-
LG Gram SuperSlim
$1400 $1800 Save $400
LG’s Gram SuperSlim laptop is, as you’d expect, extraordinarily thin, but you’re also getting a gorgeous OLED display, a 13th-generation Intel CPU, tons of RAM, and a slew of other features, too. Put simply, this is a portable, powerful, well-designed laptop that should definitely be on your list.
Pros
- OLED display
- Impressively thin
- Awesome portability
Cons
- Limited to 1080p/60Hz
-
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
$900 $1000 Save $100
The Surface Laptop 5 offers up a thin, portable laptop with a 12th-generation Intel CPU, lots of RAM, and a list of other useful features like Dolby Atmos speakers and touchscreen support. If you’re looking for an all-around strong performer in the laptop world, make sure to put the Surface Laptop 5 on your radar.
Pros
- Premium features without premium pricing
- 15-inch model
- Great for productivity
Cons
- Only 12th-gen Intel chips, no AMD option
- 60Hz display
If you’re on the search for a thin and portable productivity machine, you’ve got lots of options that include some of the best laptops out there. Accordingly, LG’s Gram SuperSlim and Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 5 are strong contenders that both offer up strong features and value. However, picking between the two can be confusing, so we’ve brought you the ultimate comparison between these two machines. Read on to find out which laptop is your perfect purchase.
Price, availability, and specs
You can nab yourself an LG Gram SuperSlim from your favorite retailer of choice. The base model will run you $1,700, while the more premium offering with more RAM and storage space goes for $2,000. With the SuperSlim, you’re getting an Intel Core i7-1360P, integrated Intel Xe graphics, up to 2TB of storage, up to 32GB of RAM, and an OLED HDR 1080p/60Hz display, among other features. In short, this is a premium productivity machine designed to be ultraportable.
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 5 is similarly available across many different retailers, and pricing starts at $1,000 officially, though it’s often discounted these days. Depending on how you configure your Surface (in terms of processor and whether you opt for the 13.5-inch model or 15-inch model), prices can go as high as $1,800. With the Surface Laptop 5, you get a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, up to 1TB of storage, and up to 32GB of RAM. Like the SuperSlim, the Surface Laptop 5 is another productivity-focused machine designed to be light and portable.
-
LG Gram SuperSlim Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 Operating System Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Home CPU 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P 12th-generation intel Core i5-1235U or Intel Core i7-1255U GPU Intel Iris Xe (integrated) Intel Iris Xe Storage Up to 2TB SSD 512GB Battery 60Wh 47.4Wh Display (Size, Resolution) 15.6-inch OLED, 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920×1080, VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black, 100% DCI-P3 13.5-inch model: 2256 x 1504 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio, supporting pen and touch 15-inch model: 2496 x 1664 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio, supporting pen and touch Camera Full HD 1080p webcam with Windows Hello 720p webcam, Windows Hello camera Speakers 2x 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Atmos, Dual far-field Studio microphones Color Neptune Blue Platinum Memory Up to 32GB 13-5-inch model: 8GB or 16GB LPDDR5X, 15-inch model: 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR5x Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 1x USB4 40Gbps, 1 Thunderbolt 4, 1 USB Type-A, 1 Surface Connect, 3.5mm audio Network Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax compatible, Bluetooth 5.1 Dimension 14×8.95×0.43-0.49 inches (355.6×227.33×10.92-12.45mm) 13.5-inch model: 12.1 x 8.8 x .57 inches 15-inch model: 13.4 x 9.6 x .58 inches Weight 2.18 pounds (0.99kg) 13.5-inch fabric model: 2.80 pounds, 13.5-inch metal model: 2.86 pounds, 15-inch model: 3.44 pounds Price Starting at $1,700 Starting at $900 Brand LG Microsoft
Design
LG’s Gram line of laptops have been known for being especially light and portable for quite some time, and the Gram SuperSlim is no different. Thanks to a magnesium alloy chassis clocking in at just 2.18 pounds, this laptop is extremely easy to carry around. However, this laptop is also extraordinarily thin, too, coming in at an almost-shocking 0.43 inches thick. All told, the design of this laptop is incredibly sleek, and it’s one of the lightest, thinnest machines you can possibly buy, making it one of the best in terms of portability.
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 5 sports an aluminum chassis, which certainly gives it a sleek, MacBook-style look, but it does add on a bit of weight, bringing the 13.5-inch model to 2.86 pounds and the 15-inch model to 3.44 pounds. Although, it’s certainly not too heavy to be a portable machine. Speaking of portability, the Surface Laptop 5 comes in at just 0.57 inches thick, which may not be as thin as the Gram but is still quite thin. Much like the Gram, the Surface Laptop 5 is a well-built, minimalist clamshell laptop designed to be thin and light.
In terms of I/O, both machines come with USB and Thunderbolt connections, while the Surface also brings a 3.5mm audio jack to the table, which is nice for versatility. Neither of these laptops exactly have a ton of connections, though, so you may want to invest in a nice USB hub. The Surface Laptop 5 does have a USB Type-A port, though, while the Gram SuperSlim only has USB Type-C ports.
Display
When it comes to display, both the Surface and Gram are solid performers, but there is room for improvement on both machines.
With the Gram, you are getting a DisplayHDR 500 OLED panel, which thanks to rich contrast and deep blacks will make watching movies a joy, but there are some key downsides. You’re stuck with a 1920×1080 resolution on a 15.6-inch display, which is rather low in 2023. You’re also limited to just 60Hz, and while this isn’t a gaming machine, even for productivity 60Hz can feel sluggish, especially when you’re running things at a relatively low resolution.
