For a powerhouse gaming and engineering machine with top-tier performance, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is the way to go, despite its higher price and bulkiness, which makes it less portable. It boasts a superior GPU and CPU, a high refresh rate screen, and ample RAM, making it ideal for intensive tasks and gaming. However, its battery life is short, and it's not suitable for frequent travel due to its size and weight.
On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is a more budget-friendly option with a focus on general use and portability. It offers a decent performance for everyday tasks, a longer battery life, and a compact, lightweight design that's easy to carry around. While it's not designed for high-end gaming or complex engineering tasks, it's a solid choice for students, professionals, and casual users who prioritize mobility and a balance of features at a lower cost. 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
Good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.1/10
7.5/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
9.2/10
6.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
7.0/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
7.4/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
7.9/10
7.4/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
8.3/10
6.4/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
8.0 Hours
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has 3 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has 8 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has good portability, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$3,500
$828
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a price of $3,500 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i costs $828.
"The device is made for average work loads and if your work has a lot to do with online browsing, using apps that are not power-hungry and streaming videos. The looks are really good and the device in itself is not a heavy one. And with Intel 11th-gen Core processor, you might sail through most of your work without complaints."
Get a great deal on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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.
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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.
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Laptops Expert
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