The choice between the ASUS Vivobook 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" depends on your priorities. If a lower price is a key factor and you're happy with a laptop that has a larger screen and is heavier, then the ASUS Vivobook 16 is a significant value and offers a good balance between cost and features. It's also a solid option if you require more storage space right out of the box. Conversely, if you prioritize a more portable, lighter laptop with higher screen resolution and you're willing to invest more, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is the way to go. It comes with a unique 3:2 display ratio better suited for productivity tasks, and you might find it more aesthetically pleasing, as well. Neither choice compromises on general use performance, but for specific needs like engineering tasks, gaming, or extensive use without power, consider how the performance, battery life, and portability affect your daily routine. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13".
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
Good overall display quality
Excellent portability
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
295.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook 16, with its adequate resolution and brightness, works well for browsing and video streaming, but its limited color gamut and standard refresh rate don't meet the high standards required for professional engineering applications and smooth gaming experiences. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a vibrant, sharp display with higher resolution and improved brightness, making it more suitable for precise design work and general multimedia consumption, though it still falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate that is not optimized for fast-paced visuals. Both laptops would benefit from enhanced color accuracy and faster refresh rates to truly excel in engineering, design, and especially 3D gaming environments.
Portability
Good
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and ASUS Vivobook 16 both have good build quality, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$669
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a price of $669 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 with its larger screen and higher RAM can handle multitasking efficiently, suitable for general use, while Microsoft Surface Laptop 5's smaller size and lighter weight make it more portable with touch screen capabilities, offering a balance between performance and convenience for day-to-day tasks. Both laptops feature quality screens and sufficient battery life, but the Surface Laptop 5 stands out with a higher-quality keyboard and speakers, whereas the Vivobook 16 offers a numeric keypad and better heat management.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
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 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are considered fair for gaming and 3D tasks primarily because neither has a high-end dedicated GPU, which is very important for these activities; both rely on integrated graphics, with the ASUS using AMD Ryzen 7 7730U Vega 8 and the Surface Laptop sporting Intel Iris Xe.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
7.1/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 is suitable for engineering and design tasks thanks to its AMD Ryzen 7 processor with integrated Vega 8 graphics, balanced with a 16-inch screen that offers ample workspace and high resolution. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" uses an Intel i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics, offering a more portable option with a high-quality touchscreen and a sharper, brighter display, which benefits design work needing precise color representation and detail.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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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How the ASUS Vivobook 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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."
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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