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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is more suitable if you prioritize a lightweight and portable laptop with sufficient performance for everyday tasks and casual use. However, if you engage in intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 offers superior performance with a tradeoff in size and weight for portability. The Zenbook typically offers longer battery life, making it a better option for on-the-go usage, while the Zephyrus is geared towards users requiring high-performance hardware, which can drain the battery faster. Remember that a higher-performance laptop like the Zephyrus will also usually come at a higher cost. 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
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.6
7.9
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in general use with its high-quality OLED screen, lightweight design, and long battery life, making it highly portable for everyday tasks, and it comes with ample RAM for multitasking. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 offers a larger screen with high refresh rates and powerful CPU and GPU combination suited for more demanding applications and gaming, despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.5
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, is suitable for light gaming and 3D tasks, but the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, excels in demanding gaming and 3D applications, offering superior visual performance and smoother motion. Despite a good screen, the Zenbook's lower refresh rate compared to the Zephyrus G15 makes it less optimal for fast-paced gaming, where the screen's ability to keep up with rapid movements is crucial.
Software Development
8.3
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, both the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 offer high-resolution displays with excellent panel type and brightness, providing crisp, clear content and vivid colors. Engineers and designers will appreciate that these laptops display a wide range of colors accurately due to their comprehensive coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which is crucial for precise color work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these screens may lead to less fluid motion and slower response times, which is not ideal when smooth visual performance is key.
Battery
11.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has 9.5 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
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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 Zephyrus G15 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its OLED screen, offers exceptional screen quality for design tasks, and its Intel CPU with integrated graphics combined with ample RAM can handle engineering software efficiently, though it might not match the graphical capabilities needed for the most demanding 3D tasks. Conversely, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 boasts a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and high-end Nvidia GPU, making it better suited for engineering roles that require intensive 3D modeling or simulations, but it's heavier and bulkier, which could limit its portability compared to the Zenbook.
Content Creation
8.5
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook S 13 | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | 14'' x 9.6'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.2 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.66" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.52" | 9.57" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 9.5 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 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 365 nits | 309 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | No Webcam | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | N/A | |
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 Zephyrus G15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2021
"As long as you're aware of the fact that the GeForce RTX 3080 laptop version can only unfold its potential to a limited extent due to Asus's low TDP setting and that it can be slower than a fast RTX 3070 laptop, the ROG Zephyrus G15 GA503Q cuts a fine figure. One of the biggest highlights turns out to be the WQHD panel, since it attracts customers with 165 Hz, relatively fast response times, FreeSync, and good color-space coverage. Other selling points are the surprisingly rich sound, the long battery life, and the sleek design. In terms of looks, the white edition stands out nicely from the competition."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
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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