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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers superior performance with a high-end processor and advanced graphics suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D modeling, machine learning, and gaming. Its screen provides better color accuracy and higher resolution, which can be beneficial for creative professionals. It's more portable due to its lighter weight, and it also offers more modern ports for connectivity. However, it usually comes at a higher price. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is typically less expensive, has a larger screen size which might be preferred for a more immersive gaming and viewing experience but with lower resolution and color accuracy. Its heavier weight and lower portability score make it less ideal for frequent travel, while its performance is solid, albeit less potent compared to the ASUS, but still suitable for general gaming and engineering use. Both laptops have similar battery life and come equipped with backlit keyboards and hardware ray tracing capabilities, but the Lenovo has a numeric keypad as an added feature. 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
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
627.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers a higher-resolution display, a more powerful CPU, and a lighter, thinner design, which can be advantageous for portability and screen quality but may affect battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a larger screen size, which is great for visibility but significantly heavier, making it less portable.
Gaming and AI
8.5
7.4
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and 3D because it has a high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and an exceptionally high screen refresh rate of 240Hz, which provides smoother visuals and can give gamers an edge. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" also performs well in gaming and 3D due to its capable Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a decent screen refresh rate of 144Hz, but the Zephyrus M16's superior graphics and faster screen will offer more fluid gameplay and better 3D rendering capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.8
7.6
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 stands out for engineering and design due to its superior CPU (Intel i9), high-end GPU (Nvidia RTX 4070), and excellent screen quality, characterized by higher resolution, brightness, and color space coverage for precise visual tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
7.2
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.0
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.3
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
In considering screen quality for general use, laptops like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 often feature high-resolution displays with vivid colors and brightness levels that enhance readability and media consumption, contributing to a very good overall experience. Engineers and designers will find the ASUS's wide color gamuts, which encompass a greater spectrum of colors like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, particularly valuable for precision in color-critical tasks, hence its very good rating for these professionals. However, for gaming and 3D applications, where high refresh rates offer smoother motion and a competitive edge, the ASUS M16's lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops leads to a poor assessment for these specific use cases.
Portability
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,842
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $1,842 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
Battery
4.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 | Lenovo Legion 5 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,842 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83'' | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 6.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.69" | 11.41" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 627 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"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."
Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 or the Lenovo Legion 5 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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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