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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for tasks like intensive engineering, 3D rendering, or machine learning, then consider the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17; however, it sacrifices some portability due to its weight and battery life compared to the Dell Alienware m17 R5. On the other hand, the Alienware m17 R5 offers a higher refresh rate display which is advantageous for gaming and is somewhat more portable with a longer battery life but has a stronger gaming laptop appearance and may not match the performance of the ASUS for more demanding professional applications. Both have ample storage and powerful processors, with the ASUS having more RAM for multitasking and the Dell providing more robust gaming features. 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
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.7
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
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 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Software Development
7.9
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
8.1
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 offer screens with clear resolution and brightness, providing comfortable viewing for everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing. In the context of engineering and design, these laptops provide screens that cover a broad range of colors, which is crucial for accurately rendering visuals in professional-grade applications. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the screens on both laptops may fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can affect the smoothness of motion and responsiveness during gameplay or real-time rendering.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 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
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 both have good build quality, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.3
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers exceptional screen quality with high color accuracy and brightness, coupled with a strong CPU and plenty of RAM which concludes in outstanding general-use capability, while also being lighter and having better battery life, which enhances its portability. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, despite having a robust build and very good speaker and keyboard quality that suggests a good general-use experience, is significantly heavier and has shorter battery life, which may limit its portability for some users.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 to be 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 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 | 9 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 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 | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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 17 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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