The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is a premium gaming laptop with high-end graphics performance, but is less portable due to its size and weight. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is more affordable and offers better portability with a lighter design and smaller screen, but it has integrated graphics which are less suitable for intensive gaming or demanding 3D tasks. If gaming or high-performance engineering work is a priority, and cost isn't as much of a concern, the ASUS is a strong choice; for everyday use, easier carrying, and if on a tighter budget, the Dell may be more appropriate. 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 engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
6.6/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 excels in gaming and 3D performance, having a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and an extremely high screen refresh rate, suitable for fast-paced gaming, whereas the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus includes the capable but lesser Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate, offering respectable performance for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
7.8/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a more powerful GPU suitable for intensive design tasks and a higher refresh rate screen, making it very good for engineering and design use, whereas the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, with a less powerful integrated GPU, still provides a high-resolution screen and adequate processing power for engineering but is more portable and has a higher portability score.
Screen Quality
8.1/10
7.0/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a better screen for content creation.
When considering general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offer panels with adequate resolution and brightness, ensuring clear images and comfortable viewing for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. For engineering and design work, professionals require accurate color reproduction, and these laptops have displays that cover a broad range of color gamuts, making them suitable for tasks that demand color precision. However, for gaming and 3D applications, which demand smooth visuals, the lower refresh rates on both models may not deliver the fluid motion that gamers and 3D designers seek, as higher refresh rates are crucial for these activities.
Portability
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,000
$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 Inspiron 14 Plus costs $1,000.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is valued for general use due to its higher-end CPU and GPU, resulting in robust performance, along with excellent keyboard quality and good speaker quality, but its larger size and weight make it less portable with only fair portability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers good CPU performance suitable for general use with a portability advantage due to its lighter weight and smaller size, along with a high-quality keyboard and reasonable speaker quality, though it may not handle highly demanding tasks as well as the ASUS.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.9/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
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 Inspiron 14 Plus 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
7.5/10
7.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 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
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is for power users on a budget. If you're looking to maximize CPU and GPU performance on your next 14-inch laptop, then consider the pricier Razer Blade 14 or Asus Zephyrus G14. If you're looking for a thin-and-light 14-inch Ultrabook, then the Asus Zenbook 14 or LG Gram 14 may be better options. For the best of both worlds, however, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 rides a fine line between extreme performance and portability while keeping prices at reasonable levels. Frequent travelers who rely on performance beyond what the Core U-series and integrated graphics series can offer will find the Dell to be a solid solution."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 or the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
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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