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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
This Asus ROG Strix G16 is the most powerful, affordable gaming laptop I've seen yet
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614FR) brings something to the table that we haven't seen yet in this generation of gaming laptops, and it gave me high hopes as I booted it up for the first time. Powered by AMD's X3D variant CPU, it promises boosted gaming performance thanks to the company's clever 3D caching tech. You may not care about the how, but you will care about the results, and when the Strix G16 testing emerged from our labs, we were pleased to see its strong overall performance and solid Nvidia RTX 5070Ti graphics. The best gaming laptops have to deliver excellent performance, but it can't stop there, and the Strix has plenty more to back it up with a bouncy keyboard, ports aplenty, and a bright and reasonably vibrant IPS display. If you've been paying attention to the early RTX 50 series gaming laptops, you're waiting for the other shoe to drop, with a price tag north of $3,000. While the Strix isn't cheap, starting at $2,399, it's a value among its competitors, and upgrades aren't prohibitively expensive either. So, is the Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614FR) one of the best gaming laptops of this generation? Let's find out. Price: $2,399 starting, $2,499 as configured CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D GPU: Nvidia RTX 5070Ti with 12GB VRAM RAM: 32GB Storage: 1TB Display: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, IPS Battery (HH:MM): 5:22 Dimensions: 13.94 x 10.39 x 0.89~1.20 inches Weight: 5.51 pounds Click to view full benchmark test results Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614FR) Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) 20,113 Handbrake conversion (Lower is better) 2:17 25GB File Transfer Test (Lower is better) 14.1 25GB File Transfer Test (SSD speed) 1,904 Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit) 100.8 Gaming Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit, 95 comfort threshold) 127.1 Battery life (Higher is better) 05:22 PCMark 10 Gaming Battery life (higher is better) 01:22 Display brightness (Higher is better) 449 sRGB color gamut (Higher is better) 112.5% DCI-P3 color gamut (Higher is better) 79.7% Color accuracy (Lower is better) 0.4 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra (Higher is better) 10,794 3DMark Time Spy Extreme (Higher is better) 8,577 Assassin's Creed: Mirage (1080p, fps) 132 Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic, 1080p, fps) 53 Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, fps) 53.75 Far Cry 6 (1080p, fps) 143 Monster Hunter Wilds (1080p, fps) 69.23 Red Dead Redemption II (Ultra, 1080p, fps) 51.697 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, fps) 151 Asus has multiple configurations of the Strix G16 available this year. From Intel to AMD models, with both new and older chipset variations, there is a Strix G16 that can suit your budget. But if you're looking for the Strix G16 (G14FR), there are two main configuration options, and they're not too different in price. The starting configuration costs $2,399 and gets you an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX processor with an Nvidia RTX 5070Ti GPU with 12GB of VRAM, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 16-inch, 2560x1600, 240Hz, IPS display. Upgrading to the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor variant jumps the price up to $2,499. Our review configuration comes with the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor and upgraded memory to 32GB for a total of $2,499. Essentially getting the RAM upgrade for free. The Asus ROG Strix G16 is a thick, high-end gaming laptop with the aesthetics to match. While the Strix G16 doesn't have the wild AniMeVision cover panel LEDs of the Strix Scar models, but it does have a flashy RGB lightbar below the keyboard deck, and full RGB on the keyboard. The top panel and keyboard deck feature classic Republic of Gamers branding, including a darkened ROG logo and 'For those who dare' tagline on the top cover and ROG badging along the top of the keyboard deck. Outside of the aesthetics, the ROG Strix G16 is a bit on the chunky side, which, from a thermal perspective, is ideal for getting the best performance out of its hardware, but it makes it less portable than thinner 16-inch gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 16 (2025). Measuring 3.94 x 10.39 x 0.89~1.20 inches and weighing 5.51 pounds, the Strix G16 edges into that desktop replacement class of laptops, though it still maintains the portability of a 16-inch laptop chassis. So it can fit into most laptop backpacks for transport to your next in-person gaming session. While the Strix G16 isn't the lightest or thinnest 16-inch gaming laptop we've reviewed, it fits nicely in the same size range as other 16-inch gaming laptops like: Alienware 16 Area-51: 14.37 x 11.41 x 0.85~1.12 inches, 7.13 pounds Gigabyte Aorus Master 16: 14.05 x 10 x 0.91~1.18 inches, 5.5 pounds Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9: 14.08 x 10.33 x 0.69 inches, 5.1 pounds Image 1 of 2 Image 2 of 2 Asus has made sure to include plenty of ports on the Strix G16, which should be more than enough for all your gaming accessories: 1x USB 4 Type-C (DisplayPort, Power Delivery, Nvidia G-Sync) 1x USB 4 Type-C (DisplayPort, Nvidia G-Sync) 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL 1x RJ45 ethernet 1x audio combo jack This should be enough ports for most people, though streamers may still want to invest in one of the best laptop docking stations or USB-C hubs to connect additional monitors, a professional webcam, a studio microphone, or a Stream Deck in addition to any gaming accessories. Thanks to Nvidia's investment in its BatteryBoost tech, the Strix G16 lasts a bit longer than previous generations while gaming. As we usually see with high-powered gaming laptops, the Strix G16 isn't a threat to the laptops with the best battery life, but it does last long enough for you to work on battery power before needing to find an outlet. I didn't have much hope the Strix G16 would last more than a handful of hours when unplugged, at best. Just going about my usual workday meant I needed to hunt down a charger after just over three and a half hours of writing and video call meetings. The Strix G16 lasted just 5 hours and 22 minutes on the Laptop Mag web surfing test, which is about what I expected from my hands-on testing. Thanks to Nvidia's investment in its BatteryBoost tech, the Strix G16 lasts a bit longer than previous generations while gaming. The Strix managed to survive for 1 hour and 22 minutes on the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which is more competitive compared to other 50-series laptops, like the Alienware Area-51 compared to its 40-series counterparts. Click to view chart data in table format Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614FR) Alienware 16 Area-51 Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 Battery life (Higher is better) 05:22 04:10 05:02 03:01 PCMark 10 Gaming Battery life (higher is better) 01:22 01:51 02:54 00:47 Our Strix G16 (G614FR) review unit features a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz matte IPS panel. Thanks to the Strix's matte panel, it's relatively glare-proof, which is ideal for gaming, so you don't need to worry about missing your next shot because of a poorly placed lamp. In order to test the Strix G16's display, I booted up Avowed to see how well the Strix's IPS panel handles the Fort Northreach beach with its broad color palette. While our lab testing indicated the display wasn't super vibrant, I had no complaints about how well the Strix handled the corals along the shipwrecked shoreline, with bright, crisp reds and oranges bursting against the storm gray skies in a stunning contrast. Our lab testing rated the Strix G16 at 79.7% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, with an average peak brightness of 449 nits, which is bright and vibrant enough for most games. While the Strix doesn't have all the high-contrast benefits of an OLED or MiniLED display panel, its IPS-level LCD does have Pantone Validation for color, and supports Dolby HDR so it's far from a disappointment. Click to view chart data in table format. Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614FR) Alienware 16 Area-51 Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 Display brightness (Higher is better) 449 516 378 478 sRGB color gamut (Higher is better) 112.5% 115.2% 114.3% 115.2% DCI-P3 color gamut (Higher is better) 79.7% 81.6% 81.0% 81.6% Color accuracy (Lower is better) 0.4 0.2 0.23 0.3 The Asus ROG laptops tend to have good keyboards, and the Strix G16 is no exception. The Asus ROG laptops tend to have good keyboards, and the Strix G16 is no exception. While it is a Chiclet style keyboard, the Strix G16's keys have a nice bounce to them and don't feel mushy, with a satisfying level of key travel to each press, so you don't bottom out your fingers on the keyboard. Chiclet keyboards also tend to be quieter than mechanical switches, which can save your raid team from hearing each individual keysmash during tense encounters. On the advanced typing test, I averaged 86 words per minute (wpm) on the Strix's Chiclet keyboard, which is just below my average of 88 wpm on the Apple MacBook Pro 14. Asus has centered the touchpad on the keyboard deck, rather than on the space bar, which I prefer from an aesthetic point of view. And since the Strix's touchpad is on the large side, measuring 5.4 x 3.4 inches, it's got enough crossover with the spacebar that you shouldn't have any kind of learning curve. The touchpad offers a smooth feel with just the right amount of resistance for precise control. The very top of the touchpad isn't clickable, though you can click just a half-inch down from the top edge, which isn't too bad. Then again, I rarely click the top-half of a touchpad, so I didn't notice it much in my day-to-day use of the Strix. The volume wasn't too explosive, but it was more than enough for some solid gaming immersion. Asus equipped the ROG Strix G16 with a dual-speaker system with Smart Amplifier Technology, to get more volume out of fewer speakers. The sound system also boasts Dolby Atmos tuning, though the Strix's Hi-Res audio certification is applicable for headphones so you might want to invest in a quality pair of the best headphones or an external sound system rather than rely on the built-in audio. That said, the Strix's audio is crisp. I was easily able to discern the individual string instruments that make up the orchestra behind Avowed's title theme with perfect clarity. The volume wasn't too explosive, but it was more than enough for some solid gaming immersion. Though that also depends a bit on the game. Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is notorious for having a very high default volume, and I ended up having to drop the volume below 45 percent to keep the audio at a sensible level while still covering the sound of the Strix's cooling system. Boasting desktop-quality performance, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor is more than sufficient for just about any task. As for all-around performance, the Strix features AMD's most powerful gaming CPU for this generation, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D 'Fire Range' chip. Boasting desktop-quality performance, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor is more than sufficient for just about any task. As for my hands-on testing, nothing I threw at the Strix really made the fans kick on. From e-mail and spreadsheet management with 20+ Chrome tabs open to Photoshop object selection, I had no hangups of slowdowns with the Strix G16. With its powerful Ryzen 9 and RTX 5070 Ti combo, the Strix is capable of handling any photo or video editing you might need, and it can also double as a solid choice for handling your STEM data sets if you need to use it for any engineering classes. Once the fans do kick on, the Strix G16 can be a bit loud, but not to the same level as the MSI Raider 18 HX. But those fans are needed, as the Strix runs hot under pressure. While gaming, the Strix G16 hit a peak temperature of 127.1 degrees Fahrenheit near the F4 key while the center of the keyboard hit 92.8 degrees, which means you'll want to be careful of your fingertips during long gaming sessions. Click to view chart data in table format. Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614FR) Alienware 16 Area-51 Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) 20,113 20,498 19,175 17,261 Handbrake conversion (Lower is better) 2:17 02:00 2:18 03:08 25GB File Transfer Test (Lower is better) 14.1 23.36 40.4 15.75 25GB File Transfer Test (SSD speed) 1,904 1,150 665 1,705 Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit) 100.8 92.9 94.3 89 Gaming Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit, 95 comfort threshold) 127.1 118.7 116.8 100 The ROG Strix G16 is a 280W system, so it can drive plenty of power... The ROG Strix G16 is a 280W system, so it can drive plenty of power to its onboard AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor and Nvidia RTX 5070Ti GPU, which offers a smooth, solid gaming experience, especially at the Strix's max resolution of 1600p. The Strix G16 gets framerates well above 100 fps at 1080p resolution on games like Assassin's Creed Mirage, Borderlands 3, and DiRT 5. More demanding titles like Black Myth: Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077 will see those frame rates drop to 53 fps. With the Strix's RTX 5070Ti GPU, you can also enable software upscaling like DLSS 4 and frame generation, which can offer a smoother experience with poorly optimized games like Avowed and Monster Hunter Wilds. This is especially useful if you're gaming at max resolution, or if you use the Strix to power a high-res gaming monitor With DLSS 4 enabled at max 1600p resolution and the Ultra graphics presets, I was easily able to keep a stable 85 fps in Doom: The Dark Ages. That rate jumped up to 187 fps with frame generation enabled. While 85 fps is certainly playable, it's nowhere near as smooth as 187 fps. I saw similar improvements in Avowed, going from 70 fps at 1600p on Epic settings with only DLSS 4 to 114 fps with frame generation also toggled on. Without either, the game was hitting about 43 fps in terms of just pure Silicon performance. Of course, if you plan to play a lot of competitive games where super sampling tech like DLSS 4 or FSR can be problematic, dropping your game resolution down to 1200 or 1080p will get you better framerates, as will opting for more mid-range graphics presets. Click to view chart data in table format. Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614FR) Alienware 16 Area-51 Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra (Higher is better) 10,794 14,073 13,695 6,423 3DMark Time Spy Extreme (Higher is better) 8,577 10,558 10,097 5,526 Assassin's Creed: Mirage (1080p, fps) 132 149 145 98 Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic, 1080p, fps) 53 58 52 Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, fps) 53.75 62.94 61.52 34.51 Far Cry 6 (1080p, fps) 143 121 120 96 Monster Hunter Wilds (1080p, fps) 69.23 82.82 85.67 Red Dead Redemption II (Ultra, 1080p, fps) 51.697 78.348 41.806 Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, fps) 151 183 185 162 As the Strix G16 features an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU rather than a Ryzen AI 300 series processor, it doesn't meet the requirements for Microsoft's Copilot+ suite of AI features. In fact, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D doesn't have an integrated NPU at all, so any AI you run off the Strix G16 will be using either the CPU or GPU to run the workload. That doesn't mean the Strix G16 can't run AI. It has access to Nvidia's various RTX AI features like ChatRTX and RTX Remix with its 50-series GPU after all. But it does mean the Strix won't bother you with a chatbot unless you go out of your way to install one. The ROG Strix G16 features a 1080p webcam, so it's suitable for Windows Hello sign-in, and can handle the occasional video call or virtual meeting. The camera feed is, as usual, on the dim and grainy side, with a tendency to drop a pink cast over skin tones, but it's far from the worst we've seen. Most colors appear as they should on the webcam feed, just darker than I'd prefer. If you plan to use the Strix for a lot of video calls or streaming, we'd recommend using one of the best webcams instead of the onboard camera. The Strix G16 comes with Windows 11 Home installed, which includes a number of standard Windows apps already installed, like Microsoft Copilot, Office 365, and the Xbox App. Asus has included the ArmouryCrate app to control your power profiles and settings and the MyAsus App for more general controls. Asus has also pre-installed the ROG Aura software for controlling your RGB customization, and the Aura Wallpaper Generator to create custom desktop backgrounds. The number of pre-installed Windows applications is constantly growing, and Asus has installed a decent chunk of proprietary software. Between Microsoft, AMD, Nvidia, and Asus there are a lot of programs pre-installed. Most are utility-based, however, so this doesn't really count as bloatware, but it's far from a clean Windows installation. The Strix includes a 1-year service warranty. The ROG Strix G16 is the kind of gaming laptop that makes you wonder why other gaming laptops even bother. The ROG Strix G16 is the kind of gaming laptop that makes you wonder why other gaming laptops even bother. Sure, we've seen stronger performance from some of the other gaming laptops this gen, but many of those were nearly twice the price of the ROG Strix G16. While the Alienware 16 Area-51 is our most affordable RTX 5080 laptop, it's still a good $500 more expensive than the Strix G16. And the Strix weighs two pounds less, making it a much better choice if you need to travel with your gaming laptop occasionally. Of course, if portability is your key requirement and you've got the cash to spare, then the Razer Blade 16 (2025) is still the way to go. After all, the Blade 16 is ultra-lightweight and sports a more powerful GPU, up to the Nvidia RTX 5090. And it gets far better battery life than the Alienware or the Strix. But if you're looking for the best balance of performance, price, and portability, it's hard to do better than the ROG Strix G16 (G614FR).
Gizmodo
6 days ago
- Gizmodo
Asus ROG Strix G16 with RTX 4050 (i9, 1TB SSD) Is at Black Friday Pricing and a Record Low on Amazon
The Asus ROG Strix G16 delivers great value with a top-tier graphics card. Gaming laptops have always been a serious financial commitment for gamers, typically costing much more than $2,000 if you're looking for the best performance, the best graphics card and good specs. But not everybody is willing to pay that kind of money and most players are always searching for a middle ground between cost and performance. Asus, in its ROG Strix G lineup, has always offered capable and efficient devices without burning a hole in the wallet. Now, the good new is that the Asus ROG Strix G16 (2023) is back at the Black Friday price: The cost here is $1,279 which is a 20% discount from the MSRP of $1,599. See at Amazon Elite Gaming Notebook The Asus ROG Strix G16 2023 is a star in its category and features the powerful 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processor which is a gargantuan CPU that offers buttery-smooth, lag-free execution when gaming, streaming or multitasking. Combined with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU at 140W Max TGP, this computer is more than up for the task of running the latest AAA games on high settings. The graphics card is capable of pulling more frames and providing a competitive advantage so it is perfect for those who would like to push their game to the limit. The laptop has 16GB of DDR5-4800MHz RAM, which provides high-speed multitasking and effortless transitions between programs. Storage is done with the 1TB PCIe 4×4 SSD which has lightning-fast loading so you can game more and wait less. This combination of speed and space is just what gamrs need who want to have many games and large files at their fingertips without decreasing performance. Arguably the most striking aspect of the Asus ROG Strix G16 is its advanced cooling system: Gaming laptops traditionally run hot after hours of use but Asus has addressed this with the assistance of ROG Intelligent Cooling. Thermal Grizzly's Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on the CPU is included pre-installed and contributes significantly to heat dissipation. In addition to this, a third intake fan and other advanced cooling features are included to guarantee extended performance. The display is the other highlight: ROG Nebula Display standard guarantees an elite visual experience with a 240Hz 16-inch QHD panel and 3ms response time. The display is 100% DCI-P3 color gamut covered and is Pantone Validated which gives true-to-life colors for gaming and creative work. This laptops is beast that comes loaded with premium features at a price that's not so easy to beat: don't hesitate if you're looking for a great value. See at Amazon
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Xbox unveils new handheld console after years of speculation
Microsoft has announced the ROG Xbox Ally, a handheld gaming console in partnership with Asus, set to launch in late 2025. The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are enhanced versions of existing Asus ROG Ally hardware, booting directly into an Xbox app OS for accessing digital and Game Pass games. The ROG Xbox Ally supports third-party PC apps like Discord, Steam, Epic Games, and GOG, allowing users to play their entire PC gaming library. The ROG Xbox Ally X features an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB RAM, and 1TB storage for 1080p gaming, while the base model targets 720p with a Ryzen 2A processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage. The ROG Xbox Ally includes an Xbox button, enhanced hand grips, impulse triggers, and a streamlined Xbox interface for improved performance and battery life, with pricing expected to align with the current ROG Ally models (starting at £449).
