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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Titan GT77 depends on your needs. The Surface Laptop is less expensive and more portable with a smaller and lighter design, making it suitable for everyday tasks and carrying around. It still provides decent performance for general use. On the other hand, the MSI Titan GT77, while more expensive, offers significant advantages in performance with a more powerful processor and graphics card suited for intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, and gaming. It has a larger and higher-quality screen but is much heavier, impacting portability. Also, consider that the battery life will typically be longer for the Surface Laptop than for the heavier-duty MSI Titan. 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 Titan GT77
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Excellent for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.9
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
602.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Titan GT77 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
10.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The MSI Titan GT77 is better for gaming and 3D due to its Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card, which offers high-end performance for these tasks, and its screen's high refresh rate, which provides smoother visuals; in contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 comes with an Intel Iris Xe graphics card suitable for less intensive work and a lower refresh rate which is fine for day-to-day use but less optimal for gaming. Further, the MSI has superior screen quality with a higher resolution and contrast, enhancing the visual experience, whereas the Surface Laptop 5 has a lower resolution and contrast which are adequate for general use but not preferred for high-end graphics work.
Engineering and Design
7.1
10.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Titan GT77 is best in class for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The MSI Titan GT77 is considered the best for engineering and design use because it offers superior processing power with a high-end CPU and GPU, a large amount of RAM, and a high-resolution Mini LED screen, which is ideal for demanding engineering applications and detailed design work.
Content Creation
7.4
9.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan GT77 is excellent 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
9.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan GT77 is excellent 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
9.7
13.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
602.0 nits
The MSI Titan GT77 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 13" has a display that provides crisp images and good color representation making it suitable for everyday tasks and engineering applications, but it lacks a high refresh rate, which is essential for smooth visuals in 3D applications and gaming. The MSI Titan GT77 offers exceptional color accuracy with wide color gamuts, making it ideal for professionals in engineering and design who require precise color representation for their work. However, despite its high-quality panel, it may not support the high refresh rates that gamers and 3D developers look for, limiting its effectiveness for those use cases.
Battery
7.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan GT77 has 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
Poor
13.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
7.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the MSI Titan GT77 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI Titan GT77 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
$6,975
$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 Titan GT77 costs $6,975.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the MSI Titan GT77 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | MSI Titan GT77 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $6,975 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 15.6'' x 13'' x 0.91'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 7.28 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 12.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 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 | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2256 x 1504 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 602 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | Yes | |
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 Titan GT77
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V is the utimate gaming laptop with RTX 4090 & Core i9-13950HX. The new MSI Titan GT77 will most likely only reach a very small group of users due to the high price, but it is still an impressive showcase of what is possible. The high-end gamer combines the best components you can currently get in almost every regard and it is a very good overall package, which does not have to hide behind full-fledged desktop systems."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the MSI Titan GT77
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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