If you value portability and a tablet-like experience with a touchscreen, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is an excellent choice, though it comes at a higher price. It is also well-suited for high refresh rate tasks due to its smaller, sharper display and has a higher battery capacity for better longevity on the go. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a larger screen and is better priced, making it preferable for those who prioritize a more traditional and possibly more comfortable gaming experience with a larger view and better price point. Nevertheless, it is heavier and less portable than the Z13. Both laptops have similar storage and memory, powerful processors, and are capable of handling intensive tasks, gaming, and engineering applications, but the Z13 is newer and may offer more up-to-date features. 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 ROG Flow Z13
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Software Development
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 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
8.4/10
8.1/10
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering work where color accuracy is crucial. However, it lacks a high refresh rate, which is key for smooth visuals in Gaming and 3D applications. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 also provides a quality display suitable for everyday tasks and professional design, but like the ASUS, it falls short for gaming enthusiasts due to a lower refresh rate, rendering it less optimal for fast-paced gaming scenarios.
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has 6.5 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
Excellent
Poor
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has very good build quality, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,575
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a price of $1,575 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 excels in general use due to its high-resolution touchscreen, superior color accuracy, and greater portability with a lighter weight and smaller size, paired with a powerful CPU. Meanwhile, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a larger screen and more robust speakers, but it is less portable due to its heavier build and larger dimensions, and its battery life is shorter compared to the ASUS, despite a stronger battery capacity, possibly reflecting higher power consumption.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
7.7/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and ASUS ROG Flow Z13 are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is optimized for gaming and 3D with its high refresh rate display and a recent powerful GPU, along with a very high-resolution screen that enhances visual clarity. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 also caters to gaming and 3D performance with its high refresh rate and capable GPU, providing a larger screen size for immersive gaming but with a lower resolution compared to the ASUS.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
8.1/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is favored for engineering and design primarily due to its high-end CPU and GPU, ample RAM, superior screen quality with high resolution, brightness, and color accuracy, while also offering the versatility of a detachable keyboard for tablet use, enhancing portability. The Dell Alienware m17 R5, on the other hand, boasts a powerful CPU and high-performing GPU as well, along with a larger screen, but trades off some portability due to its larger size and weight; it also has lower screen brightness and color coverage compared to the ASUS, but excels in keyboard and speaker quality.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.8/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming tablet with powerful Alder Lake i9 CPU. The ROG Flow Z13 impresses with its good cooling. After our review, the impression is predominantly positive. Besides a very fast Alder Lake CPU and stable gaming performance, especially the cooling system is surprisingly effective and quiet. You can use the integrated speakers without any issues while gaming. The 1200p display in the 16:10 format also impresses with good color reproduction and high brightness. Since the battery runtimes aren't particularly long as it is, we wouldn't recommend the optional 4K panel."
"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 ROG Flow Z13 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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