The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is lightweight and highly portable, with longer battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go use. It has more RAM for multitasking, and its screen is smaller yet sharp, suited to general use. The Gigabyte Aero 16, however, offers a larger screen with higher resolution, better for detailed engineering work or 3D tasks. With a stronger GPU, it's better for gaming and machine learning, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, lessening portability. Both laptops are similarly priced, so choose the ASUS for portability and daily tasks or the Gigabyte for intensive applications and visuals. 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 software development
Best in class portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 16
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
8.0/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Gigabyte Aero 16 are both very good for general use, though the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a lightweight and highly portable option with strong battery life, making it excellent for general use, while its high-quality OLED screen and ample RAM ensure smooth performance though its CPU is not as powerful as gaming laptops. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 16 features a more robust CPU and a superior dedicated graphics card, which increases weight and reduces battery life but enhances performance for heavier tasks; its higher screen resolution and larger size also mean better visuals at the cost of portability.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is equipped with an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU suitable for moderate gaming and 3D tasks, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 offers a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, which significantly enhances gaming and 3D performance due to its superior graphics capabilities. Although both have OLED screens with the same refresh rate, the Aero's higher screen quality, including resolution and color space coverage, provides a more immersive visual experience, making it preferable for intense gaming and professional 3D work.
Screen Quality
8.1/10
8.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 16 for software development, and content creation, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness suitable for general work and detailed design tasks, but its lower refresh rate holds it back for gaming and 3D modeling where fluid motion is key. The Gigabyte Aero 16 also boasts a high-resolution, bright screen with a wide color gamut that shines in engineering and artistic applications requiring color accuracy, but similarly, its refresh rate is not optimized for the fast-paced visuals demanded by gamers and 3D animators. Both laptops prioritize visual fidelity and color precision over gaming-grade responsiveness, making them less ideal for high-refresh-rate-dependent activities.
Battery
11.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 16 has 7 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
5.0 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$1,260
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Gigabyte Aero 16 costs $1,260.
The Gigabyte Aero 16 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its high-quality CPU, ample RAM, and sharp display, excels at engineering tasks, offering both power and crisp visuals necessary for precise work, while its lightweight design enhances portability. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 16's strong GPU adds muscle for demanding design software, and its superior screen quality enriches user experience but comes with added weight, affecting ease of transport.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Gigabyte Aero 16 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.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook S 13 to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.8/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 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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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Gigabyte Aero 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."
"The Gigabyte Aero 16 is a workstation laptop for light gaming. It's design is still muted, with a silver chassis alongside a black keyboard and trackpad that provides some contrast. The Gigabyte Aero’s full-size chiclet-style keyboard is enjoyable to type on thanks to its snappy feel and responsiveness. The 4K+ AMOLED display is good, but it could be better. It doesn’t handle true black very well and suffers from strong reflections and glare. The Gigabyte Aero excels at productivity performance and can keep up with other gaming laptops in 1080p. But it has very few ports and its refresh rate leaves a bit to be desired."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Gigabyte Aero 16
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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