ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) vs. Alienware X17 R1: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) and Alienware X17 R1 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) Pros

Reasons that ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) is better than Alienware X17 R1.

About 14% lighter

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) weighed 5.73 pounds, 14% lighter than the 6.65 pounds Alienware X17 R1.

WeightROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Pound
5.73 lbs.
6.65 lbs.
Kilogram
2.60 kg
3.02 kg

Alienware X17 R1 Pros

Reasons that Alienware X17 R1 is better than ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020).

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11980HK inside Alienware X17 R1 has a 40% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-10875H inside ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020).

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i9-11980HK
9,677
Alienware X17 R1 - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) - Intel Core i7-10875H
6,874
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) - Intel Core i7-10750H
5,412
Supports larger memory

Alienware X17 R1 supports a larger memory capacity than the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020). It supports up to 64GB versus 48GB of system memory on the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020).

Max system memory size
Alienware X17 R1
64 GB
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)
48 GB
Supports faster memory

Alienware X17 R1 supports a faster memory speed than the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020). It supports up to 3466MHz versus 3200MHz of system memory on the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020).

Memory type and speed
Alienware X17 R1 - DDR4 XMP
3,466 MHz
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) - DDR4
3,200 MHz

Prices

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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) Price
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 165Hz IPS Type QHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Thunderbolt 4, Windows 10, GX703HM-DB76
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 165Hz IPS Type QHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Thunderbolt 4, Windows 10, GX703HM-DB76
By ASUS
$3,898.00
ASUS 2023 ROG Zephyrus G16 Gaming Laptop, MUX Switch, 16” FHD 165Hz, Latest 10-Core i7-13620H CPU, RTX 4060 8GB GDDR6, Thin & Light, RGB, Win 11 H, W/Mouse Pad (32GB RAM | 2TB PCIe SSD)
ASUS 2023 ROG Zephyrus G16 Gaming Laptop, MUX Switch, 16” FHD 165Hz, Latest 10-Core i7-13620H CPU, RTX 4060 8GB GDDR6, Thin & Light, RGB, Win 11 H, W/Mouse Pad (32GB RAM | 2TB PCIe SSD)
By ASUS
$1,379.90
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 16” 165Hz IPS Type WUXGA 16:10 Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 16GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Windows 11, GX650RM-ES74
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 16” 165Hz IPS Type WUXGA 16:10 Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 16GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, Windows 11, GX650RM-ES74
By ASUS
$2,009.99
$2,499.99 20% OFF
Alienware X17 Price
Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, Killer Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop - 17.3-inch FHD 480Hz 1ms Display, Intel Core i9-12900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti 8GB GDDR6, USB-C, Killer Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home - Lunar Light
By Alienware
$2,270.00
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X17 R2 Gaming Laptop (2022) | 17.3" FHD | Core i9 - 1TB SSD - 16GB RAM - 3070 Ti | 14 Cores @ 5 GHz - 12th Gen CPU - 8GB GDDR5 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$2,305.99
Dell Alienware X17 R1 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD+ | Core i7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.9 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
Dell Alienware X17 R1 Gaming Laptop (2021) | 17.3" FHD+ | Core i7-512GB SSD Hard Drive - 16GB RAM - RTX 3070 | 8 Cores @ 4.9 GHz - 8GB GDDR6 Win 11 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,611.97

Availability

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Released20202021
Release Date-Available on June 1, 2021
Pricing-
  • $2,099.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 256GB RTX 3060 6GB FHD 165Hz
  • $2,479.99
    i7-11800H 16GB 512GB RTX 3070 8GB FHD 165Hz
  • $3,229.99
    i7-11800H 32GB 512GB RTX 3080 16GB UHD 120Hz
  • $3,629.99
    i9-11980HK 32GB XMP 512GB RTX 3080 16GB UHD 120Hz
Generations-

Exterior

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Dimensions15.70” x 10.70” x 0.73” (399 x 272 x 18.7 mm)
  • 15.718” x 11.791” x 0.823” (399.23 x 299.49 x 20.9 mm)
    With FHD 360Hz diplay.
  • 15.718” x 11.791” x 0.843” (399.23 x 299.49 x 21.4 mm)
    With FHD 165Hz or UHD 120Hz diplay.
Weight5.73 lbs (2.6 kg)6.65 - 7.05 lbs (3.02 - 3.2 kg)
Colors
Brushed Black
Lunar light
With High Endurance Clear Coat and Silky - Smooth Finish
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Backlit chiclet keyboard
  • Per-key RGB lighting
  • Aura Sync
  • 1.4mm travel distance
  • N key rollover
  • Keyboard
    • Alienware X-Series thin keyboard
    • Per-key RGB LED with AlienFX lighting
    • Anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology.
    • 1.5mm key travel.
  • Touchpad
    • Multi-touch gesture Premium Precision glass touchpad with integrated scrolling.
    • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 80 mm) precision touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
    • Supports AlienFX touchpad.

