Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) vs ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SAL

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against laptops at a similar price

The Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) scores 7.3/10 overall, ahead of the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SAL at 6.2/10.

The Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) leads on performance, display, battery life, keyboard and build, ports and linux support.

They score the same on memory and storage.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)

7.3/10verdict: buy

The MacBook Pro 14-inch with M5 is for buyers who are happy to work on macOS and want a sharp screen and long battery life. It suits people who will pick the right memory size on day one, since memory is set at purchase. It is a weaker fit for anyone who needs native Linux or sustained heavy compute.

Typically about £1,599 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SAL

6.2/10verdict: good, not the best

The Vivobook S 14 OLED suits students, mobile office workers and developers who want a light 14-inch laptop with a colour-rich screen and good battery reports. It gives 16GB of memory, two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 1.30 kg chassis. Buyers who want to upgrade memory later or run Linux with vendor backing should look at the limits first.

Typically about £649.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)	ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SAL
Performance	25%	7/10	6/10
Memory and storage	20%	6/10	6/10
Display	15%	9/10	7/10
Battery life	15%	9/10	7/10
Keyboard and build	10%	7/10	6/10
Ports	10%	8/10	7/10
Linux support	5%	3/10	2/10
Overall		7.3/10	6.2/10

Specifications

Spec	Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)	ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SAL
CPU	Apple M5, 10-core CPU (4 performance, 6 efficiency), 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 153GB/s memory bandwidth	Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, 8 cores (8 threads), 2.1 GHz base, up to 4.5 GHz, 8MB cache, NPU up to 40 TOPS
Memory	16GB, 24GB or 32GB unified memory, set at purchase	16GB LPDDR5X, soldered on package, not upgradeable
Storage	512GB or 1TB SSD, configurable to 1TB, 2TB or 4TB	512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, one M.2 2280 slot
Display	14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 3024 × 1964 at 254 ppi, 1,000,000:1 contrast, 1,600 nits peak HDR, P3 wide colour, True Tone, ProMotion up to 120Hz	14.0-inch WUXGA (1920×1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz, 400 nits typical, 600 nits HDR peak, 100% DCI-P3, non-touch
Battery	72.4 Wh lithium-polymer; Apple rates up to 24 hours video streaming	75Wh, 4-cell Li-ion; 65W USB-C adapter for this model row
Ports	SDXC card slot, HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports	2× Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), 2× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1× 3.5mm combo jack, 1× HDMI 2.1
Weight	1.55 kg (3.4 lb)	1.30 kg (2.87 lb)
Operating system	macOS	Windows 11 Home

Strengths and weaknesses

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)

+ Very long battery life in reviewer video tests
+ Sharp 3024 × 1964, 120Hz display
+ HDMI, SD slot and three Thunderbolt 4 ports
− Memory is set at purchase, up to 32GB
− Single fan may struggle under sustained heavy loads
− Small generational change from the M4 model

Skip it if:

Buyers who want Linux as the main operating system
Anyone running sustained heavy compute for hours
Owners of the M4 model looking for a big upgrade

Read the full Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) review ›

ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SAL

+ OLED panel with 100% DCI-P3 and 600 nits HDR peak
+ 75Wh battery, praised by reviewers
+ Two Thunderbolt 4 ports plus USB-A and HDMI 2.1
− Memory is soldered and cannot be upgraded
− ASUS has only tested compatibility with Windows 11
− No SD slot or Ethernet listed

Skip it if:

Buyers who want to upgrade memory after purchase
Linux users who need vendor-tested hardware support
Anyone needing an SD card slot or built-in Ethernet

Read the full ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SAL review ›

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