The new Surface Laptop 5 isn’t so new anymore.
It launched in October, and I’ve been using it non-stop since then.
How has the Surface Laptop improved over previous generations?
(Image credit: Future)
Is it still one of the best Windows laptops you could buy?
Does an older design still hold up?
These are the questions I will answer in this review.
So, let’s get started!
There are also a handful of colors, Platinum, Black, Sandstone, and Green.
It’s preloaded with Windows 11 Home and features a 13.5-inch 2256x1504 touchscreen display.
When closed, the Surface Laptop 5 is a beautiful machine.
It’s thin, and light and its all-aluminum enclosure makes for a premium-feeling gadget in the hand.
This design is finally starting to get a little stale.
But when open, the dated nature of its design starts to rear its ugly head.
They’re not particularly offensive, but they’re not pushing any boundaries either.
The trackpad is also a little smaller than I’d like on the 15-inch version.
It’s also still using a traditional dive-board mechanism for clicking and not haptics like many other high-end Ultrabooks.
There’s very little keyboard flex on the aluminum model too.
In regards to ports, there’s really not much to write home about here.
It may have taken Microsoft a while, but they’ve finally included it here.
This reduces carbon footprint, and is better for the environment too!
I will say I am somewhat disappointed that the Surface Laptop 5 continues to use a 60Hz panel.
(Image credit: Future)
The webcam is nothing special, which is odd for a Surface product.
In well-lit environments, it’ll get you by with no problems, but low-light performance is noisy.
Microsoft touts the keyboard as being quieter, and I can really hear and feel that difference.
(Image credit: Future)
Specifically, the keyboard feels a little different to bang out on compared to previous models.
The typing experience feels soft yet premium, and I really do like it.
There’s less “clickity-clack” and more “thuddy thud” when pressing keys down.
(Image credit: Future)
I think whether you like this keyboard will come down to preference.
The trackpad is unchanged from the Surface Laptop 4, meaning it’s still great.
It’s not a small trackpad, but it’s certainly not the biggest it could be.
(Image credit: Future)
The dive-board mechanism delivers a satisfying, soft click that requires little effort to use.
The typing experience is fantastic.
The speakers are hidden under the keyboard, which means there are no visible speaker grills on the chassis.
(Image credit: Future)
While it’s not the most powerful Ultrabook on the market, it’s certainly no slouch either.
Our model features the Intel Core i7-1265U, which is a 10-core chip and offers great multi-threaded performance.
The 512GB PCIe SSD is also plenty fast at 3,416 MB/s for read and 2,457 for write.
(Image credit: Future)
Battery life is good, lasting around 10 hours in the PCMark 10 battery life test.
This should be more than enough to get you through the workday.
Outside of that, there’s really not much else.
Its an excellent gear that is often regarded as the top business laptop due to the legacy of Lenovo.
you’re free to often find the X1 Carbon heavily discounted, making it a more affordable option.
It’s also incredibly light, making it an excellent travel laptop.
Surface Laptop 5: Should you buy?
You should buy this if …
You should not buy this if …
The Surface Laptop 5 is a perfectly inoffensive Ultrabook for 2023.
I will say its design leans more on the conservative, sensible side of things.
The keyboard and trackpad are easily the best part of the Surface Laptop 5.
Everything you could ask for in a minor upgrade.
