Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business vs. Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business

Our Rating: 85 %

In depth comparison and review of Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business and Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

excellent pixel sense display

sleek aluminum design

improved quad-core performance

comfortable keyboard feel

good battery life

limited port variety

no dedicated graphics

higher price point

average storage options

Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

good battery life

solid performance

adequate connectivity options

average display quality

heavier than competitors

limited graphics performance

higher price point

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business and Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
81 % - Design
86 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
82 % - Design
75 % - Display
75 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business vs. Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Product Type Notebook Notebook - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 30.8 cm x 22.3 cm x 1.45 cm 36.02 cm x 23.7 cm x 1.993 cm
Weight 1.272 kg 1.76 kg
Case Material Aluminum Polycarbonate ABS (bottom), polycarbonate ABS (top)
Colour Platinum | Matte black Thunder black
DISPLAY Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Screen Size (Type) 13.5" 15.6" - IPS
Touchscreen Yes (10-point multi-touch) -
Screen Resolution 2256 x 1504 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Pixel Density (ppi) 201 -
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 3:2 16:9
Image Brightness 400 cd/m² 250 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 45% NTSC
Features Vivid Color, Corning Gorilla glass 3, Color Calibrated, sRGB Color Space, PixelSense, Dolby Vision IQ Anti-glare, 170° viewing angle
PROCESSOR Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
CPU Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) 1245U / 1.6 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 5875U / 2 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.4 GHz 4.5 GHz
Number of Cores 10-core 8-core
Cache 12 MB L3 - 16 MB
Platform Technology Intel Evo -
Features Hyper-Threading Technology, Intel Smart Cache Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
RAM 8 GB 16 GB (1 x 16 GB)
Max RAM Supported - 64 GB
RAM Type LPDDR5X SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM
Speed - 3200 MHz
Rated Speed - 3200 MHz
Form Factor - SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty - 2
Empty Slots - 1
STORAGE Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD 256 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption - Kioxia
AUDIO & VIDEO Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel Iris Xe Graphics AMD Radeon Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Video System Features Functions as Intel UHD graphics (for single-channel memory) -
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Camera Features Windows Hello Privacy shutter, Windows Hello, fixed focus, hybrid FHD/IR camera
Sound Stereo speakers, dual far-field studio microphones Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec - Realtek ALC3287
Compliant Standards Dolby Atmos High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio, Dolby Voice
Audio Features Output: Omnisonic speakers -
COMMUNICATIONS Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1 Bluetooth 5.1, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller - AMD RZ616 - M.2 Card
Network Interface - Gigabit Ethernet
Features - Wake-on-LAN (WOL)
BATTERY Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Technology - 3-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 47.4 Wh 42 Wh
Battery Life Up to 18 hours -
AC ADAPTER Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Input - AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 65 Watt
INPUT Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Type Keyboard, touchpad Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Numeric Keypad - Yes
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP), Alcantara material palm rest Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Interfaces USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4) (Type C)
SurfaceConnect
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB 3.1
USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
HDMI
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN
Memory Card Reader - Yes (microSD)
SOFTWARE Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Operating System (OS) Windows 11 Pro Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence
Software Included Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium or Microsoft 365 Apps (30 days trial), Microsoft 365 Apps (requires licence or subscription) -
MISCELLANEOUS Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C8)
Dockable Yes -
Included Accessories Power adapter USB-C power adapter
Integrated Options Ambient light sensor -
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type - Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection - Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features - Administrator password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password
Compliant Standards - RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold -
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 8 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 1 year -
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