Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2025) review: The ultimate gaming beast

Time of India

12 hours ago

Rating: ⅘
Gaming laptops have evolved from bulky machines to sleeker powerhouses that rival desktop setups. The latest gaming laptops serve gamers, content creators, and professionals who demand uncompromising performance and premium features.
With top-tier graphics cards, ultra-high refresh rate displays, and sophisticated cooling solutions, modern gaming laptops have completely changed what's possible in portable computing.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Asus
's
ROG
Strix series has long been synonymous with gaming devices, and the Strix Scar 18 (2025) continues this legacy.
This laptop is designed for hardcore gamers, esports professionals, and content creators who refuse to compromise on performance. Powered by Intel's latest Core i9-275HX processor and Nvidia's flagship GeForce RTX 5090 graphics unit, the Scar 18 promises to deliver desktop-class performance in a mobile form factor.
As premium gaming laptops command premium prices, Asus positions the Scar 18 as the ultimate gaming machine for those who demand the absolute best. The company has priced this laptop at Rs 4,49,990 in India.
But does this Rs 4.5 lakh laptop justify its price tag and deliver the flagship experience it promises? We've been testing this gaming monster for some time now, and here's what we think about it:
Design and Display
The Scar 18 immediately announces its purpose with all the gaming flashes, and yet offers a refined design language that screams performance.
Unlike some subtle gaming laptops, this machine embraces its identity with bold aesthetics and RGB lighting that can be seen from across the room.
The distinctive design elements include the iconic ROG eye logo, angular chassis lines, and the optional AniMe Vision display on the lid that shows customisable animations and system information.
The laptop features extensive 360-degree RGB lighting zones, including the keyboard, light bar, and accent lighting that creates an immersive gaming atmosphere and makes the laptop look like floating from a distance.
The build quality feels premium with a combination of metal and high-grade plastic construction. The magnesium-aluminium alloy chassis provides exceptional durability while maintaining structural integrity.
However, weighing over 3 kg, this is not a laptop you'll want to carry around casually - it's a desktop replacement in every sense.
The bottom of the Scar 18 feels durable with well-designed ventilation grilles and tiny stands. The rear cover's tool-less design offers easier access to the internals. The laptop's rear panel features a latch that can be easily taken off without tinkering with any screws.
The top cover and palm rest areas have a premium matte finish that resists fingerprints better than glossy alternatives. The per-key RGB keyboard doesn't just change colours - it offers full customisation with thousands of colour combinations and effects.
The laptop's build quality feels rock-solid. We tested the durability extensively, and the hinges feel engineered to last. There's minimal screen wobble, and the construction feels like it could handle the rigours of professional gaming tournaments.
Opening the lid reveals the laptop's vibrant 18-inch ROG Nebula HDR display with Mini LED technology. The display features sleek bezels that maximise screen real estate, and the ROG logo is subtly positioned below the screen.
The display is nothing short of spectacular. While watching Captain America: Brave New World on Netflix or playing GTA Online, the 18-inch 2.5K resolution Mini LED panel delivered immersive visuals.
The display also supports 2000 dimming zones, 1200 nits peak brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 colour coverage, which looked pleasing to the eyes in various lighting conditions.
The 240Hz refresh rate ensures buttery-smooth gaming performance in battle royale titles, while the DisplayHDR 1000 certification provides true HDR with stunning contrast ratios.
While playing Fortnite, every quick build, flick shot, and sprint across the island was incredibly smooth. The difference was clear during fast-paced combat, where tracking opponents felt more responsive and natural.
What truly stood out was when a thunderstorm rolled in during a nighttime match as the HDR kicked in with deep blacks and bright lightning flashes that lit up the scene realistically.
The DisplayHDR 1000 certification made each match visually more immersive, especially during those intense late-game circles.
The laptop also supports Nvidia G-Sync for consistent gaming visuals on supported titles. All the games we played on this display looked mesmerising and completely hooked us in. We didn't face any lag or stutter of any kind during offline gaming.
The full-size keyboard features ROG Overstroke technology for precise gaming. It detects keypresses sooner when you press a key, making the typing feel quicker and more responsive. The keyboard also includes customisable gaming hotkeys for quick access to multiple functions. The large precision touchpad also supports multi-gesture controls and is very responsive.
The Strix Scar 18 also supports multiple connectivity ports, and most of them are placed on one side. The proprietary charging port, RJ-45 Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 5, USB-A 3.2 and USB Type-C ports and 3.5mm audio jack are positioned on the left. The right side just features two additional USB-A ports.
