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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is often less expensive and may be more suitable for users seeking a balance between performance and portability, as it's lighter and has a higher portability score. It also boasts a higher-resolution display, which could benefit those interested in sharper images and details. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers more RAM and a more powerful GPU, which is crucial for intensive 3D, machine learning, and gaming performance, but it has a lower portability score and is heavier, making it less convenient to carry around. Additionally, the Alienware has a slightly longer battery life for typical use, which may be important if you are often away from a power source. Both laptops come with the same amount of storage and are equipped with features geared towards gaming, so for tasks like general usage and engineering, either could serve well, with the ASUS excelling slightly in general use due to its better battery life and portability. 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 Zephyrus M16
- Excellent overall display quality
- Good portability
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.0
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 laptops have screens with high resolution and brightness, making them excellent for general use as they provide crisp, clear images and good visibility even in bright conditions. Their color accuracy, encompassing wide color gamuts, is essential for engineering and design tasks where precise color representation is critical. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may not provide as fluid motion as desired, which can be a disadvantage compared to screens with higher refresh rates that offer smoother visuals essential in fast-paced environments.
Battery
4.5 Hours
2.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
627.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has better portability and longer battery life ideal for general use on the go, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has double the RAM and a larger screen with higher refresh rate, providing smoother performance and visuals great for both work and entertainment at the sacrifice of portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.5
8.9
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both very good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 comes with an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high 240Hz screen refresh rate, which are very good for responsive gaming and smooth 3D rendering. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 includes an even more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and an exceptional 480Hz screen refresh rate, providing top-tier gaming performance and fluid visuals for 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.8
9.1
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 stands out for engineering and design applications owing to its newer and powerful CPU, high-quality screen with better resolution and color coverage, and the portability that comes with being lighter and slimmer. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers more RAM for multitasking and a superior graphics card, which can be crucial for highly intensive tasks, but it's bulkier and heavier, making it less convenient to carry around.
Content Creation
8.2
8.3
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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
7.7
7.8
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,049
$2,000
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $2,049 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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How the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,049 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.69" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 627 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 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 | 6.3/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
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 Zephyrus M16 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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