The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a higher storage capacity, more RAM, and better screen resolution with an OLED display, beneficial for tasks that require detailed visuals and fast performance, like engineering work or photo editing. It's also lighter and thinner, making it more portable. However, it is priced higher than the ASUS Vivobook 15X. The Vivobook 15X, on the other hand, costs less but offers lower storage and performance capabilities. Its larger screen size can be a plus for productivity and entertainment, but it's heavier and less convenient to carry around. If budget is a concern and you need a larger screen for general use, consider the Vivobook 15X; if you prioritize higher performance and portability, the Zenbook S 13 would be the better choice. 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 engineering and design
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 speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 15X
The ASUS Vivobook 15X has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook S 13.
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
7.1/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is favored for general use due to its high-resolution OLED screen, larger memory, more powerful processor, and lighter, slimmer build enhancing portability, alongside considerable battery life supporting prolonged usage away from power sources.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS Vivobook 15X are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is better suited for gaming and 3D due to its superior OLED screen and integrated Iris Xe graphics, which can provide better visual quality and performance in graphically intensive tasks than the ASUS Vivobook 15X, which has an IPS screen and Vega 7 integrated graphics that are typically less powerful for such applications.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in engineering and design use due to its higher RAM, advanced CPU, and superior GPU which are crucial for demanding software, along with an OLED screen providing remarkable clarity and color accuracy, factors very important for detailed work. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 15X, while offering a larger screen, has less RAM, a less powerful CPU and GPU, and an IPS display with lower color accuracy, making it less ideal for intensive engineering tasks despite being more budget-friendly. Portability and aspects like keyboard and speaker quality are better with the Zenbook S 13, yet the Vivobook 15X may still be a solid choice for more casual use and those prioritizing cost over top-tier performance.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X 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
8.3/10
6.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X 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
8.1/10
6.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 likely boasts a higher resolution and superior panel technology, offering crisp, vibrant images and wide viewing angles, which is beneficial for both general use and detailed engineering work. Additionally, its coverage of color gamuts such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB ensures that colors are accurate and consistent, essential for professional design tasks. However, due to a lower refresh rate, the Zenbook may not be as suitable for 3D applications and gaming, where smooth motion is crucial.
Battery
11.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15X has 8 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
3.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS Vivobook 15X both have good build quality, though the ASUS Zenbook S 13 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the ASUS Vivobook 15X costs $525.
"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."
"All in all, my day on the Vivobook had its ups and downs. It is a really pretty and well-built device, and it had all of the functionality I needed to get me through my browser-based workload. But the speakers weren’t my favorite, and the battery life was just too short."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the ASUS Vivobook 15X
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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