Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 depends on your priorities. If top-notch build quality, a highly optimized operating system, and better integration with other Apple products are important to you, and you're willing to pay more, then the MacBook Air 15 may be the better choice. The MacBook is known for quiet operation since it doesn't have a fan. However, if you're looking for a more affordable laptop with good performance and a higher refresh rate display that may be better suited for tasks like gaming, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 would be a strong candidate. It also offers more port diversity, which can be handy for connecting peripherals. Keep in mind that the MacBook may offer longer battery life and a lighter design for greater portability, whereas the Vivobook's heavier weight and possibly shorter battery life are trade-offs for its lower cost and robust features. 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 15 (2023)
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.0/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
385.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 are both good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air 15, with its efficient Apple M2 CPU and GPU, excels in performance suitable for engineering and design tasks, and its IPS display delivers high brightness and color accuracy for detailed visual work, while also being notably quiet due to its fanless design.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
8.1/10
7.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
7.8/10
8.4/10
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
385.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 for software development, and content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) delivers in resolution and brightness for general use, and it covers a wide color spectrum, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks that require color accuracy. However, its lower refresh rate limits its capability for 3D applications, which demand fluid motion. The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14, similarly, offers high resolution and superb color fidelity for both general and design needs, but its shortcomings in refresh rate make it less suitable for smooth, fast-paced 3D graphics required in gaming.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 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
Very Good
Very Good
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$548
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 costs $548.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a lower screen refresh rate and its integrated GPU is suitable for light to moderate 3D tasks, but the MacOS might limit gaming options due to compatibility issues. Conversely, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 offers a higher screen refresh rate and an Intel Iris Xe GPU that supports general gaming, but may struggle with more demanding 3D applications and games.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"The Asus Vivobook Pro 14 OLED is a Pantone Validated laptop that packs a lot of processing power. The Asus VivoBook Pro 14 OLED's highlight is its outstanding display: Featuring a 3K resolution in the 16:10 format and nearly a 100% coverage of the Display P3 color space, the display hardly leaves anything to be desired. The Asus laptop also shows impeccable rates in terms of general system performance. Combined with long battery life, low noise emissions, and relatively good speakers, the laptop can be recommended to users who can accept compromises in terms of connectivity."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the ASUS Vivobook Pro 14
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.