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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15, with its OLED screen and 4K resolution, excels in vibrant screen colors and is suitable for tasks that benefit from dual screens, like creative work or multitasking. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2, sporting a faster refresh rate display and more powerful graphics card, is tailored for intensive gaming and can also handle demanding engineering applications. Both have similar battery life, but for portability, the ASUS is lighter but has a smaller screen, whereas the Alienware is heavier with a larger display. If price is a concern, the ASUS is a little less expensive, but if gaming or engineering performance is a priority, the Alienware edges ahead despite the additional cost. 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 Duo 15
- Very good for software development
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
8.9
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is good.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, delivers ample gaming and 3D performance; however, its 60Hz screen refresh rate may be a limitation for fast-paced gaming compared to the Dell Alienware X17 R2, which boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a much higher 480Hz screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and a potential edge for competitive gaming.
Software Development
8.3
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
332.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 offers a vivid and sharp display thanks to its high resolution and brightness, making it easy on the eyes during everyday tasks. In engineering and design, this laptop's rich color gamut ensures accurate color representation, crucial for professionals working with visual content. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rate of the ZenBook Pro Duo 15's screen could lead to less fluid motion, which is less optimal compared to screens with higher refresh rates.
Battery
7.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15 has 7 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.5
8.2
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
332.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15's high-resolution OLED screen and lighter weight make it ideal for general use with impressive visual quality and easier portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2, though less portable, offers a significantly high refresh rate and powerful CPU and GPU combination, making it suitable for more demanding applications beyond general use.
Engineering and Design
9.0
9.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 are both excellent for engineering and design.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is ideal for engineering and design due to its high-quality OLED screen and powerful CPU and GPU combination suited for tasks requiring detailed graphics and computation. The Dell Alienware X17 R2 caters similarly to engineering and design with a top-tier GPU and high-performance CPU, and while it offers a larger screen for detail-oriented work, its higher weight impacts portability compared to the ASUS.
Content Creation
8.7
8.3
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 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.
Cost
$2,000
$2,000
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has a price of $2,000 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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How the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.8'' x 0.85'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.16 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.17" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | 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 | 7 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 92 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 332 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 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 | 7.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 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 | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Jared Newman | August 2021
"Benchmarks aside, the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo is hard to compare with other PCs. Its closest competition may be a multi-monitor desktop, or a laptop with an attached travel monitor. The Pro Duo is more portable and versatile than either of those options, especially with the software tools Asus has thrown on top. For a certain niche of artists, media creators, and gamers, all that might add up to something special, even if it’s unattainable for the rest of us."
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 Duo 15 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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