Alienware Area-51m R2 vs. 2021 ROG Strix G17: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware Area-51m R2 and 2021 ROG Strix G17 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware Area-51m R2 Pros

Reasons that Alienware Area-51m R2 is better than 2021 ROG Strix G17.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-10900K inside Alienware Area-51m R2 has a 40% better multi-core CPU performance score than the AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX inside 2021 ROG Strix G17.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware Area-51m R2 - Intel Core i9-10900K
10,800
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
7,663
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 7-5800H
7,098
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 7-4800H
6,440
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 5-5600H
5,476
Supports larger memory

Alienware Area-51m R2 supports a larger memory capacity than the 2021 ROG Strix G17. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the 2021 ROG Strix G17.

Max system memory size
Alienware Area-51m R2
64 GB
2021 ROG Strix G17
32 GB

2021 ROG Strix G17 Pros

Reasons that 2021 ROG Strix G17 is better than Alienware Area-51m R2.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

About 42% lighter

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 weighed 5.29 pounds, 42% lighter than the 9.04 pounds Alienware Area-51m R2.

WeightAlienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Pound
9.04 lbs.
5.29 lbs.
Kilogram
4.10 kg
2.40 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware Area-51m R2 and 2021 ROG Strix G17.

Upgradable memory

Both laptops come with available RAM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed.

MemoryAlienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Slots
x2
x2
TypeDDR4 XMPDDR4

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Alienware Area-51m R2 Price
Alienware Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS)
Alienware Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS)
By Alienware
$2,299.99
EbidDealz Replacement for Laptop 17.3" FHD LCD Screen Display Complete Assembly 144Hz Dell Alienware Area-51m R2 7N7YC 07N7YC CN-07N7YC
EbidDealz Replacement for Laptop 17.3" FHD LCD Screen Display Complete Assembly 144Hz Dell Alienware Area-51m R2 7N7YC 07N7YC CN-07N7YC
By Generic
$249.99
Alienware 2021 Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3-inch 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS) (Renewed)
Alienware 2021 Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3-inch 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS) (Renewed)
By Alienware
$3,999.00
2021 ROG Strix G17 Price
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 16GB DDR4, 512B PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713IE-EB74
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 16GB DDR4, 512B PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713IE-EB74
By ASUS
$999.00
ASUS 2021 ROG Strix G17 17.3" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, Windows 10, Gray, 32GB USB SnowBell Card
ASUS 2021 ROG Strix G17 17.3" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, Windows 10, Gray, 32GB USB SnowBell Card
By ASUS
$1,448.00
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713QR-ES96
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713QR-ES96
By ASUS
$1,739.00

Availability

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Released20202021
Release DateAnnounced on June 22, 2020.Announced on January 13, 2021 (CES 2021)
Pricing$2,569.99
i7-10700 RTX 2060 16GB 256GB
-
Applicable Models-
  • 2021 ROG Strix G17
  • ROG Strix G17 (2021)
  • ROG Strix G17 G713
Generations

Exterior

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Dimensions15.85 x 12.565 x 1.089 - 1.7 in (402.60 x 319.14 x 27.65 - 44 mm)15.55 x 11.10 x 0.84 - 0.97” (395 x 282 x 21.4 - 24.6 mm)
Weight
  • 9.04 lb (4.10 Kg)
    Alienware Area-51m R2 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.
  • 10.36 lb (4.70 Kg) 
    Alienware Area-51m R2 with other graphics cards.
5.29 lbs (2.40 kg)
Colors
Lunar Light Dark Side of the Moon
Original Black Eclipse Gray
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Alienware mSeries Keyboard
    • Alienware TactX keyboard with per-key RGB LED AlienFX lighting.
    • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.7mm key travel, programmable macro keys, alphanumeric keys.
  • Touchpad
    • 3.94 x 2.20 in (100 mm x 56 mm) All-points addressable (APA) trackpad.
    • AlienFX backlit.
  • Full-size backlit keyboard with Numpad
    ROG Overstroke Calibrated Keystrokes N-Key Rollover Aura Sync Bigger arrow keys Gaps between function keys
  • Hotkeys 
    Volume down volume up mute HyperFan Armoury Crate
  • RGB Lighting Options
    Per-Key RGB lighting 4 x Zone RGB lighting
  • Touchpad 
    85% larger glass surface matte finish

Display

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” FHD 144Hz with Tobii
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 9ms response time 300 nits 16:9 72% NTSC 600:1 contrast ratio Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 144Hz with NVIDIA-GSYNC
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 7ms response time 300 nits 16:9 72% NTSC NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 600:1 contrast ratio Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 300Hz with Tobii
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut 700:1 Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 360Hz with Tobii & NVIDIA-GSYNC
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI 5ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 700:1 Anti-glare Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” UHD 60Hz with Tobii
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI 25ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1 200:1 contrast ratio Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3” FHD 300Hz
    16:9 1920 x 1080 300Hz 3ms 100% sRGB 75% Adobe RGB Non-touch IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync
  • 17.3” WQHD 165Hz
    16:9 2560 x 1440 165Hz 3ms 100% DCI-P3 Non-touch IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync

Ports

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Alienware Area-51m R2 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 
    supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and DisplayPort 1.2
  • 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
  • 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 with Powershare.
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0
    Output with HDCP 2.2 Output Port (Supports direct-drive VR interfaces).
  • 1 x mini DisplayPort™ 1.4
    Output Port (supports NVIDIA® G-Sync™).
  • 1 x RJ-45
    Killer™ Ethernet E3000 2.5Gbps Port.
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 2 x power adapter Ports
  • 1 x Global Headset Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Port
    Compatible with inline mic headset.
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)
2021 ROG Strix G17 Ports
Image Source: ASUS
Left (3)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Back (5)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0b
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps
  • 1 x power port

