I find the SL5 great for ML programming (or programming in general) though, SSH into a HPC cluster for training and a RTX3080Ti desktop for debugging. Though, I’d still prefer a used 1080 Ti or 2080 in an old desktop for local training. Would be convenient for single-node single-GPU testing though. Not uncommon for model parameters to take up close to that nowadays. That said, while you would get CUDA on the x14, the 4GB VRAM is extremely limiting for any kind of deep learning training. Also, the SL5 is practically useless for debugging and testing cos there’s no way to simulate NCCL or CUDAToolkit.

Training with CUDA is so easy now and much faster that it’s practically pointless to even try on a CPU let alone a mobile one. I would never use it for any kind of ML (GPU-heavy ones like deep learning or graph learning specifically) training though, maybe some small scale inference at most. Love the feel, likely a personal taste thing. I like the surface line, but I simply didn't think what I got was worth what I paid for, even if with a sale. There were deals out there where you got much more for that price point and not compromising much on build quality. Mind you not I got it on a black friday sale, but still I think you don't get enough bang for your buck in terms of performance and build quality that you may get with other laptops. Finally, I believe for what you get, it's overpriced.

Trackpad was fine, nothing great, it won't beat the Macbook trackpads that's for sure.

I think the screen quality is surface's biggest positive point.

The screen quality is great, and I did like the unusual 3:2 screen ratio.

It didn't feel snappy despite the high specs, maybe it's because of the 60hz refresh rate, but performance just felt mediocre.

I honestly didn't like the keyboard it didn't feel premium, but it might be just a personal preference.

If you want something super portable and essentially a Windows Macbook Air, it's the right choice. My use includes browser, programming (including ML), and light gaming.Īfter a couple days of use, I returned it and ordered an alienware x14 with double the ram, proper nvidia graphics card, 14inch, and even slightly better i7 chip for only $100 more (good sale). I have a surface pro and wanted a proper laptop for personal use (have a work laptop). I got the surface laptop 5 (13.5 inch) last week.

Surface laptop 5 reddit