Dell Alienware m18 R2 vs Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2024) G834

Please select specific configurations for the laptops to get a more accurate comparative review
Display
2560 x 1600
CPU
Intel Core i9 14900HX
GPU
RAM
Storage

Review

Evaluation of Dell Alienware m18 R2 and Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2024) G834 important characteristics
Performance
System and application performance
Gaming
Performance in popular 3D games
Display
Viewing angle, color accuracy, brightness
Battery Life
Potential battery life in light and average use
Connectivity
Ports, webcam and other interfaces
Portability
Design, materials, durability and usability
Pick the usage scenario that best matches your needs
Primary usage:

Value for money (Beta)

Please input up-to-date prices for the selected laptop configurations to get an accurate value-for-money index.
Currency
VS
32.3
(Mediocre)
Value Index
38.7
(Mediocre)

Key Differences

What are the key differences between the notebooks
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R2
  • Higher screen refresh rate: 480 versus 240 Hz
  • Includes an old-school USB-A port
  • Higher number of cutting-edge USB Type-C ports: 3 versus 2
  • Features a a little bigger (~8%) battery – 97 against 90 watt-hours
  • Better webcam recording quality
Advantages of the Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2024) G834
  • Significantly easier to carry: weighs 1130 grams less (around 2.49 lbs)
  • Can run popular games at about 74-101% higher FPS
  • Performs significantly better (up to 2x) in 3DMark Steel Nomad Lite
  • Around 82% better multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench 2024 test
  • Thinner bezels and 12% higher screen-to-body ratio
  • Provides 267% higher max. screen brightness: 1100 vs 300 nits
  • 33% sharper screen – 168 versus 126 pixels per inch (PPI)
  • Smaller footprint: 11% more compact case (181.8 vs 203.5 square inches)

Tests and Specifications

Comparison table of test results and technical specs

Case

Weight 4.23 kg (9.33 lbs) 3.1 kg (6.84 lbs)
Dimensions 410.3 x 319.9 x 24.1-25.1 mm
16.15 x 12.59 x 0.95-0.99 inches
399 x 294 x 23.1-30.8 mm
15.71 x 11.57 x 0.91-1.21 inches
Area 1313 cm2 (203.3 inches2) 1173 cm2 (181.8 inches2)
Screen-to-body ratio ~71.6% ~80.1%
Side bezels 11.3 mm 5.7 mm
Colors Black Black
Material Aluminum Top: Aluminum
Middle: Plastic
Bottom: Plastic
Transformer No No
Opening angle 135° 130°
Size comparison
Cooling solution
Cooling system Active Active
Vapor chamber Optional No
Liquid metal Yes Yes
Number of fans 4 3
Noise level (max. load) 56.6 dB 52 dB

Display

Size 18 inches 18 inches
Type IPS LCD Mini LED
Refresh rate 480 Hz 240 Hz
PPI 126 ppi 168 ppi
Aspect ratio 16:10 16:10
Resolution 1920 x 1200 pixels 2560 x 1600 pixels
HDR support No Yes, Dolby Vision
Sync technology G-Sync G-Sync
Touchscreen No No
Coating Matte Matte
Ambient light sensor No No
Display tests
Contrast 1000:1 14197:1
sRGB color space - 100%
Adobe RGB profile 100% 90%
DCI-P3 color gamut - 100%
Response time 3 ms 3 ms
Max. brightness

Battery

Capacity
Voltage 11.4 V -
Full charging time 2:00 hr 1:40 hr
Battery type Li-Ion Li-Ion
Replaceable No No
Fast charging Yes Yes
Charging via USB (Power Delivery) Yes Yes
Charging port position Bottom Left
Charge power 280 / 360 W 330 W
Weight of AC adapter 1076 grams 953 grams

CPU

CPU name
Base frequency 2.2 GHz 2.2 GHz
Turbo frequency 5.2 GHz 5.8 GHz
Cores 16 (8P + 8E) 24 (8P + 16E)
Threads 24 32
L3 Cache 30 MB 36 MB
Integrated GPU Intel UHD Graphics (16EU) Intel UHD Graphics (32EU)
Fabrication process 10 nm 10 nm

