Thrill your senses!
What’s in the box:
- 1X ROG backpack
- 1x ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 Core i9 Laptop
- 1x power brick
- 1x power chord
- 1x user guide
- 1x warranty card
- 1x ASUS product card
Specifications:
- Windows 11 Home
- 18-inch WQXGA 2560×1600 display
- 32GB Memory and 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD storage
- Intel Core i9 13980HX processor
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 12GB GDDR6
- 240Hz refresh rate
- Backlit Chiclet per-key RGB keyboard
- Mobile Intel® HM770 Express Chipsets
- MUX Switch + NVIDIA® Advanced Optimus
- Intel® UHD Graphics
- 1TB PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 Performance SSD
I/O ports:
- 1x 2.5G LAN port
- 1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ / G-SYNC
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery / G-SYNC
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 720P HD camera
- Built-in array microphone
Aesthetics:
ASUS once again delivers a stunning design, but this time, the laptop features a captivating lighting strip beneath its base, enhancing the overall design with an extra touch of brilliance. The screen boasts distinct rounded protruding hinges, adding a unique touch, while its slim frame aims to maximize the screen’s real estate.
The screen is 18 inches which gives a lot of room for your favourite game or series or documents you happen to be working on.
The laptop has a backlit chiclet keyboard featuring the ROG Strix logo.
The latest ROG Scar notebook retains a similar look and feel to its predecessors. However, the standout feature is the 18-inch display, which provides a more expansive screen space compared to the previous 17-inch options.
Additionally, the updated chassis of this model achieves a better balance in terms of capabilities and thermal performance compared to past Scar designs.
Comfort:
As far as comfort goes this Laptop is heavier than a lot of laptops which is understandable given the hardware and features of this beast. This means it would be better used on a desktop as opposed to on your lap etc.
The trackpad is super soft and smooth and makes tracking and clicking the mouse buttons effortless. I have observed that the laptop tends to heat up rapidly, primarily due to limited ventilation and the high power provided by the device.
The lid is pretty easy to open but does have a bit of weight to it as I mentioned before, due to its overall weight.
User Friendly & Functionality:
This laptop has a chiclet keyboard as I mentioned before that is really smooth to type on The keys however do have a slight amount of spring back which is nice and helps you to really feel each keystroke.
It comes complete with a NUM pad which many people (including me) prefer a laptop keyboard especially if you intend on typing a lot and using the numbers frequently.
In addition, the keyboard is equipped with dedicated brightness keys, a microphone off switch, and a range of other keys designed to enhance the gaming and streaming experience, providing seamless control and convenience.
The underside of the laptop features strategically positioned rubber ridges that serve two purposes: aiding in cooling by promoting airflow and ensuring a secure, slip-resistant surface to keep your laptop in place during intense gaming sessions against formidable foes.
The keyboard includes a dedicated print screen button that offers exceptional convenience. With a single click, you can easily capture a specific area of the screen, which is then automatically saved to a designated folder for quick and effortless access.
The screen has limited tilt capability, which could pose challenges when it comes to screen-sharing.
On the base’s right side, you will find two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, while the left side is equipped with a pair of USB-C ports.
For additional wired connectivity options, the laptop features a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port. It also includes an audio combo jack and an HDMI 2.1 port, which supports a 4K/144Hz signal output to an external monitor.
While the laptop may have limited port availability, it wisely reserves ample space for a crucial component: a sizable vent that extends across the majority of the laptop’s rear.
The integrated speakers on the SCAR 18 deliver an immersive and powerful audio experience, albeit being quite loud. This could potentially be disruptive in a work environment. However, they excel in immersing you in the games you play or the movies you watch, enhancing your overall audiovisual enjoyment.
Performance:
The graphics card bundled with this model is undeniably powerful, making it an absolute beast for a laptop. The inclusion of the 4090 GPU in this specific model is a testament to its remarkable performance, as demonstrated vividly in-game.
Our testing on “Death Stranding” showcased breathtaking results, with outstanding graphics, vibrant colours, immersive sound, and smooth FPS. This combination provided a truly immersive experience, where every moment with Sam Porter felt like being inside the game itself.
Under heavy loads, the laptop does exhibit increased noise levels and tends to heat up relatively quickly, which is contingent upon the intensity of the workload.
The ROG Strix Scar 18 is offered in two configurations, differing only in the GPU, and both come at a non-affordable price. There will be either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 12GB or RTX 4090 16GB with a boosted TGP of 175 watts.
The device is powered by a Core i9-13980HX processor with eight multi-threaded Performance cores, 16 single-threaded Efficient cores, and a maximum boost frequency of 5.6GHz.Memory is provided by 32GB of DDR5-4800. It is possible to upgrade the laptop to 64GB, but replacing both of the pre-installed SO-DIMMs would be required.
The integrated webcam on this laptop lacks clarity and produces grainy pictures.
In normal conditions, this camera doesn’t perform very well. So you would need to have a lot of natural lighting if you intend on using the integrated camera.
During our experience, we observed that the battery life of the laptop was disappointingly short when playing games.
This outcome was somewhat expected, considering the substantial power required to run games at a satisfactory level. Nonetheless, it was still disappointing to encounter such limited battery performance.
MGR Gaming’s Conclusions:
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is a top contender among gaming laptops. It features Intel’s latest flagship CPU (13th Gen Core i9) and Nvidia’s powerful GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. Despite its size and price, the laptop’s design effectively accommodates its impressive components without feeling bulky.
This laptop surpassed all our expectations and provided us with everything we desired and more. Its exceptional graphics, impressive power, and remarkable performance capabilities allowed us to effortlessly tackle every task we threw at it.
If you are lucky enough to be able to afford this laptop you should definitely invest in this magnificent machine as it will not let you down.
