If you value long battery life and portability coupled with solid performance for everyday tasks, consider the Gigabyte A5, which is less expensive but offers lesser performance for engineering and 3D/machine learning applications compared to the ASUS ROG Flow X16. The ASUS model features better screen resolution and color accuracy, a touchscreen, and is a superior choice for graphics-intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering simulations, albeit at a higher price point. The ASUS also has a larger battery, but keep in mind it’s heavier, which can impact its portability. Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on a balance between your budget, need for high-end performance, and desire for a laptop that's easy to carry around. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow X16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte A5
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
502.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 stands out for its high-quality CPU and RAM, combined with a superior screen that supports touch with a higher resolution and better color coverage, all in a versatile 2-in-1 form factor with decent battery life. On the other hand, the Gigabyte A5 offers a robust CPU and equivalent RAM but with a simpler, standard screen, though it has slightly longer battery life and marginally improved portability due to reduced weight and thickness.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
7.3/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 stands out for engineering and design use due to its superior AMD Ryzen 9 processor coupled with an RTX 3060 GPU and a high-quality touchscreen display that boasts excellent color coverage and brightness, enhancing visual detail and work efficiency. The Gigabyte A5, while commendable with the same GPU and ample RAM for substantial tasks, falls behind with a less powerful Ryzen 5 CPU and a lower resolution, non-touchscreen display, but it still maintains a good balance between performance and affordability for engineering and design purposes.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.3/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte A5 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
7.7/10
7.0/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for software development, though the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is somewhat better.
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
8.5/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
502.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When picking between the ASUS ROG Flow X16 and the Gigabyte A5, consider that the first offers a higher resolution and brightness, leading to sharper and clearer visuals for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work. The ASUS also covers a wider color spectrum, ensuring that colors in design applications are vivid and accurate. However, for gaming and 3D tasks where smooth motion is crucial, the Gigabyte A5 might fall short due to its lower refresh rate compared to gaming-optimized laptops, despite its adequate resolution and panel type.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte A5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,300
$830
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a price of $1,300 and the Gigabyte A5 costs $830.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 boasts an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher 165Hz refresh rate, along with a higher resolution screen, which provides smoother visuals for gaming and 3D tasks in comparison to the Gigabyte A5, which also equips an Nvidia RTX 3060 but has a lower 144Hz refresh rate and standard resolution, potentially making it less smooth for fast-paced gaming and less sharp for detailed 3D work.
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 and Gigabyte A5 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow X16 and the Gigabyte A5 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."
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Flow X16 or the Gigabyte A5
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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