Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 Is One of the Best Gaming Laptops I’ve Ever Used
Gaming laptops are commonplace these days, but not all of these more expensive and powerful PC alternatives are worth paying more for. To my delight, this is not the case with the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 , which manages to stand out from the crowd thanks to its stunning display and powerful latest hardware. There’s nothing to complain about, and if you have a few thousand dollars to spend, this is the best gaming laptop.
It’s big but not too big
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is how big it is, although it never feels too big. Despite having a screen size of 18 inches and a body large enough to accommodate a ton of advanced hardware that wouldn’t fit in with the slimmer, more modern design, the laptop actually does a great job of handling its size and weight.
Despite its large size, the ROG Strix Scar 18 weighs only 6.77 pounds. That sounds like a lot, especially compared to the weight of my regular daily driver, the 15-inch MacBook Air, which weighs about half as much, but we’re also talking about a gaming machine with a lot more power thanks to the 13-inch chassis. – Core i9 generation processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card inside.
The 18-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels is an important part of this sizing equation, but it’s not hard to justify the extra weight (and cost) that comes with it if you look at it closely. Not only does it have 2K resolution, but it also has a vibrant color display with an incredible 240Hz refresh rate.
All things considered, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is not a very portable laptop. You can certainly carry it around, but the nearly 7-pound body, as well as the hefty power supply needed to charge it, make it a bit too bulky, but that’s likely an issue with any laptop with a large display. , and this one seems modest compared to its capabilities.
Killer specs justify the weight (and cost)
If you’re worried the weight isn’t worth it, the specs may change your mind. The particular option I tested costs around $4,000 with some modifications, based on my best estimates after working through the customization tools on the Asus website .
A $4,000 gaming laptop needs to deliver strong performance to make it worth buying. This one definitely does. Here are the specs of the system I tested, but you can choose from custom options on the Asus website.
Specifications of Asus ROG Strix Scar 18:
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Processor: Intel Core i9-14900HX with a frequency of 2.20 GHz.
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RAM: 32 GB
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Disk type: SSD
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Screen size: 18 inches
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Resolution: 2560 x 1600
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Panel type: IPS
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Refresh rate: 2560 x 1600
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Variable Refresh Support: G-Sync
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GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
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Graphics memory: 16 GB
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Wireless: 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2.
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Weight: 6.77 lbs
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OS: Windows 11 Pro
Asus has equipped this laptop with everything you need to succeed in any game. With a gaming laptop like this, performance isn’t an issue—and probably won’t be for the next few years. It’s a nice bonus when you spend so much. The ROG Strix Scar 18 also features two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and a microphone port.
Plastic is everywhere
Despite my praise for the weight and performance, there is one aspect of the ROG Strix Scar 18 that I don’t like: there’s too much plastic. I understand; Building a powerful gaming laptop with the latest and greatest hardware while balancing material cost and weight must be a challenge. However, Asus uses plastic in almost every visible component of the ROG Strix Scar 18.
This is a really disappointing move, especially considering the costs we’re talking about and the fact that other similarly priced laptops, like the new MacBook Pros, use more metal. (No, the MacBook Pro isn’t exactly a “gaming machine,” but it falls into the same category of powerful laptops.)
At least the nice thing is that the plastic doesn’t feel cheap. The exterior is covered from top to bottom with RGB lighting, as well as real and fake cooling grilles. This gives the car a unique look that screams “I’m a gamer” (which could be a plus or a minus, depending on your point of view). Personally, I’m a sucker for a simpler, more understated design language, but not everyone is like me, and Asus has always favored a little flair when it comes to the ROG lineup.
These quibbles aside, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 still feels like a premium device in every important way. The keyboard is easy to type on and gaming on it is a dream. Even the trackpad works well, although serious gamers will definitely want to choose a proper gaming mouse.
Performance and battery life
As you’d expect from a laptop this stuffed to the brim, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is a beast. I tested it with several games, including Cyberpunk 2077 , Star Citizen , and Helldivers 2 , all of which performed exceptionally well, which isn’t always the case, especially with a resource-intensive game like Star Citizen .
I never experienced any performance drops while gaming, and I was easily able to connect my SteelSeries headset without issue, allowing me to team up with friends on Discord. I tested online games mostly over Wi-Fi, and the connection was always stable and fast. Using the Strix Scar 18 connected to an external 4K monitor, I was able to achieve fantastic performance in even the most demanding games.
The price for all this power is battery life. This thing uses a lot of power, and unless you’re running it in one of the low-power modes—like Balanced or Energy Saving—then you’ll have to top it up frequently. Running solely on battery power, I was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 for just over two and a half hours before I had to find an outlet. If you really want to get the most out of the battery, you’ll have to fiddle with the settings, but I wanted to see how much I could use it during my tests.
When you’re not happy, the behavior is more typical. Our friends at PCMag did an intensive battery test and reported that the machine can last about 8 hours if you keep playing videos.
Bottom line
To sum it up, I’m very impressed with the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18. Yes, the design choices may be less than stellar – I would have loved to see more metal in the design – but it never feels like a price tag. also less than justified.
Battery life could be better, but the display is stunning, and there’s more than enough hardware built into even the cheapest option to keep you gaming at top-tier settings for years to come. However, if you are planning to invest in the ROG Strix Scar 18, I recommend spending a little on more RAM and additional internal storage.
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 starts at $3,587 on Amazon, with the price varying depending on your storage and RAM choices.