ASUS Laptop Series – Which One Should You Buy?

ASUS is a Taiwanese computer brand that is gradually climbing ranks to become one of the best laptop brands in the world. Their laptops are mostly budget-friendly, designed for casual users, students, offices, and gamers. Although it has been in the business for a while now, some of its recent models are their best ones yet. 

The laptops are comparable with Lenovo, Acer, and even Dell, all of which are among the top market share. If you’re looking for an ASUS laptop, in particular, you should start by analyzing the different series they have. 

Unlike Lenovo or Acer, ASUS doesn’t have many series under its belt, which should make your choice even easier. 

All ASUS Laptop Series

We will talk about each series in detail, list their best laptop models, and also discuss who should be investing in them ideally. 

ASUS Zenbook

ASUS Zenbook laptop series is the Company’s most extensive product line, with a diverse product lineup.  It includes a number of models in different screen sizes and varying processors. These laptops are general-purpose, ideal for home users. That said, the functionality of some is also appropriate for school or office work. 

The ASUS Zenbook laptops are designed to be highly portable, lightweight, and with a sleek body. You can commute with these easily, and they will fit in a small bag easily (depending on the screen size). 

As an entry-level laptop, the Zenbook models come with decent memory and storage. As for the processors, you have both Intel Core and AMD Ryzen. Many models also have dedicated graphics cards, like Intel ones having NVIDIA and AMD ones having AMD graphics cards. 

For instance, the ASUS Zenbook 14 UM425 comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 5000 Series processor, paired with an AMD Radeon™ graphics card. In addition, this particular model comes with up to 2 TB SSD storage. This is one of the higher-tier laptops in the series. 

The screen sizes in this series range between 13 inches and 15.6 inches, with the average screen size being 14 inches. 

Here are the highlights of the Zenbook ASUS laptop series:

  • Intel and AMD processors
  • NVIDIA and AMD Radeon graphics cards (in select models)
  • SSD storage in almost all latest models
  • Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro
  • Sleek and lightweight
  • Long battery life (up to 16 hours on some models)
  • Good value for money
  • Ideal for beginners, casual users, small businesses, and students

Zenbook Pro, Zenbook Duo and Zenbook Flip

The company has consolidated several types of laptops under the Zenbook series. So you won’t just find conventional laptops but also 2-in-1 laptops under the same series name. Other brands have dedicated series for such laptops. 

The Zenbook Pro is ideal for businesses and enterprises as these come with Windows 10 Pro and are equipped for running enterprise software. Similarly, the Zenbook S also serves for business use, equipped with some of the best technology for laptops these days. 

The Zenbook Duo 14 is the latest innovation by ASUS, combining two screens in one laptop. In addition, this ultra-slim laptop has a secondary display called the ScreenPad™ Plus. 

It’s designed for the creative types and those on the go who need a machine for multitasking. Instead of using separate multiple screens, you have to screen in on one device, saving space. Also, you can carry it around easily. 

Another sub-series within the Zenbook is the ASUS Zenbook Flip, which is a 2-in-1 laptop. As the name indicates, the touchscreen can be flipped over and used as a tablet. The latest model in the series is the Zenbook Flip 15 (UX564), powered by an 11th Generation Intel Core H Series processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. 

ASUS Vivobook

ASUS Vivobook is another diverse laptop series by the Taiwanese brand. It’s similar to Zenbook in many ways, as the sub-series have similar names and features. 

We feel that Vivobooks are a bit more conservative in design, whereas Zenbooks are more elaborate. However, you’ll find similar technology in many of the models in the series. 

Here are the different categories or sub-series within ASUS Vivobooks

  • Vivobook S
  • Vivobook Pro/Pro X
  • Vivobook Flip
  • Vivobook S
  • Vivobook Go

Much like the Zenbook series, you can find laptops of all sizes using different processors. However, Intel Core processors are more common in this series. 

Vivobook laptops (just the Vivobook series) are great for students. In fact, the company sells these as the best laptops for students. With screen sizes as small as 11 inches, some laptops are suitable for very young middle school students. In addition, their size and weight are appropriate for carrying to school every day. 