There’s a similar situation with the Surface. Unfortunately, you won’t be getting an OLED display, but you will be getting a higher resolution. The 13.5-inch model runs at 2256×1504, while the 15-inch model runs at 2496×1664. This 3:2 1440p resolution is a good fit for the Surface models, and it will be a noticeable increase in sharpness over the Gram. However, you’re also limited to 60Hz on the Surface, and you won’t be getting the premium panel tech of the Gram.
All things considered, if you’re looking for a more even split between productivity and watching your favorite shows and movies on your laptop, the OLED panel on the Gram is likely to serve you better. However, if you’re just looking to work with the occasional YouTube video, the bump up in resolution on the Surface will definitely make reading text and navigating applications a crisper, sharper experience. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for the smoothness of a higher refresh rate, neither of these machines are built for that kind of functionality.
Webcam-wise, you’ll get a 1080p webcam on the Gram and a 720p webcam on the Surface. We’d reckon that either can get the job done for the occasional Zoom meeting; however, if you’re truly looking to impress with your camera setup, you’ll need to buy a separate cam either way. Nonetheless, 1080p is a meaningful bump up over 720p, so your video will be noticeably more detailed and less pixelated on the Gram over the Surface.
Performance
Neither the Gram nor the Surface is designed for gaming or to offer up the absolute best performance in the world of laptop computing: these are productivity machines, but for productivity, they can certainly both get the job done.
LG’s Gram SuperSlim packs in a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P with 12 cores and 16 threads alongside up to 32GB of RAM. For daily tasks, this is more than enough power. In our review, we had no trouble image editing and multitasking unless we were doing so across three displays simultaneously. Of course, you won’t be doing much gaming on integrated graphics, but if you want a thin, portable machine that can handle most apps without issue, the Gram can do that.
When it comes to the Surface Laptop 5, you’re getting up to a 12th-generation Intel Core i7-1255U with 10 cores and 12 threads on top of up to 32GB of RAM just like the Gram. This is a generation behind the Gram in terms of CPU; however, with performance for productivity tasks, you probably won’t notice too much of a differential. In our review, we found the Surface competitive with other similar machines, and it likely won’t have any issues multitasking or image editing as well as running any other basic productivity app you can think up.
While both machines can handle productivity well, the newer CPU on the Gram with extra cores and threads certainly makes it the more powerful choice when it comes to performance. Neither of these machines can game very well or handle serious 4K video editing, but if you’re looking for the most performant of the two, that’s the Surface thanks to its more up-to-date CPU.
Battery life
Considering the Gram offers up a 60Wh battery compared to the Surface’s 47.4Wh battery, while the Gram has a 28W TDP CPU and the Surface has a 15W CPU, battery life is similar between the two machines; although, the Surface fairs a bit worse on average.
In our testing, we got at best a little over 8 hours of battery life out of the Gram, while our worst run came in at 4.5 hours. Depending on your usage, battery life will naturally vary greatly, but considering our maximums and minimum, the average likely is in the 6-8 hour range. We were able to get just over 11 hours of battery life out of our Gram in our YouTube playback test, so if you’re planning on light usage, you may be able to do better than average, too.
The Surface is similar but a little worse. In our testing, we managed to get just under 7 hours of battery life at best, while our average runs came in at between 5 and 5.5 hours of battery life. As we noted in our review, this is about average for an ultrabook with a battery the size of the Surface’s, but it’s not particularly impressive by any means. Of course, battery life massively depends on how you use your machine, but you can likely expect around 6 hours, give or take.
Neither of these machines are truly capable of all-day battery life on any kind of consistent basis, and the harder you push either of these machines the closer they’re going to get to the 4-hour range of battery life. Although, if you’re looking for the best battery life between the two, in our experience that’s going to be the Gram.
Which should you buy?
As always, buying a laptop comes down to personal preference in a lot of ways, and both the Gram SuperSlim and the Surface Laptop 5 are solid machines. However, one definitely edges out the other in a few areas, and that’s the LG Gram SuperSlim.
Our recommendation is the Gram. Considering it sports a newer Intel CPU, an OLED display, and better battery life, we’d wager it’ll serve most folks looking for a solid productivity laptop well. Plus, it’s lighter and thinner, making it extremely easy to bring with you wherever you go. However, if you don’t care about an OLED and prefer a higher-resolution display, the Surface is still a great all-around option if you prefer those features.
LG Gram SuperSlim
Winner
$1399 $1799 Save $400
LG’s Gram SuperSlim laptop is, as you’d expect, extraordinarily thin, but you’re also getting a gorgeous OLED display, a 13th-generation Intel CPU, tons of RAM, and a slew of other features, too. Put simply, this is a portable, powerful, well-designed laptop that should definitely be on your list.
This laptop features an attractive minimalist design, and it’s just about as thin and light as laptops can get. With a 13th-generation Intel CPU, lots of RAM, an OLED display, and solid battery life, this is an exceptional ultraportable laptop just as capable of handling most productivity tasks as it is capable of being transported anywhere on the globe with ease. If you’re looking for your next productivity machine, put this LG laptop on your radar.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
Runner-up
$895 $1000 Save $105
The Surface Laptop 5 offers up a thin, portable laptop with a 12th-generation Intel CPU, lots of RAM, and a list of other useful features like Dolby Atmos speakers and touchscreen support. If you’re looking for an all-around strong performer in the laptop world, make sure to put the Surface Laptop 5 on your radar.