If you're looking for a higher performance laptop for tasks like engineering, 3D rendering, or machine learning, and you don't mind spending more, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is an excellent choice. This laptop has a larger screen, significantly higher RAM, a more powerful processor, and a dedicated graphics card, which are great for demanding applications. It also boasts a longer battery life. On the downside, it's heavier, which makes it less portable than the ASUS Vivobook 15. The Vivobook 15, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly, lighter, and offers decent performance for general use, making it a good option for everyday tasks and light workloads. However, with its lower RAM, less powerful processor, and integrated graphics, it's not ideal for intensive tasks. 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 Vivobook 15
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is rated very good for general use because it has a more powerful CPU, higher RAM capacity, and a screen with better color coverage and brightness, which enhances overall performance and user experience; it also has a larger battery contributing to longer battery life, though it is less portable due to its bigger size and weight. In comparison, the ASUS Vivobook 15, while still adequate for general tasks, has a lower-tier CPU, less RAM, and a display with lower brightness and color accuracy, making it more portable and lightweight but less suited for demanding applications and prolonged use without recharging.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 provides a basic gaming experience with its Intel UHD integrated graphics and standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz; by contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers more advanced gaming and 3D capabilities with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, while also having the same 60Hz refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
8.1/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 15, with modest CPU and RAM, along with an integrated GPU, provides fair performance for engineering and design tasks and reasonable screen quality. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a robust CPU, substantial RAM, a dedicated GPU, and superior screen quality, making it well-suited for more demanding engineering and design use, albeit at the expense of being less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
6.4/10
8.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.5/10
7.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.3/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 15's screen has the necessary resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color accuracy for engineering and design work, but its lower refresh rate could hinder the smooth visuals critical for gaming and 3D applications. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, with its higher resolution and color accuracy, offers a more vivid and precise display for both general use and professional design tasks, enhancing the visual experience and detail. However, similar to the Vivobook, its screen lacks the high refresh rate desired for the best gaming and 3D modeling experience, which could lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness in those scenarios.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 6 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook 15 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 both have good portability, though the ASUS Vivobook 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$530
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a price of $530 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 costs $1,500.
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 15 or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 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.
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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