Laptop‑powered by Nvidia’s flagship GPU—our real‑time test results revealed here.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18: The Game‑Changing Beast

For four years, the Zephyrus line has been my laptop “inner source.” It’s not because the machines are unsurpassed, though a dedicated community praises them highly, but because they combine elegance with power. The first Zephyrus GA502 drew me in with its ultra‑slim silhouette and a non‑gaming aura that feels surprisingly friendly. Throughout the years, Asus has steadily fine‑tuned the formula, delivering machines that are, in every sense, splashing triumph.

Asus isn’t new to “show‑off” mode. Its latest showcase, the ROG Strix Scar 18, is big, bold, and brash. It harnesses the finest silicon from Intel and NVIDIA, and pairs it with the company’s signature flair. We recently examined the mid‑point variant powered by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, but the unit in my hands houses NVIDIA’s flagship RTX 5090 GPU.

Glorious Specs at a Glimpse

• Processor: Intel Core i9‑13980HX, 8‑core, 16‑thread, up to 5.5 GHz
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 24 GB GDDR6
• Display: 18 in 4K, 120 Hz, HDR10+, 100 % DCI‑Color
• Memory: 32 GB DDR5‑6000, expandable to 64 GB
• Storage: 2 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD + optional NVMe slot
• Cooling: Symmetric AeroBlade‑5, dual fans, active thermal guards

Design: A Bold Statement

The Scar 18 exudes a presence that is unmistakably electronics‑heavy. Its chassis is a seamless blend of anodized aluminum and carbon‑fiber trim, creating a sturdy yet lightweight frame. Ventilation ports are strategically laid out to channel air across the GPU and CPU, while the RGB lighting system plays a striking spectrum of hues, adapting to game performance.

Key Strengths

• Unparalleled GPU performance – the RTX 5090 tops the charts in real‑time ray tracing.
• Exceptional thermal efficiency; runs cooler than predecessors under sustained loads.
• Expanded display versatility – 4K resolution with a rapid refresh rate for smooth gaming.
• Smooth build quality – same near‑perfect balance between form and function that the Zephyrus line promised.

Areas for Improvement

• The price tag (US $4,499.99) remains a hurdle for casual gamers.
• Battery life remains modest, especially during heavy gaming sessions.
• Keyboard backlighting is limited to eight colors; more dynamic options would appeal to enthusiasts.

Bottom Line

For anyone chasing the apex of laptop gaming, the ROG Strix Scar 18 offers a “fantasy‑like” fusion of raw power and aesthetic seriousness. If the very latest tech is what fuels your excitement and the cost doesn’t faze you, this machine stands as the pinnacle of current mobile gaming desktops.

What does it get right?

Unveiling the Asus Titan’s Heavy‑Weight Legacy

The latest Asus gaming beast is engineered for raw power, but its bulk and power demands come with trade‑offs.

Power Portfolio & Charging Strategy

• 380W AC adapter provides headroom for RGB lighting and cooling, but its weight can be a distraction for on‑the‑go users.
• USB‑Type‑C offers a 100W PD top‑up, allowing users to swap the heavy brick for a sleeker, PD‑certified charger.

Build Quality & Serviceability

Asus has built the chassis with a sturdy material that feels premium. The design, however, hides a small quirk: the keyboard deck smears smudge marks quickly, requiring frequent cleaning.

Accessing the internals is user‑friendly: a latch slide releases the base lid, and the Q‑latch system lets you change SSDs and RAM without a screwdriver.

Convenience & Feature Highlights

• An in‑house Q‑latch system for SSDs removes the need for a tool.
• RAM sticks are equally swappable, ensuring a streamlined upgrade path.
• High‑quality construction is balanced with a quick‑smudge keyboard that invites regular cleaning.

Asus blends hardcore performance with thoughtful service design, making the Titan a formidable, albeit heavy, gaming companion.

Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

The port configuration offers plenty of options, yet for a device of this compact size, the arrangement can feel a touch cramped. The machine features two Thunderbolt 5 connectors, three USB Type‑A ports (two positioned on the right, one on the left side), an HDMI 2.1 output, and a 2.5 Gb Ethernet jack.

