Experiencing Nvidia's top-tier GPU in a portable format: A rundown of our experience
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, the latest flagship gaming laptop, is making waves in the tech world. This powerhouse device is designed for top-tier gaming and future-proofing, boasting impressive performance in popular gaming titles and benchmarks.
Key Features
The laptop is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, a high-end Arrow Lake-HX mobile chip with high PL1/PL2 power targets for sustained performance. The GPU is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 laptop variant, featuring 24 GB VRAM and a large CUDA core count. This configuration allows for Turbo bursts exceeding 175 W and sustained operating points around ~135 W in Turbo/Manual profiles.
The 18-inch Mini-LED panel offers a high refresh rate of 240 Hz, high brightness, and excellent color and contrast. Despite a small halo effect noted in some scenes, the display is marketed as esports-fast yet cinematic for single-player titles. The chassis is large and solid, with a customizable AniMe Matrix lid, extensive RGB, a full-sized keyboard optimized for gaming, and a selection of I/O suitable for peripherals and creators.
Performance Highlights
In real-world gaming scenarios, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 delivers desktop-class GPU performance. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p with DLSS 4, reviewers achieved smooth 120+ FPS with ray-traced reflections and lighting enabled in Performance/Turbo modes. Some titles even reached over 200 FPS in high-refresh scenarios.
On system benchmarks, the laptop scored near the top of the laptop segment. On the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark, it scored 23,811, and on the PCMark 10 benchmark, it achieved a tally of 8816, which is the best in the laptop segment.
Tradeoffs and Caveats
The machine is large and heavy (~3 kg), and under Turbo/Manual fan settings, it can be loud when delivering top performance. Flagship pricing is substantial, making it a premium buy. Some reviewers noted a mild halo effect around bright objects on dark backgrounds from the Mini-LED panel, though overall picture quality is praised. Battery life is limited when running high performance modes, typical for this class.
Who This Is For
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is ideal for gamers who want near-desktop RTX 5090 performance in a portable form factor and a high-refresh, high-contrast Mini-LED display. Content creators who need strong CPU multithread and GPU compute for rendering and editing, plus large RAM/storage options, will also find this laptop appealing. Users willing to pay a premium for top mobile performance and accept the size/weight and noise tradeoffs will find the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 a worthy investment.
Additional Features
The build of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is solid with a few extra conveniences. The base lid of the laptop can be easily accessed by sliding a latch. The laptop is equipped with an end-to-end vapor chamber, a large heat sink, a trio of fans, and liquid metal for cooling the processor and graphics unit. Most of the ports are on the left side of the laptop, which may cause some clutter. The laptop supports 100W top-up via the USB Type-C port and produces fan noise that can be drowned out by a budget pair of earbuds like the OnePlus Buds 4.
In Doom: The Dark Ages, the laptop consistently played in the 280-300fps range with DLSS4 enabled. Asus' repair and upgrade-friendly approach is a neat perk on this laptop, with the SSDs linked to an in-house Q-latch system, allowing for easy swapping without a screwdriver. The laptop comes with a colossal 380W AC adapter.
Technology and gadgets further enhance the impressive performance of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18. The laptop is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, the high-end Arrow Lake-HX mobile chip, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 laptop variant, which together allow for Turbo bursts exceeding 175 W and sustained operating points around ~135 W in Turbo/Manual profiles. Additionally, the laptop features a Mini-LED panel with a high refresh rate of 240 Hz, making it an ideal choice for gamers seeking a portable gaming device with near-desktop RTX 5090 performance and a high-refresh, high-contrast display.
