Updated January 10, 2024·Prices updated 24 hours ago
If you prioritize portability and premium features, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is superior with a lighter build, longer battery life, and higher quality OLED display, which is excellent for general use and also solid for engineering tasks with great color accuracy. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 16 offers a larger screen and a more affordable price; however, it compromises on battery life and overall build quality. The Vivobook is still capable for general use and some engineering applications but won't match the Zenbook's performance. Neither is ideal for intensive gaming or high-end 3D 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 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 16
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook S 13.
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
7.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
295.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in general use largely due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and superior OLED screen, which results in better performance and more vivid display quality; additionally, its lighter build and longer battery life significantly enhance its portability. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 16, with a good CPU for everyday tasks, a serviceable screen, and ample RAM, offers reliable performance but is bulkier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in engineering and design due to its higher RAM, a powerful CPU and GPU combination, and an OLED display with excellent screen quality, which provide smooth multitasking and brilliant visuals. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 16, while lighter on the wallet, offers good performance with a decent CPU and RAM configuration and an IPS display, but with lower screen quality and less vibrant colors, which may affect detailed visual work.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
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 Vivobook 16 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
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 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
8.1/10
6.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
295.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you often engage in general computing tasks such as browsing and watching videos, the Zenbook S 13 with its higher resolution and brighter display will provide a more vibrant and crisp experience. For engineering and design work that demands precise color representation, the Zenbook's wider color gamut covers more of the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB spaces, making it superior for color accuracy compared to the Vivobook. However, for 3D rendering and fast-paced gaming where fluid motion is pivotal, both laptops may not meet expectations due to their lower refresh rates, although their resolution and panel types may be adequate for less demanding visual tasks.
Battery
11.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 16 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
16.0in
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 Vivobook 16 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 16 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
$629
$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 16 costs $629.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is better for gaming and 3D tasks due to its superior integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, compared to the ASUS Vivobook 16, which offers less powerful AMD Vega 8 graphics, making it less suited for demanding visual tasks. Both laptops have screen refresh rates capped at 60Hz, which is adequate for casual gaming, but the Zenbook's higher screen quality, with OLED technology and a denser pixel count, provides a more vibrant and detailed image, enhancing the gaming and 3D experience.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the ASUS Vivobook 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, Yannick Khong | May 2023
"The ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) is a budget Windows laptop. It's available with various AMD Ryzen 5000 and 7000 U-series CPUs and integrated graphics. You can only get 8GB of RAM; however, there's an empty SO-DIMM slot if you want to upgrade it. It has an FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 IPS display, a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, a 720p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity. Ports include three USB-As, one USB-C, an HDMI, and a headphone jack. The USB-C supports charging but no video output."
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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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