Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business vs. Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)

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 T14 Gen 3 (21CF). 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 T14 Gen 3 (21CF) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard feel

powerful processor options

good battery life

impressive security features

heavier than competitors

average display brightness

limited color options

expensive base model

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
81 % - Design
86 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
82 % - Design
72 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business vs. Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Product Type Notebook Notebook - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 30.8 cm x 22.3 cm x 1.45 cm 31.77 cm x 22.69 cm x 1.79 cm
Weight 1.272 kg 1.32 kg
Case Material Aluminum Carbon fibre (top), glass-fibre (top), polycarbonate (top), polyphenylene sulfide (bottom)
Colour Platinum | Matte black Thunder black
DISPLAY Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Screen Size (Type) 13.5" 14" - IPS
Touchscreen Yes (10-point multi-touch) -
LCD Backlight Technology - LED backlight
Screen Resolution 2256 x 1504 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Pixel Density (ppi) 201 -
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 3:2 16:10
Image Brightness 400 cd/m² 300 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 T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
CPU Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) 1245U / 1.6 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 6650U / 2.9 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.4 GHz 4.5 GHz
Number of Cores 10-core 6-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 T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
RAM 8 GB 8 GB (provided memory is soldered)
RAM Type LPDDR5X SDRAM LPDDR5 SDRAM
Speed - 6400 MHz
Rated Speed - 6400 MHz
STORAGE Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel Iris Xe Graphics AMD Radeon 660M
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, IR camera, fixed focus
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 T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1 Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller - Qualcomm NFA725A
Network Interface - Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Controller - Realtek RTL8111EPV
Compliant Standards - DASH
Features - Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation - 4G upgradable
BATTERY Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Technology - Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 47.4 Wh 52.5 Wh
Battery Life Up to 18 hours Up to 21.1 hours
AC ADAPTER Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Input - AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 45 Watt
INPUT Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Type Keyboard, touchpad Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
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 T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Interfaces USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4) (Type C)
SurfaceConnect
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB 3.1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB 3.2 Gen 1
2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
SOFTWARE Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Operating System (OS) Windows 11 Pro Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence - French
Software Included Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium or Microsoft 365 Apps (30 days trial), Microsoft 365 Apps (requires licence or subscription) Glance by Mirametrix
MISCELLANEOUS Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 for Business Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
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 with Microsoft Pluton, fingerprint reader, smart card reader
Security Slot Type - Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection - Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features - Administrator password, system password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password, USB FIDO (Fast Identity Online) device integration, certificate based BIOS authentication
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 Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Extended warranty - 1 year - on-site
Base warranty - battery - 1 year
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