The Acer Predator Helios 16 is designed for high-performance tasks such as gaming or engineering software, offering a powerful processor and high-end graphics card which allows for intensive 3D rendering and machine learning applications; however, it's bulkier and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 13 is more portable and has a longer battery life, making it ideal for general use and on-the-go tasks. The Zenbook's OLED screen also offers vivid colors and deep blacks, suitable for design work, but its performance isn't suited for heavy computational demands. If you need a laptop for extensive gaming or demanding software applications and don't mind less portability and shorter battery life, go for the Acer. If you prioritize a lightweight laptop with longer battery life for everyday tasks, web browsing, and media consumption, choose the ASUS. 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
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 13
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
378.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
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
6.2/10
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
8.3/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 240 Hz, which is less suited for such demanding tasks but contributes to its lighter weight and potentially longer battery life for general productivity.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.1/10
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 Zenbook 13 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is outfitted with a more powerful CPU and GPU, greater RAM, and a higher quality screen, making it ideal for demanding engineering and design tasks which require robust processing and graphic capabilities. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 13 offers a lighter design and OLED screen but sacrifices performance with a less capable integrated GPU and lesser RAM, emphasizing portability and display over raw power.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.6/10
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
OLED
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
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
7.3/10
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
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for software development, though the Acer Predator Helios 16 is somewhat better.
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
7.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
378.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 13 for general use, gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and ASUS Zenbook 13 both offer high-resolution displays with excellent color accuracy and brightness, which is vital for clear and vibrant viewing in general use and detail-oriented work like engineering and design. However, these laptops may not have the high refresh rates favored by gamers, which can result in less fluid motion during fast-paced gaming or 3D rendering. While their screens provide a wide color gamut, ensuring precise color representation that professionals in engineering and design require, the lower refresh rates can be a downside for gaming experiences which rely on quick image refresh for smooth gameplay.
Battery
6.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Fair
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,599
$890
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,599 and the ASUS Zenbook 13 costs $890.
"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 ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the ASUS Zenbook 13
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
111,195
Recommendations made
24,093
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.