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Surface Laptop 5 13"
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ThinkBook 13s
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Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
  • The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
  • The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".

Key differences

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Screen Quality

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
7.2
13.5in
SIZE
13.3in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for content creation, and software development.

Cost

$1,200
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
$1,000
Product image
Product image

$400

$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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
7.8
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.

Gaming and AI

6.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
6.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Engineering and Design

7.1
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.

Content Creation

7.4
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
7.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.2
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for software development.

Battery

7.5 Hours
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
8.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 hours of battery life.

Portability

Excellent
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
Excellent
13.5in
SIZE
13.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.8
Surface Laptop 5 13"
ThinkBook 13s
7.6
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s both have good build quality.

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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"Lenovo ThinkBook 13s

GENERAL

Price
$1,200
$1,000
Release Date
October 1, 2022May 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57''11.7'' x 8.3'' x 0.59''
Weight
2.86 lbs2.9 lbs
Width
12.1"11.7"
Depth
8.8"8.3"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-1255UIntel i7-1260P
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
00
Storage
512 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
7.5 Hours8 Hours
Battery Capacity
47.4 Wh56 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
13.5"13.3"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2256 x 15042560 x 1600
Refresh Rate
60Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
400 nits336 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.8/107.6/10
Portability Score
9/109.1/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/108.4/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/107.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
8.8/108.8/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
10
USB-C ports
13
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
13
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."

Lenovo ThinkBook 13s

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Dig into reviews and images

The Verge

Monica Chin | July 2021
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."

Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s

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 Lenovo

Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.

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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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