Display

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 17.3-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-level panel, 144Hz, 3ms, 100% sRGB, Pantone® Validated
  • 17.3-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-level panel, 300Hz, 3ms, 100% sRGB, Pantone® Validated
  • 17.3” FHD with 165Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI ComfortView Plus 3ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB 1000:1 Anti-glare WVA 7.2 W
  • 17.3” FHD with 360Hz
    1920 x 1080 127 PPI ComfortView Plus NVIDIA G-Sync Advanced Optimus 1ms response time 300 nits 16:9 100% sRGB 800:1 Anti-glare WVA 8.4 W
  • 17.3” UHD with 120Hz
    3840 x 2160 255 PPI ComfortView Plus 4ms response time 500 nits 16:9 100% Adobe RGB 1200:1 Anti-glare WVA 12.2 W

Ports

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) Ports
Image Source: ASUS
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 with USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
    Supports DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0.
  • 1 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
    Supports DisplayPort™ 1.4.
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
  • 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b
  • 1x 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack
  • 1 x Kensington lock
Alienware X17 R1 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (1)
  • 1 x power port
Right (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Back (8)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (5V/3A)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (5V/3A)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Powershare
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
    v1.4
  • 1 x microSD card slot
  • 1 x RJ-45
    2.5 Gbps, Killer E3100

Internal Specs

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Processor
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 5.00 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 5.10 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.60 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 5.00 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 65W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
MemoryUp to 48GB DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64GB
3200MHz or 3466MHz Dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM.
2 x SO-DIMM slots.
  • Max 32GB of 3200 MHz DDR4 Memory
  • Max 64GB of 3466 MHz XMP DDR4 Memory
Discrete Graphics
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 GX701LV
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060
    6GB GDDR6 VRAM (Boost Clock: 1660MHz, 115W).
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 GX701LWS
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 SUPER™
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM (Boost Clock: 1380MHz, 115W).
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 SUPER™
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM (Boost Clock: 1330MHz, 90W).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 TGP: 115W Dynamic Boost: 15W Max Power: 130W Speed: 1387 → 1702 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 TGP: 125W Dynamic Boost: 15W Max Power: 140W Speed: 1215 → 1620 MHz
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080
    16GB GDDR6 TGP: 150W Dynamic Boost: 15W Max Power: 165W Speed: 1350 → 1710 MHz
* All configurations include 12-phase HyperEfficient graphics voltage regulation.
Storage
512GB 1TB
M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 with RAID 0 support
  • 2 x M.2 2280 slots (Up to 2TB each)
    Supports RAID-0

Connectivity

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Wi-FiIntel® Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax)Rivet Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675w
Triple Band 2.4GHz/5GHz/6GHz Up to 2400 Mbps WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBluetooth 5.1Bluetooth 5.2
Ethernet
  • Gigabit LAN
    Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps.
Killer E3100 2.5G Ethernet Controller
Transfer rate: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps

Battery

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Size-87 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 10 hours of video playback.
  • Up to 6 hours 21 minutes of web browsing.
-
Power Supply240W power adaptor
Support Type-C PD 3.0 up to 65W.
240W 330W
power adapter.

Software

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
OS
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
Armoury Crate GameFirst VI GameVisual Sonic Studio III
  • Alienware Command Center
    AlienFX lighting Game Library Auto-tune game profile functionality Fusion Alienware Adrenalin Alienware Mobile Connect
  • Microsoft Office 365 (30-day trial)

Camera & Audio

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Camera
  • No Built-in camera.
  • Support external ROG GC21 camera support 1080p@60Hz.
  • Front-facing camera.
    Alienware HD (1280x720 resolution) camera.
  • Windows Hello IR support.
Audio
  • 2 speakers with Smart AMP technology
  • Array Microphones
  • Controller: Realtek ALC3281
    • 7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection
    • Alienware Sound Center via Alienware Command Center
  • Speakers:
    • 2 x 4W speakers
  • Microphone:
    • Dual-array microphones

Misc

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
Sensors-Windows Hello IR Camera
Security
  • Kensington lock slot
-
Warranty-1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis

Key Features

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1
At Glance
Released in
2020
16:9 FHD
17.3”
1080p 300Hz
Weight
5.73 lb
2.60 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-10875H
8C/16T, 2.30 → 5.10 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,192
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,874
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Up to
48GB
3200 MHz DDR4
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 2080 SUPER
8GB GDDR6
Released in Mid
2021
16:9 4K UHD
17.3”
2160p 120Hz
Weight
6.65 lb
3.02 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-11980HK
8C/16T, 3.30 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,646
Single Core
Geekbench 5
9,677
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3466 MHz DDR4 XMP
Alienware X17 R1 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
16GB GDDR6 150W TGP

Comparison Summary

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) vs. Alienware X17 R1

ASUS has released the ROG Zephyrus S17 , a 17.3-inch machine, in 2020. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i7-10875H with a boost clock speed up to 5.10 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 Alienware X17 R1 was introduced by Dell about a year later in mid-2021. It comes with up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 150W TGP.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)1
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H1,13468.89%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H1,19272.42%
Alienware X17 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H1,46689.06%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK1,646100.00%
01,646

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)1
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H5,41255.93%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10875H6,87471.03%
Alienware X17 R11
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H7,90881.72%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK9,677100.00%
09,677

Both ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) and Alienware X17 R1 have the same 17.3-inch display size. In addition, The ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) weighs 5.73 lbs. about 16% lighter than the 6.65 lbs. Alienware X17 R1. Moreover, measured at 15.70” x 10.70” x 0.73”, the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) is much more portable than the Alienware X17 R1 at 15.72” x 11.79” x 0.82”.

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020)Alienware X17 R1

Moving over to upgradability, ASUS claims that the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2020) supports up to 48GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory. 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 X17 R1, it supports up to 64GB 3466 MHz DDR4 XMP 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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