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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X and the Dell Alienware m17 R5, consider your primary needs. The Zenbook Pro generally offers premium build quality and a focus on professional use, often ideal for tasks that require a high-resolution display and color accuracy, like photo and video editing, while providing respectable battery life for productivity on-the-go. The Alienware, on the other hand, is tailored towards gaming and high-performance activities, boasting powerful graphics and processing capabilities at the cost of heavier weight and typically shorter battery life. If portability and professional creative work are your priorities, and you don't mind spending more, consider the Zenbook Pro. However, if gaming or running highly demanding applications is your main intent, and you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the Alienware might be the better choice despite its bulkiness and reduced mobility. 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 Pro 16X
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X.
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.8
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
354.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X offers better portability and longer battery life, along with a high-resolution OLED touchscreen, which provides vivid colors and sharp details, enhancing the general use experience. Conversely, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while less portable and with shorter battery life, includes a larger screen and is designed to handle heat better, but the screen quality doesn't match the OLED display of the ASUS, making it a better fit for gaming rather than general productivity.
Content Creation
8.5
7.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.2
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
354.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X offers crisper visuals and more vivid colors due to its higher resolution and brightness, making it ideal for a range of everyday tasks. In the context of engineering and design, the Zenbook's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color reproduction, which is essential for professionals who require precision. However, for gaming and 3D, the lower refresh rate of the Zenbook may lead to less fluid motion compared to laptops with higher refresh rates, which can be a drawback for fast-paced visuals and gameplay.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,300
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X has a price of $1,300 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.7
6.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X, with its OLED display and high resolution, offers superior screen quality that's good for gaming and 3D applications but has a lower refresh rate which may not be ideal for fast-paced gaming. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 features a high refresh rate IPS screen, providing smoother visuals in games and dynamic 3D rendering, though its screen resolution and quality are lower than the ASUS.
Engineering and Design
8.6
8.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
6.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X is ideal for engineering and design tasks due to its high-resolution OLED screen, which provides superior color accuracy and contrast for detailed work, alongside powerful CPU, RAM, and GPU suitable for demanding tasks, while maintaining a balance in portability and quieter operation.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,300 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.7'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 96 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 354 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | 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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marc Herter, Alex Wätzel | November 2023
"The new Zenbook Pro 16X is more powerful, quieter and doesn't need to shy away from dedicated workstations and gamers. It is also comparatively compact, and our test device is the best Zenbook that we've reviewed so far. It seems equally suitable for content creators and gamers or anyone looking for a very powerful laptop that is still slim."
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X or the Dell Alienware m17 R5
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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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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