ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) vs. Alienware M17 R4: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) and Alienware M17 R4 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) Pros

Reasons that ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) is better than Alienware M17 R4.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-11900H inside ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) has a 15% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i9-10980HK inside Alienware M17 R4.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) - Intel Core i9-11900H
8,121
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) - Intel Core i7-11800H
7,908
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i9-10980HK
7,013
Alienware M17 R4 - Intel Core i7-10870H
6,596
Supports larger memory

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) supports a larger memory capacity than the Alienware M17 R4. It supports up to 48GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Alienware M17 R4.

Max system memory size
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)
48 GB
Alienware M17 R4
32 GB
Supports faster memory

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) 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
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) - DDR4
3,200 MHz
Alienware M17 R4 - DDR4
2,933 MHz
Upgradable memory

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) comes with one SODIMM slot 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.

MemoryROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
Slots
x1
Onboard
TypeDDR4DDR4

Alienware M17 R4 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Alienware M17 R4 over ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021).

Prices

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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) 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 ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 16” Mini LED 240Hz/3ms, QHD 16:10 Display, 100% DCI-P3, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 9, 32GB DDR5, 2TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, GX650PY-XS97, Black
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 16” Mini LED 240Hz/3ms, QHD 16:10 Display, 100% DCI-P3, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 9, 32GB DDR5, 2TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, GX650PY-XS97, Black
By ASUS
$3,699.00
$3,999.99 8% OFF
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
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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
Released20212021
Release DateAnnounced on May 11, 2021
  • Announced on January 12, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available on January 26, 2021
Pricing-Starting at $2,149.99
Generations-

Exterior

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
Dimensions15.51” x 10.39” x 0.78” (394 x 264 x 19.9 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)
Weight5.73 lbs (2.60 kg)Starting at 5.51 lbs (2.50 kg) up to 6.55 lbs (2.97 kg)
Colors
Black
  • Dark Side of the Moon with High Endurance Clear Coat
  • Lunar Light with High Endurance Clear Coat
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit chicklet keyboard
    5° angle lift 1.9 mm key travel 0.15 keycap dish Per-Key RGB Aura Sync N key rollover
  • Hotkeys
    Volume up Volume down Microphone mute ROG Armoury Crate
  • Integrated Fingerprint Sensor
  • Trackpad - 125% larger and more accurate matte glass precision 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.

Display

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
Size17.3 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 17.3” 4K UHD 120Hz Display
    16:9 Aspect Ratio 3840 x 1600 IPS 120Hz refresh rate 3ms response time 500-nits Dolby Vision Patone Validated 100% DCI-P3 Anti-Glare
  • 17.3” WQHD 165Hz Display
    16:9 Aspect Ratio 3840 x 1600 IPS 120Hz refresh rate 3ms response time Nvidia G-Sync Patone Validated 100% DCI-P3 Anti-Glare
  • 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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) Ports
Image Source: ASUS
  • 1 x Thunderbolt™ 4
    with USB 4 Type-C, DisplayPort™ 1.4 and  100W Power Delivery 3.0.
  • 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
    Supports DisplayPort™ and  100W Power Delivery 3.0.
  • 3 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
  • 1 x HDMI 2.0b
  • 1 x RJ-45 jack
  • 1 x SD Card Reader 
    Supports UHS-II up to 312 MB/s.
  • 1 x 3.5mm Audio jack
  • 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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.60 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.50 → 4.90 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 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. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 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
MemoryUp to 48GB DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM
1 x 16GB on-board memory and 1 x SO-DIMM slot up to 32GB of DDR4 SDRAM.
8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
2933 MHz Dual-channel DDR4 RAM.
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 - 6GB GDDR6
    Supports ROG Boost up to 1802MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 - 8GB GDDR6
    Supports ROG Boost up to 1660MHz at 125W (140W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 - 16GB GDDR6
    Supports ROG Boost up to 1645MHz at 125W (140W with Dynamic Boost).
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3000 series
Storage
  • Single
    • 512GB 1TB
      M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
  • Dual
    • 2 x 512GB 2 x 1TB
      M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
      Supports RAID 0.
  • Triple
    • 3 x 512GB 3 x 1TB
      M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
      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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware 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 5.2
  • 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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
Size90 Wh
4-cell Li-ion battery
86 WHr, 6-cell smart lithium-ion with Alienware Battery Defender
Power Supply
  • 280W power adaptor
    Propriety charger.
  • Supports charging via USB-C
    Supports USB Type-C PD 3.0 up to 10W.
  • 240W power adapter
  • 330W power adapter

Software

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
OSWindows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
Armoury Crate 1M Xbox Game Pass GameVisual Scenario Profiles Multiwheel Android/iOS App Office 365 Trial
  • 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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
CameraHD Front-facing camera
720p (1280 x 720) camera.
Front-facing camera
Alienware FHD (1920x1080 resolution) camera.
Audio
  • 2 x 1W tweeter with Smart Amp Technology
  • Audio by Dolby Atmos
  • Built-in array microphone
  • AI mic noise-canceling
  • 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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
SensorsThe fingerprint sensor on the power button
  • Tobii Eyetracking technology (optional)
Security
  • BIOS Administrator Password and User Password Protection
  • Kensington Lock
  • Fingerprint Authentication
  • Wedge-shaped lock slot
  • Trusted Protection Module
In the box
  • ROG Ranger BP2701 Gaming Backpack
  • ROG Delta headset
  • ROG Chakram Core mouse P511
  • TYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter
    Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC 50/60Hz universal
-
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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4
At Glance
Released in Mid
2021
16:9
17.3”
1600p 165Hz
Weight
5.73 lb
2.60 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-11900H
8C/16T, 2.50 → 4.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,430
Single Core
Geekbench 5
8,121
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 350 → 1450 MHz
Upgradable up to
48GB
3200 MHz DDR4
ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080
16GB GDDR6 125W 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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) vs. Alienware M17 R4

ASUS has released the ROG Zephyrus S17 , a 17.3-inch machine, in mid-2021. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-11900H with a boost clock speed up to 4.90 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 125W TGP.

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch Alienware M17 R4 was introduced by Dell around the same year 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

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)1
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H1,466100.00%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H1,43097.54%
Alienware M17 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H1,15979.06%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK1,22383.42%
01,466

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)1
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H7,90897.38%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H8,121100.00%
Alienware M17 R41
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10870H6,59681.22%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK7,01386.36%
08,121

Both ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) and Alienware M17 R4 have the same 17.3-inch display size. In addition, the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) weighs 5.73 lbs. about 3% heavier than the 5.51 lbs. Alienware M17 R4. Moreover, measured at 15.51” x 10.39” x 0.78”, the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) is much more portable than the Alienware M17 R4 at 15.74” x 11.58” x 0.87”.

ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021)Alienware M17 R4

Moving over to upgradability, ASUS claims that the ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021) supports up to 48GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with three M.2 slots that users can easily upgrade and install additional SSDs to expand the storage on the device.

For Alienware M17 R4, it supports up to 32GB 2933 MHz DDR4 memory. Unlike ROG Zephyrus S17 (2021), 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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