Construction
Nothing has changed in terms of design compared to last year – apart from the appearance of a new sage green color – and we find the same qualities and defects on the chassis side. The anodized aluminum build is strong and neat, and the Surface Laptop 5 is a decidedly handsome object. We still appreciate the 3:2 screen format, but the thick borders are a stain, especially at the dawn of 2023…
The finishes are still as good and the sage green color is successful (be careful, the light in our photo makes the bonnet tend towards grey). © The Digital
The touchpad is really pleasant to use, as is the keyboard, the backlighting of which can be adjusted to 4 levels. Here no fingerprint reader on the horizon, but this absence is compensated by the detection of faces thanks to the infrared module of the webcam and Windows Hello. A very practical function, but here again we regret an image quality limited to 720p, which is quite difficult to accept in this price segment. In good light conditions, the image is satisfactory, but already a little noisy. And as soon as the light runs out, the webcam does much worse.
The keyboard and touchpad are still as efficient as ever. © The Digital
Likewise, the connection is, like every year, too sparse, with only a USB-A 3.1 port, a USB-C 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 and a mini-jack port. This limitation almost forces the user to get a USB hub. The charge is always done using the proprietary magnetic connector which is frankly not practical to connect, even if it can avoid some accidents if you trip over the cable. Fortunately, the USB-C port can also be used for charging. Otherwise, you will find Bluetooth 5.1 and wifi 6 for the wireless part.
Two USB ports, a mini-jack port… and that’s it! © The Digital
Another problem, the PC is complicated to disassemble. The rubber feet must be removed to access the components. The chassis shell is connected by a plug connected to the PCB and the components are covered with a fragile aluminum plate. Like last year, we therefore did not perform the manipulation so as not to damage our test model, but the RAM is welded anyway. The NVMe SSD is removable, but in the 2230 format, more difficult to find – and more expensive – than the classic 2280. Microsoft clearly does not facilitate the repair of the PC.
It is very difficult to disassemble the Surface Laptop. © The Digital
On the heating side, the Surface Laptop offers a hot spot at around 41 ° C in the center of the keyboard under Cinebench. That’s a little louder than average, but that’s also because the fan spins at low revs and stays really quiet at just 33.6dB raised; a slight hiss that does not bother to use. Otherwise, in office automation, it does not start normally.
A silent PC © The Digital
Performances
Our test model is equipped with an Intel Core i5-1235U processor with 2 powerful cores and 8 efficient cores with a low TDP of 15 W. It is here accompanied by 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD, but variants exist with more or less RAM and storage.
The PC can be used without problem in office automation, but with a Core i5 and a limited thermal envelope, no miracle, we will not be able to tackle heavy tasks. With its CPU index of 84, it is logically faster than its 11th generation cousin, but clearly no match for the Core i7-1260P or the H series models (processors for thicker chassis) from Intel or AMD. If performance is important to you, we advise you to go for the Core i7 version of the Surface Laptop 5.
To play, the integrated Iris Xe GPU allows you to enjoy some undemanding titles, indie or fairly old games.
Finally on the SSD side, we noted satisfactory speeds, but not excellent either: 2.5 GB/s in writing and 3.5 GB/s in reading.
Screen
The 13.5-inch (2496 x 1664 px) touchscreen in 3:2 aspect ratio looks very similar to the one we tested last year. The colorimetry is excellent provided you set the display to sRGB and not “enhanced” in the Windows settings. With a Delta E of just 1.6 and an average color temperature of 6550 K (equivalent to the video standard), the color rendering is therefore accurate.
The contrast ratio of 1300:1 is good, but of course does not come close to that of OLED models. Please note, as often with touch screens, the screen is very reflective: we measured an average reflectance of 52% and a maximum brightness of 415 cd / m² which will not overcome this problem, especially outdoors. The afterglow of 29 ms is high, but this characteristic is especially important in video games. Finally, the screen occupancy rate remains low (81%) because of too thick borders, when the best models exceed 90%.
Mobility / Autonomy
With 1.28 kg on the scale, the Surface Laptop 5 is easily transported, but today there are lighter models. Its 30.8 x 22.3 x 1.45 cm fits in a bag without problem; count about 300 g more for the charger. This one is unfortunately proprietary and includes a USB-A port to connect a charging cable for a smartphone, for example. Well thought out, but ultimately not so practical in everyday life.
In terms of autonomy, the Surface Laptop 4 did well with 9 hours of video playback on the clock! It seems that the switch to the 12th generation of Intel has had a strong impact on the autonomy of the Laptop 5 since this time it turned off after 6 h 41 min, still with the same protocol, under Netflix, screen at 200 cd/m², keyboard backlight and Bluetooth disabled. A much less brilliant value which places it far from the best students – who exceed 9 hours, even 10 hours of autonomy.
Points forts
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Impeccable finishes.
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Nice screen with accurate colors.
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Windows Hello.
Weak points
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Thick edges.
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Connection too limited.
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Reduced autonomy compared to the previous model.
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Difficult to disassemble.
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720p webcam only.
Conclusion
How does grading work?
Microsoft’s Surface Laptops have not evolved for several years and their age is felt on this 5th iteration. The borders of the screen are too thick, the connectors far too limited, the webcam still limited to 720p, the repairability is downright bad and the battery life is now down. This portable PC remains effective for office automation with its beautiful screen in 3:2 format and its pleasant keyboard, but given the asking price, Microsoft is poorly placed against the competition.