detailed visual work. However, the Surface Laptop 5 13" offers better portability and slightly less operating noise, making it a more convenient option for on-the-go use despite its lower relative power and screen quality.
Content Creation
7.4
8.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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 Stealth 17 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.
When considering the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 with its high resolution and brightness, the display offers sharp and vibrant visuals that enhance general use and detailed work in engineering and design, where color accuracy is also crucial. The MSI Stealth 17 similarly boasts a display with high resolution and an extensive color gamut that supports vivid and precise colors, essential for professional design work and enjoyable everyday use. However, both models fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion, a drawback when fast response times are needed for an immersive experience.
Battery
7.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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
Fair
13.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$3,899
$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 Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.8
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and MSI Stealth 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 5.5 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 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
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 Stealth 17
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI Stealth 17
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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