The ASUS Zenbook 14X is less expensive and more portable, making it suitable for general use and mobility with decent performance for everyday tasks. However, the Razer Blade 17, despite being higher in price and less portable due to its larger size and weight, offers superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, gaming, and engineering tasks, in addition to a larger and higher resolution screen. If high-end gaming or intensive computational work is a priority and you are not deterred by the larger size and higher cost, the Razer Blade 17 would be a solid choice. On the other hand, if you prioritize portability, lower cost, and still want a performant laptop for general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14X would be a more fitting selection. 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 Razer Blade 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X offers a balance of portability and performance with a high-quality OLED screen and sufficient power for everyday tasks, but the Razer Blade 17's superior CPU and RAM, combined with a larger, high-resolution IPS display, make it better suited for demanding general use, although it's less portable and pricier.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
8.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X is equipped with a less powerful Nvidia MX550 graphics unit and a 90Hz screen refresh rate which is adequate for gaming but not as smooth for fast-paced action as higher rates, whereas the Razer Blade 17's much more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and 144Hz screen refresh rate provide significantly higher fidelity and a more fluid visual experience, making it superior for gaming and 3D applications. Both laptops have quality displays and capable CPUs; however, these components are more advanced in the Razer Blade 17, complementing its exceptional GPU and refresh rate for an overall excellent gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
9.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X, with its good CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality, is well-suited for engineering and design tasks but may fall short of the excellent suitability of the Razer Blade 17, which offers higher-end specifications in these very important aspects along with better speaker and keyboard quality, despite being less portable and perhaps having a bit more operating noise. While both the Zenbook and Blade can handle demanding applications, the Blade's superior hardware makes it a preferable choice for more intensive engineering and design work, although at the cost of increased weight and potentially less quiet operation.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 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.
Software Development
7.4/10
8.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
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
8.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Razer Blade 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14X for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Razer Blade 17 boast high-resolution displays with vibrant colors and brightness, making them excellent for general use where sharpness, clarity, and the ability to see the screen in various lighting conditions are key. Both laptops offer displays with wide color gamuts, providing the color accuracy and range vital for professionals in engineering and design who need precise color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D tasks which demand smooth visuals, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which means less fluid motion and slower response times compared to laptops with higher refresh rates designed specifically for these purposes.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has very good portability, while the Razer Blade 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 17 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
$4,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a price of $777 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
"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."
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14X or the Razer Blade 17
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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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