Port Placement and Cable Management

• Most of the connectivity slots sit on the left side, which places all cables squarely in front of your line of sight.
• Cable enthusiasts will note that a rear‑placement strategy—often advocated by manufacturers like Dell—would have been preferable.

Camera Quality and Security Features

• The built‑in webcam falls short of expectations, especially given the laptop’s $4,500 price tag.
• Despite this, the Windows Hello face‑unlock capability remains a welcomed convenience.

Review: The Laptop Gets Its Keyboard Game Strong

The latest laptop offers a massive trackpad that comfortably covers the full‑size field of a traditional touchpad. It delivers smooth motions, responsive haptics, and a tracking latency that satisfies the most demanding gamers.

Keyboard – RGB Customization Meets Actuation

The backlit layout comes with a full‑sized key matrix and deep user‑configurable RGB lighting. The keys feature a smooth upward feedback that ensures instant actuation with a tactile click. That combination makes typing a few thousand words feel like an effortless pleasure.

• Full‑size matrix – 104 keys, including the space bar
• RGB lighting – 16‑color palette, adjustable brightness
• Actuation – 0.7 mm travel, click sound
• Trackpad – 15.5 mm width, blind tracking, haptic feedback

Why it Matters for Professionals

With the keyboard’s actuation and the trackpad’s precision, users can type at high speeds and navigate the desktop with minimal wrist fatigue. The laptop’s design also supports the latest on‑screen productivity applications and gaming platforms.

Heat and noise

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18: A Masterclass in Laptop Cooling

Asus has equipped the ROG Strix Scar 18 with an end‑to‑end vapor chamber, paired with a large heat sink, a trio of fans, and liquid metal for cooling both the processor and the graphics card. The laptop also pulls in air through the keyboard deck to handle the heat situation.

The sum total of it all? It works, regardless of whether I was playing games or editing a 4K video.

Heating Performance Across Gaming Modes

In a controlled environment set at 23 °C, the laptop’s thermal behaviour remained largely consistent across all operating modes.

Mode‑by‑Mode Thermal Overview

• Silent – minimal fan activity, core temperatures stable.
• Performance – moderate fan speed, heat evenly spread.
• Turbo – higher fan speed, slight rise in core heat.
• Manual (Peak) – fan at maximum, overall deck temperature sways between 22 °C and 24 °C.

For extended gaming sessions, the area beneath the keyboard deck will not pose significant thermal concerns. However, to optimise cooling, elevate the laptop slightly or leave an air space below the deck. Heat is mostly focused near the centre of the keyboard and the upper deck area.

Cooling Performance of the Laptop Under Various Workloads

Base Ambient Temperatures

• The machine keeps its thermal deck at roughly 41‑43 °C during idle or low‑intensity tasks, even while the fans are turned off.

Behaviour When Gaming

• In Performance mode the peak temperature reached 51 °C.
• Switching to Turbo or Manual profiles nudges the fan speed downward, which cools the deck by 2‑3 °C.

Internal Component Temperatures

• After extended gaming or synthetic stress tests, the GPU never exceeded 65‑68 °C.
• The CPU remained under 80 °C under heavy load.
• With fans forced harder, the central portion of the keyboard stayed noticeably cooler.

Trade‑Off

The extra cooling comes at the price of increased fan noise, but the temperature benefits remain consistent across all profiles.

Evaluating Fan Noise in Silent vs Performance Modes

Measured Sound Levels with a Portables LabArt Meter

• Silent mode: Approximately 35 dB
• Performance mode: 48 dB, rising to a peak of 56 dB with manual switching

Comparative Quietness Across Laptops

Only laptops with a smaller 16‑inch chassis ran noticeably quieter under similar loads, and the improvement was merely 3–4 dB.

Impact of Budget Earbuds on Fan Noise

A budget pair of earbuds, such as the OnePlus Buds 4, effectively drowned the fan noise during gameplay and music playback, leaving only a faint hissing remnant.

Considerations for Gaming Headsets

• Gaming headsets typically lack a noise‑cancellation mode, so fan noise will be audible unless the user relies on audio waves to mask it.

