Surface Laptop 5 Ditches AMD For 12th-Gen Intel CPUs

Following multiple leaks and quite a bit of speculation, Microsoft's autumn hardware event for 2022 has finally concluded. The event witnessed the announcement of a range of devices from Microsoft's Surface lineup, ranging from the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Studio 2+ to the interesting Microsoft Audio Dock. In addition to these devices, Microsoft also used the event to launch the Surface Laptop 5. Part of Microsoft's premium notebook range, the Surface Laptop 5 succeeds last year's Surface Laptop 4 series. The launch of the Surface Laptop 5 comes nearly a year and a half after its predecessor was launched back in April 2021.  

As previously rumored, the Surface Laptop 5 series appears to be an iterative update over the previous models with most of the upgrades limited to the newer chips and minor feature additions. A major change to this year's Surface Laptop 5 series is the lack of AMD processor options, with all of the machines using Intel's latest 12th-generation chips. In addition to these changes, the Surface Laptop 5 claims a marked improvement in battery life, with the machines now capable of running for up to 17 hours on a single charge. 

Consumers have the option to pick the Surface Laptop 5 series in two display size options. The smaller of the two machines is the 13-inch model that features a 13.4-inch IPS LCD touch panel with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels. Those wanting a larger screen could opt for the 15-inch model with a higher display resolution of 2496 x 1664 pixels. Interestingly, both variants claim the same pixel density count (202 PPI) while also featuring Dolby Vision IQ support.

Unlike in 2021 when consumers buying the Surface 4 Laptop could opt between Intel and AMD configurations, the Surface Laptop 5 series comes with Intel chips only. The consumer-focused variants for the 13.4-inch model of the Surface Laptop 5 have two processor options: the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 -1235U and the Core i7-1255. Those opting for the consumer version of the 15-inch variant, however, get a single processor option: the 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U chip. All Surface Laptop 5 series devices use Intel Iris XE graphics and feature up to 32GB of RAM. The machines come in three storage options, as well: 128GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

The Surface Laptop 5 has a fairly decent array of connectivity ports including a single USB-C port, a single USB-A 3.1 port, a dedicated Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is in addition to the wireless connectivity options on the Surface Laptop 5, including Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

The 13.5-inch variant of the Microsoft Laptop 5 comes in four color options as previously rumored, including Platinum with Alcantara, Sage, Matte Black, and Sandstone. The colors offered on the larger 15-inch models are not as extensive and are limited to just two color options: Platinum and Matte Black. All Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 machines get a 60W power supply brick, as well. 

In addition, all of the consumer-focused versions of the Surface Laptop 5 come preinstalled with Windows 11 Home, while those opting for the commercial versions of the machines have the option to choose between Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro. Do note that the processor options for the Commercial versions of the Surface Laptop 5 are slightly different, though that's of no relevance to consumers. The 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 will start at $999.99, while the 15-inch model starts at $1,299.99. Microsoft says that new Surface models will be launching in select markets on October 25, with other markets to follow in the months after.