ASUS is back at it again — this time with the latest version of its ROG Strix SCAR 16 gaming laptop, a beast of a machine that packs more power and features than I’ve previously seen in a device of this size. Boasting the latest chipsets from Intel and Nvidia, this laptop can easily handle anything you throw at it. There’s a lot to cover, so get comfortable as we dive into the review of the ROG Strix SCAR 16.
Let’s get one thing clear right away, as it will likely make or break whether most people consider this system: the unit I tested is configured at a hefty price point of around $3,500 USD — or just under $5,000 CAD — with the top-spec model coming in just under $4,700 USD. That’s a significant investment for a laptop, so keep that in mind when deciding if it’s worth your hard-earned dollars.
While you don’t get much in the box beyond the laptop and a large 380W AC adapter, I do miss the days when manufacturers included extras like a mouse or a backpack — little touches that made premium pricing feel more justified. That said, ASUS has done a commendable job recently in designing its packaging to feel more refined, often delivering a more premium unboxing experience overall.
Ports/Design
As ASUS is generally quite good with, the company has incorporated a wide range of ports into its higher-end devices, making it simple to connect a variety of peripherals. While I still find myself wishing for a few additional port options, most users should have few issues here.
Looking along the left side of the ROG Strix SCAR 16, you’ll find ASUS’s proprietary charging port (I would’ve personally preferred a barrel-style plug for ease of replacement), a 2.5G Ethernet jack, HDMI 2.1, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, two Thunderbolt 5 ports (both supporting Power Delivery, DisplayPort and G-Sync), and a 3.5 mm audio combo jack.
On the right side, there are two additional USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports and extra cooling vents. I feel ASUS could’ve easily included a microSD or full-size SD card reader here, given the available space. Something I wish more manufacturers would adopt — for both maintenance and upgradability — is a tool-free method to remove the laptop’s bottom panel. On this model, a simple locking latch secures the lower cover, and once opened, it provides access to the RAM and SSD slots, as well as the fans and cooling system.
“ASUS has done an outstanding job managing thermals, keeping the system cool despite housing the latest and most powerful gaming components.”
Adding further flair and character to the laptop, we can’t forget the top lid, which not only features a lit RGB logo but also ASUS’s signature AniMe Vision lighting strip — a distinctive touch that really helps the ROG ROG Strix SCAR 16 stand out from most gaming laptops on the market. ASUS has also built in an RGB lighting strip that wraps around the edges of the bottom case. It offers some eye-catching lighting effects, which we’ll explore further later in this review.
Specs/Configuration
Now that we’ve covered the exterior design and features let’s move into the internals and specs of this powerhouse, shall we? And wow — the ROG Strix SCAR 16 is packing quite a lot for a system of its size.
Starting off, my test system runs on an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 275HX — a 2.7 GHz chip that boosts up to a mind-boggling 5.4 GHz with 24 cores and 24 threads. This comes paired with 32 GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 5600 MHz and a 2 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. Both are upgradeable, and the system supports dual SSDs, allowing you to carry an extensive library of games or software wherever you go.
When it comes time to game, the ROG Strix SCAR 16 I tested features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory, though higher-end models can be configured with the top-tier RTX 5090 for those wanting to go all out and squeeze every drop of performance from their system. We’ll dive deeper into performance shortly.
Continuing with the high-end specs, you also get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and a large 90 Wh battery — not the absolute largest you can get, but close to the legal limit for air travel.
All of this is packed into a chassis that’s just about an inch thick and not much larger than a standard 16-inch laptop. That said, it does weigh 2.65 kg (5.84 lb) without the adapter. Coming from my much slimmer and lighter HP, the weight was a bit of a shock — though I admit I’ve been spoiled by years of ultralight devices. Compared to similarly sized gaming laptops, however, this weight isn’t far off from the typical 5–6 lb range.