Digital Trends
22-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Asus ROG Strix G16 review: fast and more affordable, at a cost
Asus ROG Strix G16 MSRP $2,500.00 Score Details 'The Asus ROG Strix G16 is a very fast laptop, but its display will let you down.' Pros Quality build Attractive gamer aesthetic Solid gaming performance Very good creative performance Reasonably affordable Cons Disappointing IPS display Keyboard and touchpad are just okay Thick and heavy I've reviewed two laptops running both Intel's Arrow Lake-HX chipsets and Nvidia's second-fastest Blackwell GPU, the GeForce RTX 5080. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 are both very impressive gaming laptops, but they're also very expensive at over $3,000. Recommended Videos What if you want something that's a little more affordable? That's where the Asus ROG Strix G16 comes in, running AMD's very fast Ryzen 9 9955HX3D chipset and Nvidia's midrange RTX 5070 Ti. It's fast as well, but it doesn't have the outstanding displays of the other two and so it's a bit harder to recommend even at its lower price. Specs and configurations Asus ROG Strix G16 Dimensions 13.94 x 10.39 x 0.89-1.20 inches Weight 5.51 pounds Processor AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti RAM 32GB DDR5-5600 Display 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 240Hz Storage 1TB SSD Touch No Ports 2 x USB4 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x 1G RJ45 1 x 3.5mm audio Wireless Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Webcam 1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello Operating system Windows 11 Battery 90 watt-hour Price $2,000+ The Asus web store still several ROG Strix G16 configurations as unavailable. The base model is $2,400 for an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, and a 16.0-inch QHD+ IPS display. Opting for the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D chipset raises the price to $2,500. That's the configuration that I reviewed, and both of those models are currently out of stock. The one configuration that can be purchased includes a slower AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX chipset and costs $2,000. Those are okay prices for a very fast gaming laptop. You'll compromise on the display, as we'll see below, and the midrange GPU is a bit slower, but you'll have to spend a lot more to get something faster. Design At first glance, the ROG Strix G16 bears a strong resemblance to the much larger Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 that I previously reviewed. At least, it does if you focus on the per-key RGB backlighting on the keyboard and the row of RGB LEDs that light up the front of the laptop. Looking more closely at the rest of the chassis, though, the smaller machine has its own aesthetic. To begin with, it doesn't have the Asus AniMe Vision LEDs on the lid, which is a lot simpler on the ROG Strix G16 with just a subdued logo. There's aggressive geometric venting on the back, along with more vents along the sides. That makes the smaller laptop more minimalist in some ways, while also coming across with a slightly more aggressive gamer look. The lid is offset a bit from the rear, as you'll find in many larger laptops. Inset along the inside rear edge are a set of speakers and some anachronistic LEDs that show power and storage accesses. That's unusual today and, really, I found the blinking light distracting. We're really not so worried today about shutting down a laptop before data is written, compared to when we were relying on much slower spinning disks. Overall, I think the aesthetic is good for gamers, but anyone who's looking for a less ostentatious design will want to consider something like the very MacBook-like Razer Blade 16. The ROG Strix G16 is constructed of plastic in the external chassis and aluminum in the lid, which is fine. Interestingly, the lid is a little flexible, but the bottom chassis and keyboard deck are plenty stiff. Some users might prefer a more premium feel, as with the Razer Blade 16, but it's not a significant concern. I suppose the plastic does keep the palm rests cooler than if they were aluminum, which is a plus. Unsurprisingly, this is a very thick laptop at up to 1.2 inches, and it's very heavy at 5.51 pounds. The top and side display bezels are thin, but the bottom chin is quite large. That makes the ROG Strix G16 a very large laptop in all dimensions. It's a bit to carry around, especially when you include the very large power brick. Of course, Asus built in a robust cooling system. There's Asus's Tri-Fan technology, full-width heatsink and Condoctonaut Extreme liquid metal. Combined with the copious venting, the laptop is able to keep the internals reasonably cool with some serious fan noise when the laptop is working particularly hard. Keyboard and touchpad Unlike many gaming laptops, the ROG Strix G16's version doesn't have a numeric keypad. That's a strange omission given that many gamers like to bind those keys to macros. It does make for a more spacious keyboard for non-gamers, with large keycaps and springy switches that make for comfortable typing. With other gaming laptops, I typically say that it's a great keyboard for gamers but not for writers. The opposite is true here, which might not be the best choice given the laptop's intended target. The touchpad is okay, being a large enough mechanical version. It's better than the touchpad on the ROG Strix SCAR 18, which had buttons that were hard to reliably engage. This one's fine, but I suspect most gamers will choose to use a dedicated gaming mouse. Connectivity and webcam Large, 16-inch laptops that are this thick and heavy typically have a lot of connectivity. The ROG Strix G16 is good enough, with a couple of fast USB4 ports to go with a selection of legacy ports. There's an Ethernet port for anyone who wants to connect directly to a router and avoid wireless latency. It's not the most connectivity I've seen in a gaming laptop, but it's fine. The wireless connectivity is one generation behind, which might disappoint some users. The webcam is okay at 1080p, which is the new baseline. Videoconferencing clearly isn't a focus of this machine, but it's serviceable. There's no fingerprint reader or infrared camera, so you'll be limited to typing in a PIN to login. Performance So far, I've reviewed a couple of gaming laptops with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX chipset, the latest high-end part that's aimed at gaming and other performance-intensive tasks. But it's not alone. There's also the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, which is perhaps even faster for gamers thanks to several unique features. To begin with, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is a 16-core/32-thread part built on the Zen 5 architecture. That compares to the Core Ultra 9 275HX that has more cores at 24 but is single-threaded. Both run at up