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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 depends on your priorities. If you're seeking better performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or playing the latest games, the Alienware, with its high-end graphics card, is the go-to option. However, you'll compromise on battery life and portability, as it's heavier and drains faster. Meanwhile, the Zenbook offers longer battery life and is lighter, making it more portable for general use and suitable for a wider range of tasks, but it won't handle demanding applications as effectively as the Alienware. Additionally, the Zenbook typically costs less, so it's a more budget-friendly choice if top-tier performance isn't critical for you. 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
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
8.9
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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 X17 R2 is very 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.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, making it capable for engineering tasks, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2's Intel i9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU offer superior performance for more demanding engineering and design applications. Although the ASUS is lighter and may offer better portability, the Alienware's stronger performance, along with a better cooling system indicated by its superior heat management, may justify the tradeoff in weight for professional users.
Screen Quality
7.2
8.5
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 delivers clear and sharp visuals ideal for everyday tasks due to its high resolution and brightness, but falls short in gaming due to a standard refresh rate. For engineering and design tasks, it offers respectable color accuracy, but not the widest range of colors compared to top-tier professional displays. Conversely, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out with its vibrant and accurate color reproduction which benefits engineers and designers, but similarly to the Zenbook, its gaming experience is limited by refresh rate despite excellent general display attributes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 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
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
$2,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.3
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is well-suited for general use given its decent screen quality, good portability, and longer battery life, and it offers a balanced package with its Ryzen 9 processor and sufficient RAM for smooth multitasking. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2, while heavier and with slightly less battery life, provides a highly powerful CPU and top-tier graphics card, which along with excellent heat management and speaker quality might appeal to users looking for a high-performance machine that can also handle gaming or resource-intensive tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
8.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for content creation.
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
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 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 Pro 17 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 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 | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 87 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 | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 2 | 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 | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
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 Pro 17 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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