If performance is a priority and you frequently engage in gaming or demanding tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or advanced engineering software, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is better equipped with more storage, higher RAM, a superior processor, and advanced graphics. However, it's more expensive and less portable due to its weight. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 15 is more budget-friendly, with enough capability for everyday use, general productivity tasks, and long battery life. It's lighter, making it more portable, but less suitable for intensive tasks due to its basic integrated graphics and lower performance hardware. 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 Zephyrus M16
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 15
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
627.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers a high-end CPU, more RAM, and a superior screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, making it better for demanding tasks and enjoying high-quality visuals. Conversely, the ASUS Vivobook 15, while more portable and offering longer battery life, has a mid-range CPU, less RAM, and a screen with lower color coverage, which is adequate for everyday tasks but may fall short for intensive use.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
5.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
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
8.8/10
6.1/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
6.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
9.0/10
6.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers high resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general use, and it has a wide color gamut, beneficial for engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial. However, its refresh rate is lower than what's preferred for gaming and 3D applications, where smooth motion is key. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 15 provides an adequate display for general use and engineering tasks at a lower cost, but similar to the M16, it doesn't excel in gaming or 3D due to its modest refresh rate.
Battery
4.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 6 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
3.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 both have good portability, though the ASUS Vivobook 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$529
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $2,059 and the ASUS Vivobook 15 costs $529.
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 or the ASUS Vivobook 15
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
100,995
Recommendations made
21,883
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.