Considering the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED against the Dell Alienware m17 R5, the ASUS offers an OLED display and higher peak brightness, which is excellent for media consumption and general use, yet it has a lesser price, higher portability, and longer battery life. The Alienware, on the other hand, provides a gaming laptop appearance with features like an advanced GPU, higher refresh rates, and extras like hardware ray tracing and DLSS, which are ideal for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks. The Alienware may be better for gaming and performance-intensive programs while the ASUS excels at general use 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 Vivobook S 15 OLED
Very good for content creation
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
Good for gaming and AI
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
7.7/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for software development, though the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
8.9/10
8.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
600.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
When considering the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED, its screen shines for general use and engineering tasks due to its high resolution and bright OLED panel which provides striking colors and deep blacks, aspects that are crucial for detailed design work, where color accuracy, as represented by its wide color gamuts, is key. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications, where smooth motion is paramount. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while offering good resolution and brightness for general tasks and engineering, falls short for gaming and 3D due to its lower-than-desired refresh rate, even though its other screen attributes are competent.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 7 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
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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 Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
$990
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a price of $990 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.1/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED, with its high resolution OLED screen and the latest Intel integrated graphics, is designed for vivid color representation and energy-efficient performance, making it suitable for design tasks where portability and battery life are appreciated. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 boasts a more powerful dedicated Nvidia graphics card and a larger screen, catering to demanding engineering software and intense graphical tasks, but it is heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.8/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
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How the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
"The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
"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 Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
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