ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 Evaluate: 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 screen 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 severely slaps; we now have nearly no complaints. Nicely, that $4999 price ticket hurts a little bit, and 2TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD house feels a mite tight in a machine this beefy, however we’ll speak about that down the web page a little bit.

The standout specs on this method actually are the CPU, the graphics, and the display screen. The Core Extremely 9 275HX is actually a desktop Core Extremely 9 285K with a little bit 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 activity, as you may see shortly.

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

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

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 Bodily Overview & Internals

Earlier than we even start trying on the machine, we must always look at its packaging. Closely stylized and meticulously constructed for a bit of paperboard that you just’re most likely 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 would prefer to be glib about that, however this was the factor that knowledgeable us in regards to the laptop computer’s toolless part entry, so there’s positively 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 strong, with little or no flex within the outer casing. The grille on the again of the display screen did not stand out at first. We assumed it was for cooling or simply including a little bit of texture, in fact, but it surely is not. (The vents down under are, although.)

In reality, the grill on the again of the lid is the AniMe Imaginative and prescient show itself. An array of LEDs capabilities as a type of low-resolution ‘display screen’ behind the again of your laptop computer’s show you could select to show quite a lot of looping GIFs and even your individual picture, in the event you like. This can be a very showy characteristic, but it surely’s off by default in battery mode, so it is impossible that anybody will ever really see it in the event you’re out and about.

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

The keyboard itself is a non-standard format, but it is very near a full 104-key desktop format. It is lacking devoted keys for Web page Up and Web page Down, however you possibly can ship these keystrokes by utilizing Fn and the arrow keys. These capabilities are additionally duplicated on the numeric keypad as regular. 5 buttons above the perform row are totally reprogrammable, which is good, though it is odd that M4 is sure to the very same factor as F5 by default.

On the left aspect, you might have 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 trying somewhat related that is in actual fact NOT the identical energy connector that was used on the ASUS ROG Circulation z13; that charger is not going to plug into this system and vice versa.

On the opposite aspect, you might have 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.

Absolutely lit up, the machine is kind of shiny, together with the luminosity radiating from the keyboard. You possibly can modify 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 possibly can 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 discuss 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 may as well see that white ring — that’s really a translucent diffuser for the RGB LEDs that ring the bottom of the machine. These can be disabled.

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

With that plate eliminated, you might have 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 offers you handy entry to each M.2 sockets in addition to the SODIMM reminiscence, beneath a plastic cowl barely to the precise of the middle fan. Our system shipped with an empty M.2 socket, so it could 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 model. The chassis feels very strong, and the keyboard is a pleasure to sort on. It is even tremendous straightforward to improve and modify.

After all, 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…