Choosing between the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 depends on your priorities. The ASUS offers better graphics performance, which is great for gaming or intensive tasks, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. The Alienware has a larger screen, which may be better for immersive gaming or productivity, but it doesn't perform as well in graphics-intensive scenarios as the ASUS. Both have ample storage and memory for general use, but the ASUS edges out with newer, potentially more powerful components. Consider the ASUS for performance-intensive uses despite higher cost, or the Alienware for a balance between cost and a larger display. 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 Gaming A15
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2/10
8.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
271.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When evaluating laptops for general use, the screen's resolution, panel type, and brightness form the basis of the viewing experience. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5, while advertised as gaming laptops, provide suitable display quality for everyday tasks and professional engineering software, thanks to their robust resolution and panel types that ensure sharp images and wide viewing angles. However, for 3D applications and gaming, where high refresh rates are crucial for smooth motion, both models fall short, which might affect the fluidity and responsiveness that gamers and 3D professionals seek.
Battery
11.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has 11 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 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
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 both have good build quality, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a price of $2,059 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Asus TUF Gaming A15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are suitable for general use because they offer powerful CPUs and ample RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and fast processing, while their high-quality screens provide crisp and clear visuals. However, the Asus TUF Gaming A15 is more portable and has longer battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go users, whereas the Dell Alienware m17 R5, with its larger screen and potentially higher-performance components, could be suited to users who prioritize gaming or intensive task performance and do not mind lesser portability.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
7.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A15 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 stands out in gaming and 3D due to a high-end GPU and a decent screen refresh rate which enhances visual performance, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 pairs a slightly less powerful GPU with a very high screen refresh rate, offering smooth visuals especially in fast-paced scenes. The CPU and screen quality of both laptops support the gaming and 3D experience, but ultimately, the ASUS leans towards graphical power, and the Dell prioritizes smoother motion on a larger screen.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are equipped with high-performance CPUs and GPUs, which are crucial for demanding engineering software and tasks that require powerful processing and graphics capabilities; they also have ample RAM and high-quality screens for smooth multitasking and clear visuals. However, the Alienware m17 R5 typically has a larger screen and may offer a more comfortable viewing experience for detailed work, at the expense of being less portable than the slightly more compact ASUS TUF Gaming A15.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A15 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.6/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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 TUF Gaming A15 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
"With the release of the TUF Gaming A15, Asos have concentrated on the essentials: gaming performance. Our base version, which can be had for around $1,169, already provided enough power to play current games smoothly in a native resolution of 1080p and with maximum details - thanks to its new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. If you utilize upscaling, then you can even manage to run ray tracing."
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 or the Dell Alienware m17 R5
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
100,695
Recommendations made
21,818
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.