Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 – Review

The Surface 3 had been an excellent piece of hardware due to which Microsoft had not changed much in its successor and the Surface Laptop 5 has also not seen many changes. It is the latest version of the company’s light and thin laptop and it was launched last year, but its successor is unlikely to come until next year.

Design and Build

In terms of look, there is no denying that the Surface Laptop 5 is very slick. Microsoft has not made any updates to the design, which means the exterior is still metallic and there is a reflective Windows logo. The interior is quite sparse, with a trackpad and spacious keyboard. The device looks quite sharp, but there is room for improvement in the thick bezels.

In terms of connectivity, it offers you a full-size USB-A 3.1 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C 4.0 & Thunderbolt 4 port and the Surface Connect port for charging. There are two models, one 15-inch and the other 13.5-inch. The smaller one is lighter and available in a greater range of colors, while the larger one can only be found in platinum and black.

Screen and Speakers

Microsoft’s laptops do not have OLED as yet, which means the Surface 5 has an LED display that uses ‘PixelSense’. The refresh rate is 60Hz and the resolution for the smaller and larger model is 2256 x 1504 and 2496 x 1664, respectively. The 3:2 aspect ratio has been used, which means you have a boxier and taller display that can ensure better productivity.

The actual screen quality is quite impressive, as it works in a number of lighting conditions. The screen offers plenty of detail and the colors are quite vibrant. It is also a touchscreen and works with the Surface Pen Stylus that you will have to purchase separately. Other than the 3.5mm headphone jack, you also get a pair of upfiring built-in speakers. They have decent quality and there is a lot of clarity. Support for Dolby Atmosalso makes a difference when you are playing games or watching movies.

Specs and Performance

Microsoft has opted to use 12^th-gen Intel chips this time around, but they are the low-power U-series version. The smaller model gives you the option of choosing between i5-1235U and i7-1255U, but the larger model only comes with the latter option. There is 16GM of RAM on the smaller and the larger one has 32GB of RAM. The storage is 512GB and 1TB, respectively.

In terms of performance, you will find that the Surface Laptop 5 is not the most powerful device around, but it delivers good performance as compared to similarly-priced devices. It has a strong performance, but is not meant for creative power users or gamers. However, you can use it for other tasks, such as spreadsheet galore, basic video editing, Photoshop and everyday use.