A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook 13 is usually less expensive and more portable, making it better suited for general use and carrying around. Its OLED screen offers vibrant colors and it boasts a long battery life, but its performance is more modest, suitable for everyday tasks and not for heavy workloads. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs more and is heavier, but it's tailored for gaming and demanding tasks such as 3D rendering and engineering simulations, with a high-refresh-rate screen and powerful graphics card. All in all, choose the Zenbook for portability and value; opt for the Alienware if you need top performance and don't mind the extra weight and cost. 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 Zenbook 13
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with its integrated AMD graphics and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, offers moderate gaming and 3D capabilities suited for less demanding games. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a high 240Hz refresh rate screen, granting it superior performance for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is superior for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, greater RAM, and high-end GPU, which are essential for demanding tasks, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 offers an OLED screen for excellent color reproduction but less processing power and memory. Additionally, the Alienware's larger and higher resolution screen with faster refresh rate benefits design work, but it is heavier and less portable compared to the lightweight Zenbook, which may appeal to those prioritizing mobility.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.2
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, both the ASUS Zenbook 13 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 boast high-resolution displays with excellent brightness and panel types, offering crisp visuals and vibrant colors suitable for everyday tasks such as web browsing and video streaming. With regards to engineering and design, these laptops provide wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation for tasks like photo editing and CAD work, which is critical for professionals in these fields. However, for 3D and gaming, the screens fall short due to lower refresh rates, which means they may not provide as smooth motion or as responsive an experience as displays specifically engineered for these purposes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
Excellent
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$890
$2,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
378.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 with its light weight and long battery life is ideal for users prioritizing portability and general use without sacrificing screen quality thanks to its OLED display. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a more powerful CPU and GPU, and better screen resolution for intensive applications, but is less portable and has shorter battery life, making it suitable for those who require a high-performance machine and are less concerned with mobility.
Content Creation
7.6
7.5
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both 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
7.3
7.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 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 Zenbook 13 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook 13 | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$890 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8'' x 0.55'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.55 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.99" | 10.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 67 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 378 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | May 2021
"The Asus ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
Dell Alienware m15 R7
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
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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