TheMicrosoft Surface Laptop 5recently hit stores , becoming the modish pick in the company ’s clamshell laptop reach .

But how does the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 compare to its predecessor , theMicrosoft Surface Laptop 4 ? We ’ve reviewed both models , so we ’re in a consummate place to answer that interrogative .

We ’ve excuse the main differences between the laptops below . So if you ’re not trusted whether you should purchase the Surface Laptop 5 or Surface Laptop 4 , keep read .

Release date and pricing

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 establish in October 2022 , while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 strike stores in April 2021 . Both laptops are useable with 13.5 - inch and 15 - in screen sizes . you could check out the current pricing below :

Surface Laptop 4

Surface Laptop 5

As you may see above , there ’s only £ 10 separating the Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Laptop 4 when it comes to the 13.5 - inch manikin . But there ’s a whopping £ 200 difference if you go for the large 15 - inch laptop or else .

Despite the bountiful price gulf , you get the same 8 GB RAM and 256 GB store for the radical theoretical account , although the Surface Laptop 4 is power by a Ryzen 7 processor rather than an i7 Intel Core chip .

Both laptop computer will also become more expensive if you upgrade storage and RAM , as well as choosing a fancy colour alternative than Platinum .

Design

Microsoft has n’t altered the design of its Surface Laptop for the 5th entry . If you go over the dimensions of the laptops , they ’re exactly the same . The 13.5 - in Surface Laptop is 14.5 mm deep , while the 15 - column inch version is 14.7 mm .

The newer Surface Laptop 5 is marginally heavier than its precursor , but only by about 10 to 20 Hans C. J. Gram . The increased weightiness is potential to do with the more potent processor , but we did n’t really find much of a difference when holding the laptop computer in each paw .

regrettably , both laptops boast a thick black bezel around the covert . This makes the laptop computer look gravely outdated compared to theMacBook AirandDell XPS 13 . But there ’s no pauperism to factor this into your decision when choosing between the Surface Laptop 4 and 5 .

The colour options are the only aesthetic differences between the two laptop . Both the Surface Laptop 4 and 5 are available in Black , Platinum and Sandstone . The former laptop computer can also be kitted out in Ice Blue , while the Surface Laptop 5 has a Sage alternative instead . But opt for the 15 - inch Surface , and you ’ll be limited to just Black and Platinum .

There ’s only one more designing difference between the two laptops , but you would n’t be capable to spot it with the au naturel eye . Both have ports for Surface Connect , headphone jack , USB - A and USB - C. However , the USB - 100 on the Surface Laptop 5 has addedThunderbolt 4support . That entail its USB - light speed interface is faster when it comes to data transfers , and also more various when it arrive to ability delivery and connections to external monitor .

Microsoft is using the exact same screens for the Surface Laptop 4 and 5 . The 13.5 - inch touch screen has a 2256 x 1504 resolving power and 3:2 aspect proportion , while the 15 - in version has a 2496 x 1664 . There ’s unfortunately no alternative for anOLEDpanel here .

Performance

The processor is the grown differentiator between the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 and 5 . The former uses Intel Core 11th Gen Intel Core chips or an AMD Ryzen 4000 choice .

The Surface Laptop 5 is cut back to just Intel Core , but from the newer 12th Generation rather which assure a quick operation .

Our benchmark examination show the Surface Laptop 5 to be a more powerful alternative , although we did admittedly use an Intel Core i7 theoretical account when comparing it to an Intel Core i5 Surface Laptop 4 . That ’s not really a fair test , but we can only use the review mannequin that Microsoft sent us .

We still expect the Surface Laptop 5 to be the more powerful laptop overall , since it ’s powered by the more recent genesis of Intel Core microprocessor chip . That tell , our material - world examination showed that there is n’t a significantly famous deviation between the f number of the two laptop when execute day - to - day tasks such as web browsing , reading email and more .

We certainly would n’t recommend upgrading from the Surface Laptop 4 to the Surface Laptop 5 if processing public presentation is your main headache . And when deciding between the two , we ’d only recommend going for the Surface Laptop 5 if the toll points are similar .

The specs option are superposable across the two laptops . For the SSD , you have option for 256 GB , 512 GB and 1 TB . And for RAM , you could choose either 8 gilbert , 16 GB , or 32 gigabyte .

In terms of battery life , the Surface Laptop 5 recorded a solvent of 12 hours and 43 minutes when simulate canonical productivity workload . In compare , the Surface Laptop 4 endure for 10 hours and 54 minutes , despite being power by a weaker CPU .

Verdict

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 only has pocket-size upgrades compare to its predecessor . It ’s take more advance CPU option thanks to the jump to the twelfth Generation of Intel Core , although the real - time functioning difference is negligible . That say , our tests show bombardment life story is slightly better with the Surface Laptop 5 .

Thunderbolt 4 is a good addition , allowing for more connectivity options as well as speedier data point change . And that new Sage gullible colour alternative looks great , although it is unfortunate that Ice Blue is no longer an option .

With no changes to the design or screen , there are not enough improvements here to justify an upgrade from the Surface Laptop 4 to the Surface Laptop 5 . But if you ’re upgrading from an older laptop , then we recommend choose for the Surface Laptop 5 if there is n’t a major divergence in price . But a Surface Laptop 4 with a dismiss price will most probably act superscript time value .