Joined in 2023 
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Those USB-C ports may look alike, but they aren't twins, with one being a Thunderbolt 4 connection, and the other just USB 3.2 Gen 2 (20Gbps). Regardless, both provide DisplayPort output and G-Sync capability for external monitors, so it's really just an issue for specific bandwidth-heavy applications. W (~4-5 h of use) – Netflix 4K HDR – single-zone lighting, fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON; To further measure GPU performance, we also run two tests from the cross-platform GPU benchmark GFXBench 5, which stresses both low-level routines like texturing and high-level, game-like image rendering. The 1440p Aztec Ruins and 1080p Car Chase tests, which are rendered offscreen to accommodate different display resolutions, exercise graphics and compute shaders using the OpenGL programming interface and hardware tessellation respectively. The more frames per second (fps), the better. As mentioned earlier, the 4080 is within 80 to 95 % of the performance of the 4090 in these similar designs, and at the same time notably faster than the RTX 3080Ti of the previous generation. However, while the gap is around 30% in benchmarks, it actually dwindles toward 15-20% in professional loads such as Blender, 3DMax, or Maya. Stints with the remastered Dead Space and Marvel’s Midnight Suns proved that this is an incredibly performant games machine, ready to run anything you can throw at it over the next few years without dropping detail levels or losing out on ray-traced effects. You probably won’t even need to switch to Turbo mode in the majority of cases, which is good as, while Asus’s cooling seems extremely efficient, it also gets pretty noisy. In Performance mode, it’s silent during everyday tasks, and still fairly quiet during gaming.
Furthermore, this panel is 240Hz refresh with fast response times (3-7 ms GtG), both must-have features on a modern gaming laptop – it’s not quite as fast as a standard IPS panel of this generation, though, due to the technical particularities of the mini LED technology. On top of these, GSync is supported on the main display with the 2023 ROG laptops, for smooth images without any tearing in games. However, it's also important to note that the Intel Core i9-13980HX inside the Strix Scar 16 came in third behind the Strix Scar 18 and Titan GT77 in many tests. This is highly likely due to the thermal (and therefore power) constraints of a 16-inch laptop versus a 17- or 18-inch laptop using the same CPU. Graphics TestsAll these add up… and there are many good rivals out there reaching for your money. The Acer Predator Helios 16, the Alienware m16, the Razer Blade 16, the MSI GE68 Raider, or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 are just some of those options worth at least a look, each with their own strong points and quirks. Sharing a near-identical aesthetic to the Strix Scar 18, you’re going to see the duality that exists within our team — the beauty of differing opinions. Because while our Editor in Chief, Sherri L. Smith loves the flashy futurism of the whole thing, I’ve always preferred something a little more refined. Configurations with 16 GB of RAM /1 TB storage and an IPS screen are also available in some regions, mostly here in Europe, and come at a slight discount over the above variant. Switching over to the Performance profile translates in the CPU stabilizing at ~100W and temperatures in the low-80s, with the fans spinning quieter at ~42 dB at head-level. The system power limits the CPU on this profile, and the performance takes a 10-12% drop from the Turbo profile.
With the combined output of both USB-C and a full-size HDMI port paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 inside, the ROG Strix Scar 16 can support up to three external 4K monitors at 60Hz simultaneously, making it perfectly suited to multi-monitor setups (so long as you don't need a higher refresh rate). On the GPU side, the RTX 4080 175W in this laptop is about 10-20% slower than the RTX 4090 in the Scar 18, on-par with the 4080 175W we’ve tested in the MSI Raider GE78 and Alienware m16, and 5-15% faster than the 4080 175W tested in the Blade 16. It’s also notably faster than the previous top-tier GPU, the 3080Ti 175W. The vivid and smooth mini-LED display presents every game with gorgeous fidelity and color. And the chiclet keyboard is oh-so inviting whatever genre you play — from hitting the WASD for shooters to customized shortcuts in strategy titles.
The Pinnacle of Performance
I’ll also add that the lowest-brightness setting isn’t very dim on this panel, at 50+ nits, and this aspect might bother those of you who are using the laptop in a pitch-dark room. There’s another notable novelty for the 2023 ROG laptops: a MUX with Advanced Optimus is now implemented, which means you no longer have to restart the systems when switching between the hybrid and dGPU modes. This also means G-Sync is now supported on the main displays of both laptops on the dGPU mode, with some potential benefits in certain games over the ActiveSync implementation of the past. Update: I’ve updated the preliminary rating of this laptop to 4.25, as a result of the very high CPU/GPU internal temperatures measured in our gaming and high-load tests. You should consider these in your decision, especially if you’re living in a warmer place. In comparison, other laptops such as the Alienware m16 or the larger ROG Scar 18 run cooler in sustained loads and gaming sessions.
