Alienware M17 R4 vs. 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Alienware M17 R4 and 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Alienware M17 R4 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R4 is better than 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17.

10% larger display

Alienware M17 R4 has a 17.3-inch screen size 10% larger than the 15.6-inch 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17.

Display size
Alienware M17 R4
17.3-inch
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
15.6-inch
About 14% lighter

Alienware M17 R4 weighed 5.51 pounds, 14% lighter than the 6.39 pounds 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17.

WeightAlienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Pound
5.51 lbs.
6.39 lbs.
Kilogram
2.50 kg
2.90 kg

2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Pros

Reasons that 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 is better than Alienware M17 R4.

Supports faster memory

The 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 supports a faster memory speed than the Alienware M17 R4. It supports up to 3200MHz versus 2933MHz of system memory on the Alienware M17 R4.

Memory type and speed
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
Alienware M17 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Alienware M17 R4 and 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Alienware M17 R4
32 GB
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
32 GB

Prices

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

Alienware M17 R4 Price
Alienware m17 R4, 17.3 inch FHD (Full HD) Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
Alienware m17 R4, 17.3 inch FHD (Full HD) Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$2,399.00
Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7-2TB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7-2TB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR6 Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,658.97
Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7 - 512GB SSD + 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
Dell Alienware m17 R4 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD | Core i7 - 512GB SSD + 512GB SSD - 16GB RAM - RTX 3060 | 8 Cores @ 5 GHz - 10th Gen CPU - 12GB GDDR6 Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,639.95
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Price
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D G733PYV-XH97 - AMD Ryzen 9-7945HX / up to 5.4 GHz - Win 11 Pro - GeForce RTX 4090-32 GB RAM - 2 TB SSD Off Black
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D G733PYV-XH97 - AMD Ryzen 9-7945HX / up to 5.4 GHz - Win 11 Pro - GeForce RTX 4090-32 GB RAM - 2 TB SSD Off Black
By ASUS
$3,699.00
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 360Hz IPS FHD Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, G733ZW-DS94
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 360Hz IPS FHD Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Windows 11, G733ZW-DS94
By ASUS
$2,699.00
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX™ 4090, Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5-5600, 2TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JYR-XS97
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX™ 4090, Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5-5600, 2TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JYR-XS97
By ASUS
$3,898.99

Availability

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Released20212020
Release Date
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
-
PricingStarting at $2,149.99-
Generations

Exterior

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Dimensions15.74” x 11.585” x 0.6618 - 0.87 - 0.8154” (399.8 mm x 294.26 mm x 16.9 - 22 - 20.71 mm)15.73” x 11.55” x 0.86” - 1.03” (399.7mm x 293.4mm x 22mm - 26.2mm)
WeightStarting at 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg) up to 6.55 lbs (2.97 kg)2.9kg
Colors
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Black
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware mSeries 4-Zone AlienFX RGB keyboard.
    • Alienware mSeries keyboard with per-key RGB LED.
  • AlienFX lighting
  • Includes anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology
  • 1.7mm key travel
  • 0.2mm-dish concave key design
  • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • Backlit chiclet keyboard
  • N-key rollover
  • Per-Key RGB
  • Aura Sync
  • Hotkeys (Volume down, volume up, mute, Operating Modes, Armoury Crate)

Display

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Size17.3 Inches15.6 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” FHD with 144Hz 
    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 with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI tms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB color gamut NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology 700:1 Anti-glare WVA
  • 17.3” UHD with 60Hz
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI 25ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1 200:1 contrast ratio 12W max Tobii Eyetracking technology WVA
  • 17.3-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-level panel, 300Hz, 3ms, 100% sRGB
  • 17.3-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-level panel, 144Hz, 3ms, 100% sRGB

Ports

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Alienware M17 R4 Ports
Image Source: Dell
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 Port
    Supports USB Type-C™ with support for USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort 1.2.
  • 2 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port
  • 1 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare technology
  • 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port
  • 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    Supports up to 4K@120Hz display out.
  • 1 x Mini-Display Port 1.4 (certified) Output Port
  • 1 x Audio Out 1/8" Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset)
  • 1 x Wedge-shaped lock slot (cable and lock sold separately)
  • 1 x microSD 5.1, UHD-II HD312 Card Reader
  • 1 x Power/DC-in Port
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Ports
Image Source: ASUS
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™
  • 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b
  • 1 x 3.5mm Audio Jack/ 1 x Audio Jack Mic-in (Combo Jack)
  • 1 x RJ45 LAN Jack
  • 1 x Keystone

