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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability and a lower price, the ASUS Zenbook 14X, with its lighter weight and smaller screen, may be better for general use and carrying around. However, if you need top-notch performance for gaming, engineering, or 3D/machine learning tasks, the Dell Alienware X17 R2, with its more powerful processor and graphics card, would be a smarter choice. Bear in mind, though, that the Dell is significantly heavier and comes at a higher cost. Additionally, the ASUS offers an OLED display which provides excellent color and contrast, suitable for tasks where color accuracy is important, while the Dell has a higher refresh rate screen, favored for fast-paced gaming. 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 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
7.6
8.2
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
5.5 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 14X is good.
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
6.5
8.9
3.9/10
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 14X is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X is outfitted with the Nvidia MX550 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 90Hz, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 packs a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a significantly higher refresh rate of 480Hz, making the Alienware better suited for the demanding requirements of gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.7
9.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is superior for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel i9 CPU, double the RAM, and a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU, all of which are critical for demanding applications that such professionals use. While the ASUS Zenbook 14X has a high-resolution OLED screen which is beneficial for design clarity and color accuracy, its comparatively lower-performance CPU and GPU, alongside less RAM, make the Alienware a stronger workhorse for intensive tasks despite it being less portable and noisier under load.
Content Creation
7.6
8.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X 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.
Screen Quality
8.3
8.5
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 14X 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.
For general use, both the ASUS Zenbook 14X and Dell Alienware X17 R2 offer displays with high resolution and brightness, ensuring clear and vivid visuals for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. For engineering and design, these laptops provide wide color gamuts, reproducing accurate colors essential for professional photo editing and graphic design. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and slower response times, making them less ideal for fast-paced gaming environments.
Battery
5.5 Hours
2.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has 5.5 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 14X 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
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 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
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a price of $777 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.4
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 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 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14X and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook 14X | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$777 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.67'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.25" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 63 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 339 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook 14X
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | April 2022
"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."
Dell Alienware X17 R2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"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 14X 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.
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