The ASUS TUF Dash 15 is a more budget-friendly option that offers solid performance for general use and gaming, with a decent battery life and lighter weight for better portability. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2, while more expensive, delivers superior performance, particularly for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. It also has a larger screen and higher build quality, but this comes at the cost of reduced battery life and portability due to its greater weight. So, if high-level performance and a large screen are your priorities and you're less concerned about cost and portability, the Alienware X17 R2 is a strong choice. However, if you're seeking a more cost-effective balance between performance and portability, the ASUS TUF Dash may be the better fit for you. 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 TUF Dash 15
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
272.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good.
The ASUS TUF Dash 15 is optimized for general use with its balance of CPU and RAM adequacy, satisfactory screen quality, and portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size, which contributes to its longer battery life. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers superior CPU and RAM, better screen quality for more demanding visual tasks, and enhanced keyboard and speaker quality, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it heavier and less suited for on-the-go use.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
8.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out for gaming and 3D applications with its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics and a very high screen refresh rate, making it excellent for fast-paced visuals and intensive graphics tasks. In contrast, the ASUS TUF Dash 15, while still suitable for gaming, has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, positioning it as a more budget-friendly option with moderate performance for general gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.8/10
9.1/10
8.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is better suited for engineering and design because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU when compared to the ASUS TUF Dash 15, which translates into smoother and faster performance in demanding applications. Additionally, the Alienware also boasts a higher quality display with better color coverage and brightness, enhancing visual precision, which is critical in design work; however, this comes at the cost of less portability and higher operating noise than the ASUS.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.3/10
8.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 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
7.0/10
8.5/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
272.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Dash 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When selecting between the ASUS TUF Dash 15 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, consider that both laptops offer panels with solid resolution and brightness, but the Alienware has a slight edge with its very high-quality display, making visuals crisp and vivid. For engineering and design tasks, the color accuracy is key; the Alienware excels with its wide color gamut, offering richer and more precise colors. However, if gaming or working with 3D applications is a priority, neither laptop is ideal due to their lower refresh rates, which may not provide as fluid an experience as models optimized for these purposes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Dash 15 has 9 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS TUF Dash 15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS TUF Dash 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,150
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS TUF Dash 15 has a price of $1,150 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS TUF Dash 15 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.
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How the ASUS TUF Dash 15 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
"The Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR is a laptop with mobile RTX 3070 and acceptable battery life. The Asus TUF Dash F15 was made for high-performance applications like video editing, rendering, and gaming. The laptop can manage the latter in QHD resolution and at high to maximum settings. However, the focus isn't on maximum performance, but instead, it's about a compromise between performance and portability."
"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 TUF Dash 15 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.
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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