The Apple MacBook Air offers a lightweight design and long battery life, making it a strong option if portability and battery are priorities. It is well-suited for general use with good build quality, quiet operation due to the lack of a fan, and higher performance in general use tasks. However, it comes at a higher price and has less storage and RAM than the ASUS Vivobook 16.
The ASUS Vivobook 16, on the other hand, provides more storage and RAM for less money, which can be beneficial for more demanding tasks such as engineering software or light gaming. It features a larger screen but is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. The Vivobook's performance for 3D rendering and machine learning is also lower compared to the MacBook Air, which may be an important consideration if those tasks are critical to your needs. 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 Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 16
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers an Apple M2 chip with integrated GPU and high screen quality, beneficial for design tasks where color accuracy and image clarity are key, while its silent operation and strong portability make it suitable for on-the-go engineers. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 16 boasts a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU with Vega 8 graphics and double the RAM for more demanding engineering software, along with a larger screen, but it is less portable and has lower screen quality, making it a solid choice for stationary use where extensive multitasking is common.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
7.6/10
6.4/10
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
295.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air offers a high-resolution display with impressive brightness, providing a crisp and vivid viewing experience for general use and detailed work in engineering and design due to wide color gamuts that display a broad range of colors accurately. Conversely, the ASUS Vivobook's screen quality is adequate for day-to-day tasks and professional work, but may not be as sharp or vibrant due to less emphasis on high color fidelity and brightness. For 3D applications, both may fall short as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for the smooth rendering of fast-moving graphics.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
Excellent
Good
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$668
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the ASUS Vivobook 16 costs $668.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-suited for general use due to its powerful Apple M2 processor, high screen resolution and color accuracy, and excellent portability with a long-lasting battery and lightweight design. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 16 offers a larger screen and more RAM and storage for demanding tasks, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.3/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) with an integrated GPU designed by Apple offers a high-quality screen with lower compatibility for popular games, providing a fair 3D experience that is not fully aligned with the gaming ecosystem. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 16 comes with an integrated AMD Vega 8 GPU and Windows 11, supporting a broader range of games and delivering a fair experience for gaming and 3D applications, balanced with average screen quality.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the ASUS Vivobook 16 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the ASUS Vivobook 16
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.