For gamers and power users demanding uncompromising performance, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar series has long stood as a beacon of cutting-edge technology. The latest iterations, including the 2025 models featuring the formidable RTX 50-series graphics, alongside the still incredibly potent 2024 versions equipped with RTX 40-series GPUs, continue this legacy. Let's delve into the key aspects of these gaming titans, exploring their design, performance, and the overall experience they offer.
First Impressions: Design and Build
The 2025 ROG Strix Scar lineup has undergone a significant redesign, presenting a more mature aesthetic. While still undeniably a gaming laptop, the new models offer a sleeker, almost professional look, especially when the vibrant RGB lighting is subdued or turned off. The aluminum lid provides a premium feel, though the base unit predominantly utilizes plastic. While structural rigidity is generally good, some might desire a more extensive use of metal for a truly top-tier feel.
A signature element returning in the 2025 models is the Anime Vision LED array on the lid, allowing for personalized animations and designs. While some may find it a gimmick, it undeniably adds a unique flair to the laptop. The 2024 models also featured customizable RGB elements, extending to the keyboard and an optional light bar.
The sheer size of the Strix Scar, particularly the 18-inch model, emphasizes its role as a desktop replacement rather than a highly portable ultra-slim. Weighing in at over 5 lbs for the laptop itself and adding a substantial power brick, it's clear this machine is built for power first and foremost. However, a new toolless access system for the bottom panel in the 2025 models is a welcome addition, simplifying upgrades to RAM and SSDs.
The layout of ports has seen some refinement. The 2025 models concentrate most of the I/O on the left side, including two Thunderbolt 5 ports, USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1, and 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. The right side typically houses two additional USB Type-A ports. While this configuration offers ample connectivity, the absence of an SD card reader might disappoint some users. The 2024 models featured a similar array of ports, ensuring comprehensive connectivity.
Visual Feast: Display Technology
One of the standout features across both the 2024 and 2025 ROG Strix Scar series is their exceptional displays. The 18-inch models boast a 2.5K (2560 x 1600) mini-LED panel with a blazing-fast 240Hz refresh rate. This combination delivers incredibly smooth visuals and sharp detail, ideal for both fast-paced gaming and content creation.
The Nebula HDR display found in the newer models and high-end configurations of the older ones is particularly impressive, achieving peak brightness levels exceeding 2,000 nits in testing. Even under sustained HDR loads, brightness remains remarkably high, surpassing 1,400 nits. This, coupled with a dual ACR coating, effectively minimizes reflections, making it suitable for gaming in bright environments. The mini-LED technology also allows for excellent contrast and deep blacks, although true local dimming benefits are most apparent in HDR content. Colour accuracy is also a strong point, often covering around 99% of the DCI-P3 colour space. Lower-end configurations might feature standard IPS panels, which still offer good colour reproduction but lack the extreme brightness and contrast of the mini-LED options.
Unleashing Raw Power: Performance and Cooling
The ROG Strix Scar laptops are engineered for top-tier performance. The 2025 models feature the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processors, offering 24 cores and clock speeds up to 5.4 GHz. Paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 or even RTX 5090 laptop GPUs with substantial power draw capabilities (up to 175W or more), these machines can handle the most demanding games and creative applications with ease. The 2024 models are no slouches either, featuring powerful Intel Core i9 14900HX processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 or 4090 GPUs, delivering exceptional gaming experiences.
To manage the immense heat generated by these components, ASUS employs advanced cooling solutions. The 2025 models utilize a vapor chamber design spanning across the chassis, along with tri-fan systems and liquid metal thermal interface material on both the CPU and GPU. Similarly, the 2024 models feature sophisticated cooling systems with multiple fans and liquid metal. While these systems effectively prevent thermal throttling and maintain relatively cool touch temperatures even under heavy load, the fans can become quite audible, especially in performance or turbo modes. Using headphones is highly recommended during intense gaming sessions.
Both generations offer ample and fast memory and storage options. The 2025 models typically come with 32GB or 64GB of DDR5 RAM, with speeds around 5600 MT/s, and multiple NVMe SSD slots, including at least one PCIe 4.0 slot and often a faster PCIe 5.0 slot for future upgrades. The 2024 models also support up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and multiple terabytes of high-speed SSD storage. The toolless access in the newer models simplifies upgrading these components significantly.
Input and Interaction: Keyboard and Trackpad
ASUS has consistently delivered excellent keyboards on their ROG gaming laptops, and the Strix Scar series is no exception. The keyboards offer a comfortable typing experience with decent key travel and responsiveness, making them suitable for both gaming and productivity. Per-key RGB lighting is standard, customizable through ASUS's Aura Sync software. Some models also feature dedicated macro keys for added in-game convenience.
The trackpads have also seen improvements. The 2025 models boast larger trackpads with a smooth glass surface and precise tracking. A notable feature is the ability to transform the trackpad into a virtual numpad. The 2024 models also feature large and responsive trackpads, ensuring smooth navigation when a dedicated mouse isn't available.
Staying Connected: Ports and Wireless
Connectivity options are comprehensive on both generations. As mentioned earlier, the 2025 models feature dual Thunderbolt 5 ports, offering high-speed data transfer and display connectivity. Alongside these are multiple USB Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port for high-resolution and high-refresh-rate external displays, a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for low-latency wired networking, and a headphone/microphone combo jack. Wireless connectivity includes the latest standards like Wi-Fi 7 on the 2025 models and Wi-Fi 6E on the 2024 variants, along with Bluetooth for connecting wireless peripherals.
Multimedia Experience: Audio and Webcam
The audio systems in the ROG Strix Scar laptops aim to provide an immersive experience. The 2025 models feature tuned speakers that deliver clear and loud audio, though bass might be somewhat lacking. The 2024 models often boast six-speaker systems with dual force-canceling woofers and Dolby Atmos support, generally providing good audio quality, although serious gamers will still likely prefer using gaming headsets for optimal immersion.
The webcams in these laptops have seen improvements, with the 2025 models featuring a 1080p webcam that offers decent image quality and exposure, along with Windows Hello facial recognition via IR cameras for convenient and secure login. While the image might exhibit some noise in certain conditions, it is generally adequate for video calls. The 2024 models often include a 720p or 1080p webcam, with some supporting Windows Hello as well.
Powering the Beast: Battery Life and Charging
Given their high-performance nature, battery life is typically not a primary focus for gaming laptops like the ROG Strix Scar series. Both generations generally feature a 90Wh battery, which provides around 4 to 6 hours of battery life for light tasks such as web browsing or video playback. However, heavy gaming will drain the battery much faster, often within 1.5 to 3 hours.
To compensate, both the 2024 and 2025 models come with powerful AC adapters, often rated at 380W, ensuring they can deliver the necessary power for peak performance. They also support fast charging, capable of bringing the battery to 50% capacity in around 30 minutes. Additionally, USB-C power delivery is often supported (up to 100W), allowing for charging on the go with a compatible power bank or adapter, albeit without the full performance capabilities available with the dedicated AC adapter.
The Verdict: Who Are These Laptops For?
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar laptops, in both their 2024 and 2025 iterations, are undeniably high-performance machines designed for demanding users. They excel in providing a desktop-like gaming experience in a (somewhat) portable form factor. Their powerful processors and top-tier graphics cards, coupled with high-refresh-rate mini-LED displays, make them ideal for hardcore gamers and content creators who require significant processing power on the go.
However, this level of performance comes at a premium, with prices reaching into the thousands of dollars. Their size and weight also mean they are not the most convenient for frequent travel, often requiring specialized backpacks. Battery life, while decent for general use, is limited during intensive tasks.
Ultimately, if you prioritize uncompromising gaming performance, a stunning display, and robust features, and are willing to invest in a premium device with a larger footprint, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar series is a compelling choice. The decision between the 2024 and 2025 models will depend on your budget and whether the latest RTX 50-series graphics and Intel Ultra processors, along with design refinements and Thunderbolt 5, justify the potential price difference. Even the 2024 models, especially configurations with RTX 4070 or 4080 GPUs, still offer excellent value and performance, particularly as prices may become more competitive with the arrival of the new generation.