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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability and have a need for a high-quality display for tasks like photo editing, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 with its lightweight design and OLED screen could be the right choice. However, if gaming or professional work like 3D modeling and machine learning are your focus, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers a more powerful dedicated GPU and a higher refresh rate screen, though it's heavier and less portable. Both laptops are comparable in price, so your decision should be based on whether you value portability and screen quality or performance for intensive tasks. 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 ASUS Zenbook S 13
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G16
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.6
7.7
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
291.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers exceptional portability due to its lightweight design and long battery life, coupled with a high-quality OLED screen, making it an excellent choice for general use. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has a larger screen and is equipped with a dedicated graphics card for enhanced performance, but it is significantly heavier and has a shorter battery life, positioning it as a good fit for general use that might occasionally involve more demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.9
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
8.5
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 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
8.3
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good.
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
8.1
7.5
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
291.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix G16 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 likely offers a superior screen for general use and engineering due to a high-resolution display with excellent color accuracy, catering to detailed visual work and precise color representation which is crucial for these tasks. The ASUS ROG Strix G16, while still good for general use and engineering, may not reach the same level of color fidelity or resolution, making it less optimal for tasks that demand those particular features. However, both fall short for gaming and 3D work because they lack high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals in games and 3D simulations.
Battery
11.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G16 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
Best in Class
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$1,269
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the ASUS ROG Strix G16 costs $1,269.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is well suited for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU, abundant RAM, high-resolution OLED screen that offers excellent color accuracy, making it ideal for precision tasks, whereas the ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers a robust GPU and a larger, high-refresh-rate screen that can handle demanding graphics workloads, though with less portability due to its larger size and weight.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the ASUS ROG Strix G16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook S 13 | ASUS ROG Strix G16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,269 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | 13.9'' x 10.4'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.2 lbs | 5.51 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.66" | 13.94" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.52" | 10.39" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | Intel i7-13650HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 63 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 365 nits | 291 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook S 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | May 2023
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
ASUS ROG Strix G16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marc Herter | March 2023
"With the mobile Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, the Asus ROG Stix G16 hits the sweet spot between performance and cooling. The G16 also does not have to shy away from direct comparison with its supposedly stronger family member, the ROG Strix Scar 18 with its RTX 4090, as most benchmarks of the two laptops are very close to each other. Moreover, the G16 should be significantly cheaper. Depending on the supplier, the price difference here could be almost US$ 2,000. In the 2023 model series, Asus has significantly leveled out the differences between the two high-end lines."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the ASUS ROG Strix G16
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.
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