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Surface Laptop Ultra vs MacBook Pro M5 Pro: The Spec Sheet First
Based on reporting from Ars Technica
Ars Technica reviewed Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and concluded that it delivers on most of what Microsoft promised. Microsoft sells it as a rival to the MacBook Pro, so here is the spec sheet for both before any performance claim.
The table uses the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro, the model Microsoft compared against, and the Surface Laptop Ultra across its two chip tiers.
| Surface Laptop Ultra | 16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2,599 (18-core CPU, 24GB, 512GB). The 20-core version starts at $3,699. Top configuration: $5,899 | $2,699 (24GB, 1TB) |
| Chip | Nvidia RTX Spark N1X: 18-core CPU with 5,120-core GPU, or 20-core CPU with 6,144-core GPU | Apple M5 Pro: 18-core CPU with 20-core GPU |
| Memory | 24GB up to 128GB | 24GB or 48GB, up to 64GB |
| Storage | 512GB up to 2TB | 1TB or 2TB, up to 4TB |
| Display | 15-inch mini-LED, 120Hz, up to 2,000 nits HDR (claimed) | 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 120Hz, 1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits peak HDR |
| Battery | 89Wh. PCWorld measured 7h 57min of 4K streaming | 100Wh. Apple claims up to 24h of video streaming |
| Weight | 4.41 lb | 4.7 lb |
| Ports | 3 USB4 USB-C (one magnetic), HDMI 2.1b, USB-A, SD card, headphone jack | 3 Thunderbolt 5, MagSafe 3, HDMI, SDXC, headphone jack |
Where each one comes out ahead on paper:
- Surface Laptop Ultra: a lower starting price, more memory options (up to 128GB), a brighter claimed peak HDR display, a lighter body, and more everyday ports, including USB-A.
- MacBook Pro: more storage options, a larger battery with a much longer claimed battery life, Thunderbolt 5, and a 1TB base drive.
Two caveats. PCWorld measured the Surface display at 792 nits in an SDR mode, so the 2,000 nit figure applies only to HDR content. And the table lists rated figures from the makers, not a side-by-side test of the two machines.
That matters because of the speed claim. Microsoft says the Surface is up to 6.2 times faster than the MacBook Pro at AI video generation, up to 2.1 times faster to the first token of a local AI response, and up to 4.3 times faster at image generation. It has not published how it tested, and the image and video tests refer to a selection of RTX Spark PCs, not the Surface Laptop Ultra specifically. Notebookcheck says a lead is plausible given Nvidia’s software support, but all of these are vendor numbers until independent benchmarks appear. Windows Latest adds that Microsoft only talks about AI, so there is nothing yet on video editing, general speed or battery life against the MacBook.
On local AI, my view is this. It is a debated topic, and I do not expect it to disappear, but I do not think this is the right moment to buy a machine built mainly around it. That does not make this a bad notebook. Whether a jump from $2,599 to $5,899 makes sense depends on whether you will use that hardware.
Prices are launch prices as reported. Check the current price before you buy.
