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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on general use and some light engineering tasks, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is a strong choice with its high-resolution touchscreen, excellent color coverage, and robust build quality. It's also more compact and has a more premium look, suitable for professional environments. However, if you prioritize longer battery life, a lower price point, and better gaming and engineering capabilities due to its more powerful GPU and CPU, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is the way to go, despite being less portable and not as sleek as the Surface Laptop. 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 S 15
- The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5".
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
- Good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
6.3
7.8
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$908
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a price of $908 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.6
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.6
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and ASUS Vivobook S 15 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
7.4
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and ASUS Vivobook S 15 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
9.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Build Quality
7.0
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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 S 15 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Vivobook S 15 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$908 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.04 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.17" | 12.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.17" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel Core Ultra 7 135H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 70 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 267 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Vivobook S 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | February 2023
"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."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook S 15 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
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 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.
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