Microsoft Surface Laptop 5vsLenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i

We compare these two popular phones to help you decide which one fits your needs and budget better.

Microsoft
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
Surface Laptop 5

Quick Stats

The Surface Laptop 5 offers solid performance for everyday tasks, balancing battery life with productivity capabilities.
The laptop's all-aluminum case provides a premium feel, but lacks customization options for a more personalized build.
The most important takeaway is that the Surface Laptop 5 has a stunning, crisp 13.5-inch display with extra vertical space.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 features a 12th gen Intel Core i7 processor, impressive.
Lenovo
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
IdeaPad Gaming 3i

Quick Stats

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i delivers respectable performance, especially with CPU-intensive games running smoothly at high settings.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i's build quality is decent, offering a sturdy laptop despite some design flaws.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i's display offers a smooth gaming experience with high refresh rate and respectable resolution.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i offers high-end ports, great keyboard, and decent battery life as key features.
Key Differences

No significant specification differences found between these devices.

Rank
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
#422
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
Winner
#420
Scores by Category
Rankings
Connectivity
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
#571
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
#550
Winner
Display
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
#285
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
#262
Winner
Performance
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
#575
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
#474
Winner
Build
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
#335
Winner
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
#714
Features
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
#592
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
#548
Winner

Note: Lower rank number indicates a better position in category.

Specifications Comparison
Specification
Microsoft Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
Lenovo Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
up to 32GB
up to 16GB
up to 1000GB SSD
up to 1000GB SSD
Intel Core i7-1260P
Intel Core i7-12700H
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EU)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (Laptop, 85W)
1x 2230 M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 
N/A

Note: Highlighted specifications show differences between the two devices.

Pros and Cons

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

Strengths

It has an all-aluminum case, which reminds me a little bit of the MacBook.
The laptop itself is very small and lightweight, coming in right under three pounds.
This is really perfect for on-the-go productivity, so say you're an office worker going off to a meeting or maybe you're a student going to work on a class project.
The screen looks fantastic. You can't detect any of the pixels.
The laptop has a touch screen, and I frequently find myself reaching to the screen to move around.
You have two microphones, so you would expect them to be pretty good.
It includes integrated speakers, and at least when I played some videos it sounded like it had some good volume and the quality was decent for speakers in a laptop.
Windows 11 is a pretty decent and solid operating system.

Weaknesses

The processor can probably not take care of playing triple A titles with high frame rates or doing heavy video editing or maybe even fluid simulations.
It uses an Intel Iris Xe graphics card, which handles things like productivity software, web browsing, or watching videos well, but may not be the best for heavy gaming or video editing.
The memory and storage space options may be limited for those who want more.
You can't get a better resolution webcam on this laptop, especially with working from home in mind.
The keyboard felt good to type on, but there's no mention of any specific features it has over other keyboards.
It depends on what type of user you are - office worker or student may find it suitable, but gamers and creators may not.
The price ranges between $900 up to $2,160 depending on how you customize the machine, which might be a bit steep for some users.
There's no mention of any specific features that make this laptop stand out from others in its class.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i

Strengths

The laptop has a relatively cheap design, but Lenovo gives you maximum utility with the gaming 3i.
The keyboard is great and essential for a comfortable experience.
The display focuses on what gamers care about most, which is a high refresh rate (60Hz) and a respectable resolution (1920x1080).
The laptop's general performance and thermals are quite respectable.

Weaknesses

The design build is relatively cheap and finicky.
Color scaling on the display is very poor.
Battery life is pretty average.
The speakers are pretty underwhelming and sound flat.
Read Full Reviews

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a premium laptop designed for on-the-go productivity. Its sleek all-aluminum case and compact size make it ideal for office workers and students who need to stay productive while mobile. With its powerful 12th generation Intel Core i5 or i7 EVO processor, this laptop handles productivity software, web browsing, and light gaming with ease. But is it the right choice for you?

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is an entry-level gaming laptop that aims to provide a comfortable gaming experience without breaking the bank. With a 12th generation i7 chip and up to 8GB RAM, it's capable of handling demanding games like Doom Eternal and Guild Wars 2 at high settings. However, compromises are made elsewhere, including poor color scaling and average battery life.

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