Updated January 12, 2024·Prices updated 24 hours ago
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is significantly less expensive and offers portability with its lighter weight and slim design, perfect for everyday use and carrying around. However, if you need more power for intensive tasks, such as engineering or multimedia work, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16, although pricier, comes with a higher-grade processor and a dedicated graphics card which may better suit your needs. ThinkPad's superior performance may also be worth the extra cost for professionals who rely on more demanding software. In contrast, the Zenbook's OLED screen is beautiful for media consumption but may not be as critical for professional applications. Keep in mind, the ThinkPad is bulkier, which may be a downside if you're often on the move. Give Feedback
At the time of writing the ASUS Zenbook 14 cost $300 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 cost $1,449.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
8.0/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a fair portability score and very good ratings in keyboard and screen quality, but with an average processor and less RAM, it's less suited for intensive tasks compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad P16, which excels with a higher-end CPU, more RAM, and a better screen, at the cost of portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is somewhat better.
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
7.2/10
8.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is often preferred for engineering and design because it has a more advanced CPU, larger RAM, higher-end GPU, and a display with greater resolution for detailed visual work, especially with a larger screen size, which can be important for design tasks. In contrast, the Asus Zenbook 14 offers a balance of performance with its decent CPU and GPU and is more portable due to its lighter weight, although it has less RAM and a smaller screen, which may limit its capacity for intensive engineering software and multitasking.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.2/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
8.4/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
8.3/10
8.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14 for content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 both have high-resolution, bright displays which are excellent for general use, offering clear visuals and vibrant colors. These laptops also cover wide color gamuts, making them suitable for engineering and design tasks where color accuracy is essential. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short because they lack the high refresh rates that are crucial for smooth motion and fast-paced graphics.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$300
$1,449
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 costs $1,449.
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14 or the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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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.
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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