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What we think
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Updated August 21, 2024·
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is a top-tier gaming laptop with exceptional performance, particularly for 3D tasks and gaming, thanks to its cutting-edge Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor. Its high-refresh-rate display and superior color accuracy make it ideal for fast-paced gaming and professional photo editing. However, it's bulkier and more expensive, with a battery life that's not its strong suit, making it less suitable for frequent travelers. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers a balance of performance and portability with its Intel i9-12900HK processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, which are still very powerful for gaming and demanding tasks, though slightly behind the Asus in raw performance. It has a longer battery life, a more traditional design, and is generally less expensive, making it a strong contender for those who need a versatile machine for both work and play, with the added benefit of better portability. If your primary focus is having the best possible performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, and you're less concerned about portability and cost, the Asus is the way to go. However, if you want a powerful laptop that's more affordable, has better battery life, and is easier to carry around, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is an excellent choice. 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
- Excellent for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.3
8.5
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
$2,000
$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 X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.1
8.2
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D are both very good for general use.
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
8.9
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very 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
9.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both excellent for engineering and design.
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
8.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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
7.9
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Dell Alienware X17 R2 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 Scar 17 X3D 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
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.1in
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 Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,500 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 6, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.11'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.61 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.1" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.7/10 | 6.1/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware X17 R2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"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 Scar 17 X3D 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.
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