When choosing between the ASUS Zenbook 14X and the Dell Alienware m16 R2, consider that the ASUS is more budget-friendly and offers good performance for everyday tasks and some light creative work, along with better portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size. Meanwhile, the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is tailored for high-end gaming, intense graphic work, and engineering tasks, with superior graphics and processing power, but at the cost of being heavier and having potentially shorter battery life, which affects its 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 Zenbook 14X
Very good portability
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m16 R2
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a capable GPU and a quality screen, but its refresh rate and GPU power lean towards moderate gaming and 3D applications, making it a balanced option for everyday use and some creative tasks. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is equipped with a more powerful GPU and a high refresh rate display, offering smoother visuals and better performance for demanding gaming and 3D scenarios.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
8.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2, with its high-end CPU, more RAM, and superior GPU, offers robust performance and screen quality essential for demanding engineering tasks and design work, though it is bulkier and might be noisier under load. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14X still delivers decent performance for less demanding tasks and is more portable with a quality keyboard, making it a better option for on-the-go use and everyday productivity with lighter engineering applications.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
8.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m16 R2 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a display that offers sharp resolution and high brightness, making it suitable for activities like browsing and video streaming, which are common in general use. For engineering and design work, this laptop excels due to its wide color gamut, delivering accurate color representation necessary for precise visual tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Zenbook's screen is held back by a lower refresh rate, which can affect the smoothness of fast-paced visuals that are crucial in these scenarios.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m16 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 m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$777
$1,650
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a price of $777 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 costs $1,650.
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and ASUS Zenbook 14X are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X offers a balance of a powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality screen while being lightweight and having longer battery life, making it versatile for everyday tasks and on-the-go use. The Dell Alienware m16 R2, with its robust CPU and RAM, excels in performance for more demanding applications, but is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it better suited for stationary use where power is a priority over portability.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and ASUS Zenbook 14X 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
7.4/10
7.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and ASUS Zenbook 14X 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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Zenbook 14X and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 compare to other laptops
"With the Zenbook 14X, Asus has a 14-incher in its range that is - mostly - a joy to use. First, there is the colorful OLED panel with 3K resolution that displays the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. The Zenbook is also at the forefront in terms of workmanship, input devices and connections with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports and a generous keyboard layout. A pleasure to use, the Zenbook 14X is a solid, very well-built subnotebook that sits well on the table. A runtime of five hours, however, is below average for a high-end subnotebook nowadays. The OLED screensaver causes increased power consumption when in idle mode."
"Alienware’s m16 R2 is a solid gaming laptop that leaves much to be desired, particularly in its quest to fulfill your needs as a product for productivity. Battery life under eight hours and a dim display are both vital issues for something that will accompany you through school projects or a workday. However, the Alienware m16 R2 is an exceedingly powerful gaming laptop, consistently being one of the best in our performance tests when compared against similar products. Even then, its display is lacking color, its fans get pretty darn loud, and its speakers aren’t punchy enough to rise above that noise."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14X or the Dell Alienware m16 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
98,295
Recommendations made
21,298
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.