The ASUS ROG Strix G17 is often less expensive and provides a higher screen refresh rate, appealing to gamers looking for smooth visuals, but the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a more powerful graphics card and double the RAM, making it better suited for the most demanding gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. Both have similar battery capacities and screen sizes, but the Alienware is slightly heavier, which may affect portability. If you prioritize raw performance and are willing to pay more, the Alienware is the better choice, whereas the ASUS might appeal to those seeking a balance between cost and capability for general gaming and use. 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 Strix G17
The ASUS ROG Strix G17 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware X17 R2.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.4/10
8.5/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
320.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix G17 for gaming and AI.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix G17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 displays provide clear, sharp images with a resolution that makes text and media look crisp, along with sufficient brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, their ability to represent a wide range of colors accurately is crucial for professionals who need precise color representation, and both laptops meet this requirement. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the refresh rates of both laptops' screens fall short, which can lead to less fluid motion and a less immersive experience in fast-paced games or 3D rendering tasks.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,391
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Strix G17 has a price of $1,391 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix G17 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
8.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
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 X17 R2 and ASUS ROG Strix G17 are both very good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ROG Strix G17 offers great 3D and gaming performance with its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate that enhances smooth visuals, though it has lower screen resolution compared to the Dell Alienware X17 R2. The Dell Alienware X17 R2, however, comes with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and an even higher refresh rate which is ideal for fast-paced gaming, but this may come at a higher cost.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Strix G17 is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.3/10
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS ROG Strix G17 are both very good for content creation.
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
7.7/10
7.8/10
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS ROG Strix G17 are both good for software development.
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.
Battery
3.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G17 has 3 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 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
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.8in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to have only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix G17 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
"The Asus ROG Strix G17 is an attractive but unbalanced gaming laptop. Its potent AMD Ryzen 9 processor excels in 1080p gaming, but playing at 1440p leaves the middling GeForce RTX 4060 GPU shouldering most of the burden. The display is exceptionally colorful, which is handy for content creators, but since this is a gaming laptop it would be better served with improved HDR capabilities. If battery life isn't a priority, the Strix G17 could serve as a designer by day and a gamer by night."
"The Alienware x17 R2 recognizes targets a significantly higher TGP of 175 W for a roughly 30 percent performance boost over laptops running on the ~100 W GeForce RTX 3080 Ti like the Razer Blade 15 or Gigabyte Aero YE5. Similar results can be found through the CPU as well. This single aspect of the Alienware is perhaps the biggest differentiating factor between it and other ultrathin gaming laptops. Of course, the "performance at all cost" approach comes with drawbacks. Power consumption in particular is through the roof and battery life suffers because of it even when on the lowest performance settings."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G17 or the Dell Alienware X17 R2
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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