to 5.8GHz, and both consume 55 watts of base power with the AMD chipset bursting to 130 watts and the Intel chipset up to 160 watts. The CPU can get up to 110 watts and the GPU can get up to 140 watts, but in total, the ROG Strix G16 maxes out at 195 watts. That's considerably less than the 250 watts the ROG Strix SCAR 18 can provide. The Ryzen 9 55HX3D's hyper threading optimizes parallel tasks, while the 3D V-Cache architecture reduces memory latency and thus boosts gaming performance. That's particularly true at 1080p, but 3D V-Cache makes the AMD chipset faster at gaming across the board. It also performs well in various CPU-intensive tasks, but the Core ultra 9 275HX is faster overall thanks to its higher core count. In our suite of non-gaming benchmarks, the ROG Strix G16 fell behind the Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i running the Intel chipset. Single-core speeds are similar, while multi-core tasks favor the Intel-based laptops. Interestingly, the ROG Strix G16 was faster in the Pugetbench for Photoshop benchmark, that runs in a live version of Adobe's application. That attests to the impact of the CPU in photo editing tasks where the slower RTX 5070 Ti wasn't as important. In the Pugetbench for Premiere Pro benchmark, however, the ROG Strix G16 fell behind. In video editing, the faster GPU is more of an advantage. If you care about non-gaming performance, then, the ROG Strix G16 won't be quite as fast. But it will still be very fast, particularly for photo editors, making it a solid choice. Geekbench 6 (single/multi) Handbrake (seconds) Cinebench R24 (single/multi/GPU) PCMark 10 Complete PugetBench Premiere Pro Pugetbench Photoshop Asus ROG Strix G16 (Ryzen 9 9955HX3D / RTX 5070 Ti) 3,021 / 15,946 38 128 / 1,575 / N/A 8,758 6,650 9,843 Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HD /RTX 5080) 3,050 / 18,876 35 133 / 1,998 / N/A 8,601 9,867 8,486 Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HX / RTX 5080) 3,136 / 20,228 33 135 / 2,054 / N/A 9,361 10,377 9,087 Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (Core i9-14900H / RTX 4090) 1,873 / 13,175 71 117 / 916 / 8,873 9,122 N/A 6,622 Asus ROG Strix 18 (Core i9-14900HX / RTX 4090) 2,946 / 17,622 N/A Bal: 124 / 1,533 / 22,067 N/A 7,430 N/A Asus ROG Flow Z13 (Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 / Radeon 8060S) 2,993 / 20,659 36 121 / 1,568 / NA N/A 7,250 7,250 Alienware m16 R2 (Core Ultra 7 155H / RTX 4070) 2,366 / 12,707 N/A 103 / 1,040 / 10,884 7,028 5,590 5,590 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Max 16/40) 3,626 / 25,332 48 179 /2,072 / 16,463 N/A 9,347 13,856 Gaming In terms of its gaming performance, the ROG Strix G16 made a strong showing. While its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti naturally fell behind the RTX 5080 in the other two gaming machines, it still performed admirably. Probably, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D helped out here, balancing the drop in GPU performance with an overall boost from the AMD chipset. As I've noted in those other reviews, the Nvidia Blackwell 5000-series GPUs are aimed more at improving image quality via AI-powered processes like DLSS 4, upscaling, and frame generation. There's something of an uptick in framerates compared to the previous generation, but it's not remarkable — at least with the current state of drivers and game optimizations. Asus includes the same Armoury Crate utility as in the larger machine, and it provides the same fine control over various CPU and GPU settings. I ran each benchmark in various performance modes, and I reported the results in the fastest Turbo mode. I also tried out the option to optimize the GPU, but I didn't find that setting to make a difference. In fact, some scores were reduced, so I kept it at the default setting for most of these tests. If you want to optimize the laptop for various uses, Armoury Crate provides most of the settings you'll require. In terms of performance, we'll start with the 3DMark Time Spy synthetic benchmark. Here, the ROG Strix G16 is much faster than the MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio running the RTX 4070, again likely benefiting as well from the much faster AMD chipset. It's behind the two other modern laptops, but it's faster than the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 with an RTX 4080 and closer Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 with the RTX 4090. Looking at the individual titles we use due to their built-in (and therefore more objective) real-world benchmarks, the ROG Strix G16 performs very well. It benefits from its fast CPU in the Civilization VI test running at 1600p Ultra, beating out every previous-generation laptop in our comparison group. The same holds true in Cyperbunk 2077 at 1600p Ultra RT (ray tracing), Red Dead Redemption 1600p Ultra, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla 1600p Ultra High. Ultimately, you can game at 1440p or better on the ROG Strix G16 with graphics turned up, and if a title supports Blackwell, you'll enjoy incredible image quality as well. 3DMark Time Spy Civ VI 1600p Ultra CyberPunk 2077 1600p Ultra RT Red Dead Redemption 16oop Ultra Assassin's Creed Valhalla 1600p Ultra High Asus ROG Strix G16 (Ryzen 9 9955HX3D / RTX 5070 Ti) 15,925 239 fps 66 fps 78 fps 101 fps Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HD /RTX 5080) 19,823 273 fps 70 fps 87 fps 122 fps Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HX / RTX 5080) 21,486 296 fps 77 fps 94 fps 127 fps MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio (Core i9-13950HX / RTX 4070) 11,630 157 fps N/A N/A 73 fps Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2023) (Core i9-13900HX / RTX 4080) 18,382 223 fps 45 fps 99 fps 126 fps Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (Core i9-14900H / RTX 4090) 20,293 N/A 88 fps N/A N/A Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (Core i9-13900H / RTX 4090) 18,372 191 fps N/A 99 fps N/A Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 (Core i7-13800H / RTX 4080) 13,615 170 fps 57 fps N/A N/A Asus ROG Flow Z13 (Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 / Radeon 8060S) 10,532 88 fps N/A 73 fps 67 fps Battery life There's a 90-watt battery packed away inside the ROG Strix G16, and that's only a little smaller than some that offer the maximum that can be put into a laptop — 100 watts. There's a high-res IPS display and very powerful components, so I wasn't expecting great battery life. In our suite of battery tests, the ROG Strix G16 lasted for 4.75 hours in our web browsing test and five hours in our video looping test. In our most demanding test, looping the Cinebench R24 multi-core test, the laptop couldn't quite hit two hours. Those are actually better results than many gaming laptops that barely make it to two hours. It means that you can get some work done without being plugged in, but you'll want to run with