ROG Strix SCAR 18 or a test of RTX 4090/Core i9-13980HX combo

Parameters and details

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Basic parameters

Details

What I love about ROG products is that they’re not afraid to experiment in Taiwan. This is the first time I’ve encountered a vertical orientation of the box, plus elaborate graphics on the front, but especially the back. So, in addition to wallpapers, the comics universe of ROG has already made its way onto the packaging.

Unlike high-end models such as the GT77 Titan, the SCAR unfortunately offers almost no accessories in the package, unless you count the power adapter and two interchangeable covers. I think at least a mouse in the package wouldn’t hurt, and unlike the predecessors, there’s no Keystone and its pendant here anymore. Apparently, this idea did not catch on well with users.

A big intergenerational leap can already be seen in the design, where the two previous generations of SCAR 17 G733 2021 and 2022 offered virtually identical bodies, with only slight colour modifications. The new SCAR 18, as the name suggests, brings a larger display and a completely new body. Perhaps the most radical change can be seen in the display, where the manufacturer has switched from the classic 16:9 format to a taller panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Thanks to this, it has eliminated the rather wide bottom chin that plagued its predecessors. In addition, this is the so-called Nebula display, which is a new marketing name for higher quality panels that must meet certain parameters, but more on that later.

Other significant changes have taken place “under the hood” where the latest 13th generation Intel processors and RTX 4000 series GPUs reside. While the G733 started out with AMD Ryzen 5000s and RTX 3080, last year’s refresh has already received the Intel 12th Generation and RTX 3080 Ti. Graphics performance has also increased significantly, going from 130W on the 3080, to 150W on the 3080 Ti, to the current 175W on the RTX 4090. This is, by the way, the same value we encounter with other top-notch laptop models. All of the numbers factor in Dynamic Boost as well. Total power including CPU is 230 W. All models of the new SCAR 18 offer Core i9-13980HX with 24 cores (8P + 16E). In addition to the top-of-the-line RTX 4090 with 16 GB VRAM, there is also the RTX 4080 with 12 GB and the same 175 W of power. In terms of RAM, there are two configurations with 32 or 64 GB of DDR5 at 4800 MHz. 64 GB is then also the maximum supported capacity. Storage options range from 1 to 4 TB while relying on either a single 1 TB M.2 or a pair of 1/2 TB M.2 in Raid 0. The tested configuration with the i9, 4090, 32 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD (1+1) is priced around 3800 EUR.

As I already mentioned, the design side of the laptop has undergone a significant change. The entire body has been redesigned, which now offers even more backlighting. In addition to the LED strip on the front, there is now one on the back, and the backlit logo on the display hood has been retained. The larger diagonal is reflected in the higher weight, which now stands at 3,073 grams. That’s about 300 grams more than the 17-inch predecessor had. Though for comparison, the 17-inch GE77 Raider is a hair lighter with 3049 grams. So the tax for the larger display isn’t as big as it might seem.

The design change was also reflected in the port selection, specifically in its layout. The predecessor offered ports on the back, which I personally like very much. Unfortunately, due to the new cooling and LED strip on the back, we won’t find any ports here anymore. So the manufacturer has gone back to the standard placement on the right and left side. On the left is a pair of 10 Gb USB A ports. On the right, the rest of the selection includes the power connector, 3.5mm audio jack, RJ-45 2.5 Gb Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 FRL (48 Gb) and a pair of USB-Cs. One is then a 10 Gb USB with DP and power, the other is Thunderbolt 4. The change in layout stinks for me, as the ports at the back won’t get in the way when you’re using them, which you’ll especially appreciate when using a dock. The port selection is good, but the aforementioned Raider GE77 offers more ports and also an SD card reader. So there is some room for improvement with the SCAR 18, which is why, for connectivity, I give it a grade of A-minus.

The change of the back side has already been mentioned. Now it consists only of uniform radiator fins. It looks really nice and we’ll see what cooling performance this change will provide in practice. The front side also features an LED strip much like the predecessor. The protrusion for better opening is also pleasing.

One of the already iconic features of ROG Strix SCAR models is the interchangeable Armor Cap, which you can again print yourself on a 3D printer.

It’s always interesting to see how manufacturers also puts a lot of thought into the underside, which again offers a unique design that is not only spectacular but also effective. For example, the white “O” on the right side also serves to create spacing from the desk for the holes on the sides. Again, I also commend the manufacturer for taking care to make the laptop easily accessible and serviceable.

After removing the bottom cover, you get to the components. This is where the new ROG Intelligent cooling first catches our eye. The first obvious change is the addition of the third fan to help cool the GPU. All three fans also support 0dB mode, so the laptop can operate in complete silence in certain scenarios. Another interesting feature is the dust filters on the bottom cover vents, which are meant to prevent dust from getting to the fans and motherboard.

As I mentioned before, the new feature is the copper heatsink across the entire width of the back. It features up to 414 fins with a thickness of only 0.1 mm and a total area of 195,509 mm², which is 82.5% more than on the 2022 SCAR 17. As much as 7 heatpipes are directed to the rear and side heatsinks to dissipate heat from the CPU, GPU, VRAM and VRM. Oh, and lest we forget, Asus has been using Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal for quite some time now, so disassembling and reapplying paste will no longer be necessary.

