The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is a powerhouse designed for high-end gaming and intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, with a top-tier GPU and CPU, and a high refresh rate screen that's great for fast-paced motion. However, it's bulkier, heavier, and has a much shorter battery life, making it less portable and not ideal for frequent travelers. It also lacks some business-centric features like an HDMI port and Ethernet connection.
On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13 offers a more balanced experience suitable for general use, with excellent portability due to its lightweight design and longer battery life. It has a vibrant screen with good color accuracy, making it a solid choice for everyday tasks and light creative work. While it can handle some gaming and light engineering tasks, it won't perform as well as the Asus in these areas due to its less powerful integrated GPU.
If you prioritize performance and gaming over portability and battery life, the Asus is the way to go. However, if you need a laptop that's easy to carry around for long periods and is versatile enough for general tasks, the Dell XPS 13 is the better 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
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.2/10
6.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 is only fair.
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
9.1/10
7.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is 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
8.2/10
7.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 XPS 13 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.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
7.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, 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
10.0 Hours
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has 3 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 has 10 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
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.4in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell XPS 13 has excellent portability, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 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
$1,399
$500
$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 XPS 13 costs $1,399.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D to be very good for general use, while the Dell XPS 13 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.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Dell XPS 13 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and the Dell XPS 13 compare to other laptops
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
Get a great deal on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D or the Dell XPS 13
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,295
Recommendations made
21,948
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.