Opting for the ASUS Zenbook S 13 would be wise if portability and battery life are your top priorities, as it is lighter and has a higher portability score compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, which might be ideal if you're seeking a laptop with a larger, higher-resolution screen and a more powerful processor and graphics card for tasks such as 3D rendering or machine learning. The ThinkPad Z16's higher price reflects its better performance for engineering and 3D tasks, whereas the Zenbook is more cost-effective for general use and still provides excellent performance with a top-notch display for everyday tasks. Both have ample storage and memory, but the ThinkPad does offer a touchscreen, which the Zenbook lacks, and tends to have a more durable, business-grade build quality. 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
Best in class portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1/10
8.5/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook S 13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 both have high-resolution displays with suitable brightness and panel types that make them vibrant and sharp for general tasks like browsing and video consumption. The ThinkPad Z16 excels in engineering and design due to its wider color gamut coverage, ensuring more accurate color reproduction for professional graphics work. However, for 3D applications and gaming, both laptops fall short as their displays likely don't support the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion rendering.
Battery
11.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
4.2 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$1,120
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a strong blend of portability, screen quality with an OLED display, and long battery life, making it ideal for general use that involves multimedia consumption and productivity on the go. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while also good for general use, stands out with its comfortable keyboard and build quality, suited for heavy typing and business environments, along with ample storage and robust heat management for sustained performance.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its Intel CPU and integrated GPU, is designed for mobility, making it a good match for on-the-go engineering and design tasks, while also offering a quality OLED screen for clear visuals. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, on the other hand, boasts a more powerful AMD CPU and dedicated GPU, as well as a larger, high-resolution OLED screen, suited for intensive design work, but it's heavier and less portable compared to the Zenbook.
Content Creation
8.5/10
8.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 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
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for software development.
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
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to have 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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."
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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