Surface Laptop 4 15” vs. Surface Laptop 5 15”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Laptop 4 15” and Surface Laptop 5 15” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Laptop 4 15” Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop 4 15” is better than Surface Laptop 5 15”.

11% larger display

Surface Laptop 4 15” has a 15-inch screen size 11% larger than the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 15”.

Display size
Surface Laptop 4 15”
15-inch
Surface Laptop 5 15”
13.5-inch

Surface Laptop 5 15” Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop 5 15” is better than Surface Laptop 4 15”.

Newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2021

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1265U inside Surface Laptop 5 15” has a 30% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Laptop 4 15”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Laptop 5 15” - Intel Core i7-1255U
6,415
Surface Laptop 4 15” - AMD Ryzen 7-4980U Microsoft Surface Edition
6,365
Surface Laptop 5 15” - Intel Core i7-1265U
6,336
Surface Laptop 4 15” - Intel Core i7-1185G7
4,864
Supports faster memory

Surface Laptop 5 15” supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Laptop 4 15”. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 4267MHz of system memory on the Surface Laptop 4 15”.

Memory type and speed
Surface Laptop 5 15” - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Surface Laptop 4 15” - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Laptop 4 15” and Surface Laptop 5 15”.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Surface Laptop 4 15”
32 GB
Surface Laptop 5 15”
32 GB

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Surface Laptop 4 15” Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 - 32GB - 1TB Solid State Drive - Matte Black
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 - 32GB - 1TB Solid State Drive - Matte Black
By Microsoft
$979.99
$1,099.00 11% OFF
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15-inch Touchscreen 256GB SSD AMD Ryzen 7 (8GB RAM, Windows 10 Home, Latest Model) - Platinum, 5UI-00001
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15-inch Touchscreen 256GB SSD AMD Ryzen 7 (8GB RAM, Windows 10 Home, Latest Model) - Platinum, 5UI-00001
By Microsoft
$541.01
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 – 16GB - 512GB Solid State Drive (Latest Model) - Matte Black (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 15” Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 – 16GB - 512GB Solid State Drive (Latest Model) - Matte Black (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$747.00
Surface Laptop 5 15” Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022), 15" Touch Screen, Thin & Lightweight, Long Battery Life, Fast Intel i7 Processor for Multi-Tasking, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022), 15" Touch Screen, Thin & Lightweight, Long Battery Life, Fast Intel i7 Processor for Multi-Tasking, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum
By Microsoft
$1,249.00
$1,799.99 31% OFF
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 15-inch Touchscreen, 1TB i7 32GB RAM with Windows 11 Pro (Wi-Fi, 3.6GHz Ten-Core i7-1265U, Newest Version) Black Metal, RL1-00001
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 15-inch Touchscreen, 1TB i7 32GB RAM with Windows 11 Pro (Wi-Fi, 3.6GHz Ten-Core i7-1265U, Newest Version) Black Metal, RL1-00001
By Microsoft
$1,688.00
$2,399.00 30% OFF
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022), 15" Touch Screen, Thin & Lightweight, Long Battery Life, Fast Intel i7 Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 512GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022), 15" Touch Screen, Thin & Lightweight, Long Battery Life, Fast Intel i7 Processor for Multi-Tasking, 8GB RAM, 512GB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum
By Microsoft
$1,199.99
$1,499.99 20% OFF

Availability

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Released20212022
Release Date
  • Introduced: April 13, 2021
  • Released: April 13, 2021
  • Introduced: October 12, 2022
  • Pre-ordered: October 12, 2022
  • Released: October 25, 2022
Pricing
  • $1,299.99
    AMD Ryzen 7 8GB 256GB Platium Only
  • $1,499.99
    AMD Ryzen 7 8GB 512GB
  • $1,699.99
    AMD Ryzen 7 16GB 512GB
  • $1,799.99
    Intel Core i7 16GB 512GB Matte Black Only
  • $2,399.99
    Intel Core i7 32GB 1TB Matte Black Only
Starting at $1,299.99
Generations

Exterior

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Dimensions13.4” x 9.6” x 0.57” (339.5 mm x 244 mm x 14.69 mm)13.4” x 9.6” x 0.58” (340 mm x 244 mm x 14.7 mm)
Weight3.40 lb (1,542 g)
  • Metal
    3.44 lbs (1.56 kg)
ColorsMetal
Matte Black Platinum
  • Metal
    Matte Black Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size backlit keyboard with a soft-touch feel and full 1.3mm travel.
    • Large palm rest with premium Alcantara® material for maximized typing comfort.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 115 mm x 76.66 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size backlit keyboard with a soft-touch feel and full 1.3mm travel.
    • Large palm rest with premium Alcantara® material for maximized typing comfort.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 115 mm x 76.66 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gestures.