Here are the top three ASUS Vivobook laptops for students:

  1. ASUS Vivobook 15
  2. ASUS Vivobook S15
  3. ASUS Vivobook S14

The Vivobook Pro and Pro X series laptops are best for businesses. These laptops have screen sizes ranging from 14 inches to a whopping 17.3 inches. The Vivobook Pro 16X is the latest in the series that comes with an OLED display and is powered by an AMD Ryzen™ processor. 

If you’re specifically looking for a laptop with an AMD processor, the ASUS Vivobook is a viable option as most models come with AMD processors and graphics cards. As a result, these laptops range from cheap to mid-range in terms of pricing. 

ASUS TUF (The Ultimate Force)

ASUS also produces decent gaming laptops, with the TUF or The Ultimate Force series being the entry-level gaming choice. These laptops are suitable for casual gamers and professionals who don’t always play with the highest graphics settings. You can play most games on this series, but it’s probably not the best choice for graphic-intensive FPS and RPG games. 

You won’t find as many choices in this series as you would with the other two, the Zenbook and Vivobook. The latest in the series is the ASUS TUF Dash F15. The machine features an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 3070 GPU. What really sets it apart from the other gaming laptops in the market is that it’s quite thin (19.9mm).

The display quality is pretty good for the price, with a 240 Hz refresh rate and 3 ms response time. You also have the standard backlit keyboard with not red but turquoise LEDs. 

ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers)

The ASUS Republic of Gamers or ROG series is the dedicated gamers series with a decent selection of laptops and tower PCs. The most popular laptops in the series are the ASUS ROG Zephyrus. 

The Zephyrus series comes in 14 inches, 15 inches, and 17.6 inches. These have more powerful GPUs and can easily support almost any game you can play on a PC. While you have both Intel and AMD processor options, the GPUs in virtually all of them are NVIDIA GeForce. 

The most popular laptop in this gaming laptop series is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, which is way more affordable than gaming laptops by other brands with comparable features. It has the AMD Ryzen™ 7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060. In terms of performance, it can rival that of desktop gaming PCs. 

Another gamers’ favorite is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M15, which has the Intel Core processor. It’s even cheaper than the G15, as it has the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060Ti to 2070 Super GPU options. 

The more expensive models come with Windows 10 Pro, whereas all the other models come with Windows 10 Home. 

These are pretty durable gaming laptops, as most ASUS laptops are generally sturdy. If you’re a rough gamer who pounds on the keys and may bump the laptops into surfaces as well, these could be a good option. 

The battery life varies by model, so you should check for the specific model you’re looking for. Anything over 10 hours is good enough in the price range of these laptops. 

ASUS Chromebook

There are many Chromebook models by ASUS that are roughly inspired by its Zenbook and Vivobook models. It offers several types of Chromebooks, including Chromebook Flip and Chromebook Split. The availability varies by region, as some models are only available in certain locations. 

The best one yet is the Chromebook Enterprise, designed for businesses and organizations. It leverages the best of Google’s cloud-based system. It’s best for companies using Google Cloud and Workstation. 

The Chromebook sizes range from 10.6 inches to 15.6 inches, with the smaller one being 2-in-1 models. The most popular Chromebooks by ASUS include:

  1. ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5
  2. ASUS Chromebook CX1
  3. ASUS Chromebook C425

Conclusion

ASUS is an underdog in the world of laptops, as it has been consistently improving its products but still has a long way to reach the numbers projected by Lenovo or HP. Nevertheless, it’s more than a reputable brand that offers great value for money. 

Most models, be it the Zenbook or the TUF gaming, are appropriate for entry-level functionality. If this is your first laptop and you don’t expect to run heavy software or games, these models should work fine. That said, they also have upper-tier laptops with more processing power, dedicated GPUs, and SSD storage that are good for college students and businesses. 

Check out our article about Asus in comparison to HP.

Chris Martin is a professional tech writer. He's been covering tech tutorials, hardware reviews, and more as a professional writer for over seven years now and it doesn't look like he'll be stopping anytime soon! In addition to writing about the latest gadgets on the market, he also covers topics such as how to set up your home network or troubleshoot any computer problems you may have.

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