the power brick connected when gaming or doing serious creative work. Display and audio The ROG Strix G16 is built around a 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS display that runs at up to 240Hz. Subjectively, it looks fine, although it's a significant drop down after reviewing the spectacular mini-LED display on the ROG Strix SCAR 18. It's not as bright and the colors aren't as dynamic. According to the Datacolor SpyderPro colorimeter I use to evaluate displays, this one's a mixed bag. First, it's not very bright at just 248 nits — one of the few displays I've reviewed in the last couple of years that fails to hit our 300-nit baseline. That's going to limit its effectiveness in running HDR content (which, although the specs indicate Dolby Vision support, can't actually be switched on in Windows Settings). Contrast is very good for IPS, though, at 1,600:1. Colors are wide at 100% of sRGB, 89% of AdobeRGB, and 100% of DCI-P3, well above the IPS average. But, they're not very accurate at a DeltaE of 3.79. Most IPS displays today come in at less than 2.0. And, unusually, the gamma is way off at 3.0, which is a lot darker than the optimal 2.2 gamma. Overall, this isn't a terribly impressive display. In fact, I'd say It's one of the compromises you'll make to squeeze in so much power at well under $3,000. The audio is just okay, with four speakers including two woofers. But as with the keyboard and touchpad, you'll probably want to consider plugging something in. Less money, less performance, a lesser display The ROG Strix G16 is plenty fast for most gamers, with the AMD chipset and Nvidia midrange GPU providing a real boost for modern titles. They'll look good, as well, with support for Blackwell's various AI-driven features. And the laptop has a good gaming aesthetic and a solid enough build. But, the display disappoints a bit, even at the $2,500 price. It should be brighter and the colors should be more accurate, the latter weakness limiting the ROG Strix G16's usefulness to the creators who would also appreciate the laptop's speed.
Digital Trends
11-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) review: looking great, and playing just as well
Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 2025 MSRP $3,400.00 Score Details 'The Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 2025 is very large, and very great.' Pros Spectacular mini-LED display Very fast gaming performance Excellent creativity performance Solid build quality Attractive gaming aesthetic Good gaming keyboard Cons Expensive Very large and heavy Touchpad is disappointing Table of Contents Table of Contents Specs and configurations Design Keyboard and touchpad Connectivity and webcam Performance Gaming Battery life Display and audio A very large, and very awesome, gaming laptop I've now reviewed my second laptop built around Intel's newest Arrow Lake-HX chipset and Nvidia's Blackwell GPU architecture. The first, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, was very fast and lived up to the hype, while being a very large 16-inch gaming laptop with some nice aesthetic flair. Recommended Videos The second is the Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18, and it's even larger, with a spectacular 18-inch mini-LED display that's the best one I've reviewed yet. It's also very fast, although a tiny bit behind, and it, too, offers up a lot to gamers looking for a great, kind of portable gaming machine. Specs and configurations Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 2025 Dimensions 15.71 x 11.73 x 0.93-1.26 inches Weight 7.28 pounds Processor Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 RAM 16GB DDR5-5600 32GB DDR5-5600 Display 18.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) mini-LED, 240Hz Storage 1TB SSD 2TB SSD Touch No Ports 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 5 3 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x 2.5G RJ45 1 x 3.5mm audio Wireless Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 Webcam 1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello Operating system Windows 11 Battery 90 watt-hour Price $2,700+ The ROG Strix SCAR 18 will be available in a few configurations, only some of which are available as this review is being written. The base model will include an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX chipset, which is common to all configurations, along with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a 16.0-inch QHD+ mini-LED display (the only option), and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. Upgrading to an RTX 5080 and a 2TB SSD brings the price to $3,400, while an RTX 5090 boosts the price to $4,500. Those are expensive prices, but of course, you get a lot of gaming laptop. It's a lot more expensive than the Legion Pro 7i, which comes in at $3,399 with a Core Ultra 9 275HX, 32GB of RAM, two 1TB SSDs, the RTX 5080, and a 16.0-inch QHD+ OLED display. But I imagine much of that price difference is down to the larger and very good mini-LED panel that Asus is using with the ROG Strix SCAR 18. Design There's no way around it: the ROG Strix SCAR 18 is a very large laptop. Of course, packing so much power into a chassis that also needs to house an 18.0-inch display would be pretty hard to do and keep things svelte at the same time. The Razer Blade 18 is a little thinner at 1.1 inches versus 1.26 inches, and lighter at 7.06 pounds versus 7.28 pounds. But these 18-inch gaming laptops are just big. You'll have to deal with it if you want such a large display that can be carried around in one piece. The ROG Strix SCAR 18 is constructed of a mix of materials, including aluminum in the keyboard deck and plastic in the bottom chassis and lid. It's solid enough, with no bending, flexing, or twisting. I'm sure the Razer Blade 18 might come across as better made, given Razer's devotion to make the most MacBook Pro-like gaming laptops. But there's nothing wrong with Asus's construction. In terms of its aesthetics, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 incorporates most of the things gamers want to see in their machines. First, there's plenty of RGB lighting, including the per-key RGB lighting on the keyboard, the full-surround RGD LED's lining the underside of the chassis all the way around, and the large ROG logo on the lid that pulses according to what's setup in the Armoury Crate utility. And the white Asus AniMe Vision LEDs on the lid are quite striking, showing a variety of present and custom messages that flow like a high-tech ticker tape. At the same time, the overall design doesn't include some of the more aggressive gamer touches like jet fighter exhaust venting on the back. The vents on the ROG Strix SCAR 18 are more pedestrian and functional, and neither add to nor detract from the overall gamer aesthetic. