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Updated January 12, 2024·
If affordability is a priority and your tasks are more along the lines of day-to-day work, such as office applications, web browsing, and media consumption, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13” is a good fit. It’s designed for portability and offers a balance between performance and battery life at a lower cost. On the other hand, if your activities involve performance-intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the Razer Blade 14, while more expensive, provides significantly higher performance capabilities and a build geared toward those who need more powerful graphics and processing speed. However, it may not match the Surface in terms of battery life and portability due to its more powerful hardware. 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 Razer Blade 14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.1
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
328.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Razer Blade 14 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a balance between portability and performance, suited for everyday tasks with its good CPU, quality screen, and reasonable battery life, while being lighter and thinner which enhances its portability. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 14 provides superior performance suitable even for more demanding use, with a strong CPU, higher resolution display, and longer battery life but is heavier and somewhat thicker, which slightly reduces its portability compared to the Surface Laptop.
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.9
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Razer Blade 14 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Razer Blade 14 is better suited for gaming and 3D due to its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, which tremendously outperforms the Intel Iris Xe found in the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13". Additionally, the Razer Blade 14 offers a higher screen refresh rate, facilitating smoother visuals, whereas the Surface Laptop's lower refresh rate is less optimal for fast-paced gaming and rendering 3D graphics.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Razer Blade 14 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Razer Blade 14 surpasses the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" in engineering and design suitability primarily due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen processor and high-end Nvidia graphics, which enable better performance for computation-intensive tasks and rendering. While the Surface Laptop offers good CPU and GPU capabilities for lighter tasks, the addition of a higher-resolution display and higher refresh rate in the Razer Blade 14 also contribute to a more fluid visual experience for design work.
Content Creation
7.4
8.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 14 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
7.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development, though the Razer Blade 14 is somewhat better.
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
8.0
13.5in
SIZE
14.0in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
328.0 nits
The Razer Blade 14 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" offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors suitable for tasks like web browsing and document editing, which enhances the general use experience. Its screen also covers a range of color gamuts, benefiting engineering and design users who need color accuracy for their work. However, due to its standard refresh rate, it is less suited for gaming and 3D applications where smoother motion and quick screen updates are crucial for an optimal experience.
Battery
7.5 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 14 has 9.5 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
Very Good
13.5in
SIZE
14.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.9 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Razer Blade 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Razer Blade 14 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
$1,965
$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 Razer Blade 14 costs $1,965.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the Razer Blade 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | Razer Blade 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,965 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 12.6'' x 8.7'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 3.92 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 12.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 8.66" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 9.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47.4 Wh | 62 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.5" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2256 x 1504 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 328 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 8.2/10 | |
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 | No | |
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 | N/A | |
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."
Razer Blade 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"After making a huge splash with the original 2021 model, it's expected that the 2022 refresh would be more of a minor update to an already impressive machine. It adds a higher resolution webcam (720p to 1080p), faster CPU (Ryzen 9 5900HX to Ryzen 9 6900HX), faster GPU (RTX 3070/3080 to 3070/3080 Ti), faster RAM (DDR4-3200 to DDR5-4800), faster M.2 SSD support (PCIe3 x4 to PCIe4 x4), newer WLAN module (Killer AX1690i to Qualcomm WCN685x), and a MUX switch for the new integrated Radeon 680M GPU. It's indubitably an upgrade especially in terms of single-thread processor performance."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the Razer Blade 14
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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