If portability and gaming are priorities, the ASUS ROG Flow X16's lighter weight and higher refresh rate screen make it more suitable, though it has lower battery life. Alternatively, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers more RAM, which is beneficial for intensive engineering tasks or multitasking, and it boasts a longer battery life, but it has a heavier build and a screen less optimized for fast motion, making it less ideal for portable gaming. Both laptops have similar storage and high-performance processors, so your choice depends on whether you favor gaming and portability, or multitasking and longer unplugged usage. 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 ROG Flow X16
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
6.9/10
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is suited for gaming and 3D tasks due to its more capable Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which provides smoother visual experiences during intense gaming sessions. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, while also suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a lower refresh rate of 60Hz, making it less optimal for high-frame-rate gaming but potentially better for tasks that do not require such high refresh rates.
Screen Quality
8.5/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
502.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the ASUS ROG Flow X16 likely has a higher resolution and brighter display which enhances the viewing and usability experience, making it very suitable for day-to-day tasks like browsing and video playback. In engineering and design, the ROG Flow X16's wide color gamuts ensure more accurate color reproduction, key for tasks that require precision like photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Flow X16's lower refresh rate could lead to less smooth visuals compared to laptops with higher refresh rates, which is critical for fast-paced and immersive game play.
Battery
5.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,300
$1,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a price of $1,300 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 costs $1,500.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and ASUS ROG Flow X16 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, with its larger screen and higher amount of RAM, offers a better multitasking experience and a more comfortable viewing, making it very good for general use, despite being slightly less portable due to its size and weight compared to the ASUS ROG Flow X16. The ROG Flow X16, however, provides good general use capabilities with its high-resolution touchscreen, superior battery life, and 2-in-1 convertible feature for versatility, although with less RAM, which may limit performance when handling multiple tasks simultaneously.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
8.1/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for engineering and design tasks due to its high-quality screen, strong CPU and GPU, and RAM that meets the demands of resource-intensive software, while its 2-in-1 convertible design offers flexibility in how it's used. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, while still well-suited for such tasks, has a larger screen but lower screen quality and a less powerful GPU, making it slightly less optimal for the most intense engineering and graphics applications.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.2/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and ASUS ROG Flow X16 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
7.7/10
7.9/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and ASUS ROG Flow X16 are both 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Flow X16 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 compare to other laptops
"Above all else, the Asus ROG Flow X16 is one thing - versatile! It is a thin, mobile work device, it's a 2-in-1, tablet, a powerful workstation and even a gaming PC. But something even more surprising: It does all of these things really well without making any big blunders. It's anything but a lazy compromise. Because, despite its compact dimensions and 2-in-1 functionality, the hardware isn't throttled and boasts, at least in turbo mode, above-average performance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Flow X16 or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,195
Recommendations made
22,143
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.