The ROG Strix SCAR 18 G835 is ASUS’s flagship gaming laptop. Sporting the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 290HZ Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 64 GB of DDR5 RAM and 4 TB of PCIe Gen4 storage, ASUS has packed the SCAR 18 with some impressive hardware. Throw in a beautiful and new 18-inch 4K 240Hz mini-LED display and ROG’s iconic AniMe Vision, and you might just have the making of a new King of gaming laptops.
Having first reviewed the ROG Strix SCAR 18 last year, I was curious to see how ASUS would take this already incredibly powerful gaming laptop and dial it up a notch. On the surface, many of the design elements that make the SCAR 18 unique are present and accounted for in this latest iteration. As a bona fide desktop replacement, the Strix SCAR 18 is anything but small. Measuring 15.71″ x 11.73″ x 0.93″ ~ 1.38″, it is almost identical in size to last year’s model but weighs an additional 0.94 lbs. While this is, once again, a hefty laptop for any laptop bag, its sheer power (more on that in a moment), full-size RGB keyboard and large trackpad help justify its overall size.
Back is the AniMe Vision display first introduced in the Zephyrus. This LED cover display looks as sharp as ever, and thanks to Armoury Crate, is fully customizable. Along with the RGB-illuminated ROG logo, which is also present, the Strix SCAR 18 stands out in the crowd of top-tier gaming laptops, offering a unique and sleek design. Speaking of lighting, the iconic ROG RGB underlighting system is on full display once again this year. Along with the per-key RGB system, ROG’s Strix SCAR series has some of the most fun and customizable lighting on the market. If you’re looking for RGB customization, you will find it on full display with the SCAR 18.
ROG has also brought back the tool-free upgrade bottom panel that provides easy access to both RAM and SSD slots. The tool-free panel is a design feature present on last year’s model that I am excited to see returning this year, and one that I would like more laptop makers to adopt. Also back is the impressive lineup of I/O from last year’s model. The standout elements here are the 2x Thunderbolt 5 ports, 2.5G LAN port, and HDMI 2.1 FRL ports providing the absolute fastest transfer and network speeds available. The note here is that, from data storage to external monitor support, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 is built to be your primary gaming and content-creating rig.
While most of what I’ve mentioned is carryover from the 2025 model, ROG has made some notable updates to its flagship gaming laptop. The first and most evident upon inspection is the new and first 18-inch 4K 240Hz Mini LED display. While the inclusion of a Mini LED display was a bit of a surprise over OLED last year, ROG has truly refined the visual experience on this latest Mini-LED panel, and I’m seriously impressed.
“If last year’s Strix SCAR 18 was a classic American muscle car, the 2026 Strix SCAR 18 is more akin to an exotic sports car.”
While many of the technologies present in last year’s Mini-LED panel are present in this iteration of the Strix SCAR 18, ROG dialed in the panel’s details. Most notable is the improved peak nit brightness, bumping up from 1,200 to 1,600. Second is the bump from 2.5K to 4K resolution (3840×2400, 16:10), which showcases the Nebula ELAMB in all its glory.
Designed to provide enhanced motion clarity during fast-paced gaming such as competitive FPS play, the ROG Nebula ELAMB offers a distinct take on the ELAMB technology. The key difference with ROG’s iteration of the tech is that instead of strobing the entire panel at once, it leverages a 40-zone grid, ensuring that the specific part of the display turns off exactly when the pixel changes colour. The result is a sharper image even during fast-paced motion. With support for variable refresh rate, the resulting image is always clear even in the most frantic moments.
Colours, likewise, are rich and crisp, and the combination of the 2,000 dimming zones and 240Hz refresh means that blurred images are non-existent. This is of special interest to competitive gamers who are always pushing for the clearest and most detailed display. The display’s AGLR technology enhances the experience further by eliminating almost all reflections and glare. It is impressive to see how far ROG has taken its Mini LED panel technology in a single year.
Shifting to what’s under the hood, this latest iteration of the Strix SCAR 18 feels like a refinement of what has come before. In my review of the 2025 model, I noted that it felt like the modern muscle car of gaming laptops, focusing on maximizing sheer horsepower. While this year’s model sports similar hardware with some small upgrades to the processor specifically, it’s the refinement of the laptop that is most impressive.
If last year’s Strix SCAR 18 was a classic American muscle car, the 2026 Strix SCAR 18 is more akin to an exotic sports car—working to squeeze out every ounce of power while maximizing efficiency. Starting with the processor, ROG has swapped out last year’s Core Ultra 9 275HX for the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX. While there are similarities between the two, most notably the same 24-core (16 E-cores and 8 P-cores) count, the 290HX pushes a higher max turbo frequency of 5.5 GHz, surpassing the 275HX’s 5.4 GHz max turbo frequency.
To complement the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX is the GeForce RTX 5090 24GB. Like its predecessor, this iteration of the Strix SCAR 18 is a powerhouse for gaming and content creation. On the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, the 2026 Strix SCAR 18 performed incredibly well, holding just under 60 FPS with full ray tracing at 4K. At 1440p, it pulled ahead of every gaming laptop I’ve tested in the past year, including the Razer Blade 18, Lenovo Legion 9i and Acer Predator Helios 18 AI.
Power delivery has seen a boost as well, with a new 450W AC adapter delivering more power than in previous years. As for battery life, the SCAR 18 comes with a 90Wh 4S1P 4-cell Li-ion that, in testing, provided about 4 hours of run time with full RGB and AniMe Vision. These numbers aren’t surprising considering the hardware packed into this laptop. It’s an impressive piece of hardware that provides a top-tier gaming laptop experience. The inclusion of 64GB of DDR5-6400 RAM and 4TB of storage (upgradable to 8TB total) adds to the overall value. When all brought together, the Strix SCAR 18 provides an impressive hardware lineup for gamers looking for a top-tier gaming laptop.
“There is no doubt that the new Strix SCAR 18 is a powerhouse. When compared to last year’s model, there are some distinct areas of improvement. “
Cooling for the Strix SCAR 18 does leverage the ROG Intelligent Cooling first introduced last year. However, this version has seen some fine-tuning and refinement. All the exhaust fans have been moved to the back of the unit, with the bottom and side panels taking care of air intake. The result is a system that keeps heat away from the keyboard. The Tri-Fan technology used in the 2025 iteration is back as well, but with a refined design that pushes more air through the system.
One area of note with cooling that was most appreciated is that airflow is now directed through the keyboard deck, providing a consistently cooler surface for your fingers and palms to rest while gaming. Additionally, ROG has upgraded the vapour chamber, increasing its thickness by 20%, resulting in a more efficient cooling system overall. As for noise levels, even when running in turbo mode, the Strix SCAR 18 remains one of the quietest high-end gaming laptops I’ve tested.
There is no doubt that the new Strix SCAR 18 is a powerhouse. When compared to last year’s model, there are some distinct areas of improvement. The new 4K Mini LED display is absolutely gorgeous, while there are some notable performance boosts in gaming. It offers refinements to cooling and is the all-around best version of the Strix SCAR 18 to date. The concern, though, is the price. At $8,499.99 CAD, it is one of the more expensive gaming laptops on the market. While the performance over even the above-mentioned models is notable, the price point easily puts the latest version of the Strix SCAR 18 into the realm of diminishing returns.
From performance to cooling to design, I love everything about the Strix SCAR 18. This is one of the best desktop replacements on the market, and if that is your aim, you’ll hit the mark. However, at its hefty price point, it is, unfortunately, accessible to only a very small part of the market. It’s an incredible laptop, but starting at $4,299 (roughly $6,000 CAD) comes at a steep price.
