Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 review: Powerful, stylish, and competitively priced

The release of Nvidia’s RTX 50-series mobile GPUs has, of course, spawned a new generation of high-end gaming laptops designed around them. Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 16 is among the more affordable options in this new line-up—though I’m not sure most people would call the laptop’s $3,299.99 MSRP “affordable.” Even so, the Scar 16’s pricing and performance make it a good value. The Scar 16 also offers a few extras like a big touchpad and top-tier audio, that competitors tend to skip.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Specs and features

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is part of a new wave of laptops powered by Nvidia RTX 50-series graphics and Intel Core Ultra HX processors.

This configuration is a step down from the most capable, as it has an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (instead of 285HX) and RTX 5080 (instead of RTX 5090). Still, these chips are just a step down from the top and still powerful when compared to most laptop hardware.

• Model number: G635LW
• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
• Memory: 32GB DDR5-5600
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5080 (Max 175W with Dynamic Boost)
• NPU: Intel AI Boost up to 13 TOPS
• Display: 16-inch 2560×1600 240Hz Mini-LED IPS-LCD
• Storage: 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p 30fps camera with Windows Hello support
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 5 with DisplayPort / Power Delivery and G-Sync, 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 3x USB-A Gen 2 (10Gbps), 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x 2.5G Ethernet LAN port
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Facial recognition
• Battery capacity: 90 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 13.94 x 10.55 x 1.21
• Weight: 6.17 pounds
• Other features: Aura Sync light features (light bar, logo, RGB keyboard), AniMe vision LED lid
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• Price: $3,299.99 MSRP

Asus’ pricing is reasonable. The Strix Scar 16 I reviewed retails at an MSRP of $3,299.99. That’s in line with similar laptops like the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 ($3,099.99) and the MSI Vector HX AI 16 ($3,519.99).

As mentioned, Asus also sells this model of the Strix Scar 16 with an Nvidia RTX 5090, but choosing that upgrade bumps the price by $1,000 to $4,299.99.

Overall, the Scar 16 is a well-priced, high-end gaming laptop that delivers strong CPU and GPU performance.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Design and build quality

Asus has invested a lot of effort into the design of its high-end gaming laptops recently, and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 reaps the dividends.

At first glance, it looks rather basic. The laptop is built from black matte plastics that don’t stand out. Turn it on, though, and you’ll immediately notice the Asus “AniMe Matrix” LED light panel built into the lid. You’ve probably seen it before, but if you haven’t, refer to this video. Basically, the AniMe Matrix is a monocolor white LED display that can show simple information (like the time) or animated images. I love it.

The laptop also benefits from RGB-LED lighting elements around its perimeter, the ROG logo, and the keyboard. This design is typical for a laptop in the Scar 16’s price bracket, but it looks nice. The laptop also supports Asus Aura Sync RGB-LED light syncing, which can sync lighting themes across multiple supported devices.

Looks aside, the Scar 16’s build quality is par for the category. The plastics feel nice, with the interior providing a bit of a soft-touch texture, and the chassis is rigid. However, you’ll still notice flex if you pick the laptop up from one corner while it’s open or when opening the display lid.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Keyboard, trackpad

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a spacious keyboard and lacks a numpad. That second point is important. A missing numpad will disappoint some owners but also allows a more spacious layout that’s properly centered. Personally, I prefer laptops without a numpad in this size category, but your opinion may differ.

Key feel is good, if not amazing. There’s good key travel and a firm response, but the bottoming action is a little vaguer and rubberier than I’d prefer. I am nitpicking here, though. It’s a perfectly enjoyable keyboard, and I had no problem using it for hours at a time.

The touchpad is where the Scar 16 outmaneuvers most competitors. It’s huge, measuring about six inches wide and four inches deep. Many competitors, including the MSI Vector 16 HX and Gigabyte Aorus Master 16, have smaller touchpads. A spacious touchpad is better for multi-touch gestures and generally allows a more responsive feel.

You’ll also find “NumLK” printed on the touchpad. Press it, and the touchpad surface turns into a numpad. It’s better than nothing, I suppose, but I wouldn’t want to have to rely on it.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Display, audio

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a 16-inch display with 2560×1600 resolution, a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, and a Mini-LED backlight behind an IPS-LCD display. It contrasts sharply against the OLED displays found in some competitors.

First, the positives. The Scar 16’s Mini-LED panel is wonderfully bright, looks excellent in HDR, and has a wide color gamut. Contrast performance is spectacular, too, though you will see blooming (in the form of halos around bright objects) that doesn’t occur on an OLED display.