Display is a core strength

Envision the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18‑inch Nebula HDR

Asus delivers a gaming laptop that feels like it was built from a glass panel; the 18‑inch Nebula HDR mini‑LED offers a 2560 × 1660 pixel resolution, a blistering 240 Hz refresh rate, and Nvidia G‑Sync support. Even though it can’t reach the OLED’s true “black” depth, it remains the most outstanding display I have tested in a portable gaming device.

Color Precision & Contrast Excellence

• sRGB coverage: 100 %
• Adobe RGB: 89 %
• DCI‑P3: 100 %
• DeltaE accuracy: 1.05
• Contrast ratio: 16,310 : 1

These figures even eclipse the 16‑inch MacBook Pro, proving the panel’s exceptional performance on paper.

Practical Perks for Everyday Use

A bilayer film sits on top of the screen, reducing ambient glare, amplifying contrast, and widening viewing angles. These tangible benefits make the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18‑inch display a clear winner for gamers who demand both visual fidelity and real‑world usability.

Game‑Ready Display: No Reflections, No Glaring Issues

In open air, in a sunlit cabin, in a room with artificial light, this screen turns reflections into a non‑issue. After dozens of hours of work sessions, long gaming marathons, and video watching, there are no striking complaints.

• Saturated colors that keep the palette vibrant.
• Sharp visuals that bring every detail into focus.
• Wide viewing angles that eliminate distortion.

Power‑Centric Panel: 3 ms Motion, Battery‑Saving Overdrive

For the CPU and GPU to perform at their best, a gaming laptop usually needs to be plugged in. Here, the panel behaves slightly differently.

• 3 ms response time delivers motion clarity.
• Panel overdrive is enabled from Armory Crate for extra speed.
• On battery, overdrive is disabled to save some juice.

Unique Dimming Zone Control

A feature that no other brand offers is the ability to tweak the display’s dimming zone behavior. This gives you granular control over how the screen adapts to lighting changes.

Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

So, this panel offers 2,000 mini‑LED dimming zones. It also shows some localized blooming. To keep that under control, you have two options:

Uniform Backlight Preset

• All the display behaves as a single synchronized color layer.
• It’s simple and works well in most settings.

Discrete Dimming Controls

• Allows for more precise contrast.
• Improves color reproduction, especially in dynamic lighting.

When Might You Choose the Second Option?

1. When your work or play environment shifts dramatically.
2. When on‑screen content demands more accurate lighting.

Performance, from a perspective

Unveiling the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18’s Core Ultra 9 275HX

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 lineup’s three SKUs all march forward powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX. This processor’s benchmark face‑off tells a compelling story.

Benchmarks on Geekbench 6

• Single‑core performance: 3,069 – Places the Ultra 9 275HX in the same single‑core bracket as desktop giants like the AMD Ryzen 7950X and the Intel Core i9‑14900KF.
• Multi‑core performance: 19,995 – Highlights the Ultra 9 275HX’s prowess in driving multi‑threaded workloads, matching or exceeding the heavyweights found in typical workstation CPUs.

What This Means for Gamers and Creators

The scores demonstrate that the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 can deliver desktop‑tier performance in a laptop form factor. Whether you’re tackling high‑resolution gaming, streaming, or creative rendering, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX stands ready to keep pace with its peers.

ROG Strix Scar 18: Laptop Performance Snapshot

The multi-core power of the ROG Strix Scar 18 sits comfortably in the same tier as the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and the Intel Core i9-13900K processors. These figures make the Scar 18 a standout choice for mobile gaming and productivity.

PCMark 10 Benchmark

• Score: 8,816 points
• Result: Top score in the laptop segment

Comparison to Previous Scar Models

• Margin: Slight improvement over the model with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
• Pricing: The gain is modest when paired with the premium price tag

Leaderboard Position

• Top two laptops ahead: MSI Titan HX 18 and Alienware m18 R2

Overall, the ROG Strix Scar 18 delivers strong multi-core performance and a benchmark lead, competitive with the best high-end laptops on the market.

Benchmarking the Asus Flagship: A Deep Dive into Performance

In the world of high‑end gaming rigs, the Asus flagship has no intention of staying behind its competitors. Recent scoring on popular benchmarks offers a quick snapshot of where it sits in the current market.

