Considering the ASUS Vivobook 17 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1, the ASUS is more budget-friendly and comes with a larger screen which might be appreciated for general use and multitasking, but it has lower performance compared to the Dell, especially for 3D, machine learning, or gaming tasks. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware is pricier with a smaller screen but offers higher performance, better build quality, and a significantly longer battery life. It's designed with gaming in mind, evident in its hardware capabilities. If you value portability and high performance for demanding tasks and are okay with a smaller display and higher cost, go for the Dell Alienware. If you prefer a larger screen and a lower price and don't need the laptop for intensive tasks, the ASUS Vivobook could be a good pick. 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 Vivobook 17
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
263.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both good for general use, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
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
6.0/10
7.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a less powerful integrated Intel GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, limiting its gaming and 3D capabilities compared to the Dell Alienware x14 R1, which boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a faster 144Hz screen refresh rate for smoother visuals and enhanced gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
8.2/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 with its basic CPU and integrated graphics is less suited for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the Dell Alienware x14 R1, which boasts a higher-end CPU and powerful dedicated graphics. Additionally, the Alienware's superior screen quality and better overall performance make it an excellent choice for intensive work, albeit less portable and likely at a higher cost than the Vivobook.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
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
6.9/10
7.7/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
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
6.2/10
7.9/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
263.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a screen that’s big and bright enough for typical activities like browsing and watching videos, making it suitable for general use, but it lacks the wide color gamut needed for precise engineering and design tasks, and its refresh rate is too low for the fast-paced action in gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers higher screen quality with vibrant colors covering a broader range of the color spectrum, which benefits engineering and design work, while still providing a pleasant viewing experience for everyday tasks, though it also falls short for gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that doesn't meet the high standards required for those activities. Refresh rate is crucial for gaming and 3D work because it determines how smoothly motion is rendered, and the poor rating in this aspect for both laptops means they're not ideal for those use cases.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$429
$1,201
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a price of $429 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
"The ASUS Vivobook 17 is an affordable 17-inch laptop with passive cooling. On one hand, you get a really quiet and cool work device with a good system performance, many connections, good maintenance options, speakers acceptable for multimedia enjoyment, and a sharp and clear matte FHD IPS display with the Asus VivoBook 17 (F712JA). On the other hand, the USB-C port lacks Power Delivery and DisplayPort, and the display, a higher brightness and better color space coverage."
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 17 or the Dell Alienware x14 R1
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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