2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 vs. Alienware M17 R4: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 and Alienware M17 R4 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Pros

Reasons that 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 is better than Alienware M17 R4.

Slightly faster CPU performance

AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX inside 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 has a 9% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M17 R4.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 - AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
7,663
2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 - AMD Ryzen 7-5800H
7,098
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i7-10870H
6,596
Supports larger memory

The 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M17 R4. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M17 R4.

Max system memory size
2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17
64 GB
Alienware M17 R4
32 GB
Supports faster memory

The 2021 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
2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
Alienware M17 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
Upgradable memory

The 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the Alienware M17 R4 since it has onboard memory.

Memory2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4DDR4

Alienware M17 R4 Pros

Reasons that Alienware M17 R4 is better than 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17.

About 8% lighter

Alienware M17 R4 weighed 5.51 pounds, 8% lighter than the 5.95 pounds 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17.

Weight2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Pound
5.95 lbs.
5.51 lbs.
Kilogram
2.70 kg
2.50 kg

Prices

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

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Price
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 360Hz IPS FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Opti-Mechanical Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Windows 10 Pro, G733QSA-PB96
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 360Hz IPS FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Opti-Mechanical Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Windows 10 Pro, G733QSA-PB96
By ASUS
$1,979.00
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 16 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 16” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, 1100 nits, Mini LED Display, GeForce RTX 4080, Intel Core i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, G634JZR-XS96
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 16” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, 1100 nits, Mini LED Display, GeForce RTX 4080, Intel Core i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, G634JZR-XS96
By ASUS
$2,899.00
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
$1,658.98
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

Availability

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Released20212021
Release DateAnnounced on January 13, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
Pricing-Starting at $2,149.99
Applicable Models
  • 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17
  • ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2021)
  • ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733
-
Generations

Exterior

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Dimensions15.55 x 11.10 x 0.92 - 1.08” (395 x 282 x 23.4 - 27.5 mm)15.74” x 11.585” x 0.6618 - 0.87 - 0.8154” (399.8 mm x 294.26 mm x 16.9 - 22 - 20.71 mm)
Weight5.95 lbs (2.70 kg)Starting at 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg) up to 6.55 lbs (2.97 kg)
Colors
Black
with Rubber Grey Customizable Armor Cap.
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Optical Mech Keyboard
    1.9 mm key travel Per-Key RGB 100M key press lifetime 0.2 ms response time Aura Sync
  • Hotkeys 
    Volume down volume up mute HyperFan Armoury Crate
  • Touchpad
    85% larger glass surface matte finish
  • 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.

Display

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” FHD 360Hz
    16:9 1920 x 1080 360Hz 3ms 100% sRGB 75.35% 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
  • 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

Ports

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Ports
Image Source: ASUS
  • 1 x USB Type-C™
    Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort™ 1.4, and Power Delivery 3.0
  • 3 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b
  • 1 x Audio combo jack
  • 1 x RJ45
  • 1 x DC-in
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

Internal Specs

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Processor
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  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
Integrated Graphics
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2000 MHz
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
  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
Memory
16GB 32GB 64GB
Dual-Channel LPDDR4 3200MHz SDRAM.
2 x SODIMM slots
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
Discrete Graphics
  • 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).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    16GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1645MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3000 series
Storage
512GB 1TB 2TB
M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0.
2 x M.2 SSD slots, supports RAID-0.
Available 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]

Connectivity

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Wi-FiIntel® Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax)
  • 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.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.1
  • Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i › Bluetooth 5.1
Ethernet Gigabit LAN
Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps.
  • Killer™ Ethernet E3100X PCI-e Gigabit ethernet controller
    Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Size90 Wh (4-cell lithium-ion)86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender
Power Supply
240W
  ø6.0 mm power adapter.
Supports USB-C™ Power Delivery 3.0 up to 100W
  • 240W power adapter
  • 330W power adapter

Software

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
OS
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
Armoury Crate Screen Xpert Aura Creator 1M Xbox Game Pass
  • 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)

Camera & Audio

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
CameraNo built-in webcam.Front-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • 2 x 4W speaker with Smart Amp Technology.
  • 2 x 2W tweeter.
  • Supports Dolby Atmos.
  • Built-in array microphone
  • Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation
  • 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

Misc

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
Sensors-
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
Security-
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Trusted Protection Module
More-CHASIS
  • 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

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4
At Glance
Released in Early
2021
16:9 WQHD
17.3”
1440p 165Hz
Weight
5.95 lb
2.70 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
64GB
3200 MHz DDR4
2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
16GB GDDR6 115W TGP
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

Comparison Summary

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 vs. Alienware M17 R4

ASUS has released the ROG Strix SCAR 17, a 17.3-inch machine, in early-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 115W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Alienware M17 R4 was introduced by Dell around the same time in early-2021. 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 3080 with 8GB GDDR6.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H1,33494.21%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX1,416100.00%
Alienware M17 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H1,15981.85%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,22386.37%
01,416

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H7,09892.63%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX7,663100.00%
Alienware M17 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H6,59686.08%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,01391.52%
07,663

Both 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 and Alienware M17 R4 have the same 17.3-inch display size. In addition, the 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 weighs 5.95 lbs. about 7% heavier than the 5.51 lbs. Alienware M17 R4. Moreover, measured at 15.55” x 11.10” x 1.08”, the 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 is much bulkier than the Alienware M17 R4 at 15.74” x 11.58” x 0.87”.

2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17Alienware M17 R4

Moving over to upgradability, ASUS claims that the 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17 supports up to 64GB 3200 MHz DDR4 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.

For Alienware M17 R4, it supports up to 32GB 2933 MHz DDR4 memory. Unlike 2021 ROG Strix SCAR 17, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it 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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