The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is more expensive with higher-quality features such as a sharper OLED display, more storage, double the RAM, and a lightweight design which makes it highly portable with good performance for general use and good battery life. The Gigabyte A5, while less expensive, offers a powerful GPU suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, but it has a heavier build and less battery life, making it less portable but well-suited for more demanding 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 keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte A5
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
7.3/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its higher RAM and top-tier CPU, provides a smoother experience for multitasking and general productivity, along with outstanding screen quality from its OLED display for sharp images and vibrant colors, all in a highly portable and lightweight design with a long battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has an Iris Xe GPU and a 60Hz OLED screen which is good for detailed visuals but not optimized for fast-paced gaming, whereas the Gigabyte A5 comes with a Nvidia RTX 3060 and a 144Hz IPS screen, making it better suited for smoother gameplay and 3D rendering. While both have quality GPUs and screens, the A5's higher refresh rate and more powerful GPU provide an edge for gaming and 3D applications, despite the Zenbook's higher screen resolution and visual fidelity suitable for less intensive gaming and media consumption.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with a high-end Intel processor, Iris Xe integrated graphics, and an OLED screen, offers considerable power and exceptional screen quality, making it very good for engineering and design tasks. On the other hand, the Gigabyte A5 with a mid-range AMD processor, discrete Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, and an IPS screen delivers good performance and screen quality but at a lower price point and with increased portability due to its longer battery life and lighter build.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte A5 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
7.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte A5 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
7.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 with its higher resolution and brightness provides clearer and more vibrant visuals, making it ideal for tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design tasks, the Zenbook's wider color gamut ensures more accurate color representation, crucial for detailed graphical work. However, for gaming and 3D work where high refresh rates are key for smooth motion, both laptops fall short, but the Gigabyte A5, given its good resolution and panel type, may offer a slightly more responsive experience despite its lower overall screen quality in this context.
Battery
11.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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
4.6 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Gigabyte A5 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$830
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Gigabyte A5 costs $830.
"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."
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Gigabyte A5
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.
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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