Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Comparison

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5

13.5 inches | January 2020

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Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5

13.5 inches | May 2020

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5, two laptops by Microsoft. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 was introduced to market in January 2020 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 was launched in May 2020. There is only 4 months difference between Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 Key Specs

Launched in January 2020
13.5" TouchScreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1035G1
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics G1
8GB Ram
308 x 223 x 14.5 mm (12.13 x 8.78 x 0.57 inches)
Weight: 1.28 kg (2.82 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Key Specs

Launched in May 2020
13.5" Touchscreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1035G1
GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
8GB Ram
312 x 232 x 15-23 mm (12.28 x 9.13 x 0.59-0.91 inches)
Weight: 1.64 kg (3.62 lbs)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 was replaced by Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 over Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5

Weight	1.28 kg vs 1.64 kg	0.36 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~79% vs ~75%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	11.3 mm vs 13.3 mm	2 mm thinner bezels
sRGB Color Space	121% vs 95%	Wider sRGB Color Space Coverage
GPU Fabrication Process	10 nm vs 12 nm	Newer Generation GPU

Reasons to choose Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 over Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5

Screen PPI	267 ppi vs 201 ppi	More pixels per inch
2-in-1 Design	Yes vs No	Use like a tablet
Screen Resolution	3000 x 2000 pixels vs 2256 x 1504 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Max Brightness	400 nits vs 350 nits	Brighter Screen
GPU FLOPS	3.195 TFLOPS vs 0.46 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated	Easy login with fingerprint
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Better typing feel
Key Travel	1.55 mm vs 1.5 mm

Common Strengths of Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5

Screen Type	Touch Screen vs Touch Screen	Interact with your fingers
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Dolby Atmos Support	Yes vs Yes	3D Surround Sound Support
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support
Upgradable RAM	No vs No	No Option to increase the RAM size
Upgradable Storage	No vs No	No Option to increase the Storage size
HDMI Output	No vs No	Need an adapter to connect to HDMI displays

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.28 kg (2.82 lbs)	1.64 kg (3.62 lbs)
Surface Area	687 cm2 (106.5 inches2)	724 cm2 (112.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~79%	~75%
Side Bezel Thickness	~11.3 mm	~13.3 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.09 kg/inch	0.12 kg/inch
	0.198 lbs/inch	0.264 lbs/inch
Colors	Black, Gold, Gray, Blue	Silver
Cover Opening Angle	140Â°	360Â°

Comparison of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 External Dimensions

Weight

Surface Laptop 3 13.5 weighs 1.28 kg (2.82 lbs), whereas the Surface Book 3 13.5 weighs 1.64 kg (3.62 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. The weight difference between the two laptops is not significant.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 1.28 kg

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 1.64 kg

Min 0.85 kg

Average 1.22 kg

Max 1.64 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 14.50 mm

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 15.00 mm

Min 7.90 mm

Average 15.38 mm

Max 19.30 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 is 0.09 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 is 0.12 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i5 1035G1 Intel Core i7 1065G7 Intel Core i7 1165G7	Intel Core i5 1035G1 Intel Core i7 1065G7
Base Frequency	1.0 GHz	1.1 GHz
Turbo Frequency	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz
Number of Cores	4	4
Number of Threads	8	8
L3 Cache	6 MB	6 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics G1	Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1100	1100
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	2924	2924
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1079	1079
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	4263	4263

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPU ( Intel Core i5 1035G1 ) and compare them:

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics G1	GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile GeForce GTX 1660 TI Max-Q
Base Clock Frequency	300 MHz	1380 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	900 MHz	1560 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	15 W
Type	Integrated	Dedicated
FLOPS	460.8 GFLOPS	3.195 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	4 GB
Memory Type	System Shared	GDDR6
Memory Bus	System Shared	128 bit
Memory Speed	System Shared	~12 Gbps
Shading Units Cores	256	1024
TMUs	16	64
ROPs	8	32

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 has a FLOPS value of 0.46 TFLOPS whereas the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 ' has a FLOPS value of 3.195 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB	8GB 16GB 32GB
Memory Bus	2x4 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	3733 MHz	3733 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR4X	LPDDR4X
Upgradable	No	No
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and the Surface Book 3 13.5, come with similar RAM capacities of 8 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5	Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	45.8 Wh	69 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	No
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Left
Charge Power	60 W	65 / 102 W

On the other hand, the Surface Book 3 13.5 features a higher battery capacity of 69 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the Surface Laptop 3 13.5's 46 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 46 Wh

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 69 Wh

Min 38.00 Wh

Average 53.1 Wh

Max 80.00 Wh

STORAGE
Both laptops, the Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and the Surface Book 3 13.5 have similar max. storage capacities of 1 TB, allowing for ample space to store files and applications.

Storage Options	128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Upgradable	No	No
Total Slots	1	1
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Both Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5 screens have the same size of 13.5".The total usable screen area of the Surface Laptop 3 13.5 is 543cm² / 84inch² whereas the Surface Book 3 13.5's total usable screen area is 543cm² / 84inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Surface Book 3 13.5 features a higher pixel density with 267 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 201 ppi

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 267 ppi

Min 118 PPI

Average 186 PPI

Max 338.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Brightness
The Surface Book 3 13.5 offers a higher maximum brightness of 400 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 350 nits

Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 400 nits

Min

30 nits

Average 438 nits

Max 1000.00 nits

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5 vs Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5 feature 1x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5 feature 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Neither Surface Laptop 3 13.5 nor Surface Book 3 13.5 has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Neither Surface Laptop 3 13.5 nor Surface Book 3 13.5 has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors. Neither Surface Laptop 3 13.5 nor Surface Book 3 13.5 has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Surface Book 3 13.5 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Surface Laptop 3 13.5 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Surface Laptop 3 13.5 and Surface Book 3 13.5 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5	v5
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	No	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	No	No