The cooling system will be tested by Turbo mode with a total output of 230 W, or even manual overclocking, where the CPU can get 10 W more to a total of 240 W. These are very good values, but it does not reach the full top of the line value of the Titan GT77 with 250 W. Unlike the Titan, however, the SCAR is a mainstream-oriented model and such near-top-end performance deserves nothing but praise.

Another interesting detail is the spacer foams around the fan, which direct air from the holes in the cover directly into the fan and prevent sideways leakage.

Let’s move on to the extension options. In the middle we see a black foil covering a pair of SO-DIMM slots. In our case, they are occupied by a pair of 16 GB DDR5-4800 modules, so there is 32 GB of RAM available. Higher configurations also offer 64 GB, or you can do the upgrade yourself.

The M.2 slots are occupied by a pair of 1 TB Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR-00B00 in RAID 0 configuration. The manufacturer doesn’t mention PCIe 5.0 support anywhere, so it’s likely that you’ll have to make do with “only” PCIe 4.0 SSDs. Also hiding under the left drive is a WiFi card, specifically the Intel WiFi AX211NGW, which also supports WiFi 6E.

The cover can only be opened to an obtuse angle, a straight opening is not possible due to the cooling design.

The keyboard offers a similar layout to its predecessor, the numeric part has been changed and is now separated. There is also Aura backlighting with a variety of effects and dedicated keys for gaming functions and shortcuts. Slightly larger is also the glass touchpad, which worked very well. The keyboard surround is made of soft plastic, which is transparent at the top, which is also a rather traditional feature of the SCAR models.

The previous model suffered from a strange anomaly and that was the absence of a webcam, at least an integrated one. In the package there was a USB camera, which you had to attach to the edge of the display and then pack up again after use. This time, the camera is already part of the top bezel, which is definitely an improvement in usability, but the toll is worse quality, as it’s only a 720p camera. The laptop unfortunately doesn’t offer any form of biometric security, which should be commonplace nowadays.

We’ve already mentioned backlighting a few times, but we’ll pause for a moment and show it in a darker environment for a better effect.

The main novelty is the back side, which not only complements but also surpasses the backlighting on the front side.

The laptop is equipped with a 90 Wh battery, which is 10% less than the legal limit for being on board an aircraft. The inside of the laptop could take a bigger battery, we can see the free space above, below and to the left. It looks like the SCAR 18 shares the same battery with its smaller sibling, the SCAR 16, and that’s part of the reason why there’s free space and lower capacity.

You get a 330W charger with a respectable weight of 1132 grams. Realistically, you’ll be carrying over 4 kg in your backpack when you travel. The alternative is charging via the USB-C connector, which is possible, but only up to 100 W. In practice, you won’t get full performance out of the laptop, but it should be enough for moving around. Full charging took just over an hour and a half, which is not bad at all. Endurance in our demanding YouTube test is surprisingly good, the SCAR18 achieved 6 and a half hours with automatic GPU selection (i.e. using the integrated graphics). This is almost 100 minutes better than the predecessor SCAR17 had, despite the larger display.

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Testing methodology

We tested the laptop at home, not in a laboratory environment. Nevertheless, the effort was made for the most accurate results. These are therefore the average of the measured values from repeated tests.

The tests include synthetic benchmarks to compare the performance of both the processor and the graphics card. We also measure storage speed, battery life, charging speed and in-game performance. The goal is to test laptops and desktops in various scenarios and get a comprehensive overview of their performance and operating characteristics.

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

>Gamut, brightness and color difference

One of the most significant new features in SCAR 18 is the new ROG Nebula display, which is the marketing name for high-quality panels that meet certain criteria set by the manufacturer. Asus is trying to simplify the choice for buyers in this way, which is commendable, but it’s highly unlikely that this standard will spread to other manufacturers. In practice, this means that the display must have a 3ms response time, a fast resolution-dependent refresh rate (4K@120+/QHD@120+/FullHD@240+) and G-Sync support. Also, the display must have high brightness, 500 nits or 11oo nits for HDR version, support MUX Switch, have accurate colors with 100% DCI-P3 or Pantone Validated and TÜV Rheinland Certified certifications. The tested configuration received the 18″ version with QHD resolution and 240 Hz refresh rate. We measured the display’s image characteristics using a Datacolor Spyder5Elite probe.

We measured 100% sRGB, 89% AdobeRGB, 100% DCI-P3 and 87% NTSC coverage, which are very good values indeed. Gamma is at 2.3 with minimal deviation, and while the 407 nits brightness doesn’t match the 500 that’s on paper, it’s still above average. The average Delta E colour deviation is also very good at 1.56.

The panel of the tested piece also offers above-standard uniformity with only minimal variations. Overall, I rate the display very positively, it is definitely among the strengths of the laptop.

