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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high-resolution OLED display and portability, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is lighter with a smaller footprint, making it easy to carry around, and it has longer battery life which is ideal for work on the go. However, if you need more horsepower for gaming or resource-intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 stands out with its more powerful CPU and dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics. The Alienware model has a high-refresh-rate screen which is better suited for fast-paced games but heavier and with a shorter battery life, potentially making it less convenient for travel. Both laptops are similarly priced, so choose based on whether mobility or performance is more critical for your needs. 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
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
8.6
7.8
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in general use due to its higher RAM and superior screen quality, featuring an OLED display with higher resolution, contributing to clear and vibrant visuals, coupled with extreme portability and excellent battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.6
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
The Asus Zenbook S 13 is equipped with an Intel Iris Xe GPU which is suitable for light gaming and 3D applications, and it has a high-resolution OLED screen, but a standard 60Hz refresh rate, providing vibrant colors and sharp images for casual gaming.
Content Creation
8.5
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 x14 R1 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
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 x14 R1 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
7.9
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware x14 R1 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
If you prioritize a clear and vibrant display for everyday tasks, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 stands out with its high resolution and brightness, making documents, web pages, and videos look sharp and colorful. For engineering and design work where color accuracy is critical, the ASUS also excels, offering a wide color gamut to ensure that designs are as true to life as possible. However, for gaming or 3D applications where the smoothness of motion is key, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, but the higher resolution and panel quality of the ASUS could still make it the preferred option for less fast-paced games or 3D tasks that don't rely heavily on rapid motion.
Battery
11.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$1,201
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S13, with its high-quality CPU, ample RAM, and vibrant screen, handles complex engineering software and design work efficiently, while its relatively lightweight and quiet operation makes it a solid option for professionals on the go. The Dell Alienware x14 R1, equipped with a powerful GPU, excels in tasks that require heavy graphics processing like 3D modeling, gaming, or machine learning, and benefits from a responsive keyboard that's useful for long coding or design sessions, but it has a heftier build which impacts its portability.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook S 13 | Dell Alienware x14 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,201 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.2 lbs | 4.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.66" | 12.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.52" | 10.34" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 63 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 365 nits | 411 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.5/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook S 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | May 2023
"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."
Dell Alienware x14 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Dell Alienware x14 R1
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.
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