Product test
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 in the test: Only Intel CPUs, but finally 12th Gen
by Martin Jud
Reviewing the Microsoft Surface Pro 9: fresh colours and CPUs, but no headphone jack
30.11.2022
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
The Surface Pro 9 has arrived, with new colours and processors. The tablet can also be repaired more easily. Otherwise, practically everything remains the same. But this apparent mediocrity disguises an exciting find – in our test, multi-core CPU performance had increased by over 40 per cent compared to the predecessor.
Previously, there was both the Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X. Now, there’s only one Surface Pro 9. It comes equipped with either a 12th Gen Intel CPU or Microsoft SQ 3 – an ARM 5G processor. Read on to find out how the Intel-equipped tablet performs. I received my test device from Microsoft.
This is my test device with an actively cooled i5:
Here are the specifications of the test device at a glance:
Design and connections: improved repairability
The anodised aluminium, which Microsoft has used instead of a magnesium alloy since the Pro 8, feels cool and smooth, but still grippy. The side bezels measure six millimetres. This becomes twelve at the top and bottom. Makes sense, since the bottom edge disappears when you angle the keyboard, and the top contains the cameras.
A thin but extremely stable stand ensures that you can place the device at almost any angle – up to 165 degrees. The only drawback is that you’ll need a flatter surface than with normal laptops. This rarely bothers me – say, when using the convertible on the train.
If you want to connect headphones, you’ll have to resort to wireless models. The jack is no longer present, but there’s still the volume rocker and power button at the top of the device.
Repairability a 7 out of 10 according to iFixit
The repair experts at iFixit have taken the Surface Pro 9 apart, rating how easy it is to repair. The tablet achieved a strong 7 out of 10. A pleasing turning point, since the Surface Pro 7 scored a miserable 3 points just three years ago.
A solid IPS display with touch and pen support
The multi-touch IPS display with Gorilla Glass 5 uses the typical Microsoft 3:2 format. It measures 13 inches diagonally and offers a razor-sharp image thanks to 2880 × 1920 pixels (267 ppi). Out of the box, the refresh rate is fixed at 60 hertz, which uses less power. You can change this to 120 hertz.
Brightness, uniformity and colour reproduction
Looking at uniformity – how regular the illumination is – the biggest deviation is 25 nits (5.6 per cent). That’s relatively small and not visible to the naked eye.
Here’s the colour space coverage when comparing both profiles:
Magnetic Signature Keyboard with a «pen garage» and the Surface Slim Pen 2
The keyboard for the Surface Pro 9 is identical to those used with the Surface Pro 8 and X. It magnetically attaches to the tablet as soon as you hold it near the port. And it has a «pen garage» – a recess to store your Surface Slim Pen or Pen 2 when you don’t need it. One useful side benefit is that the pen charges in its garage.
The Slim Pen 2 is a flat pen with an integrated battery. It charges either via induction or an expensive add-on cable and provides haptic feedback that you can adjust in strength. This is to evoke the feeling of writing or drawing on paper. I like it, even if it’s still far removed from feeling like real paper and pen.
Neat tablet speakers
The speakers are certified with Dolby Atmos, which shouldn’t be confused with surround sound. Nevertheless, and despite a meagre two watts of stereo power, they still pleasantly surprise me. They’re located in the upper part to the side of the screen. Their sound space is distinctly wider than the distance between them. And the solid stereo effect is complemented by clear mids and highs, as well as a bass that’s rather sparse, as is typical for notebooks.
Battery performance for continuous video streaming
By streaming videos continuously, I tested how long the 47.7 Wh battery lasts. I decided to go with «Stranger Things» on Netflix at around 400 nits, near peak brightness. This corresponds to a brightness level of 94 per cent in the Surface Pro 9.
Performance: what the CPU and GPU are capable of
I didn’t expect the integrated graphics unit of the Intel Core i5-1235U to deliver a big leap in performance compared to the predecessor. Integrated graphics units have been hiking in the foothills when compared to dedicated graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD for years. As far as processor performance is concerned, it’s a different story. The six additional cores (ten in total) compared to the 11th generation alone provide a boost for multi-core tasks.
Processor performance: Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5
Maxon’s CPU benchmark Cinebench tests how well a processor performs when rendering 3D models. In the latest version, R23, results are determined on the basis of work performed within ten minutes. An improvement, as it makes poor cooling concepts perform more realistically.
The new model wins the duel between Surface Pro 9 and 8, or 12th Gen i5 vs. 11th Gen i7. The performance increase in single-core tasks is 1.6% in Geekbench. In Cinebench, it’s 6.2 per cent. When it comes to multi-core performance, the new tablet is clearly superior and scores 44.9% higher in Geekbench and 42.3% better in Cinebench. But if you want to know what’s really possible with a 12th gen i7, take a look at the Yoga 9i result on the far right of the table.
A cross comparison with the Surface Laptop 5 and XPS 13 Plus shows that the Pro 9 performs as expected for the processor it has. I’m more than satisfied and happy working on it.
Graphics benchmark: 3DMark Night Raid
3DMark Night Raid is designed to test the graphics performance of devices with an integrated GPU. It’s basically a performance meter for PC gaming at the lowest level. The Surface Pro 9 uses Intel Iris Xe graphics with 80 execution units up to a 1.2 GHz clock rate.
With the Pro 9, I achieved a Night Raid score of 13,961. This score is made up of 15,280 graphics points and 9,376 CPU points.
The Surface Laptop 5 achieved 15,554 graphics points using the same GPU. The Dell XPS even hit 16,129 graphics points with a 100 MHz higher clock rate, but an otherwise identical GPU. This results in a 5.6 per cent better performance with an 8.3 per cent higher clock rate.
Office benchmark: PCMark 10
PCMark 10 by 3DMark lets you test PCs and notebooks with a variety of essential office tasks. That is, how fast programs open, internet browsing and text editor speeds, how well video calls work, and much more.
The Pro 9 achieved 5,045 points. This means that last year’s Pro 8 should be just as good for office use, as it scored 5,042 in the same test.
Fan volume and heat development
The fan usually isn’t audible when working, only when I hold my ear close to the tablet. The ventilation slots are integrated into the tablet’s edge in the upper area. If updates are installed in the background or if I open a lot of files in Photoshop, it starts buzzing.
Under full load, this buzzing turns into a noise that’s just a bit higher and louder than in the Surface Laptop 5. However, it’s much quieter than on any gaming laptop. Measuring volume levels after nine minutes of Cinebench multi-core testing, my Testo sound level meter registered 38.6 decibels from a sitting position. At a distance of 30 centimetres from the fan, I got 41.3 decibels.
The CPU’s cores briefly reached up to 97 °C during my test. Their average temperature is 71 °C. According to Intel, the CPU can reach up to 100 °C.
Scanning a thermal image, the case got up to 48.1 °C during testing according to my FLIR cam. I measured 50.7 °C on the Surface Laptop 5, and it got up to 60 °C on the Lenovo Yoga 9i with the current i7.
Verdict: a great convertible according to the usual quality standard
Price-wise, there are cheaper convertible notebooks with 360-degree flip-down displays that also offer a 12th Gen i5 processor and eight gigabytes of RAM. Their advantage is that you won’t pay extra for a keyboard. However, they are heavier.
Cover photo: Martin Jud
Martin Jud
Senior Editor
martin.jud@digitecgalaxus.chI find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.