The advanced cooling system is evident with multiple heat exhausts positioned on the rear and sides, featuring the sophisticated ROG Intelligent Cooling system with liquid metal thermal compound. More about it is discussed below
Performance and connectivity
The Scar 18 model we tested comes powered by Intel's flagship Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, featuring 24 cores (8 Performance + 16 Efficient) running at up to 5.4 GHz. This processor delivers exceptional performance for both gaming and productivity tasks, with AI acceleration capabilities through the integrated NPU.
The laptop also features Nvidia's top-tier GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB GDDR7 VRAM that delivers impressive gaming performance.
We tested multiple AAA titles, including Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Ghost of Tsushima.
While playing Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy with ray tracing turned on, the game's colourful environments looked vibrant, with lifelike reflections and lighting effects. Performance stayed steady even at high settings on all the titles.
With 64GB DDR5 RAM and the RTX 5090 graphics, these games ran flawlessly at native resolution with all settings maxed out. The advanced ROG Intelligent Cooling system with end-to-end vapour chamber, sandwiched heatsink, tri-fan design, and liquid metal thermal interface material kept temperatures in check even during extended gaming sessions.
Apart from these titles, we also tested other demanding games like Fortnite, GTA Online, Stellar Blade and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The massive 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD provided lightning-fast loading times and ample storage for multiple titles.
Whether gaming at maxed-out settings, streaming content on Netflix, or running heavy creative apps like Premiere Pro, this laptop delivers solid performance that competes with high-end desktop systems.
The laptop also features advanced AI capabilities with the Intel AI Boost NPU, enabling features like AI-enhanced gaming, content creation acceleration, and intelligent performance optimisation.
The software suite includes ROG Armoury Crate for system monitoring and customisation, ROG GameFirst for network optimisation, and ROG Aura Sync for RGB lighting control. The AI-powered features continuously optimise performance based on usage patterns.
While switching between GTA Online and Black Ops 6, the Armoury Crate helped monitor temps while the GameFirst reduced lag. The Aura Sync can be customised to match the RGB vibe with every intense gameplay moment.
Additionally, the laptop uses advanced audio technology with smart amplifier technology, two-way AI noise cancellation and 5.1.2 channel virtual surround sound support. The Dolby Atmos-tuned quad-speaker setup with dual subwoofers delivers immersive audio that complements the visual experience perfectly. The laptop also supports Hi-Res audio.
We watched the Dolby Atmos-supported version of
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
on Netflix with Hi-Res headphones, and the experience was truly immersive.
When plugged out, the dual subwoofers delivered deep rumbles during action scenes, while the 5.1.2 virtual surround sound created an audio landscape that was good enough for a small-sized room.
Even with a fan running nearby, the two-way AI noise cancellation kept our voice clear on Discord and Google Meet calls, while the smart amplifier ensured distortion-free sound at higher volumes.
For wireless connectivity, the device supports the latest standards, including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, which makes it future-proof and pairing with wireless accessories easy.
Battery
Like most high-performance gaming laptops, the Scar 18's battery life is its Achilles' heel. The 90Whr battery, while larger than many competitors, struggles under the power demands of the RTX 5090 and high-refresh display.
Gaming performance on battery power is significantly reduced as the system throttles to preserve battery life. During our testing, the Scar 18 lasted nearly 1.5 hours during intensive gaming sessions unplugged.
However, for productivity tasks with the GPU disabled, battery life extended to around 4-5 hours with careful power management.
The 330W power adapter is substantial but necessary to feed this 'performance monster'. The laptop supports up to 100 W fast charging, which helps the laptop's battery to reach 50% capacity in nearly 45 minutes when powered off.
Verdict
The
Asus ROG Strix Scar 18
(2025) is an absolute beast of a gaming laptop that delivers on every promise of flagship performance. Its stunning Mini LED display, powerful performance and premium build quality make it a worthy choice for serious gamers and content creators who want the absolute best.
While the laptop's premium price point puts it out of reach for every consumer, those who can afford it will experience truly impressive gaming performance. Having said that, its impressive performance and premium features justify the high price for those who need the absolute best portable gaming experience.
With its advanced cooling system, comprehensive connectivity options, and customisable RGB lighting, the Scar 18 covers all the gaming chops.
If you're looking for the ultimate gaming laptop and money is no object, need desktop-class performance in a (relatively) portable package, and experience the absolute cutting edge of gaming technology, the Asus
ROG Strix Scar 18
(2025) is the undisputed champion. Just make sure your wallet is ready for the investment.