Display

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Size15 Inches13.5 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 2496 x 1664 (201 PPI)
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating
  • 100% sRGB color, individually calibrated
  • 15” PixelSense™ Display
  • Resolution: 2496 x 1664
  • Density: 201 PPI
  • Color profile: sRGB and Vivid
  • Individually color-calibrated display
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Contrast ratio: 1300:1
  • Touch: 10-point multi-touch
  • Brightness: 400 nits maximum (typical). 5 nits minimum
  • Dolby Vision IQ™ support
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5

Ports

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Surface Laptop 4 15” Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 1 x Full-size USB 3.2. Gen 2
  • 1 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
    Supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
  • 1 x Surface Connect™ +
    Supports charging and docking station.
  • 1 x Headset jack
Left (3)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), Power Delivery, DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (1)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking

Internal Specs

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Processor
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.00 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 8MB L3 Cache, 15W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.70 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U
    10 cores, 12 threads, 1.80 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores,
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
  1. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
  2. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB 32GB
4266 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
8GB 16GB 32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5 RAM
Storage
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
Removable M.2 NVMe SSD
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
Removable M.2 NVMe SSD
Fans Number-1

Connectivity

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth Wireless 5.0 technologyBluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology

Battery

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Size45.8 Wh
  • 47.4 Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 45.8 Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery Life
  • Up to 17.5 hours of typical device usage
    AMD™ Ryzen™ 7 models.
  • Up to 16.5 hours of typical device usage
    Intel® Core™ i7 models.
Up to 17 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
OS
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Consumer models
  • Windows 11 Home
Business models
  • Windows 11 Pro
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trialConsumer models
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 30-day trial
Business models
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Apps 30-day trial

Camera & Audio

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
Camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 720p HD front-facing video camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 720p HD front-facing video camera
Audio
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
InkingSupports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
  • Designed for Surface Pen 
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Secured-Core PC
    For Surface Laptop 4 powered by AMD RyzenTM Microsoft Surface Edition
  • Windows enhanced hardware security
    For Surface Laptop 4 powered by 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors
  • TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • Windows 11 Secured-core PC
In the box
  • Surface Laptop 4 15”
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • Surface Laptop 5 15”
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Surface for Business customers: Includes Advanced Exchange, an expedited replacement service, at no additional cost
  • 1-year limited hardware warranty
MoreSupports Surface Dial
Supports off-screen interaction only
-

Key Features

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”
At Glance
Released in Early
2021
3:2 2.5K
15”
1664p 60Hz
Weight
3.40 lb
1.54 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C/8T, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,404
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,864
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Laptop 4 15” Ports
Released in Late
2022
3:2 2.5K
13.5”
1664p 60Hz
Weight
3.44 lb
1.56 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1265U
10C/12T, 1.80 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,336
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,336
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5
Starting at
$1,299.99
i7, 8GB, 256GB

Comparison Summary

Surface Laptop 4 15” vs. Surface Laptop 5 15”

Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop 4 15”, a 15-inch machine, in early-2021. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1185G7 with a boost clock speed up to 4.80 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 15” was introduced by Microsoft about a year later in late-2022. It comes with up to 10-core Intel Core i7-1265U with a boost clock speed up to 4.80 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, → 1250 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Laptop 4 15”1
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition1,09062.14%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G71,40480.05%
Surface Laptop 5 15”1
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U1,754100.00%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U1,33676.17%
01,754

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface Laptop 4 15”1
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Microsoft Surface® Edition6,36599.22%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G74,86475.82%
Surface Laptop 5 15”1
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1255U6,415100.00%
2
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1265U6,33698.77%
06,415

The Surface Laptop 4 15” has a 15-inch display which is slightly larger than the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 15”. In addition, The Surface Laptop 4 15” weighs 3.40 lbs. about 1% lighter than the 3.44 lbs. Surface Laptop 5 15”. Moreover, measured at 13.4” x 9.6” x 0.57”, the Surface Laptop 4 15” is slightly more portable than the Surface Laptop 5 15” at 13.4” x 9.6” x 0.58”.

Surface Laptop 4 15”Surface Laptop 5 15”

Moving over to upgradability, Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop 4 15” supports up to 32GB 4267 MHz LPDDR4X memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For Surface Laptop 5 15”, it supports up to 32GB 5200 MHz LPDDR5 memory. Like Surface Laptop 4 15”, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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