When choosing between the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Thin GF63, consider how you'll use the laptop. The Surface Laptop is lighter and more portable, with a higher resolution screen and longer battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go professionals or students needing a compact machine for general use and media consumption. Conversely, the MSI has a larger screen, superior graphics capabilities due to its dedicated graphics card, and a faster refresh rate, suiting gamers or creators who prioritize performance for 3D, machine learning, or gaming but can manage with a heavier and bulkier laptop. With the cost in view, the Surface commands a higher price, which is justifiable if design, display quality, and portability are top requirements; if you are seeking better performance for specialized tasks and are willing to compromise on portability and battery life, the MSI may provide better value. 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 overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
The MSI Thin GF63 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
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
8.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI Thin GF63 is somewhat better.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has an integrated GPU which is less powerful compared to the dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU in the MSI Thin GF63, making the latter better for gaming and 3D tasks. Additionally, the MSI laptop offers a higher screen refresh rate which is beneficial for smoother visuals in gaming, whereas the Surface Laptop has a lower refresh rate suitable for less demanding visual tasks.
Screen Quality
7.2/10
6.8/10
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 Thin GF63 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Thin GF63 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" likely has a high-resolution display with good brightness and color accuracy, making it suitable for everyday tasks and professional design work, though its probably lower refresh rate and possibly less robust color gamuts may not be ideal for 3D applications and gaming that benefit from fast screen refresh and wider color ranges. The MSI Thin GF63, with fair screen quality, might have an adequate resolution and sufficient brightness for general use and some engineering tasks, but it may suffer from limited color accuracy relative to professional standards and a refresh rate that does not cater to the high demands of gaming and 3D rendering. Both laptops seem to compromise on gaming and 3D capabilities, likely due to screen specifications geared more towards everyday use and professional tasks rather than the high-performance requirements of these specialized applications.
Battery
7.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 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 Thin GF63 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
6.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 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
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Thin GF63 costs $1,400.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is optimized for general use with its high portability, quality screen offering high brightness and color coverage, and long battery life, as well as having a good balance of CPU and RAM for everyday tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63 also provides strong general use performance with a focus on higher screen refresh rate and a dedicated GPU, making it suitable for more graphics-intensive tasks, but it compromises slightly on portability due to its larger size and shorter battery life.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
7.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Thin GF63 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" with its Intel Iris Xe integrated GPU and high-resolution touchscreen is designed for outstanding screen quality and portability, which is excellent for design tasks that require accurate color representation and a lightweight machine for on-the-go work. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63 comes with a more powerful Intel processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, making it better suited for the demanding workloads of engineering software, though it sacrifices some portability due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and MSI Thin GF63 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
7.2/10
7.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and MSI Thin GF63 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.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI Thin GF63
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.
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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