For general use, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a balance of portability and performance with a high-quality OLED screen, which might make it a better option if you value a light-weight device with vibrant screen colors for everyday tasks. However, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is tailored more towards gaming and engineering, with a powerful GPU and a larger screen, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may not be ideal if you prioritize mobility and longer off-the-plug usage. Both laptops have similar storage and high-quality keyboards, so reflect on whether portability or power is your priority. 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 S 13
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
7.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in general use due to its advanced CPU, ample RAM, high-quality OLED screen, superior portability with a lighter weight and battery life, making it ideal for everyday tasks. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while still suitable for general use, is tailored more towards gaming with a robust graphics card and a larger screen, but it lacks the Zenbook's portability and battery efficiency due to its heavier build and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
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.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.3/10
7.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.1/10
8.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display that offers sharp visuals and strong brightness, making text and images clear and vibrant, alongside wide color gamuts, giving designers accurate colors. However, its lower refresh rate limits its suitability for gaming or 3D applications, where smoother motion is crucial. Meanwhile, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a balance with a good quality display that serves general and engineering needs well, though it might not be as bright or color-rich as the Zenbook, and its gaming or 3D performance is also held back by a lesser refresh rate.
Battery
11.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 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
Best in Class
Poor
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-resolution OLED screen, which provides excellent color accuracy and contrast for detailed visual work, and its powerful CPU paired with ample RAM supports complex computational tasks. The Dell Alienware m17 R5, with a dedicated Nvidia GPU, excels in tasks demanding graphics processing, and its larger screen, while less sharp, offers a broader view for design work; although heavier, making it less portable, it's a strong contender for engineering applications where graphical horsepower is key.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and ASUS Zenbook S 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 S 13 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Dell Alienware m17 R5
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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