Cinebench Benchmark

• Single‑core score: 135
• Close rival: Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2025) – also at 135
• Implication: The Asus model has barely edged ahead in single‑core performance, underscoring the tight competition in CPU‑centric gaming laptops.

3DMark Time Spy Benchmark

• Graphics score: 23,811
• Dominance: The Asus unit noticeably outperforms the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2025) and the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 in graphics‑heavy testing.
• Takeaway: For graphics‑intensive titles, the Asus flagship delivers a clear advantage, positioning it as a top choice for gamers prioritizing GPU performance.

Manual Mode and Performance Tuning

Activating manual mode unlocks an additional 25W of CPU headroom, allowing for CPU overclocking. The GPU can also be overclocked, providing further performance gains.

Key Question: Why is the configuration with Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 favored over the RTX 5080?

• RTX 5090 offers the latest gen features and higher raw performance.
• HDR, Ray tracing, and future‑proofing are better supported.
• Gaming titles and content creation will benefit from the higher real‑time frame rates.

For users seeking the most cutting‑edge gaming experience, the Asus flagship with RTX 5090 presents a compelling package that’s ready to confront the best of the present and the near‑future of GPUs.

Performance Gap Between Two Configurations

When comparing the two setups, the difference across simulated workflows and gaming is only around 5%. The most significant disparity appears in synthetic benchmarks such as 3DMark, where the gap reaches approximately 17%.

Impact on Real‑World Gaming

In real‑time titles, the disparity narrows further. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 with ray‑tracing and Forza Horizon 5 show differences consistently below 10%, even when DLSS 4 and frame generation are enabled.

Implications for Value

The performance increase is modest, comparable to a mobile GPU reaching its limit. It fails to deliver a raw performance leap that justifies the $1,100 price premium. Spending such a substantial amount for a small gain is not an attractive proposition.

Gaming nirvana

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18: A Gaming Beast that Demands the Most

When you invest nearly $4,499 in a laptop, you expect it to deliver every gaming edge it can offer. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is unapologetically built for that purpose, and its performance profiles truly reveal why it stands out among the elite.

Performance Modes: From Silent to Turbo and Manual Overdrive

• Silent – ideal for quiet sessions.
• Performance – balances speed and noise.
• Turbo – pushes the GPU and CPU to their limit.
• Manual – the most demanding stage where every component is dialed up for maximum power. Here you can enlarge the GPU power draw and clock, increase the CPU power target, accelerate graphics memory, and turn the internal fans to their peak.

Manual Mode: The Essence of Temp‑Based Power Curves

In manual mode, you choose between a temp‑linear curve that rises evenly with temperature increase, or a constant‑peak curve that keeps all fans and cores running at maximum speed from the moment you activate overdrive.

Testing the Beast: Cyberpunk 2077 Under a Throttle Test

To truly gauge how the Scar 18 handles extreme workloads, I launched Cyberpunk 2077, a title renowned for pushing hardware to its limits. As I toggled between the preset modes, the final frame rates and thermal behavior confirmed that the Scar 18 not only meets but surpasses what a gamer expects from a top‑tier laptop.

Key Takeaways

1. The Scar 18 offers a full spectrum of performance presets, with manual mode enabling comprehensive power tuning.
2. Under Cyberpunk 2077, the laptop demonstrates outstanding frame rates while keeping temperatures in a healthy range.
3. Investing in the Scar 18 is justified by its ability to deliver peak gaming performance across a variety of profiling scenarios.

Exploring CyberPunk 2077’s Performance at Full Resolution

Running CyberPunk 2077 with ray‑tracing turned off played a key role in pushing the game’s frame rates beyond the 120‑fps comfort zone. In the default Performance mode, the title consistently hit 120+ fps. Activating the Turbo option nudged the numbers up to 130+ fps, while the Manual mode—complete with overclocking on all hardware—only added a modest 3–5 fps on average.

Impact of Ray‑Tracing at Ultra Preset

Once ray‑tracing was re‑enabled and the Ultra preset switched on, frame rates dropped, yet they stayed comfortably in the 88–90 fps bracket. The drop was noticeable but far from a major slowdown.

