If performance is a top priority, especially for intensive gaming, engineering or 3D/machine learning tasks, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 with its powerful processor and graphics card is a strong choice, and it also provides better battery life. However, it's heavier and less portable compared to the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, which, while it may be a little more expensive, offers a slimmer design, and is lighter, making it easier to carry around. The Lenovo also has a higher quality keyboard and a slightly better screen for color-sensitive work, but falls short in battery life in comparison to the ASUS. 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 TUF Gaming A16
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
Very good for engineering and design
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, a high-resolution display ensures crisp text and clear images, while better brightness enhances visibility in well-lit environments; ASUS and Lenovo alike deliver pleasing visuals fitting these criteria. In the context of engineering and design, color accuracy is critical to ensure that the work produced reflects true-to-life colors, and both the ASUS and Lenovo offer displays that cover a broad spectrum of color gamuts. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D, a high refresh rate is key for smooth motion, and unfortunately, both these laptops have lower refresh rates, making them less ideal for these fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 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.
Cost
$930
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $930 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for general use.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers a strong balance of performance with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and substantial RAM, ideal for smooth multitasking and general use, complemented by a high-quality IPS screen for clear visuals. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, while also equipped with solid performance capabilities and similarly high RAM, prioritizes a sleeker design and is lighter, making it more portable; however, it may have reduced battery life compared to the ASUS model for long-term use without charging.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
7.7/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16's AMD RX 7600S GPU and higher screen refresh rate of 165 frames per second make it ideal for smoother visuals in gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, with its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a still respectable 144 frames per second refresh rate, also offers a strong gaming and 3D performance but may have slightly less fluid motion in fast-paced scenes.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
8.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5 to be very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is graded higher for engineering and design use due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which typically outperforms the AMD RX 7600S found in the ASUS TUF Gaming A16, providing better handling of graphics-intensive tasks. Furthermore, the Legion Slim 5 offers a higher quality keyboard and less operating noise, which are factors that can enhance user comfort during long engineering or design sessions.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for content creation.
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
7.3/10
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A16 to have good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 compare to other laptops
"The A16 makes an excellent case against more expensive laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Katana GF76, especially if you’re into 1080p gaming. However, although its affordable, it doesn’t skimp on performance or a robust chassis. But for me, the biggest factor that sets it apart from these options is its incredible battery life. In my time reviewing laptops, I can’t remember when I last saw a gaming laptop lasted 11 and a half hours on a single charge, which makes the A16, in my book, truly outstanding."
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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.
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
123,795
Recommendations made
26,823
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.