Display/Screen
The first thing we’ll dive into is the display on the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 — because what good is a gaming laptop if the screen doesn’t impress? ASUS has equipped the device with a 16-inch ROG Nebula Display, featuring a 2.5K (2560 x 1600) resolution that makes all content look incredibly sharp and detailed. After using it, going back to a 1080p display feels noticeably dated. This panel not only looks fantastic — thanks to its 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut — but is also exceptionally fast, boasting a 240 Hz refresh rate and a 3 ms response time.
“Blacks appeared inky, while colours consistently looked rich and true to life.”
In addition, the display on the ROG Strix SCAR 16 is Pantone Validated, meaning colours are accurate and vibrant, further enhancing immersion during gameplay or media consumption. Blacks appeared inky, while colours consistently looked rich and true to life. Viewing the screen in bright environments was better than average, thanks to the panel’s 500-nit brightness — higher than most in its class. While not as bright as my phone, it outshone my HP EliteBook’s 400-nit panel, which was already sufficient for most use cases. This is easily one of the nicest displays I’ve tested to date, and I’ll truly miss it when the time comes to return this review unit.
One minor gripe I noticed was the hinge design. While it certainly looks unique compared to most laptops, its range of motion is limited — only tilting about 20 to 30 degrees past 90. This makes certain viewing angles unavailable unless you’re using an external monitor.
Audio Quality
Speakers are something I’ve noticed can vary greatly when it comes to sound quality. Some companies will make big claims about their speakers, only for them to sound less than ideal. ASUS, on the other hand, genuinely surprised me with this ROG Strix SCAR 16.
Packing in a four-speaker system — two tweeters and two woofers — powered by Dolby Atmos, I was impressed by just how good the ROG Strix SCAR 16 sounded. Mids and highs offered a decent range of tones, and there was even a pleasantly adequate amount of bass, resulting in a full and balanced sound profile. While I wouldn’t call this the best laptop sound system I’ve ever heard, it’s certainly near — if not at — the top of my list when it comes to gaming laptops.
Battery Performance
Like the majority of gaming laptops, battery performance isn’t typically a strong suit — and unfortunately, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 follows that same path. Even with its larger 90 Wh battery, I often struggled to get more than a few hours of use out of it.
That said, I did have much of the RGB lighting enabled, which could have contributed to the battery drain. Still, I don’t anticipate significantly better battery life with the lighting disabled. On average, I managed about five to six hours per charge while performing lighter tasks — not terrible overall, but this isn’t the kind of laptop I’d rely on for long road trips, as the need to recharge frequently could become a hassle.
Keyboard/Touchpad
I’ve been very grateful not only to ASUS but to all gaming laptop manufacturers lately for gradually improving the overall keyboard feel and experience over the past few years. Where keyboards once felt unstable or overly mushy, with some even exhibiting excessive deck flex, I was pleased to see that ASUS has delivered an excellent keyboard on the ROG Strix SCAR 16.
The keys required a little extra force when typing, but the overall feel was among the best I’ve experienced on any gaming laptop. They felt well-stabilized — almost comparable to the keyboard on my HP EliteBook — and I had no trouble reaching my normal typing speed within minutes. The backlighting offers three brightness levels, ensuring visibility even in the darkest of rooms. Secondary functions on the function and number rows are also illuminated, making it easy to find the right hotkey at a glance.
For those who want a number pad, ASUS has cleverly integrated one into the touchpad via a capacitive “Num Lock” button. When activated, a virtual number pad lights up, and you can tap away as needed. While this disables the touchpad temporarily, using an external mouse or toggling the number pad off is just a press away.
Speaking of the touchpad, the ROG Strix SCAR 16’s was a pleasure to use. Covering roughly one-third of the palm rest, it’s quite large compared to what’s found on lower-end or more conventional laptops, and it provides excellent tactile feedback. Multi-touch gestures worked flawlessly, and I encountered no issues scrolling through long web pages or emails. ASUS has opted for a traditional diving-board-style touchpad — and in my experience over the years, I’ve never found this to be a problem.
Benchmark Results
While benchmarks don’t always reflect the full capabilities of a computer, I still find it interesting to compare how powerful each system I test truly is. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 was no exception — in fact, it’s easily the most powerful laptop I’ve reviewed to date.