Black Myth: Wukong Talks About High Settings

• Ray‑tracing enabled
• Cinematic preset activated
• Resolution locked at 1600p

In Black Myth: Wukong, the frame rates hovered near the same range as CyberPunk 2077, with the game never falling below the 60 fps threshold. Naturally, frame generation introduced some frame‑rate spikes, but nothing that crushed the overall experience.

Exploring Cyberpunk 2077 on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18

Delving into Cyberpunk 2077 on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 showcases what the latest Nvidia RTX 5000 graphics truly offer. With DLSS 4 enabled and frame generation set to four, the Performance mode delivers a steady over 200 fps in demanding scenes.

Upgrading to Turbo and Manual Profiles

• Switching to Turbo mode bumps the frame rate into the 250‑plus fps range.
• During the Manual performance profile, the laptop climbs even higher.

DLSS 4’s Impact on High‑Demand Titles

DLSS consistently provides nearly double the frame count, and sometimes even more, across intense games. In Monster Hunter Wilds, the Scar 18 comfortably sits at 70–75 fps in Performance mode. Activating DLSS in the Manual performance profile leaps that figure to a solid 140 fps.

Why DLSS 4 Matters

Beyond raw fps, DLSS 4 enhances visual fidelity without sacrificing performance. This combination transforms the gameplay experience, turning high‑resolution, high‑detail titles into smooth, playable adventures.

In short, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 leverages the RTX 5000 series to unlock blazing frame rates while maintaining visual quality. Whether you’re exploring cybernetic streets or battling wilderness foes, the laptop delivers an exceptionally responsive platform for Cyberpunk 2077 and beyond.

Unleashing Ultra‑Smooth Gaming on the New Thunder‑Peak Pro

When you pair the Thunder‑Peak Pro with the latest generation of GPUs, the results translate into frame rates that rival even the most‑fancy consoles. Below is a quick snapshot of what each title can deliver.

Marvel: Guardians of the Galaxy

• 120‑plus fps on older titles without even needing ray‑tracing.
• 90‑fps peak even when the doses of ray‑tracing are thrown in.
• The GPU stays around 50% utilisation – a clear sign of the powerful cores at work.

Horizon Zero Dawn

• DLSS at 1600p, with the “Quality” preset, keeps you consistently inside the 110‑120 fps band.
• The GPU never tops the 50% mark – a steady performance curve you can rely on.

Doom: The Dark Ages

• Native resolution, DLSS4 set to a 4× upscaling, pulls you into the 280‑300 fps zone.
• The machine runs in Manual mode; the game climbs to these high numbers smoothly, with no stuttering or hiccups.

Those figures are not a fleeting high point. For the next couple of years, the Thunder‑Peak Pro will sustain this level, assuring you no “I am toppled” nightmares. You can sit back and sleep in peace, knowing the machine is capped to deliver its full potential.

Should you pick it?

b)

High‑End Gaming Laptop Reviewed

Unmatched Power and Design

When it comes to mobile gaming performance, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 sits at the pinnacle of what a premium laptop can deliver. The machine is engineered to future‑proof gamers with a top‑tier Geforce RTX 5090 GPU and a rugged, aesthetically engaging build that feels both reassuring and flashy.

Display and Build Quality

Its mini‑LED screen offers brilliant clarity, while the chassis design balances durability with a stunning visual profile. The result is a laptop that feels as solid as it looks.

Repair and Upgrade‑Friendly Approach

Asus has incorporated a surprisingly flexible repair and upgrade strategy. Users who also value productivity will appreciate the machine’s inclusion of the 24‑core Intel Xeon W 3023 processor, the most powerful silicon available on a mobile workstation.

Gaming Performance

On the gaming side, the Scar 18 earns a spot on the 2025 “Mount Rushmore” of gaming laptops. The Geforce RTX 5090 pushes frame rates to new heights, while the mini‑LED display ensures every visual detail is crystal‑clear.

Price Considerations

Bear in mind that this high‑end package comes with a steep price tag—most of it is justified by the inclusion of the premium Geforce RTX 5090 GPU. If you’re open to a more affordable alternative, the lower‑trim version with the Geforce RTX 5080 may fit your budget better. However, those who prioritize sheer performance can comfortably invest in the top‑tier model and expect to enjoy two to three years of flawless gaming experience.