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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 may be a better choice if you prioritize a larger screen and longer battery life, and it comes in at a lower cost. However, it's less portable due to its larger size. The Dell Alienware m15 R7, while more expensive and with a shorter battery life, offers a higher screen resolution and refresh rate, making it more suitable for intensive gaming and demanding visual applications. If you perform heavy tasks like 3D modeling or machine learning, the Alienware's superior graphics card will deliver better performance. Both have high-quality keyboards and are equipped with AMD Ryzen 9 processors, but the Zenbook has more RAM and storage, enhancing its functionality for engineering and multitasking. 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 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 stands out for general use due to its ample storage, high RAM capacity, and quality screen, coupled with superior portability and longer battery life, making it very versatile for everyday tasks. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m15 R7, while still good for general use, offers a more powerful GPU suited for gaming, a higher resolution screen, but with half the storage and RAM and a shorter battery life, potentially limiting its ease of use for non-gaming tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.8
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 with its Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card and 60Hz screen refresh rate offers dependable gaming and 3D capabilities, especially for its screen size of 17.3 inches. In comparison, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 steps up performance significantly with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a much higher 240Hz screen refresh rate, albeit on a slightly smaller 15.6-inch screen, enhancing motion clarity and responsiveness, which is particularly beneficial for fast-paced gaming.
Content Creation
8.2
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
7.9
7.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for software development, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
7.2
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 for software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
While the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a high resolution and brightness suited for general use with vibrant color rendering that benefits engineering and design tasks, its refresh rate is limited, affecting its 3D and gaming performance. The Dell Alienware m15 R7, on the other hand, also provides excellent resolution and brightness, excelling in general use and displaying a wide range of colors necessary for engineering and design, but like the ASUS, it falls short for gaming and 3D due to a less-than-optimal refresh rate. Both laptops, despite their strengths in visual clarity and color fidelity, might not satisfy gaming or 3D professionals who prioritize fluid motion and rapid on-screen responses.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$2,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is equipped with a moderate GPU and a high-resolution IPS screen, which is suitable for design tasks, but the Dell Alienware m15 R7 stands out for engineering with its more powerful GPU, making it superior for tasks that require more graphical processing power. While both have high-quality CPUs and adequate RAM for engineering software, the Alienware's high refresh rate and greater screen pixel density also offer a sharper and smoother visual experience, which is beneficial for design applications; however, its added power comes at the cost of reduced portability and potentially louder operating noise.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 10.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m15 R7
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Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
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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