If you value high performance for gaming or demanding tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, the Acer Predator Helios 16 would be a better choice as it boasts more powerful components, though it comes at a higher price and is heavier, making it less portable. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 15 is more budget-friendly, lighter, and thus more portable, but its lower-spec internals mean it's better suited for general use rather than intensive tasks. Both laptops have decent battery life for typical use, but the Predator's larger battery doesn't necessarily translate to much longer usage due to its high-performance hardware. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 15
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
5.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers superior gaming and 3D capabilities with its high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 240 Hz for smoother visuals, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is limited by its integrated Intel UHD Graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, translating to relatively modest gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
6.1/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
6.4/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.9/10
6.5/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.8/10
6.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 provides a superior visual experience for general use and engineering with its high-resolution display, brighter screen, and broader color coverage, ensuring sharp images, vivid colors, and more precise color reproduction needed for design work. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications which demand smoother motion rendering. The ASUS Vivobook 15, with its adequate resolution and decent brightness levels, offers acceptable image quality for everyday tasks and non-professional engineering work but falls short for both color-critical tasks and high-speed gaming due to its limited color gamut and modest refresh rate.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,599
$529
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,599 and the ASUS Vivobook 15 costs $529.
"The Predator Helios 16 stacks up well against its closest competition in benchmark comparisons. The Acer Predator Helios 16 isn't perfect. It's bulky, its lid feels flimsy and some of its keys are just too damned small – but none of its problems are fatal, and it shines where it counts. The powerful graphics and processor combo are spot on for this price point, the fans stop it getting hot under pressure, and the display is as good as you’ll find under $2,500. It's simply one of the best laptops to play demanding games on."
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the ASUS Vivobook 15
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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