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Updated August 21, 2024·
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is a top-tier choice for those who prioritize performance, especially for demanding tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its superior Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor. It also boasts a larger, higher-resolution screen with excellent color accuracy and a fast refresh rate, which is great for immersive visual experiences. However, it's bulkier and less portable, with a shorter battery life, making it more suitable for stationary use. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a more balanced approach, with a competitive AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor and a capable Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, delivering strong performance for a mix of general use and gaming, while being more portable and having a longer battery life. Its display, though smaller, still provides a high resolution and fast refresh rate, with good color reproduction, making it a versatile choice for users who need to work and play on the go. Consider the Asus if you value cutting-edge performance and visuals for intensive tasks and are less concerned about portability. Opt for the Dell if you need a balance of performance, battery life, and portability for both work and play. 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 X3D
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
8.1
7.5
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
9.2
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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.
Engineering and Design
9.1
8.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
8.2
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
7.9
7.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for software development, though the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is somewhat better.
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
8.3
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
3.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has 3 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,500
$2,200
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a price of $3,500 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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How the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,500 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 6, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.11'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.61 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.1" | 10.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m15 R7
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
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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