Microsoft Surface Laptop SE vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests

Side by side comparison and review of Microsoft Surface Laptop SE and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE). Compare dimensions, processors, batteries, storage capacities and other key specifications and features to simplify the choice of your perfect laptop. Our goal is to make it easier for you to decide on the laptop that will best meet your expectations by revealing the main differences between the products.

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Review

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

affordable price

lightweight design

integrated with windows 11

good battery life

simple user interface

limited storage capacity

basic display quality

minimal connectivity options

lower performance levels

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

powerful intel processors

robust build quality

excellent 4k display

advanced security features

wide connectivity options

high price point

heavier than competitors

average battery life

loud under load

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Microsoft Surface Laptop SE and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
72 % - Design
64 % - Display
45 % - Performance
65 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery
82 % - Design
85 % - Display
92 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
82 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Microsoft Surface Laptop SE vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 28.37 cm x 19.305 cm x 1.758 cm 35.95 cm x 25.38 cm x 1.79 cm
Weight 1.1124 kg 1.88 kg
Case Material Plastic Aluminium (bottom), carbon fibre (top)
Colour Glacier Black paint
DISPLAY Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Screen Size (Type) 11.6" 16" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology - LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 (HD) 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA)
Pixel Density (ppi) 135 -
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. - 165 Hz
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Image Brightness - 500 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 100% sRGB
Features - Anti-glare, 178° viewing angle, Low Blue Light technology, X-Rite Pantone factory color calibration
PROCESSOR Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
CPU Intel Celeron N4020 / 1.1 GHz Intel Core i7 (12th Gen) 12700H / 2.3 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 2.8 GHz 4.7 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core 14-core
Cache 4 MB 24 MB
Features Intel Burst Technology Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
RAM 4 GB 16 GB (1 x 16 GB)
Max RAM Supported - 64 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR5 SDRAM
Speed - 4800 MHz
Rated Speed - 4800 MHz
Form Factor - SO-DIMM 262-pin
Slots Qty - 2
Empty Slots - 1
STORAGE Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 64 GB eMMC 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe), Performance
AUDIO & VIDEO Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Multi-GPU Configuration - 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics 600 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti / Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 4 external monitor(s)
Video Memory - 4 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Resolution 1 Megapixel (front) -
Camera Features 30 frames per second Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus
Sound Stereo speakers, microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec - Realtek ALC3306
Compliant Standards - High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio Premium, Dolby Voice
COMMUNICATIONS Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller - Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211
Features Dual stream (2x2) Dual stream (2x2)
BATTERY Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Technology - Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) - 90 Wh
Battery Life Up to 16 hours -
AC ADAPTER Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Input - AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 170 Watt
INPUT Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Type Keyboard, touchpad Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features - Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Slots - 2 x M.2 (PCI Express 4.0 x4) (1 free)
Interfaces USB-C
USB
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader - Yes (SD Express Card)
SOFTWARE Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Operating System (OS) Windows 11 SE Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence - German
Software Included Microsoft 365 for Education (requires licence or subscription) Glance by Mirametrix
MISCELLANEOUS Microsoft Surface Laptop SE Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Included Accessories Power adapter Power adapter
Integrated Options Hall sensor -
Security Firmware Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Security Chip Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type Kensington nano security slot Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features Bulk packaging Administrator password, system password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, NVMe password, USB FIDO (Fast Identity Online) device integration, Firmware Resiliency 3.0, certificate based BIOS authentication
Compliant Standards - RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified, TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Method 2
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes Yes
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold EPEAT Gold
TCO Certified - TCO Certified Notebooks 9
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
Base warranty - battery - 1 year
Extended warranty - 3 years - on-site
Other Comparisons with Microsoft Surface Laptop SE
Other Comparisons with Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 (21DE)
Other Popular Laptop Comparisons
Other projects: