ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 Assessment: RTX 5090 Infused Powerhouse

Discover The ASUS ROG Strix Scar @ Amazon

In nearly each single row of that spec desk, there’s one thing spectacular: 24-core CPU, 24GB RTX 5090 GPU, 240hz QHD+ MiniLED display with DisplayHDR 1000, replaceable RAM, speedy storage, and killer connectivity (although not actually from “Killer”, thoughts you.) Simply based mostly on the specs, this machine significantly slaps; we’ve got nearly no complaints. Effectively, that $4999 price ticket hurts a bit of, and 2TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD area feels a mite tight in a machine this beefy, however we’ll speak about that down the web page a bit of.

The standout specs on this technique actually are the CPU, the graphics, and the display. The Core Extremely 9 275HX is basically a desktop Core Extremely 9 285K with a bit of little bit of a clock price de-tune; it is even based mostly on the exact same silicon. It is a wonderful processor for completely any process, as you may see shortly.

The GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop computer GPU can be very highly effective. We have already examined it, and it is the quickest cellular GPU on this planet bar none. Calling it “GeForce RTX 5090” is considerably of a misnomer, although. The complete-fat desktop GeForce RTX 5090 has a whopping 170 Shader Modules (SMs). Compared, the 82 SMs of the laptop computer model is even lower than the 84 of the desktop GeForce RTX 5080, and it would not clock as excessive as that half, both. It does at the least get 50% extra video RAM than the RTX 5080, although.

The display is the ultimate ‘killer spec’ of the ROG Strix Scar 18. We’ll speak about that within the subsequent part.

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 Bodily Overview & Internals

Earlier than we even start wanting on the machine, we should always look at its packaging. Closely stylized and meticulously constructed for a chunk of paperboard that you simply’re in all probability going to throw away, the field for the ROG Strix Scar encourages gamers to “Turn out to be the Benchmark” and touts one thing known as “AniMe Imaginative and prescient”, which we’ll contact on once more very shortly.

Contained in the lid of the field is a useful diagram illustrating among the applied sciences that ASUS utilized in developing the ROG Strix Scar 18. We might wish to be glib about that, however this was the factor that knowledgeable us concerning the laptop computer’s toolless part entry, so there’s undoubtedly some utility to what could also be misconstrued as just a few flashy graphics.

The laptop computer makes an excellent first impression. Pulling it from the field, it is heavy with out feeling overly dense, and it feels stable, with little or no flex within the outer casing. The grille on the again of the display did not stand out at first. We assumed it was for cooling or simply including a little bit of texture, in fact, nevertheless it is not. (The vents down beneath are, although.)

Actually, the grill on the again of the lid is the AniMe Imaginative and prescient show itself. An array of LEDs features as a form of low-resolution ‘display’ behind the again of your laptop computer’s show you could select to show quite a lot of looping GIFs and even your personal picture, for those who like. It is a very showy characteristic, nevertheless it’s off by default in battery mode, so it is most unlikely that anybody will ever truly see it for those who’re out and about.

Opening up the laptop computer, you are greeted with a comparatively customary gaming laptop computer design. There are a number of frills on the keyboard, however total there’s not a lot to say concerning the design of the machine. It is clear, understated, sensible. That is the one image the place you’ll be able to clearly see the FHD IR digital camera within the high, so be aware of that.

The keyboard itself is a non-standard structure, but it’s totally near a full 104-key desktop structure. It is lacking devoted keys for Web page Up and Web page Down, however you’ll be able to ship these keystrokes through the use of Fn and the arrow keys. These features are additionally duplicated on the numeric keypad as standard. 5 buttons above the operate row are absolutely reprogrammable, which is sweet, though it is odd that M4 is sure to the very same factor as F5 by default.

On the left aspect, you’ve got the lion’s share of the I/O on the system. From entrance to again there is a 3.5mm combo audio jack, a pair of Thunderbolt 5 ports, a USB Sort-A ten Gbps port, an HDMI 2.1 FRL port, an RJ-45 jack for two.5-Gigabit Ethernet, and the proprietary energy connector. Regardless of wanting slightly related that is in reality NOT the identical energy connector that was used on the ASUS ROG Move z13; that charger is not going to plug into this machine and vice versa.

On the opposite aspect, you’ve got only a pair of USB Sort-A 10Gbps ports for connectivity. Do not be fooled by the skinny slots right here and on the opposite aspect; they’re simply vents for airflow and audio.

Totally lit up, the machine is sort of brilliant, together with the luminosity radiating from the keyboard. You’ll be able to alter this, in fact, and you do not even need to dive into the Armoury Crate software program to take action; there are hotkeys proper on the keyboard for it. Good if you’re at school or a gathering and somebody kills the lights.

Flipping the system over, you’ll be able to see the attention-grabbing “ROG STRIX” sample on the underside in addition to the copious consumption vents that assist preserve the machine cool. We’ll speak extra about cooling in a bit. Three outstanding rubber toes, an extended one towards the again and two shorter ones up entrance, preserve the machine’s consumption vents lifted from a floor and away from obstructions. Across the fringe of the bottom, you can too see that white ring — that’s truly a translucent diffuser for the RGB LEDs that ring the bottom of the machine. These may also be disabled.

We talked about earlier than the toolless entry for this technique. In order that should imply the underside merely snaps off, proper? Effectively no. Between the 2 rubber toes on the backside is a small sliding latch. The bigger pink space with the arrow reveals you that you have engaged the spring-loaded latch, whereas the underside smaller pink dot signifies that the underside casing is not snapped in place. When you interact the latch, merely give a delicate tug towards the entrance and the entire backside casing comes proper off.

With that plate eliminated, you’ve got quick access to the related internals of the system. We are saying “related” as a result of it is a extremely built-in laptop computer, and repairability is at a premium. Nonetheless, this toolless mechanism provides you handy entry to each M.2 sockets in addition to the SODIMM reminiscence, below a plastic cowl barely to the correct of the middle fan. Our system shipped with an empty M.2 socket, so it might be extraordinarily trivial to put in one other drive.

Total, the ROG Strix Scar 18 is a grasp class in design. It has a extremely configurable demeanor you could make as loud as you need with the lighting accents, or just flip all of them off for a surprisingly understated fashion. The chassis feels very stable, and the keyboard is a pleasure to kind on. It is even tremendous simple to improve and modify.

In fact, you do not purchase a five-thousand greenback gaming laptop computer simply to gawk on the {hardware}. Head over to the following web page to take a look at the software program and see the way it performs…