Watching the Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 275HX chew through the Cinebench R23 test was nearly mind-blowing. It powered through with minimal effort, topping the charts and handling the benchmark as if it were something as simple as opening Notepad. It achieved an incredible score of 36,538 points — more than 15,000 points higher than the MSI Stealth A16 I reviewed recently.
“No matter what game I threw at it, the SCAR 16 performed incredibly well — and seemed to want even more.”
In the similarly demanding 3DMark benchmark, I recorded a score of 21,036 points using the Time Spy test (21,988 Graphics Score and 16,894 CPU Score). Again, this result was nearly double that of the MSI Stealth A16, underscoring just how much performance ASUS has packed into this machine.
Gaming/High Demand tasks
Now, for the moment everyone has been waiting to hear about: how well does the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 handle games? Quite simply, this laptop blows away every other machine I’ve tested to date. No matter what game I threw at it, the SCAR 16 performed incredibly well — and seemed to want even more — despite running at full resolution and maxed-out settings.
Testing Cyberpunk 2077 with everything set to ultra and at native resolution, the built-in benchmarking tool consistently showed frame rates above 120 FPS. Even after adding high-resolution texture packs to push the system further, performance barely wavered — something I’ve never experienced on any other gaming laptop.
Next, I loaded up BeamNG.drive, one of the most demanding games in my library. Even with every setting maxed out in an attempt to strain the system, the ROG Strix SCAR 16 handled it without breaking a sweat. Running the game at full speed, I easily spent hours driving around and experimenting — completely in awe of how effortlessly it kept up.
Even during extended gaming sessions, the underside of the laptop never became uncomfortably hot. ASUS has done an outstanding job managing thermals, keeping the system cool despite housing the latest and most powerful gaming components. That said, as expected, the fan noise was noticeable and leaned on the louder side. However, a good pair of noise-cancelling earbuds or headphones easily eliminates this distraction.
RGB/Lighting
True to the Strix lineup, ASUS has packed a wide range of RGB lighting options into the ROG Strix SCAR 16 this year. Starting from the bottom and working upward, the chassis features a light ring that wraps around the entire device. This not only looks great but also casts a soft glow onto the surface beneath, giving the laptop a floating or “hovering” effect.
Moving to the keyboard, it’s equipped with per-key RGB lighting. However, I wasn’t able to find a way to configure each key within ASUS Armoury Crate individually. Windows 11 also frequently interfered with my custom lighting profiles through its own “Dynamic Lighting” settings, which became frustrating when trying to use ASUS’s software.
On the back of the display, the ROG logo can be customized with a wide range of colours and patterns — a feature I’ve only seen matched by Dell’s Alienware lineup in recent years.
“True to the Strix lineup, ASUS has packed a wide range of RGB lighting options into the ROG Strix SCAR 16 this year.”
All of these lighting zones are configured via ASUS Armoury Crate, although customization options are somewhat limited. When adjusting the logo and light ring, for example, users are only given the choice of turning them on or off. Patterns for those zones are tied to the keyboard settings. I often wished I could set the underglow ring to a static colour while applying separate effects to the keyboard or logo — something I hope ASUS addresses in future software updates to offer more flexibility.
Lastly, there’s the AniMe Vision lighting strip on the back of the ROG Strix SCAR 16 — a feature I’ve only previously seen in the ASUS Zephyrus line. It’s a welcome addition, ideal for displaying a username, company logo, or one of the many ROG-branded animations available for download. It definitely helps the laptop stand out in a sea of matte black gaming machines. My only regret is not being able to enjoy the lighting effect myself unless I step away and catch a glimpse of the back of the display.
Conclusion
To wrap up my time with the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16, I have to give ASUS a lot of credit. They’ve created an absolute beast of a gaming laptop — one that runs everything I throw at it with ease and maintains truly impressive thermals while doing so. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent with the ROG Strix SCAR 16, and it won’t be easy to let it go when it’s time to send it back.
Even with its hefty price tag, I find myself wishing this were a device I could use regularly for my gaming needs. If it fits your budget, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by what the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 has to offer.
