The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is a better choice if you prioritize gaming and 3D/machine learning tasks due to its higher performance graphics card and processor, larger screen, and higher refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth gameplay; however, it is heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers superior display quality with its OLED screen, higher resolution, and better color coverage, making it suitable for professional creative work. It also has a more premium build and additional features like a touchscreen and facial recognition, but this comes at a higher price and with slightly lower performance in gaming and engineering applications. If portability and display quality for productivity tasks matter more to you, the ThinkPad Z16 would be the right pick, despite a tradeoff in gaming capabilities and price. 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 A17
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
Very good for software development
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
8.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
253.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for general use, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is somewhat better.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 offers a larger screen and a more powerful CPU for multitasking and demanding applications, with a substantial storage capacity and solid battery life, making it well-suited for general use. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out with a higher-resolution OLED touchscreen and double the RAM for smoother operation, an exceptional keyboard, and lightweight portability, but provides less battery life in comparison, making it a compelling option for on-the-go productivity and high-quality media consumption.
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
6.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 provides a superior gaming experience with a higher refresh rate display and a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card for fast-paced gaming, whereas the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a high-resolution OLED screen with better screen quality but a lower refresh rate and less powerful AMD RX 6500M GPU that may not perform as well in the most demanding gaming scenarios.
Software Development
7.7/10
8.2/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is good.
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
6.8/10
8.5/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
253.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17's screen may not provide the clarity and color fidelity that engineers and designers need due to its limited color gamut, even though its adequate resolution and brightness make it passable for general use. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 excels in screen quality for engineering and design tasks through its superior color accuracy, coverage of professional color spaces, and higher resolution, although for general use, these features also ensure a crisp and vivid display. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications where a high refresh rate is crucial, as their screens do not refresh as quickly as dedicated gaming laptops, potentially leading to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,552
$1,120
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a price of $1,552 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 boasts a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, offering substantial performance for engineering applications, but its larger size and heavier weight impact portability. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with its high-resolution OLED screen and efficient AMD RX GPU, delivers exceptional screen quality and is more portable, though it might not match the raw graphical processing power of the Asus for certain engineering tasks.
Content Creation
8.1/10
8.5/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very 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.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
"There is one big question that needs an answer. Is the TUF Gaming A17 FA707 a better purchase than the ROG Strix G17 G713R (2022)? Well, it depends. Undoubtedly, the Strix is the more premium product. Arguably the biggest advantage it has over its TUF fellow is in regards to the display. ASUS TUF Gaming A17 A707’s IPS panel has a Full HD resolution, comfortable viewing angles, and a very good contrast ratio."
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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.
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