A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is more budget-friendly and is particularly suited for general use due to its long battery life and higher resolution screen, which makes for comfortable reading and web browsing. Its portability is a strong point, as it's lighter and slimmer. However, if you need more power for activities like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, then the MSI Stealth GS66 offers much higher performance with its advanced processor and dedicated graphics card. This extra power comes with tradeoffs: the MSI laptop is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. 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 GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics unit and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz which provides a fair gaming and 3D performance, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti dedicated graphics card and boasts a 360Hz refresh rate, thus offering good gaming and 3D capabilities.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a high-resolution screen with touch capability, making it suitable for design tasks, but its Intel i7-1255U processor and integrated graphics may lag behind in more demanding engineering software compared to the MSI Stealth GS66, which boasts a more powerful Intel i7-12700H CPU and dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU.
While both laptops have similar RAM and storage capacity, making them capable machines for engineering and design, the MSI Stealth GS66's superior processor and graphics card provide it with an edge for intensive tasks, though it is heavier and not as portable as the lighter and thinner Surface Laptop 5, which also offers better battery life and a quieter operating noise.
Screen Quality
7.2
8.1
13.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 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.
For general use, the consistently high resolution and brightness across both the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 and MSI Stealth GS66 make the visuals sharp and content easy to view, even in well-lit environments. Both laptops also offer good color accuracy and wide color gamut support, which is crucial for professionals in engineering and design where precise color representation matters. However, because gaming and 3D tasks benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother motion, these laptops fall short for such activities as they prioritize display features that serve productivity rather than fast-paced interactive media.
Battery
7.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 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
Good
13.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$1,799
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.7
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is appreciated for general use because of its lightweight and portable design, high-resolution touchscreen, and longer battery life, making it suitable for everyday tasks and productivity on the go. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66 offers a high-performance CPU and powerful graphics capabilities with a larger screen, catering to users who need more robust processing power for demanding applications, but it trades off some portability and battery life for these enhancements.
Content Creation
7.4
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for content creation.
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
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
7.8
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS66 to have 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 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" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2256 x 1504 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
MSI Stealth GS66
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI Stealth GS66
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" vs. Lenovo Legion 5 15"
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" vs. Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6"
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" vs. Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14
VS
Compare MSI Stealth GS66 vs. Apple MacBook Air (2022)
VS
Compare MSI Stealth GS66 vs. Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
VS
Compare MSI Stealth GS66 vs. Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
125,295
Recommendations made
27,148
Consumer hours saved
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.
Featured in
