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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is more portable, lighter, and has a higher quality OLED display with better resolution and color accuracy. It's well-suited for general use with good battery life and is priced lower, making it a smart choice for everyday tasks and mobility. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is designed for gaming with a powerful Nvidia graphics card, a faster screen refresh rate, and a CPU built for performance, but it's heavier, has a shorter battery life, and is pricier. It excels at demanding tasks like 3D rendering, gaming, and engineering applications. Consider the Scar 15 if you need high performance and don't mind less portability and a higher cost. If mobility and display quality are more important, the Zenbook S 13 is a better fit. 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 overall display quality
- Best in class portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
- Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.6
7.8
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a more vibrant OLED screen, double the RAM for multitasking, and a lighter build which, along with its excellent portability and long battery life, makes it very good for general use. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, while it has a larger IPS display with a higher refresh rate suited for gaming, has a shorter battery life and is less portable, but its powerful CPU and dedicated GPU make it just good for general use as well and better suited for performance-intensive tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.5
8.3
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 outshines the ASUS Zenbook S 13 in gaming and 3D tasks mainly due to its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, which is superior to the Zenbook's integrated Iris Xe, and a significant 300Hz screen refresh rate compared to the Zenbook's 60Hz, providing a smoother visual experience.
Software Development
8.3
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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
7.9
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
283.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a display with high resolution and brightness, making it ideal for vibrant and clear visuals in everyday tasks, alongside an expanded color gamut that benefits precision in engineering and design work. However, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness in fast-paced gaming or 3D rendering. Conversely, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, while also providing good resolution and brightness for general and engineering needs, similarly falls short for gaming due to its less-than-optimal refresh rate, an essential factor for fluid motion and responsiveness in fast-moving visual content.
Battery
11.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 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
15.6in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its OLED screen and high resolution, offers excellent screen quality for engineering and design tasks, and its higher RAM capacity will assist in handling complex projects. Meanwhile, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 packs a more powerful CPU and GPU, which benefits demanding engineering software, plus its higher refresh rate screen is advantageous for design work involving motion graphics. Both laptops are less portable due to their powerful components, with the ROG Strix being heavier and thicker, but the Strix's better hardware may justify the trade-off for those prioritizing performance over portability.
Content Creation
8.5
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 are both very good for content creation.
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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook S 13 | ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | 13.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.2 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.66" | 13.94" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.52" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 63 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 300Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 365 nits | 283 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | No Webcam | |
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 Scar 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam | May 2022
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
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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