The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers high-end performance suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks, with robust build quality and heat management but at a higher cost and reduced battery life. Its larger battery and powerful GPU make it less portable than the ASUS Vivobook 16, which provides good performance for general use, longer battery life, and is lighter in weight, making it more suitable for users on the go who require a less expensive option with decent capabilities for everyday activities and some light creative work. Both laptops offer good keyboard quality, but the ROG Zephyrus M16's display is superior, which benefits tasks where color accuracy and fast motion are important. 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
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 16
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
6.3/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 16 is only fair.
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
7.0/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 excels in engineering and design due to its high-end Intel i9 processor, dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and superior screen quality with higher brightness and color space coverage, all contributors to powerful performance and detailed visuals.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 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.
Screen Quality
9.0/10
6.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
295.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, with its high-resolution display and impressive brightness, offers a sharp and vivid experience for everyday tasks and professional design work, which benefits from its wide color gamut, enhancing the accuracy necessary for engineering and creative software. However, its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 16's screen quality is adequate for standard tasks and basic design use, but doesn't excel in color range or refresh speed, making it less suitable for color-critical work and fast-paced gaming environments.
Battery
4.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good 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
$2,059
$669
$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 16 costs $669.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers higher performance with its advanced CPU and GPU, a brighter screen, and better build quality, making it suitable for demanding tasks but with a shorter battery life. In contrast, the ASUS Vivobook 16, while still performing well for everyday tasks thanks to its capable CPU and sufficient RAM, boasts longer battery life and is lighter for easier portability, but has a less vibrant screen and less robust construction.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.3/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and ASUS Vivobook 16 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
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
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How the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the ASUS Vivobook 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
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 ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 or the ASUS Vivobook 16
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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