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Surface Laptop 5 13"
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Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·

Choosing between the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" comes down to your specific needs. The Surface Laptop 5 offers a solid balance of performance and portability with its Intel i7-1255U processor and Iris Xe graphics, making it suitable for everyday tasks and some light engineering work. Its 3:2 aspect ratio screen is excellent for productivity, and the battery life is decent for typical usage. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop 6, with its more powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and dedicated Intel Arc 8-Cores GPU, is designed for more demanding tasks, including gaming and intensive engineering applications. It also boasts a higher refresh rate and better color accuracy, which is great for fast-motion content and professional photo editing. The improved performance does come with a slight increase in weight and thickness, but it's still a portable device. If you prioritize longer battery life, a more lightweight design, and are primarily focused on general use with occasional engineering tasks, the Surface Laptop 5 is a strong contender. However, if you're looking for a laptop that can handle more graphically intensive tasks, such as gaming or machine learning, and you don't mind a slight tradeoff in portability and battery life, the Surface Laptop 6 would be the better choice. 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
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
  • The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

6.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
6.6
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is somewhat better.

Engineering and Design

7.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is somewhat better.

Screen Quality

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
7.8
13.5in
SIZE
13.5in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.

Battery

7.5 Hours
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
9.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has 9 hours of battery life.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
7.7
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.

Content Creation

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development.

Portability

Excellent
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
Very Good
13.5in
SIZE
13.5in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to have excellent portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.8
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" both have good build quality.

Cost

$1,200
Surface Laptop 5 13"
Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
$1,200
Product imageProduct image

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

$1,800

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a price of $1,200 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.

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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"

GENERAL

Price
$1,200
$1,200
Release Date
October 1, 2022June 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57''12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.66''
Weight
2.86 lbs3.04 lbs
Width
12.1"12.13"
Depth
8.8"8.78"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-1255UIntel Core Ultra 7 135H
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
00
Storage
512 GB256 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
7.5 Hours9 Hours
Battery Capacity
47.4 Wh47 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
13.5"13.5"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2256 x 15042256 x 1504
Refresh Rate
60Hz120Hz
Display Brightness
400 nits400 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.8/107.4/10
Portability Score
9/108.7/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoYes
Fan Noise Score
7.5/108/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
8.8/108/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
11
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
11
Thunderbolt Version
44

Shopping

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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."

Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"

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.

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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

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Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
110,895
Recommendations made
24,028
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.

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