Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 (2021) Overview

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 provides swathes of energy, an incredible display, a top-notch opto-mechanical keyboard and spectacular thermal efficiency – it’s a top-tier gaming laptop computer. However for some artistic workloads, or in order for you a lighter laptop computer with a extra subdued design, it’s value wanting elsewhere.

Introduction

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 (G533QS) could also be full of newer parts, however it is a laptop computer that unashamedly caters to the old-fashioned on the subject of design.

For starters, you gained’t see many gaming notebooks sporting as many RGB LEDs. There’s a band of sunshine across the Scar 15’s base and one other crammed into the underside of the show. The keyboard has per-key RGB LED backlighting, and the brand on the lid is illuminated, too.

This laptop computer makes an announcement, then, but when it’s going to turn out to be among the best gaming laptops available on the market, it must do the enterprise on the within.

Scar 15 laptops can be discovered by looking for G533 or G533QS. Within the UK, it prices a mighty £2699, and $2,799 within the US. Anticipate to pay related money in Europe, too.

The high-octane Asus faces loads of competitors. The Alienware m15 Ryzen Version R5 is the 15.6in model of this machine, and it prices £2149 / $2509 / €2449 for a spec with the identical processor and an RTX 3070 graphics core. Then there’s the Razer Blade 15 Superior, which prices £2799 / $2999 / €3299 for the mannequin that includes the identical graphics core and display because the Asus.

Design and keyboard

• Daring, RGB-covered appears to be like give approach to cheap construct high quality
• The opto-mechanical keyboard is snappy and satisfying
• The Scar’s connectivity is healthier suited to gaming than work

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15’s RGB LEDs may be customised and synchronised extensively. The band on the underside of the laptop computer options six color zones, and the row of lighting beneath the show has two.

The lights aren’t the one space the place the Scar stands out: the lid includes a daring dotted sample, and far of the bottom is constructed from translucent plastic, which reveals the circuit boards inside.

That very same plastic covers one finish of the hinge, too, and Asus contains a few different plates within the field – one metallic and one black – to change up the look. The laptop computer’s right-hand facet is house to a cavity for the Asus Keystone II, which is an NFC-enabled key that prompts personalised settings or an encrypted arduous drive.

The Scar appears to be like nice, but it surely gained’t go well with everybody. The Alienware is simply as daring however extra modern-looking, whereas the Razer is darker and extra discreet.

The Asus isn’t all the time essentially the most sensible machine, both. It has three full-size USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-C connector that helps DisplayPort and 100W of energy supply, plus there are HDMI 2.0b and audio connectors. On the within, there’s Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. Nonetheless, there’s no webcam, no card or fingerprint reader and no Thunderbolt.

When you think about that so many gaming laptops are used for work, too, that is disappointing. The Alienware is aggressive right here, with a Home windows Hiya webcam and 8K-capable HDMI 2.1 output. Razer’s machine ditches Ethernet, but it surely provides two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports, a Home windows Hiya webcam and a card reader.

The Asus’s construct high quality is a bit inconsistent, too. The display is sufficiently sturdy, however there’s an excessive amount of motion across the keyboard. That’s discouraging at this worth, and on a machine that weighs 2.3kg and is 27mm thick. The Asus is strong, and the Alienware is comparable – however the Razer has each overwhelmed on power and measurement.

This laptop computer is extra achieved within the typing division. This yr’s Scar machines include a brand new opto-mechanical keyboard, and it’s good. The buttons have 1.9mm of journey and so they’re quick, responsive and satisfying – and higher than the Alienware and Razer’s typing {hardware}.

Nonetheless, I’ve minor quibbles. There’s no numberpad, and the keys are loud. This isn’t the one laptop computer with opto-mechanical {hardware}, both – related switches can be found on the Alienware, albeit at additional price. The trackpad is okay, however a USB mouse is all the time higher.

The Scar boasts a pair of 4W audio system and 2W tweeters, and so they’re wonderful. They show punchy bass, plenty of mid-range readability and vibrant high-end tones. As such, they’re simply adequate for gaming, and among the many finest audio gear you’ll discover on any laptop computer.

