The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is designed for high performance and would be well-suited for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software due to its powerful processor and graphics card. However, it's heavier and likely has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. The ASUS Zenbook 14, on the other hand, offers good performance for everyday tasks and light productivity with a focus on portability, thanks to its lightweight design and potentially longer battery life. It's also less expensive, but it won't handle demanding applications as well as the Zephyrus. Consider the Zenbook if you prioritize portability and value, and the Zephyrus if your work requires more power and you're less concerned about cost and portability. 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 Zenbook 14
Very good portability
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
627.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for general use, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 outperforms the ASUS Zenbook 14 in general use largely due to its superior CPU, larger and higher quality screen, and greater RAM capacity, enhancing multitasking and media viewing; however, the M16's gaming-focused features may compromise its battery life and portability as compared to the more balanced Zenbook 14, which offers a compact and energy-efficient design at the cost of some performance and screen real estate.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
6.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 excels in gaming and 3D applications primarily due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and high screen refresh rate of 240Hz, which are critical for rendering fast-paced visuals smoothly. In comparison, the ASUS Zenbook 14, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower refresh rate of 90Hz, provides a fair experience, sufficient for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
7.2/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 excels in engineering and design tasks thanks to its more powerful i9 processor, higher RAM, and advanced Nvidia GPU, coupled with a high-quality IPS screen, making it capable of handling resource-intensive applications and complex graphics.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.3/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 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
7.7/10
7.2/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for software development, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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
9.0/10
8.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14 for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 offer panels with high resolution and brightness, ensuring sharp, clear images and comfortable visibility under various lighting conditions. When it comes to engineering and design, these laptops have displays with extensive color coverage, making them suitable for professionals who require accurate color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the poor screen quality of these models is due to lower refresh rates, which may lead to less smooth visuals and could detract from fast-paced, immersive experiences.
Battery
4.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 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
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$300
$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 Zenbook 14 costs $300.
"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."
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 or the ASUS Zenbook 14
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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