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)
Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

Graphics Card

GPU name
TGP 140 W 175 W
Nvidia Optimus MUX MUX
Type Dedicated Dedicated
Fabrication process 5 nm 5 nm
GPU base clock 2295 MHz 1860 MHz
GPU boost clock 2370 MHz 2280 MHz
FLOPS 16 TFLOPS 37.6 TFLOPS
Memory size 8 GB 12 GB
Memory type GDDR6 GDDR6
Memory bus 128 bit 192 bit
Memory speed ~16 Gbps ~18 Gbps
Shading units (cores) 3072 7424
Texture mapping units (TMUs) 96 232
Raster operations pipelines (ROPs) 48 80
GPU performance 16 TFLOPS 37.6 TFLOPS

GPU Benchmarks

Steel Nomad Lite Score
Blender GPU 3566 6394
Solar Bay 53453 103281
Expected FPS based on average performance across 9 popular games. Details

RAM

RAM size
Channels 1x8 GB 2x8 GB
Clock 5600 MHz 5600 MHz
Type DDR5 DDR5
Upgradable Yes Yes
Total slots 2 2
Max. ram size 64 GB 64 GB

Storage

Storage size
Bus PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)
Storage type SSD (M2) SSD (M2)
Channels 1x512 GB 1x1024 GB
Upgradable Yes Yes
Total slots 4 2
NVMe Yes Yes

Sound

Audio chip Realtek ALC3254 Realtek ALC285
Speakers 2.0 2.2 (2 tweeters and 2 woofers)
Power 2x2W 4x2W
Dolby Atmos Yes Yes
Loudness ~82.5 dB ~82 dB
Microphones 2 2

Connectivity

Wi-Fi standard v7 v6E
Bluetooth v5.4 v5.3
Fingerprint No No
Infrared sensor Yes No
Optical drive No No
Webcam Above the display Above the display
Webcam resolution 1920 x 1080 1280 x 720
Ports
USB-A 3x USB 3.2 2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C 3x USB 4.0 2x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt Thunderbolt 4 Thunderbolt 4
HDMI 1x HDMI 2.1 1x HDMI 2.1
DisplayPort No No
VGA No No
Audio jack (3.5 mm) Yes Yes
Ethernet (RJ45) Yes Yes
SD card reader Yes No
Proprietary charging port Yes Yes

Input

Keyboard
Keyboard type Mechanical Island
Numpad Yes Yes
Backlight Yes Yes
Key travel 1.8 mm 2 mm
Touchpad
Size 13.1 x 8.0 cm 13.0 x 8.5 cm
Surface Glass Glass
Windows Precision Yes Yes
Further details
Notes on Alienware m18 R2:
    - A 32GB memory option supports 6400 MHz via XMP, while others max out at 5600 MHz.
*Disclaimer! Ports, speakers, display, and other specifications can vary depending on the laptop's specific configuration or region.

Cast your vote

So, which laptop would you choose?
15 (46.9%)
17 (53.1%)
Total votes: 32

Comments

Write your opinion about the comparison of Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2024) G834 and Dell Alienware m18 R2 or ask any questions
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Christopher C September 8, 2024 at 07:28 PM
The performance on the AW with 270W TDP can beat out the MSI Titan 18 HX in most benchmarks and maintains a sub 90 degC temperature on the CPU while coss loading with the GPU at 175W. The only downside is the AWCC, display, and speakers. Most gamers can overlook the display and speaker quality, by using external displays and headphones. Asus has miniLED 240Hz display, USB-C PD 100W, battery life, better RGB lighting and "Amorury Crate or GHelper. So if any of those things mean a lot to you then the choice is easy. In conclusion, if you will leave the laptop docked to a monitor then the choice is AW m18 r2 but if you will be using this for a mobile gaming station then Asus Scar 18 wins hands down
0 Reply
Avatar
Tracy S June 2, 2024 at 06:07 PM
The Mini LED on the Asus is the major difference for me, I have bought two Alienware Laptops in a row now but this time I am going with the Asus because of the Mini LED
+3 Reply