Display

• Incorporates a 2560 x 1440 decision and 165Hz refresh charge
• Good distinction and depth signifies that video games look punchy and vibrant
• Colors are daring and correct

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15’s 15.6in show is a 2560 x 1440 IPS panel with a 165Hz refresh charge, and people figures bode nicely for gaming. The previous delivers crisp imagery, and the latter retains the whole lot easy and speedy.

High quality ranges are nice, too. The brightness degree of 347 nits is ample for indoor and out of doors use, and it combines with a black level of 0.32 nits to create a distinction degree of 1084:1. These first rate figures imply that video games are rendered with strong depth, nuance and vibrancy on this panel.

The Delta E of two.33 and color temperature of 6982K are spectacular, too, and this display rendered 99.6% of the sRGB color gamut at 136.3% quantity. Avid gamers shall be delighted with this panel; the most recent titles will show daring, correct colors, spectacular depth and loads of vibrancy.

The gaming expertise right here is nearly as good as it’s on every other laptop computer; I’d solely advocate searching for out a 300Hz or 360Hz panel when you’re a eager eSports participant.

Efficiency

• The AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU present a improbable high-end efficiency
• The Asus stays cool and comparatively quiet in all conditions
• Intel’s newer chips are typically sooner for sure workloads

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15’s RTX 3080 operates at a beneficiant 130W, which makes it one of many extra highly effective iterations of this laptop computer core. The specificationis first rate elsewhere, too: there’s an eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 5900HX, 32GB of reminiscence and 2TB of NVMe storage.

The Asus instantly impressed. On the show’s native decision of 2560 x 1440, it performed Horizon Zero Daybreak at 72fps and Borderlands 3 at 62fps – these are nice outcomes that imply you’ll have the ability to play any of as we speak’s prime video games at prime settings on the show’s native decision with out difficulty. The RTX 3080 performed Dust Rally at 1440p at 108fps, too, so eSports titles gained’t show troubling.

The Scar’s 1080p averages in Horizon and Borderlands sat at 91fps and 86fps, and its 3DMark Time Spy rating of 10,336 is speedy.

It’s invoice of well being: the Alienware’s RTX 3070 will play as we speak’s video games, too, however its scores put it behind the RTX 3080 and it provides much less future headroom. The Razer’s RTX 3080 peaks at 95W, so it gained’t match the Scar’s speeds.

The Ryzen 9 5900HX zipped by means of Geekbench with great scores of 1492 and 8623. The chip will sort out photo-editing and mainstream video-editing with out criticism, and it’s simply able to dealing with contact multi-tasking any quantity of browser tabs you need to throw at it.

It does all of this whereas performing nicely in thermal assessments, too. The Asus does produce fan noise when the parts are stretched, but it surely’s by no means distractingly loud – it’s quieter than most machines with this degree of {hardware}. The outside by no means turns into too sizzling, both. The processor doesn’t fairly attain its all-core turbo pace, however that’s typical for this type of pocket book and gained’t hinder your workflow.

I’ve received used to recommending AMD processors for anybody who desires a laptop computer for work in addition to play, however the scenario isn’t fairly as clear now that Intel has launched the Core i7-11800H and i9-11900H. The previous attracts degree with the AMD’s Ryzen 9 CPU in some artistic duties, whereas the Core i9 CPU creeps previous it in some robust content-creation workloads.

Admittedly, it’s a complicated scenario: the AMD-based Asus squares up towards Alienware laptops with both Intel or AMD CPUs, and Razer’s 15.6in machines completely use Intel chips.

Fortunately, although, it’s nice for customers. Each the AMD and Intel chips are on an equal footing on the subject of video games, so if that’s your precedence you then’d be higher specializing in the graphics core, display and different options of the laptop computer. If you happen to want a chip for content-creation or different productiveness duties, it’s finest to lookup which chip is the best choice on your favoured functions.

Battery

• The Asus delivers a reasonable 1hr 30mins of gaming longevity
• In work and media conditions, anticipate this laptop computer to final for six hours

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 battery is sweet, however not nice. It lasted for simply shy of 1hr 30mins whereas gaming (and on lowered GPU energy), and simply over six hours whereas working and taking part in video.

That’s much better than the Alienware, however nonetheless a bit in need of the Razer. It’s additionally completely regular for big-brand gaming laptops proper now. If you wish to recreation on this machine you then’re suggested to remain related to the ability supply.

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