We tested a couple of different types of games on the various available profiles at QHD+ and FHD+ resolution, all with the MUX set on the Ultimate GPU mode. In comparison, here’s what we got on the bigger Scar 18 model with similar specs, but with a regular IPS QHD+ display.That leaves you with the Scar 17 and Strix G17 as the only 2023 models built on the previous chassis, but these are only available with AMD processors and Nvidia graphics. You are giving up on the 18-inch screens, though, and there are no mid-sized 15-inch variants available either. You’re also giving up on the updated tri-fan thermal module, but you’re getting an interesting vapor-chamber cooling module on the Scar 17. Hardware specs for the 2023 ROG Scars Whether it’s the Scar 18 or ROG Zephyrus M16, Asus has been killing it on the display front, and the Scar 16’s ROG Nebula HDR display is no different. Feasting your eyes upon the flash flood of color and nicely balanced contrast ratio makes for a splendid spread of vividity in your gaming. On the Silent profile, the CPU runs at around 90W for a few loops, and then stabilizes around 65W, with barely audible fans (sub 35 dB) and temperatures in the low-80s C. The i9-13980HX scores ~3400 points in the Cinebench test on this profile, which is about 65% of the Turbo performance, and still an excellent score for a laptop platform, as you’ll see in a bit.
The Core i9-13980HX is the top mobile processor in Intel’s Raptor Lake 13th-gen platform, with 24 Cores and 32 Threads. It is a hybrid design with 8 High-Performance and dual-threaded Cores, and 16 extra Efficiency cores, which work together or separately in the various loads. The design and thermal module of this Scar allow the processor to run at ~135-150W of sustained power in demanding CPU loads, on the Turbo or Manual profiles. Follow this link for updated configurations and prices in your region at the time you’re reading this article. Final thoughts- 2023 Asus ROG Strix SCAR 16 review Dominate the Windows 11 Home battlefield with the all-new ROG Strix SCAR 16. Introducing a 16-inch screen to the SCAR lineup for the first time, see the enemy more clearly than ever before. Powered by a 13 th Gen Intel ® Core™ i9-13980HX Processor and NVIDIA ® GeForce RTX™ 4090 Laptop GPU with a max TGP of 175W, the SCAR 16 easily handles even the most demanding games. It also comes with a dedicated MUX Switch with support for NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, enabling you to easily harness the true power of your GPU when gaming. With support for up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 4TB of PCIe Gen4x4 storage, the SCAR 16 can easily game, stream, and create content all at the same time without breaking a sweat. For the ultimate gaming laptop, look no further than the Strix SCAR 16. The interior still smudges easily, and the grime and the oils are more difficult to wipe clean than on metal dark surfaces. In comparison, the finishing that Asus offers on their Zephyrus models is just better at this.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 G834JY / Scar 16 G634JY – Intel Core i9-13980HX + RTX 4090 175W + QHD display; This configuration can easily handle all the modern games at QHD+ resolution and Ultra settings, with or without RT. While still a step down from the RTX 4090 model, the gaming performance of this RTX 4080 Scar 16 is still a notable improvement over the fastest gaming laptops of the past generations, with the Core i9 HX processors and the RTX 3080Ti 175W dGPU. If the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is anything, it’s eye catching. A strip of RGB LEDs runs from just behind the front-left corner to the same position on the right, while there’s a further strip underneath the screen at the rear, with both set by default to gently cycle through the colour spectrum. On the CPU side, the Intel i9-13980HX smokes any other tested platform in single and multi-threaded performance, although we haven’t yet tested the Ryzen 9 7000 HX hardware. At the same time, this implementation is on par in performance with the same hardware in bigger laptops such as the ROG Scar 18 or the MSI Titan GT77, as per BIOS 309. Finally, most gaming laptops have a dual fan cooling system, but the SCAR 18 was able to push the performance envelope even further with the introduction of a third fan that helps keep the GPU and VRAM cool. Paired with seven heatpipes and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on both the CPU and GPU, the SCAR 18’s cooling system is a marvel of engineering.
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