Internal Specs

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.20 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 5.10 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Memory
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
Up to 32GB DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM
Discrete GraphicsNVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3000 series
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 SUPER™with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 2070 with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 2060 with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM
StorageAvailable Slots
  • One M.2 2230 slot (Up to 512GB)
  • Two M.2 2230/2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
Single Drive
  • 256 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 1 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
  • 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSD
RAID-0
  • 512GB (2x256 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 1TB (2x 512 PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0
RAID-0 Plus
  • 1TB (2x 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 2TB (2x 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • 4TB (2x 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD) RAID0 [Boot] + 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD [Storage]
  • Single
    • 512GB 1TB
      M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
  • Dual
    • 512GB+512GB 1TB+1TB
      M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
      Supports RAID 0.
  • Supports up to 3 SSDs.

Connectivity

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Wi-Fi
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
    Dual Band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz up to 2400 Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i › Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.0
Ethernet
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
  • Gigabit LAN
    Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps.

Battery

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Size86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender-
Power Supply
  • 240W power adapter
  • 330W power adapter
  • 230W power adaptor
    Intel Core i7 models.
  • 280W power adaptor
    Intel Core i9 models.

Software

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Pro
Built-in Apps
  • Alienware Command Center
    Supports AlienFX lighting, Game
    Library with auto-tune game profile functionality.
  • Alienware Adrenalin
  • Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)
Armoury Crate GameFirst VI GameVisual Sonic Studio III Aura Creator

Camera & Audio

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
CameraFront-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
  • No Built-in camera.
Audio
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281-CG
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design
    • Includes Discrete Smart Amp Woofer technology
  • Microphone:
    • Digital-array microphones in the camera assembly
  • 2 x 4.2W speakers with Smart AMP technology
  • Array Microphone

Misc

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
Sensors
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
-
Security
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Trusted Protection Module
-
MoreCHASIS
  • Based on Alienware's Legend industrial design language
  • Engineered with Alienware's Advanced Cryo-Tech Cooling technology
  • Engineered with HyperEfficient Voltage Regulation
  • Constructed with a Magnesium Alloy exterior shell and copper alloy thermal components
-

Key Features

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17
At Glance
Released in Early
2021
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 360Hz
Weight
5.51 lb
2.50 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,223
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,013
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
2933 MHz DDR4
Alienware M17 R4 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
8GB GDDR6
Released in
2020
16:9 FHD
15.6”
1080p 300Hz
Weight
6.39 lb
2.90 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,223
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,013
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Up to
32GB
3200 MHz DDR4
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2070 SUPER
8GB GDDR6

Comparison Summary

Alienware M17 R4 vs. 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17

Dell has released the Alienware M17 R4, a 17.3-inch machine, in early-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-10980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 8GB GDDR6.

On the other hand, we have the 15.6-inch ROG Strix SCAR 17 was introduced by ASUS about a year earlier in 2020. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-10980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.30 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER with 8GB GDDR6.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Alienware M17 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H1,15994.77%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,223100.00%
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 171
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H1,19297.47%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,223100.00%
01,223

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Alienware M17 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H6,59694.05%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,013100.00%
2020 ROG Strix SCAR 171
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H6,87498.02%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,013100.00%
07,013

The Alienware M17 R4 has a 17.3-inch display which is slightly larger than the 15.6-inch 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17. In addition, The Alienware M17 R4 weighs 5.51 lbs. about 15% lighter than the 6.39 lbs. 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17. Moreover, measured at 15.74” x 11.58” x 0.87”, the Alienware M17 R4 is slightly bulkier than the 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17 at 15.73” x 11.55” x 0.86”.

Alienware M17 R42020 ROG Strix SCAR 17

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Alienware M17 R4 supports up to 32GB 2933 MHz DDR4 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with two M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

For 2020 ROG Strix SCAR 17, it supports up to 32GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory. It also has three M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed.

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