Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

Microsoft altered as little as possible in the Surface Laptop 3’s successor and hasn’t made many further changes for the Surface Laptop 5 because the Surface Laptop 3 was such a terrific piece of hardware.

That means the fifth model won’t be very appealing as an upgrade option, but if you’re using an older Microsoft laptop – or another brand entirely – then there’s still plenty here to like, as long as you can overlook what’s starting to look a little dated and don’t mind the decision to forego AMD and go all-in on Intel.

The Surface Laptop 5 is a piece of technology that has a really sleek appearance, but we’ve seen it all before, and it’s starting to seem a little dated. The same straightforward design that Microsoft has been using for the previous few years remains unchanged as a result of its decision.

A metallic shell with the Windows logo reflecting and a minimalist interior with a roomy keyboard and trackpad. Since the screen is the only part that clearly demonstrates its age, it appears very modern overall. The issue is not the display itself; I’ll get to that in a moment; rather, it is the excessive amount of empty space surrounding it, which is contained behind a large bezel that other manufacturers have long since abandoned.

It looks quite well, and the screen is the one place where it really reveals its age. The issue is not the display itself—I’ll get to that in a moment—but rather the excessive amount of empty space around it in a thick bezel that other manufacturers have long since abandoned.

This results in the laptop being larger overall than it should be given the size of the screen, giving you more bulk to carry about.

DISPLAY

Microsoft hasn’t yet switched over to using OLED screens in its laptops; the Surface Laptop 5 still features LCD displays that use what Microsoft refers to as “PixelSense” panels. In contrast to pre-launch rumours, it also maintains the traditional 60Hz refresh rate rather than switching to a more responsive display.

The only significant difference between the displays of the two sizes is the resolution, which is the same in both cases at 201ppi: 2,256×1,504 for the smaller model and 2,496×1,664 for the bigger. Regardless, it makes advantage of the increasingly common 3:2 aspect ratio, offering you a taller, boxier display that is more suitable for work. You’ll gain a little amount of additional screen real estate for documents and emails, but as a price, you’ll likely have to put up with black letterboxing anytime you launch a Netflix movie.

Most of the time, screen quality is great. Although it lacks the deep blacks and greater dynamic range of an OLED panel, this display is bright enough to work in a variety of lighting situations and offers vivid colours and lots of detail. Additionally, it has a touchscreen, providing you another way to navigate Windows, and it works with the Surface Pen pen, but it must be purchased separately.

PPERFORMANCE

While 2021’s Surface Laptop 4 gave buyers a choice between Intel or AMD processors, Microsoft has made the choice for you this time around: it’s Intel or bust.Microsoft at least uses the most recent 12th generation Intel CPUs; nevertheless, you are only able to use the low-power U-series devices as of this time. Although the 15-inch laptop only has the i7 CPU, you can still select between the less powerful i5-1235U and the more potent i7-1255U if you choose the 13.5-inch model.

The CPU has up to 16GB of RAM on the smaller machine and up to 32GB on the larger one. The storage capacity is split similarly, with the smaller laptop having a maximum of 512GB and the 15-inch one having a maximum of 1TB.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 battery life in 2022: 13 hours and 40 minutes