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Updated January 10, 2024·
Consider the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 if you prioritize gaming performance with a more robust graphics card and higher screen refresh rates for smoother visual experiences, but be aware it is more expensive. For general use and cost savings, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers strong performance, though slightly less impressive for gaming and engineering due to a less powerful graphics card. The Strix also has a slightly better battery life for typical use, but the Alienware has a higher webcam quality which could be important for video conferencing. They are both large and heavy, so portability is similarly limited on either machine. 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 Scar 17
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4
7.7
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.1
8.1
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 have panels with adequate resolution and brightness, providing a clear and vivid display for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, they offer wide color gamuts, ensuring that professionals see accurate colors crucial for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may result in less fluid motion, which is less ideal for fast-paced action and rendering smooth movements.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 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
$2,499
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a price of $2,499 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
292.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 outshines the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use due to its superior CPU and GPU, leading to better performance, while both offer equal amounts of RAM and quality IPS screens. However, the ASUS is less portable due to its heavier weight and provides slightly better battery life than the Dell; both have trade-offs in keyboard and speaker quality, operating noise, and heat management that are less critical but still noticeable during use.
Engineering and Design
8.6
8.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are well-suited for engineering and design because both are equipped with powerful CPUs and high-quality GPUs, which are crucial for demanding software applications, and each has sufficient RAM and high-resolution IPS screens that deliver accurate colors and clear visuals necessary for precise design work. While both are relatively heavy and thick affecting portability, they compensate with excellent keyboard quality and manage operating noise effectively, albeit with compromises in portability and speaker quality.
Content Creation
8.2
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
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 Strix Scar 17 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.
Software Development
7.5
7.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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.
Portability
Poor
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 both have poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,499 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.02'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.39 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.1" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 292 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.9/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | No Webcam | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2021
"Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 laptop review: liquid metal 7 nm AMD Zen 3 is stunning. The raw performance increase is absolutely bonkers if you're upgrading from a laptop on Coffee Lake-H or older. The 45 W Ryzen 9 5900HX is neck-to-neck with the thicker, heavier, and hotter Schenker Ultra 17 running on a desktop-class Core i9-11900K despite their wide TDP differences. The performance-per-watt advantages can make Intel Rocket Lake feel like a last generation platform at times. As for the chassis itself, it's a huge light show with RGB LEDs on almost all sides of the system."
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"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 Strix Scar 17 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.
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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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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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