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Updated January 12, 2024·
The choice between the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the Razer Blade 14 (2023) depends on your priorities. The Surface Laptop typically offers an excellent balance of portability and battery life, making it ideal for everyday tasks and highly mobile users who need long-lasting battery and a lightweight device. On the other hand, if you regularly engage in activities like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the Razer Blade 14, while usually more expensive, provides more powerful performance essential for those intensive tasks. However, the Razer Blade may be heavier and could have a shorter battery life compared to the Surface Laptop, making it less portable. Consider how you plan to use the laptop to determine which trade-offs are the most acceptable for you. 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 (2023)
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very 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 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
560.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) stands out for general use due to its superior processor and graphics unit, which provide better performance and are suitable for more demanding tasks, while also offering a higher resolution and brighter screen, which enhances visual experience, but is heavier and has a larger battery contributing to its longer battery life. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is lighter and therefore more portable, has a touchscreen which can be a convenience for some users, but its processor and graphics are less powerful, which could make it less suitable for intensive applications even though it's quite capable for everyday tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.1
8.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is only fair.
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) outperforms the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" in gaming and 3D because it has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, which are very important for these tasks. While both have similar CPU and screen quality, these factors are less critical but still contribute to the superior gaming and 3D performance of the Razer Blade 14.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is rated as very good for engineering and design due to its more powerful AMD Ryzen processor and superior RTX GPU, which outperform the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5's Intel CPU and integrated graphics, essential for compute-intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.4
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development, though the Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
8.9
13.5in
SIZE
14.0in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
560.0 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.
When considering general use, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 and the Razer Blade 14 offer high-resolution displays with bright, vibrant screens, but the Razer Blade edges out with slightly better overall screen clarity. For engineering and design work, the Razer Blade 14's display supports wider color gamuts, such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which are essential for accurate color work, whereas the Surface Laptop 5 falls short in this aspect, despite having a decent display for such tasks. However, for 3D applications and gaming, where high refresh rates are crucial for smooth motion, both laptops may not be ideal as they typically prioritize resolution and color accuracy over faster screen refresh capabilities.
Battery
7.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 14 has 6 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
4.0 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Razer Blade 14 (2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
$2,400
$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 Razer Blade 14 (2023) costs $2,400.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the Razer Blade 14 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" | Razer Blade 14 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $2,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | 12.2'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.86 lbs | 4.05 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.1" | 12.23" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.8" | 8.97" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47.4 Wh | 68.1 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.5" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2256 x 1504 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 560 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
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 (2023)
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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 (2023)
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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