Internal Specs

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 65W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700K
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.80 → 5.10 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 125W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900
    10 cores, 20 threads, 2.80 → 5.20 GHz, 20MB SmartCache, 65W
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K
    10 cores, 20 threads, 3.70 → 5.30 GHz, 20MB SmartCache, 125W
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.90 → 4.20 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 8MB L3 Cache, 45W
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 3.30 → 4.20 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10700K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    7 Graphics Cores, 1600 MHz
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    7 Graphics Cores, 1800 MHz
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2000 MHz
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x SoDIMM slots
  • Memory Configurations
    • 8 GB, 2 x 4 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 32 GB, 2 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 64 GB, 2 x 32 GB, DDR4, 2933 MHz, dual-channel
    • 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz, dual-channel, Intel XMP
    • 32 GB, 2 x 16 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz, dual-channel, Intel XMP
16GB 32GB
Dual-Channel DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM.
2 x SODIMM slots
Discrete GraphicsNVIDIA® GeForce®
  • GTX™ 1660 Ti - 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX™ 2060 - 6GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX 2070 SUPER™ - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • RTX 2080 SUPER™ - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
AMD® Radeon™
  • RX 5700M - 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 1650
    4GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1615MHz at 50W (65W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1802MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1660MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
StorageAvailable Slots
  • 2 x M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 1TB each)
  • One SATA AHCI 6 Gbps (Up to 1TB)
Single Drive
256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD.
Dual Drives
  • 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
  • 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
RAID-0 Drives
  • 512GB RAID 0 (2x 256GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 1TB RAID 0 (2x 512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 2TB RAID 0 (2x 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
  • 4TB RAID 0 (2x 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs)
RAID-0 Plus Drives
  • 512GB (2x 256GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB (2x 512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD) Non-Raid [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs) RAID 0 [Boot] + 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID 0 [Boot] + 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) Non-Raid [Storage]
512GB 1TB 2TB
M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0.
2 x M.2 SSD slots.

Connectivity

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Wi-FiRivet Killer WiFi 6 AX1650i 
Up to 2212Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi-6 (802.11ax)
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax) 2x2 multi-antenna
BluetoothBluetooth 5.1Bluetooth 5.1
EthernetKiller™ Ethernet E3000 PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
Gigabit LAN
Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps.

Battery

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Size6-cell smart lithium-ion (90Wh)
56Wh 90Wh
4-cell lithium-ion battery.
Battery Life-Up to 12 hours of video playback.
Power Supply
  • 180W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 330W (19.50 VDC/9.23A)
  • 240W
      ø6.0 mm power adapter.
  • 100W
      USB-C power adapter.
  • Supports fast charging technology with up to 50% in 30 minutes.

Software

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Pro
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
Armoury Crate GameVisual Aura Creator Scenario Profiles

Camera & Audio

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Alienware HD (1280 x 720 resolution) camera.
No Built-in camera.
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3282-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 4-Way Stereo Speaker Design
    • Output: 8-10W
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones in the camera assembly
  • Speakers
    • 2 x 4W speaker with Smart Amp Technology.
    • 2.8x Louder Volume.
    • 3x More Bass.
    • 6.5dBa Dynamic Range.
  • Microphones
    • Built-in array microphone.
    • Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation.

Misc

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
Sensors
  • Tobii Eye Tracking (Optional)
-
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
-
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis-

Key Features

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17
At Glance
Released in Mid
2020
16:9 FHD
17.3”
360Hz w/ Tobii
Weight
9.04 lb
4.10 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10900K
10C/20T, 3.70 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,392
Single Core
Geekbench 5
10,800
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3200 MHz DDR4 XMP
Alienware Area-51m R2 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6
Released in
2021
16:9 WQHD
17.3”
1440p 165Hz
Weight
5.29 lb
2.40 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
8C/16T, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,416
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,663
Multi-Core
With integrated
AMD Radeon™ Graphics
8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
3200 MHz DDR4
2021 ROG Strix G17 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3070
8GB GDDR6 115W TGP

Comparison Summary

Alienware Area-51m R2 vs. 2021 ROG Strix G17

Dell has released the Alienware Area-51m R2, a 17.3-inch machine, in mid-2020. It is powered by up to 10-core Intel Core i9-10900K with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER with 8GB GDDR6.

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch ROG Strix G17 was introduced by ASUS about a year later in 2021. It comes with up to an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with 8GB GDDR6 115W TGP.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware Area-51m R24
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K1,39298.31%
2021 ROG Strix G171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H1,07876.13%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H1,24087.57%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H1,33494.21%
4
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX1,416100.00%
01,416

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware Area-51m R24
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10900K10,800100.00%
2021 ROG Strix G171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H6,44059.63%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H5,47650.70%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H7,09865.72%
4
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX7,66370.95%
010,800

Both Alienware Area-51m R2 and 2021 ROG Strix G17 have the same 17.3-inch display size. In addition, the Alienware Area-51m R2 weighs 9.04 lbs. about 70% heavier than the 5.29 lbs. 2021 ROG Strix G17. Moreover, measured at 15.85” x 12.565” x 1.7”, the Alienware Area-51m R2 is much bulkier than the 2021 ROG Strix G17 at 15.55” x 11.10” x 0.97”.

Alienware Area-51m R22021 ROG Strix G17

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware Area-51m R2 supports up to 64GB 3200 MHz DDR4 XMP memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device. On top of that, it also has a single SATA slot that users can use to install a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive to add even more storage.

For 2021 ROG Strix G17, it supports up to 32GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also has two M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed.

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