On the other hand, competitors with an OLED display will have a deeper, more immersive image, thanks both to their incredible contrast and lack of blooming. OLED also provides superior motion clarity due to its lower pixel response times, which reduce motion blur. The Scar 16’s Mini-LED is still crisp, but fast-moving objects have more detail on an OLED display, like that found in the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i.

The Scar 16 supports G-Sync, which is an important point. G-Sync allows the display to synchronize its refresh rate with a game’s frame rate to achieve better motion clarity and eliminate ugly image artifacts like screen tearing.

Oh, and one final note. The Scar 16 has a semi-gloss panel, while most OLED laptops have a glossy panel.

The Scar 16’s audio is clever. It packs tweeters into a soundbar hidden in a hump along the display hinge. They’re subtle enough that it took me about a half-minute to figure out where, exactly, the audio was coming from. These tweeters are paired with downward-firing subwoofers. The result is a loud, well-balanced sound system that’s genuinely entertaining.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a 1080p webcam and a dual-array microphone. Neither is remarkable, but both do the job. The webcam is crisp in good lighting, and the microphone picked up my voice with good volume and clarity even as I spoke softly.

Biometric login is supported through Windows Hello facial recognition. It works great, as with most laptops that have the feature (and it is very common these days). The laptop doesn’t have a fingerprint reader.  

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Connectivity

The star of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16’s connectivity is a pair of Thunderbolt 5 ports on the laptop’s left flank. These ports support USB-C, have high data rates (80Gbps bi-directional/120Gbps uni-directional) and DisplayPort, so they’re a great option for connecting to high-speed storage or a display. They also support Power Delivery, but it may not be sufficient to fully power the laptop when it’s under high load.

These ports are joined by three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an HDMI 2.1-out, a 2.5G Ethernet LAN port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. These are typical ports for a laptop in this category.

Unfortunately, the Scar 16’s port configuration is sub-par. The left flank houses most of the ports, including the Thunderbolt 5 and HDMI ports. That decreases versatility, as it means you’ll need to snake cords around the laptop if your peripherals happen to be to the laptop’s right. Some of the ports are very far forward, too, so you’re going to see cable clutter.

To be fair, most 16-inch gaming laptops have the same problem. Still, placing at least some ports on the laptop’s rear would be better, and it’s something to keep in mind when considering how the Scar 16 will fit in your setup.

Wireless connectivity is strong, though typical, with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 (the most recent version of each standard). All the competitive laptops I could find offer the same wireless connectivity, but it’s still good to see.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Performance

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU with a total of 24 cores (8 performance cores and 16 efficient cores). That’s paired with Nvidia’s RTX 5080, which, in this case, is given access to the maximum supported graphics power (175 watts counting Dynamic Boost). The CPU and GPU are supported by 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 solid state drive.

We kick things off in PCMark, a holistic system test. Here the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 reached an excellent score of 8,383.

That’s extremely fast, defeating most laptops tested last year by a wide margin. However, as the graph shows, new competitors with similar hardware scored a hair better.

Handbrake is a video encoding and transcoding program. Our benchmark converts a two-hour-long film from MP4 to MKV format using the CPU. It tends to be a long-duration test, but the Scar 16 with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX chewed through it in just seven minutes.

While this is behind the Scar 16’s competitors, the margins here are so slim that they’re not meaningful. That’s good news for the Scar 16, as it’s less expensive than the other Intel Core Ultra 9 HX laptops we tested.

It’s a different story in Cinebench R23, however, where the Scar 16 reached a score of 30,717. While the Scar 16 is still faster than many mobile CPUs, it falls noticeably behind the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro and MSI Raider 18 HX AI.

Overall, the Scar 16’s CPU performance is outstanding but clearly a step behind the leaders. That’s not a huge problem, though, because the Scar 16 is also more reasonably priced, and it’s still plenty fast for a wide range of tasks, from gaming to video editing and much more.

Of course, for many buyers, the Scar 16’s CPU performance is just a nice-to-have. This is a laptop built and sold for gaming. So, how does the Nvidia RTX 5080 perform?

3DMark’s Time Spy and Port Royale benchmarks peg the Scar 16 off to a solid, though expected level of performance. It trades blows with the two alternative RTX 5080 gaming laptops we’ve tested to date. While there are some small variations in performance, they’re essentially tied in these benchmarks. We’ll need to look at games to find significant differences.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which we run without the use of DLSS or raytracing, is a good representation of high-end titles from the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 console generation. Of course, the Scar 16 with RTX 5080 has no problem in this title and averaged 189 frames per second at 1080p and highest detail. With that said, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i leapt far ahead in this game.