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has RGB LED lighting around its fighter jet exhausts and it looks pretty cool. The ROG Strix SCAR 18 lacks those kinds of touches. Whether that matters will be down to individual tastes. Overall, I like the design. Yes, it's large and bulky, but like I said, that's really unavoidable. Keyboard and touchpad The ROG Strix SCAR 18 keyboard is a bit of a mixed bag. As mentioned above, it has per-key RGB lighting that looks great. And it's pretty expansive, even with the numeric keypad for macro binding in various games. If found the keycaps oddly small, though, which made it harder than necessary to keep my fingers on home row. And the switches are deep and springy enough for gaming, but not quite as satisfying as I like. I didn't really enjoy typing this review on the keyboard, but gamers will probably find it good enough, if not the best they've used. The touchpad was disappointing. It's large, but the buttons weren't very responsive. I took to using an external mouse because I found myself repeatedly trying to click to get things done, and it was frustrating. Most gamers will use gaming mice, so that's probably not as much of an issue. But it's certainly not a strength. Connectivity and webcam There's plenty of connectivity, with a mix of ultramodern Thunderbolt 5 ports and legacy connections. That includes a 2.5G RJ45 Ethernet port, which will be appreciated for those who don't want to game wirelessly. My biggest complaint is that all the ports are on the side, where putting them on the back would keep them out of the way. Wireless connectivity is fully up-to-date. The webcam is a 1080p version, and it's fine. It has an infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition, which I appreciate. The Arrow Lake-HX chipset doesn't have a fast Neural Processing Unit (NPU), and so the ROG Strix SCAR 18 isn't a Microsoft Copilot+ PC laptop. That's probably fine, because if you want to use this laptop for AI processing, you'll want to use the incredibly fast Nvidia Blackwell GPU. Performance This is just the second laptop I've reviewed with Intel's Arrow Lake-HX chipset, the Core Ultra 9 275HX. It has 24 cores (eight Performance and 16 Efficient), running at up to 5.4 GHz and consuming 55 watts of power, boosting to a maximum of 160 watts. Asus gives it up to 65 watts in its configuration. The Core Ultra 9 275HX is a very fast chipset, with slightly faster cores that result in slightly faster multi-core scores over the previous generation Core i9-14900HX with around the same basic specs. I noticed a discrepancy between Asus's web site where it says the CPU can get up to 80 watts, while my press materials say it's 65 watts. The Strix SCAR 18 is also the second I've reviewed with an Nvidia Blackwell 5000-series GPU, the GeForce RTX 5080. It has Nvidia's newest CUDA cores, streaming multiprocessors, and RT and tensor cores, and it powers Nvidia's DLSS 4 that leverages on-device AI processing speeds for much faster scaling and frame generation with an eye toward dramatically improving visual quality while running at similar framerates to the previous generation. It also boosts performance in tasks like video editing with advanced encoding/decoding engines. Asus gives the RTX 175 up to 175 watts, totaling 240 watts — just a bit less than the 250 watts Lenovo gives to the Legion Pro 7i. Again, that's per my press materials, while the Asus web site says it's up to 255 watts. If I can get that clarified, I'll update the review. Asus includes its Armoury Crate utility that provides finder control over performance than Lenovo's LegionSpace utility in the Legion Pro 7i. In addition to several performance-based presets, you can enter a manual mode where you can get more granular in configuring the CPU and GPU. I didn't dig into the settings, but they there for anyone who wants to fully optimized performance. In our benchmarks, I used the Windows, Performance, and Turbo settings and reported the latter in the table below. The Asus ROG Intelligent Cooling system makes great use of all that interior space, with an end-to-end vapor chamber, triple fans, and Liquid Metal helping to keep things cool. The fans spun up during intense sessions, especially in Turbo mode, but they were slightly quieter than with the Legion Pro 7i. I've used gaming laptops that were a lot louder and where the fan noise was harsher. In our standard suite of benchmarks, the two Arrow Lake-HX/Blackwell laptops perform similarly, with the Lenovo machine being slightly faster across the board. That might be down to either the slight increase in power or more aggressive tuning. Both are much faster than previous generation Windows laptops in most of our benchmarks, with only the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (a very diminutive machine) being faster in Geekbench 6 multi-core with its AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 935 chipset. But there's no doubt that the Strix SCAR 18 will be very fast for the most demanding productivity tasks. Creative professionals looking for a fast Windows laptop for photo editing and video editing, along with users that use 3D design and rendering software, often look to gaming laptops given their high-end components and focus on pure performance. The Pugetbench Premiere Pro and Photoshop benchmarks run in the live versions of each Adobe app and give a good indication of a laptop's performance for demanding creators. The Strix SCAR 18 is very fast in both, even beating out the Apple MacBook Pro 16 in the Premiere Pro benchmark where the M4 Max chipset benefits from fast encoding/decoding circuitry. Again, the Legion Pro 7i was faster. Geekbench 6 (single/multi) Handbrake (seconds) Cinebench R24 (single/multi/GPU) PCMark 10 Complete PugetBench Premiere Pro Pugetbench Photoshop Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HD /RTX 5080) 3,050 / 18,876 35 133 / 1,998 / N/A 8,601 9,867 8,486 Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HX / RTX 5080) 3,136 / 20,228 33 135 / 2,054 / N/A 9,361 10,377 9,087 Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (Core i9-14900H / RTX 4090) 1,873 / 13,175 71 117 / 916 / 8,873 9,122 N/A 6,622 Asus ROG Strix 18 (Core i9-14900HX / RTX 4090) 2,946 / 17,622 N/A Bal: 124 / 1,533 / 22,067 N/A 7,430 N/A Asus ROG Flow Z13 (Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 / Radeon 8060S) 2,993 / 20,659 36 121 / 1,568 / NA N/A 7,250 7,250 Alienware m16 R2 (Core Ultra 7 155H / RTX 4070) 2,366 / 12,707 N/A 103 / 1,040 / 10,884 7,028 5,590 5,590 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Max 16/40) 3,626 / 25,332 48 179 /2,072 / 16,463 N/A 9,347 13,856 Gaming As mentioned above, the Nvidia Blackwell 5000-series is aimed at providing comparable framerates to the previous 4000-series GPUs, but dramatically enhancing visual quality. It does this by using various AI-powered processes for upscaling and frame generation, using Blackwell's very fast AI performance. The visual improvements are striking, for sure, but we don't currently