Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Tablet PC, Core i5-7300U, Review

This renewed Surface Pro 5 has a brilliant screen but a painfully slow processor from 2017, ranking in the bottom 5%. It's only a consideration under $300 for those who need Windows in a tablet form. For most people, its outdated specs are a dealbreaker.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is a refurbished Windows tablet that's trying to be a laptop. It's a bit of a split personality. On one hand, you get a sharp 12.3-inch touchscreen and a solid 256GB of storage, both ranking in the top quarter of tablets we've tested. On the other, you're working with a 7th-gen Intel Core i5 processor that lands in the bottom 5% for performance, which is a tough sell in 2024.

It weighs in at a portable 1.2kg and comes with Windows 11 Pro, which is a full desktop OS. That's the main draw over an iPad or Android tablet. But this is a renewed model, so you're buying into a specific ecosystem of older hardware and potential refurbishment quirks. It scored a 39.3 out of 100 in our total rating, which tells you this isn't a top contender.

Let's be blunt: the performance here is dated. The Intel Core i5-7300U CPU is the star of the show, and not in a good way. It sits in the 4th percentile, meaning it's one of the slowest processors in our current database for tablets. For basic web browsing and document editing, it'll get the job done, but don't expect to run anything demanding. The integrated GPU is even worse, ranking in the bottom 10%. This is not a device for gaming or creative work beyond very light sketching.

The 8GB of RAM is also underwhelming, falling in the 35th percentile. You'll feel that limitation with more than a handful of browser tabs open. The bright spots are the storage and screen. The 256GB SSD is well above average, and the 2736x1824 PixelSense display is crisp and color-accurate, landing in the 78th percentile. It's a great screen trapped in a slow body.

The value proposition hinges entirely on the price you find. With a spread from $255 to $550 across vendors, the low end is the only place this makes a shred of sense. At around $300, you're getting a functional Windows machine with a great screen. At anything approaching $550, you're being robbed blind by ancient tech. Always check if it's the renewed model, as that's what this data is based on, and factor in that you typically only get a 90-day warranty.

Stacked against modern tablets, the Pro 5 struggles. An Apple iPad Pro with an M-series chip will run circles around it in raw speed and battery life, but you lose the full desktop OS. A modern Microsoft Surface Pro with a Copilot+ PC chip is in a completely different league performance-wise, but costs much more. The more interesting comparison is against budget Android tablets like the Xiaomi Redmi Pad. They'll have better performance scores and battery life for less money, but you're stuck in a mobile OS. If you absolutely need Windows on a tablet on a super tight budget, this is one of the few options. Otherwise, the competition offers more for your money.

Skip this if you need performance. The CPU and GPU rankings are a real letdown. Gamers, video editors, programmers, or anyone who regularly uses demanding software should look elsewhere. Also, avoid it if you need all-day battery life—its score is just average. And if you find it priced over $400, you're paying a premium for obsolete internals.

We can only recommend the Surface Pro 5 if you find it at the absolute bottom of its price range (think $250-$300) and your needs are incredibly specific: you must have a Windows tablet, and your tasks are limited to web, Office, and PDFs. The data is clear—its CPU is a major anchor. For everyone else, especially students or anyone doing design work (where it scored 44.4/100), the performance limitations and low RAM make it a frustrating choice. There are better values in both the tablet and budget laptop spaces.