Metro Exodus is a cross-generation title. We don’t run it with DLSS or raytracing enabled, but we do use the extreme preset at 1080p resolution, which lives up to its name. Even the mighty RTX 5080 doesn’t quite beat an average of 100 fps.

The story for the Scar 16 is a less extreme version of the Shadow of the Tomb Raider results. The Scar 16 is a bit behind, and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i runs ahead. Still, I wouldn’t call this a big loss for the Asus.

Now let’s check out Cyberpunk 2077, a current-generation title that is constantly updated to embrace the latest features. I ran the game at 1080p in both the Ultra preset and the ray-traced Overdrive preset. All forms of image upscaling and frame generation were disabled.

These are the kind of results I like to see, because they make my job easy. The Scar 16 once again ends up a bit behind the competition, but not so much so that it’s likely to take the Scar 16 out of contention. That’s especially true in the Overdrive preset, where the lower average framerates among all tested systems reduce the apparent gaps between them.

I also tried the Scar 16 in Overdrive mode with the DLSS Transformer Model and DLSS Frame Generation in use, with DLSS Quality selected. That boosted the Scar 16’s performance quite a bit, to an average of 63 frames per second. So, it’s entirely possible to enjoy Cyberpunk with ray tracing on the Scar 16.

Overall, the Scar 16’s performance is precisely what I expected going in. The Scar 16 is a bit less expensive than other laptops with Nvidia RTX 5080 that PC World has reviewed to date. It’s also much smaller than some, like the MSI Raider 18 HX AI, which weighs about two pounds more. Given its price and size, it’s reasonable to expect the Scar 16 would be a little slower than the alternatives, and that’s what happened.

Fortunately for Asus, the Scar 16’s performance disadvantage is not significant enough to matter in many situations, and especially in gaming. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i posted better game performance overall, but it’s also $300 more expensive, so the choice between them really comes down to your budget and preference.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Battery life, portability

Gaming laptops like the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 aren’t usually great for battery life, but there’s reason to have hope for the Scar 16. It supports Nvidia Optimus and doesn’t require a reboot between hybrid and full-GPU mode; you can just flip it on or off in the settings. Advanced Optimus is also in use by default and should automatically turn the Nvidia GPU off when it’s not required.

And yet, the Scar 16 didn’t do well in our standard battery test, which loops a 4K file of the short film Tears of Steel. It appeared that the Nvidia GPU was engaged anyway. The Intel Core Ultra 9 isn’t particularly power-efficient, which I suspect had some impact on the results.

In the real world, I found the Scar 16’s battery life to be extremely variable.

I think a good five or six hours would be possible in a light-load situation, but two to four hours is more typical. Note, too, that the scenario I’m describing is still a modest workload; I’m browsing the web with a few tabs open, editing photos, and writing in Word. Playing a game will drain the battery even more quickly. 

In any case, the Scar 16 isn’t portable, in any case, weighing over six pounds and measuring up to 1.21 inches thick. These are normal figures for a gaming laptop, but more than I want to pack day-to-day. The laptop’s large 380-watt power brick doesn’t help matters.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16: Conclusion

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is a solid 16-inch gaming laptop for shoppers looking to snag Nvidia’s mobile RTX 5080. Nvidia’s GPU performs quite well here, only slightly lagging the performance of larger 18-inch systems. It’s a similar story for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, which, though a step down from the 285Hx, is still extremely fast in any multi-core test.

Asus’ design is an advantage as well, with an attractive “AniMe Matrix” display across the laptop’s lid and decent build quality. On the downside, the laptop’s battery life wasn’t great despite the inclusion of Nvidia Optimus to switch off the GPU in some situations. I also think the placement of the physical ports, which line the sides of the laptop, is inconvenient.

Priced at $3,299.99, the Scar 16’s pricing is mid-pack among its direct competitors, though most land within a couple hundred dollars. I think the Scar’s design offers some advantages over the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 and MSI Vector 16 HX AI (like a large touchpad).

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is the Scar 16’s most difficult opponent. It has an OLED display, which I prefer, and performed a bit better overall. However, the Lenovo is $3,599.99. At MSRP, I’d probably still go with the Lenovo, but a $100 or $200 discount on the Scar 16 could push me in that direction.

Overall, the Scar 16 is a well-priced, high-end gaming laptop that delivers strong CPU and GPU performance.