Surface Laptop 5 announced with Intel 12th-gen, Thunderbolt 4, and Dolby Vision IQ
… but AMD gets punted with the refreshed Surface Laptop 5
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What you need to know
Microsoft has taken thewrapsoff its new Surface Laptop 5, featuringIntel 12th-generation U-series chipswhich offer a notable performance boost over the chips found in older Surface Laptop 4. These new processors go from quad-core to ten-cores with two ‘P-cores’ (performance) and eight ‘E-cores’ (efficiency), making Surface Laptop 5 significantly better at multitasking than the previous generation.
In addition to an updated processor, Surface Laptop 5 also features a new Sage colorway,Thunderbolt 4for the first time on a Surface Laptop, andSecured-Core PC certification.
Microsoft also touts improved camera performance with Surface Laptop 5, which offers enhanced camera experiences that can automatically adjust to lighting conditions, skin tones, and subtle changes in your head and facial position.
Surface Laptop 5 is alsoDolby Vision IQandDolby Atmoscertified, delivering deep blacks, popping visuals, and excellent spatial surround sound. (Dolby Vision IQ uses a sensor and encoded metadata to adjust HDR properties based on your ambient lighting conditions. It’s rare to see in laptops.)
Of course, Surface Laptop 5 is available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch variants, just like previous generations. The entire external design of Surface Laptop 5 is identical to the Surface Laptop 4.
For the first time since 2019, Microsoft is not offering this generation of Surface Laptops withAMD Ryzen options.Surface Laptop 3andSurface Laptop 4have special “Surface Edition” Ryzen processors in addition to Intel, but these are not present with the new Surface Laptop 5.
When asked, Microsoft issued the following statement regarding this year’s change:
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“With every product and with the goal of delighting customers, we select the right components for the form, scenarios, and customer we envision. It is a deliberate process whereby we work closely with our partners to tune and perfect the overall experience. For this product, we are excited about the 12th Gen processors from Intel. Built on the Intel® Evo™ platform, this chipset will help Surface Laptop 5 to achieve the perfect balance of style and power. This balance has consistently led to Surface Laptop being our most loved Surface device.”
Surface Laptop 5 is expected to start shipping in select markets on October 25, with a starting price of $999 for the 13.5-inch model and $1,299 for the 15-inch model. Pre-orders are live now!
Available in the same great 13.5- and 15-inch flavors, the Surface Laptop 5 gets a modest update this year with new Intel chips, a slight bump in battery life, and a fresh colorway.
Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch onTwitterandThreads
