The ASUS Zenbook 13 is generally less expensive, lighter, and has a longer battery life, making it highly portable and great for general use. However, if your work involves intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X offers better performance with a more powerful main processor and GPU. The Zenbook Pro 16X also has a larger, higher resolution touchscreen display and more RAM and storage but is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may affect its portability. The deciding factors should revolve around whether high performance or portability and battery life are more important for your needs. 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 Zenbook 13
Excellent portability
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
378.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
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
6.2/10
7.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has an integrated AMD GPU suitable for light gaming and simple 3D tasks, whereas the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X includes a dedicated Nvidia GPU, which offers significantly better performance for gaming and complex 3D applications. Both laptops have screens with the same refresh rate which is fine for most tasks, but the Pro 16X has a higher resolution screen, contributing to better overall screen quality and an enhanced visual experience for demanding graphics work.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.6/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with moderate RAM and an integrated GPU, suits general engineering tasks, while its lighter weight and lower operating noise make it more portable for on-the-go use. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X offers superior CPU and RAM capabilities, along with a dedicated high-performance GPU and a more color-accurate screen, making it ideal for intensive engineering and design applications, though it is heavier and less convenient for frequent travel.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
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
8.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 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
7.8/10
8.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
354.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 13 and Zenbook Pro 16X boast crisp resolution and vibrant panel types that excel in clarity and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design professionals will find the wide color gamuts on both models to be critical for accuracy in color-sensitive work, such as photo editing or CAD modeling. However, gamers and 3D designers may find the lower refresh rates on these laptops less ideal, as smoother motion and rapid screen updates are key for immersive gameplay and fluid 3D rendering.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X 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
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$890
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X costs $1,300.
"The Asus ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
"The new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
98,595
Recommendations made
21,363
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.