benchmark performance using any games that fully support DLSS 4 and so will show off the visual impact. So far, the two RTX 5080 laptops I've reviewed have been very fast, but not necessarily much faster in various games than previous 4000-series laptops. Which is to say, you're not giving up performance across the board, you're getting much better visual quality, and you'll see performance increases as games become more optimized. There's nothing wrong with that. Note that I ran some benchmarks with the Strix SCAR 18 GPU set at the highest setting, but it made no difference in the benchmarks. In the synthetic 3DMark Time Spy benchmark, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 was slightly behind the Legion Pro 7i, and we'll see that this pattern held in all of our benchmarks. As with our non-gaming benchmarks, the Asus is just a little slower than the Lenovo. That's likely down to tuning, but the differences likely won't be enough to force a decision. Breaking down by individual games — and all listed results are in each laptop's highest performance mode — we'll start with Civilization VI. This title benefits from bother very fast CPU and very fast GPU performance, and like the Legion Pro 7i, the Strix SCAR 18 was very fast at running it. In Cyberpunk 2077, the Strix SCAR 18 was slightly behind the Legion Pro 7i, while the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 with an RTX 4090 was the fastest in this comparison group. I suspect that the RTX 5090 will take the top spot in this game, although again, I wouldn't expect a massive increased. In Red Dead Redemption, the Asus was actually the second-slowest laptop. For whatever reason, it fell further behind than in the other titles. It's still quite playable at 1600p and Ultra graphics, but this game wasn't it's best showing, Finally, Assassin's Creed Valhalla showed that the laptops we've tested have been around the same level of performance. And it's very fast. Overall, once again, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 didn't break any records, and in fact didn't keep up with some RTX 4000-series laptops, but it was more than fast enough for most gamers in these older titles. I suspect that these results will only improve. 3DMark Time Spy Civ VI 1600p Ultra CyberPunk 2077 1600p Ultra RT Red Dead Redemption 16oop Ultra Assassin's Creed Valhalla 1440p Ultra High Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HD /RTX 5080) 19,823 273 fps 70 fps 87 fps 122 fps Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2025) (Core Ultra 9 275HX / RTX 5080) 21,486 296 fps 77 fps 94 fps 127 fps Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2023) (Core i9-13900HX / RTX 4080) 18,382 223 fps 45 fps 99 fps 126 fps Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (Core i9-14900H / RTX 4090) 20,293 N/A 88 fps N/A N/A Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (Core i9-13900H / RTX 4090) 18,372 191 fps N/A 99 fps N/A Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 (Core i7-13800H / RTX 4080) 13,615 170 fps 57 fps N/A N/A Asus ROG Flow Z13 (Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 / Radeon 8060S) 10,532 88 fps N/A 73 fps 67 fps Battery life We test battery life with gaming laptops, and invariably, we reach the same conclusion. These aren't laptops that you should plan to carry around and use without being plugged in, especially for their primary purpose of gaming which pushes every component to its limits. And then considering the size and weight of the ROG Strix SCAR 18, this isn't really meant to be carried around all that much at all. You can move it from place to place for gaming sessions, but you'll be carrying the very large and heavy power brick along with you regardless. In our web browsing and video looping battery tests, the laptop barely made it to two hours, and in our more demanding Cinebench R24 test, it didn't make it to an hour. A 90 watt-hour battery just can't keep up with powerful components and a very power-hungry 18-inch mini-LED display. Just plan on keeping the thing plugged in. Display and audio I've reviewed a few mini-LED displays, and they all been pretty good. That includes the MacBook Pro 16, which until now has had the best example. The Strix SCAR 18, though, might beat them all in some very important metrics. It's an 18.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) mini-LED panel running at up to 240Hz. It's incredibly bright and has brilliant colors. It's not as sharp as the MacBook Pro 16's display, being both lower resolution and much larger. But for gamers, it promises outstanding high dynamic range (HDR) performance along with a super fast refresh rate that supports Nvidia G-Sync for tear-free gaming. My Datacolor SpyderPro colorimeter captured the objective excellence of this panel. It's incredibly bright at 1,084 nits, which is brighter than the MacBook Pro 16's 585 nits. Apple's panel can peak as high at 1,600 nits, but in terms of sustained brightness as measured, the Asus comes out on top. And, its contrast ratio is incredibly hight at 16,310:1, beating out the MacBook Pro 16's 12,940:1. Both have deep blacks, but the Strix SCAR 18 is a bit deeper. The colors are also wide at 100% sRGB, 89% AdobeRGB, and 100% DCI-P3, with excellent color accuracy at DeltaE 1.05 (less than 1.0 is indistinguishable to the human eye). The MacBook Pro 16 comes in at 100%, 87%, and 99%, respectively, along with DeltaE 1.18. The one negative of mini-LED versus, say, OLED displays, is that there can be some blooming on bright objects against black backgrounds. I didn't notice anything significant, and unless you're in a very dark environment, you may not notice it either. Instead, everything looked spectacular, and HDR content was great. That's for both gaming and HDR media content. This is a very good display that will show off every game you play, and will take advantage of all the power this laptop provides. Audio is provided by dual tweeters and downward-firing speakers, and quite frankly, it's not all that impressive. It gets loud, but there's some distortion at full volume, and bass was noticeably lacking. I strongly suggest a good pair of gaming headphones — which you'll probably already plan on using. A very large, and very awesome, gaming laptop If you want a gaming machine that you can lug around with you and don't might the girth and weight, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 will reward you even while it gives you a little exercise. To begin with, the large size is necessary to gain access to that awesome mini-LED display that's as bright and colorful as any I've reviewed — and even better than most. And then the performance is also excellent, even if it's not the fastest I've reviewed. It will keep up with everything you throw at it, from gaming to creative workflows, without breaking a sweat. It's not inexpensive, but that's not to be expected with such a well-designed gaming machine.
