The ASUS Zenbook 14, being more affordable, is suitable for general use, light productivity tasks, and offers convenience in portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is designed for power users, particularly for gaming, 3D applications, and intensive engineering software, with its higher price reflecting its superior performance and advanced features such as a larger display and dedicated graphics. However, this can come at the expense of battery life and portability, as gaming laptops tend to be bulkier and consume more power. 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 14
Very 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 build quality
Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
8.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with its mid-range processor and integrated graphics, is designed for moderate tasks and offers a balance with its lightweight build and fairly long battery life, making it manageable for general use. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a high-end processor and dedicated gaming-grade graphics, delivering top-tier performance that overshadows the Zenbook, but it is heavier and has significantly reduced battery life, emphasizing its suitability for stationary use and demanding applications over on-the-go practicality.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
8.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
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 Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is equipped with integrated graphics and a screen refresh rate suitable for casual gaming, but the Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a high-end discrete GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, making it better suited for demanding games and 3D applications. Additionally, while the ASUS offers a high-resolution OLED display for sharp images, the Alienware's combination of a powerful CPU and a top-tier GPU provides a more immersive and responsive gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
9.1/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with its OLED screen, is lightweight and portable which makes it a suitable option for on-the-go engineering and design work, though its mid-range CPU and integrated GPU may limit performance with highly demanding tasks. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts a high-end CPU, top-tier dedicated GPU, and more RAM, offering superior performance for intensive engineering and design applications at the expense of greater weight and reduced portability.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
7.8/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
8.3/10
8.5/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both offer high resolution and brightness, along with panels that render colors and details clearly. For engineering and design tasks, both laptops showcase wide color gamuts, allowing for precise color reproduction critical in these fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite their respectable resolutions and panel types, both fall short due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visual experiences in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
8.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$300
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"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 Zenbook 14 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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