Updated January 10, 2024·Prices updated 24 hours ago
When choosing between the ASUS Vivobook 16 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15, consider the following tradeoffs: the Vivobook 16 has a slightly larger screen and a cheaper price, but the Vivobook S 15 has a much longer battery life and is slightly lighter, making it more portable. The Vivobook S 15 has a better performance for general use, 3D/rendering, and engineering tasks, however the differences aren't very large. Both have similar build quality, heat management, and ports available, but the Vivobook S 15 also provides an Ethernet port and more display outputs which might be important for connectivity. If you prefer longer battery life and better connectivity options, and don't mind spending a little more, the Vivobook S 15 could be the better choice. However, if screen size and price are your top concerns, the Vivobook 16 would be more suitable. 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 16
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Vivobook S 15.
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook S 15
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Vivobook 16.
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
295.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 15 for general use.
For general use, the Vivobook 16 and S 15 provide a balance of resolution and brightness, but the screens may not be as vivid or sharp as higher-end laptops; they work fine for everyday tasks like browsing and office work. When it comes to engineering and design, the colors these laptops can display might not cover the wider color gamuts required for professional photo editing or detailed design work. For gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of these laptops mean less fluid visuals and potential motion blur, making them not ideal for fast-paced games or high-end 3D rendering.
Cost
$629
$908
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a price of $629 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 costs $908.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 is suited for general use with a sizeable 16-inch screen and ample multitasking capability thanks to its efficient AMD Ryzen 7 processor and solid RAM, though it is slightly heavier impacting portability; it also has a decent battery life but may not last as long as more specialized models. The ASUS Vivobook S 15, on the other hand, combines general use efficiency with better portability owing to its lighter weight and slightly smaller 15.6-inch screen, and while it shares a comparably capable AMD Ryzen processor with good RAM, it stands out with its longer battery life for extended periods of use.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both fair for gaming and 3D because they share similar integrated GPU capabilities and standard screen refresh rates. However, the Vivobook 16 has a slightly larger screen with a higher resolution which contributes to screen quality, while the Vivobook S 15 compensates with a superior CPU and better battery capacity, but both have a screen refresh rate that's on the lower end for gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
7.1/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 is tailored for engineering and design tasks with a larger screen and high-resolution display that enhances visual clarity, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15, being lighter with a smaller screen, offers better portability without compromising on CPU and RAM, crucial for demanding software. Both laptops have quality speakers and keyboards with good thermal management for operating noise, making them suitable for long work sessions, though the Vivobook S 15 has a stronger battery life which might appeal to users frequently on the move.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.6/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and ASUS Vivobook 16 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
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and ASUS Vivobook 16 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 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
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and ASUS Vivobook 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Vivobook 16 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 compare to other laptops
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, Yannick Khong | May 2023
"The ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) is a budget Windows laptop. It's available with various AMD Ryzen 5000 and 7000 U-series CPUs and integrated graphics. You can only get 8GB of RAM; however, there's an empty SO-DIMM slot if you want to upgrade it. It has an FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 IPS display, a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, a 720p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity. Ports include three USB-As, one USB-C, an HDMI, and a headphone jack. The USB-C supports charging but no video output."
"Internals make Asus VivoBook S15 laptop a compelling option. The Asus multimedia laptop may look rather below-average with its modest black chassis, lack of a dedicated GPU, limited RAM and meagre port selection without Thunderbolt support. But your impression of the device will start changing once you set your eyes on its high-contrast OLED capable of producing deep blacks and highly accurate colours. And your opinion will change completely when the VivoBook is switched on. The AMD CPU can effortlessly keep up with powerful rivals from Intel. The integrated Radeon graphics blows away Intel's iGPU when it comes to graphics workloads such as rendering and simpler games."
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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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