Surface Laptop 5 vs Surface Laptop 4: Microsoft at its October event released multiple devices including the Surface Pro 9 tablet, Surface Studio 2 Plus, and Surface Laptop 5– which is an upgrade to last year’s Surface Laptop 4.
So, in this post, we are going to compare everything about the Surface Laptop 5 vs Surface Laptop 4. We’ll consider the price, display, specs variation, power, productivity, portability, etc.
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Surface Laptop 5 vs Surface Laptop 4
Price and Availability
The Surface Laptop 5 is $200 more expensive. The base model of 8/256 GB memory has a starting price of $999 and to max out the configurations up to 32GB RAM / 1TB memory will cost you $2,499. While the Surface Laptop 4 is cheaper. It starts at $799 and to max out the configurations will cost you $2,099.
When it comes to availability, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 starts shipping on October 25th, 2022. But the Surface Laptop 4 is readily available since last year. So you can use the box at the bottom of this post to purchase either of them.
Display and Ports
The display hasn’t changed. Microsoft retained most of the Surface Laptop 4 specs in the Surface Laptop 5. You either get the laptops in smaller 13.5-inch IPS LCD display with PixelSense 2256 x 1504 resolution or a larger 15-inch IPS LCD screen with PixelSense 2496 x 1664 RX.
One improvement the Surface Laptop 5 enjoys over the Surface Laptop 4 is in the area of port advancement. The design of these two laptops looks similar with the same number of ports. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is the only system here with USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4. The table below will detail more on their ports and color options.
| Surface Laptop 5 | Surface Laptop 4 | |
| Ports | 1 x Surface Connect 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x USB-A 3.1 1 x USB-C with USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 | 1 x Surface Connect 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x USB-C 3.2 1 x USB-A 3.2 |
| Colors | Sage Green Platinum Sandstone Matte Black | Ice Blue Platinum Sandstone Matte Black |
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Performance and Configurations
We already know that both laptops are sleek with ultralight designs, however, let’s now talk about their performance. Unlike last year’s Surface Laptop 4 with both Intel and AMD versions, this year, Microsoft decided to focus solely on Intel 12th-generation processors in the Surface Laptop 5. Simply put, the Surface Laptop 5 doesn’t have an AMD version.
The Intel 12th-generation processors used in the Surface Laptop 5 deliver sterling performance. For productivity and daily tasks, the Surface Laptop 5 excels very well. For a laptop so thin and easy to carry about, the Surface Laptop 5 is just as great for your day-to-day use.
So is the Surface Laptop 5 better than the Surface Laptop 4? Yes, for two reasons. Firstly, it brings USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4, and secondly, it has faster performance. As for the configurations/customizations, the table below expatiates more on that.
| Surface Laptop 5 | Surface Laptop 4 | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1230U (Surface Laptop 5 13.5″ only) Intel Core i7-1250U | Intel Core i7-1185G7 AMD Ryzen 7 4980U Surface Edition |
| RAM | Up to 32GB | Up to 32GB |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD | Up to 1TB SSD |
Battery
Battery life is one major area where the Surface Laptop 5 seems to be lacking behind the Surface Laptop 4. Last year’s generation “Surface Laptop 4”- AMD version could offer up to 19 hours and the Intel version could go up to 17.5 hours. But unfortunately, this year’s Surface Laptop 5 can go 18 hours max. Which is not that bad but still behind last year’s AMD model.
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Surface Laptop 5 vs Surface Laptop 4: Verdict
The major difference between the Surface Laptop 5 vs Surface Laptop 4 is Performance. The Intel Alder Lake-U processors in this generation bump up its productivity in day-to-day tasks. Moreover, the pricing too is another difference. Since this year’s Surface Laptop 5 is solely using the 12th-gen CPU, it is more expensive.
Buy Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Laptop 4
| Surface Laptop 5 | Price |
| Buy on Amazon | $899.99 |
| Buy on Amazon (EUR) | €1,179.00 |
| Buy on Amazon (UK) | £1,269.00 |
| Surface Laptop 4 | Price |
| Buy on Amazon | $899.99 |
| Buy on Amazon (EUR) | €1,040.18 |
| Buy on Amazon (UK) | £799.00 |
