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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Display
- Interface
- Connectivity
- Configuration
- Performance
- Additional Features And Software
- Comments
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Updated Aug 28, 2024 01:35 PM
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Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8.2
Updated Apr 04, 2025 07:55 PM
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BestBuy.com
Size15"
Operating SystemWindows 11
Size15.3"
Operating SystemmacOS
Variants
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBG-00062) (Sandstone - 13"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (R1S-00026) (Matte Black - 13"/i5/8GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (R1S-00051) (Matte Black - 13"/i5/8GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBG-00026) (Matte Black - 13"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBG-00027) (Matte Black - 13"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RIP-00026) (Matte Black - 15"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RKL-00001) (Matte Black - 15"/i7/32GB/1TB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RFB-00026) (Matte Black - 15"/i7/8GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (QZI-00001) (Platinum (Alcantara) - 13"/i5/8GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (QZI-00002) (Platinum (Alcantara) - 13"/i5/8GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (R1S-00001) (Platinum (Alcantara) - 13"/i5/8GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBG-00001) (Platinum (Alcantara) - 13"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBG-00002) (Platinum (Alcantara) - 13"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (R1S-00001) (Platinum (Metal) - 13"/i5/8GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RIP-00001) (Platinum (Metal) - 15"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RIP-00002) (Platinum (Metal) - 15"/i7/16GB/512GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBY-00001) (Platinum (Metal) - 15"/i7/8GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBY-00002) (Platinum (Metal) - 15"/i7/8GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (R1S-00051) (Sage - 13"/i5/8GB/256GB)
- Surface Laptop 5 (RBG-00051) (Sage - 13"/i7/16GB/512)
- Surface Laptop 5 (R1S-00062) (Sandstone - 13"/i5/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKW3LL/A) (Midnight - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKX3LL/A) (Midnight - M2/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKR3LL/A) (Silver - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKT3LL/A) (Silver - M2/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKP3LL/A) (Space Gray - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKQ3LL/A) (Space Gray - M2/8GB/512GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKU3LL/A) (Starlight - M2/8GB/256GB)
- MacBook Air 15 (MQKV3LL/A) (Starlight - M2/8GB/512GB)
Our Verdict
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022)
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is better than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) for most uses. The MacBook Air has a much brighter display, a larger haptic touchpad, and better-sounding speakers. Its M2 SoC is faster than the Surface Laptop's Intel 12th Gen CPU and doesn't throttle as much under load. Also, unlike the Surface, the MacBook Air is a fanless device. The Surface Laptop has one advantage: its USB-C port supports Thunderbolt 4, allowing you to connect up to 4k displays at 60Hz with a single cable, whereas the MacBook Air can only support one external display.
Main Differences forSchool
School
Threshold
School
7.7
8.2
Reflections
5.8
9.0
Battery
6.5
7.2
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Build Quality
9.5
9.5
Build Quality Photo
Hinge
9.1
9.1
Hinge Photo
Range
135°
135°
Stability
Good
Good
One Finger Lift
Yes
Yes
Portability
8.4
8.7
Dimensions Photo
Size
15"
15.3"
Thickness
0.6" (1.5 cm)
0.6" (1.4 cm)
Width
13.4" (34.0 cm)
13.4" (34.0 cm)
Depth
9.6" (24.5 cm)
9.3" (23.7 cm)
Volume
76.2 in³ (1,249.5 cm³)
