The ASUS Zenbook 13, at a lower midrange price, is more portable and offers a premium OLED screen, which can display more vibrant colors. It has a solid battery life, is suitable for general use, lighter workloads in 3D rendering and engineering, and has a backlit keyboard but lacks a dedicated graphics card. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro also at a lower midrange price point with better general use and engineering performance due to its stronger processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics card, which also supports hardware Ray Tracing and DLSS for better 3D workloads. It features a high-resolution, higher refresh rate IPS display, which is better for fast motion and offers a longer battery life. However, it's heavier and less portable. Both have sufficient storage and RAM for daily tasks, but the IdeaPad has twice the memory, enhancing multitasking and complex applications. Choose the Zenbook 13 for better portability and an OLED screen or the IdeaPad 5 Pro for higher performance in graphics-intensive tasks and engineering. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.8/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro for general use, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 stands out for general use and engineering tasks because its display likely offers sharper images and better color accuracy, essential for detail-oriented work, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro offers a balanced screen performance that's suitable for daily activities and design work. However, neither is ideal for gaming and 3D applications, as they probably lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and quick responses in fast-paced visual environments. The difference in screen quality between the two can be attributed to variations in panel technology, color reproduction capabilities, and overall brightness, with the Zenbook possibly edging out slightly due to superior color coverage and resolution.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$890
$1,025
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro costs $1,025.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 is highly regarded for general use because of its excellent portability, impressive OLED screen quality, and substantial battery life, supported by a capable CPU and sufficient RAM for everyday tasks. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro, while slightly less portable due to its larger screen and heavier build, compensates with a sharper display, higher RAM for more demanding work, and a discrete GPU that can handle more intensive applications.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and ASUS Zenbook 13 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.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
7.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro is favored for engineering and design due to its higher RAM capacity, which enhances multitasking and computational capabilities, and its discrete Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which provides better graphics performance for design work compared to the ASUS Zenbook 13's integrated AMD Ryzen 7 5700U Vega 8 graphics. While the ASUS Zenbook 13 offers an OLED screen excellent for color work, the IdeaPad's larger screen and higher resolution are advantageous for detailed engineering and design tasks, despite the Zenbook's better portability and operating noise due to its lighter build and efficient cooling.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 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
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and ASUS Zenbook 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
9.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has 10 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
7.4/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and ASUS Zenbook 13 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 Zenbook 13 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro compare to other laptops
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro turns out a successful all-rounder that, aside from 3D applications, always strikes a good or very good figure. This begins with the elegant metal case that isn't particularly light but fairly robust, giving a high-quality impression. The input devices are also better than those of many competitors. Both the keyboard and the touchpad are attractive and comfortable. In addition, the performance of the Ryzen 5 6600HS is easily able to keep up with the Intel competitors."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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