68.8 in³ (1,128.0 cm³)
Weight
3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)
3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)
Charger Size
6.9 in³ (112.5 cm³)
4.6 in³ (75.0 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.6 lbs (0.3 kg)
0.4 lbs (0.2 kg)
Serviceability
4.3
3.5
Internals Photo
Ease Of Access
4.5
6.0
RAM Slots
0
0
Storage Slots
1
0
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No
No
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Display
Screen Specs
Display Photo
Resolution
2496 x 1664
2880 x 1864
Aspect Ratio
3:2
16:10
Pixel Density
199 PPI
226 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
IPS
Touch Screen
Yes
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
84%
86%
Refresh Rate
5.9
5.9
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
No
Contrast
7.4
7.4
Contrast Photo
Native Contrast
1,376 : 1
1,371 : 1
Brightness
7.7
8.4
Maximum Brightness
364 cd/m²
450 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
5 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Reflections
5.8
9.0
Reflections Photo Off
Reflections Photo Max
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Total Reflections
6.43%
1.63%
Indirect Reflections
0.71%
0.49%
Calculated Direct Reflections
5.72%
1.14%
Black Uniformity
7.4
8.5
Black Uniformity Photo
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
1.029%
0.754%
Horizontal Viewing Angle
7.1
6.5
Horizontal Viewing Angle Video
Horizontal Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Left
27°
26°
Color Washout From Right
30°
27°
Horizontal Hue Picture
Color Shift From Left
44°
30°
Color Shift From Right
60°
34°
Horizontal Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Left
28°
28°
Brightness Loss From Right
31°
30°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
29°
27°
Gamma Shift From Right
35°
27°
Vertical Viewing Angle
6.7
6.6
Vertical Viewing Angle Video
Vertical Chroma Picture
Color Washout From Below
22°
27°
Color Washout From Above
24°
25°
Vertical Hue Picture
Color Shift From Below
41°
30°
Color Shift From Above
45°
33°
Vertical Lightness Picture
Brightness Loss From Below
25°
29°
Brightness Loss From Above
29°
28°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
22°
31°
Gamma Shift From Above
27°
30°
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
9.6
9.8
White Balance Screencap
Gamma Curve Screencap
Color Screencap
Avg. White Balance dE
1.89
1.55
Avg. Gamma
2.2
2.23
Avg. Color dE
1.09
1.41
Avg. Color Temperature
6,464.9 K
6,309 K
Color Gamut
8.3
9.2
Gamut SDR
sRGB xy
98.92%
99.72%
sRGB uv
98.46%
99%
Adobe RGB xy
73.34%
84.48%
Adobe RGB uv
84.4%
89.73%
Gamut HDR
DCI P3 xy
73.43%
96.02%
DCI P3 uv
79.25%
96.3%
Rec. 2020 xy
52.7%
70.93%
Rec. 2020 uv
57.76%
71.98%
Flicker
10
10
Flicker Graph
Flicker-Free
Yes
No
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
> 1000Hz
Flicker Active Below
0%
0%
Interface
Keyboard
8.1
8.0
Keyboard Photo
Typing Quality
8.0
8.0
Numpad
No
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Adjustable
Key Switch Actuation Graph
Operating Force
67 gf
64 gf
Actuation Force
40 gf
38 gf
Pre-Travel
0.93 mm
0.76 mm
Total Travel
1.34 mm
0.84 mm
Touchpad
8.7
9.6
Touchpad Photo
Tracking Quality
9.0
9.5
Size
13.7 in² (88.6 cm²)
21.4 in² (138.0 cm²)
Material
Glass
Glass
Dedicated Buttons
No
No
Speakers
7.4
9.3
Frequency Response Plot
Max Volume
76 dB SPL
81 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
5.5 dB
4.2 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
0.3
1.5
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
214 Hz
135 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
16 kHz
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
4.0 dB
2.7 dB
Webcam & Microphone
8.7
8.7
Webcam Video Sample
Video Quality
9.0
9.0
Resolution
720p
1080p
Position
Top Center
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
No
Face Unlock
Yes
No
Connectivity
Ports
5.0
5.0
Ports Photo
USB-A Ports
1
0
USB-C Ports
1
2
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 3
USB-C Charging
Yes
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
Yes
HDMI
No
No
DisplayPort
No
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
No
No
Ethernet
No
No
Proprietary Port
Surface Connect
Apple MagSafe 3
Security Lock
No
No
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.2
5.3
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Intel
Apple
Model
Core i7-1255U
M2
Core Count
10
8
Thread Count
12
8
GPU
Brand
Intel
Apple
Model
Iris Xe Graphics G7
M2
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A
N/A
RAM
Capacity
16 GB
8 GB
Modules
8 (Soldered)
Unknown
Type
LP-DDR5x
LP-DDR5
Speed
5,200 MHz
6,400 MHz
Storage
Advertised Capacity
512 GB
256 GB
Usable Capacity
463 GB
206 GB
Drive 1
KIOXIA KBG50ZNS512G
Apple SSD AP0256Z
Drive 1 Type
SSD
SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type
No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
8.3
9.2
Geekbench Image
CPU Single-Thread
1,199 points
1,948 points
CPU Multi-Thread
6,533 points
9,020 points
GPU Compute
18,117 points
30,082 points
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
8.6
9.4
Cinebench R23 Photo
Single-Thread
1,134 points
1,591 points
Multi-Thread
7,727 points
8,242 points
Blender (3D Rendering)
6.7
8.5
Blender Image
CPU Render Time
6.4 min
4.5 min
GPU Render Time
N/A
1.8 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A
N/A
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
5.4
7.3
Basemark Image
Overall Score
19,052
43,752
Storage Drive Performance
9.0
8.9
Storage Performance Image
Sequential Write Speed
980.6 MB/s
2,301.4 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
2,695.1 MB/s
1,345.8 MB/s
Random Write Speed
74.3 MB/s
42.3 MB/s
Random Read Speed
41.8 MB/s
59.3 MB/s
Battery
6.5
7.2
Capacity
46 Wh
67 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
8.0 hrs
8.6 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
5.2 hrs
8.1 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
2.0 hrs
2.9 hrs
Charge Time
2.5 hrs
2.7 hrs
Borderlands 3
1.8
3.2
Borderlands 3 Graph
Avg. FPS
11 fps
20 fps
1% Low
6 fps
8 fps
0.1% Low
3 fps
3 fps
1% Low Delta
77 ms
79 ms
0.1% Low Delta
276 ms
241 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
24 fps
40 fps
Civilization VI
4.8
5.8
Civilization VI Graph
Avg. FPS
22 fps
42 fps
1% Low
16 fps
28 fps
0.1% Low
16 fps
19 fps
1% Low Delta
17 ms
12 ms
0.1% Low Delta
19 ms
28 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
80 fps
93 fps
Avg. Turn Time
8.19 s
10.31 s
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
6.3
8.8
CS:GO graph
Avg. FPS
76 fps
108 fps
1% Low
34 fps
N/A
0.1% Low
26 fps
N/A
1% Low Delta
17 ms
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
25 ms
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
113 fps
180 fps
Counter-Strike 2
CS2 Graph
Avg. FPS
1% Low
0.1% Low
1% Low Delta
0.1% Low Delta
Avg. FPS On Low
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
3.7
4.5
Avg. FPS
21 fps
29 fps
1% Low
15 fps
18 fps
0.1% Low
10 fps
12 fps
1% Low Delta
21 ms
20 ms
0.1% Low Delta
54 ms
51 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
32 fps
58 fps
Thermals And Noise
7.4
9.4
Keyboard Temps Picture
Keyboard Temp While Idle
36 °C (96 °F)
27 °C (80 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
44 °C (111 °F)
36 °C (96 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
N/A
Fan Noise Under Load
45.0 dBA
N/A
Power & Fan Control App
No
No
Performance Over Time
4.7
8.4
Performance Over Time Graph
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
61 °C
80 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
25% loss
1% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
57 °C
78 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
11% loss
8% loss
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Windows 11
macOS
Additional Software
Yes
None
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
No
Touch Pen
No
No
Secondary Display
No
No
Biometrics
Face Recognition
Fingerprint Sensor
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Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022)
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Comments
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) vs Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023): Main Discussion
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