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Rendering, Geekbench

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

3D/PC Mark and Unigine Heaven/Superposition

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Gaming Tests – Dedicated GPU

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Encryption, encoding

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Memory and storage tests

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Temperature and battery life

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Blender – CPU, CUDA and Optix tests

We are introducing a new type of test in which we want to show you the differences between CPU and GPU rendering and also take a closer look at thermal management, clock speeds and power draw in practice and not just maximum or average values as in previous pages.

So we compare the progress of the BMW test in the latest version of Blender, where in addition to the classic CPU and GPU rendering using CUDA, we also have the opportunity to use the new Nvidia OptiX, which takes advantage of the new hardware resources of RTX GPUs. While CUDA works with shaders, OptiX also uses RT cores and tensor cores for acceleration. This more complex integration of compute units delivers higher performance and efficiency is also at a better level. Meanwhile, application support is already quite decent and comprehensive. You can see an overview of the editors supported by the Optix API on the Nvidia website. Nvidia is serious about this interface, and for some time now has been developing, in addition to gaming drivers, “studio” drivers that are better optimized for changes in supported applications.

In the first graph, you are looking at the CPU clock speed curve over the course of the rendering. The classic CPU mode gradually drops from 4.4 to 3.6 GHz. For the combined workload in CUDA mode, we see quite large jumps. In OptiX, the clock speeds drop significantly after a short time, but in this mode the CPU is not even being used, so we need not worry about this result.

CPU Package power draw shows that CPU mode under full load can draw over 160 W, but this value drops to 140 W during the test. CUDA also reaches a similar threshold but then drops very quickly due to the short duration of the test. OptiX hovers around 30 W.

The CPU temperature chart is very important. The maximum load on the processor is reflected in temperatures around 95 °C, which is not low, but the drop in clock speeds was only slight. The combined load stays at the same level as the individual CPU test until the render is finished. The OptiX bounces around 65 degrees, which is just a side effect of the interconnected cooling with the GPU.

GPU load in CPU mode is practically minimal, on the contrary, in CUDA and OptiX you can see the full load. Note that there is only one high jump in CUDA, so the real GPU usage was only for a short while.

CPU clock speeds are of course at a minimum, as the dedicated GPU is not used. With OptiX again we see a straight line at 2400, CUDA also gets to this limit, but only for a while. The OptiX chart shows us excellent stability at high GPU clock speeds.

We see interesting differences in GPU power draw, where OptiX hovers around 125 W and CUDA has a maximum of 173 W. In CPU mode, power draw is practically zero.

Finally, a look at GPU temperatures. For the CPU, there is a visible rising line to 58°C. In OptiX, a large part of the chip is working, yet the temperature only reaches 55°C. In combined CUDA mode, the maximum was 64°C.

As always, we can see the differences between the different rendering modes in Blender. We’ll start with the slowest one, which is CPU mode. It should be noted that this is the fastest result we have measured in this mode so far. The previous king, the MSI Titan GT77, was slower by up to 31 seconds, or about a third. In CUDA mode, the SCAR is 10 seconds, or 50%, faster than the Titan, and the Titan takes the same 10 seconds more in OptiX. The SCAR 18 with the new components is really a monster.

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Performance modes

The laptop offers a choice of Turbo, Performance and Silent performance modes in the Armoury Crate app, or even manual overclocking. However, we only tested the standard modes.

All tests were done in Turbo mode, but it’s worth taking a look at the differences each mode offers. We therefore compare the performance curves under combined load using the Fire Strike 3DMark benchmark.

The CPU clock speeds during the test show that Trubo offers higher clock speeds than Performance across the board. Silent, on the other hand, experienced significant clock speed dips in certain parts of the test.

The power draw shows us the differences between the modes in even more detail. Turbo clearly has the upper hand especially in the peaks, but also in the first half it has consistently higher clock speeds. The drops in clock speeds in Silent are also reflected here in the lower power draw in the given parts of the test.

The first relative advantage of Performance is consistently lower temperatures in comparison with Turbo, which, however, is to be expected given the lower performance and clock speed. Silent, on the other hand, reaches higher temperatures than Turbo in some places, which obviously speaks of fan throttling.

What about the GPU? Again, we can see that Extreme Performance and Balanced are very similar, and even Silent doesn’t really stand out during load.

The GPU clock speeds indicate another difference between Turbo and Performance. While the former hovers around 2300 MHz, the latter reduces this value to 2000 MHz. Silent drops even lower, down to 1400 MHz.

Another difference between the modes can be seen in the GPU power draw, where Turbo reaches the limit of 175 W. Performance closely follows the 160 W limit and Silent jumps up and down, from 140 to 55 W. It will be interesting to see how throttling GPU performance will affect the overall result.

In GPU temperatures, there is only a minimal difference between Turbo and Performance. Silent also offers a significantly different temperature curve due to the fluctuations in performance.

Expectations according to the chart progression are as follows: the difference between Turbo and Balanced will be minimal, on the contrary Silent will drop maybe up to half. This was more or less confirmed by the final score. The only 2% difference between Turbo and Performance is negligible, on the other hand Silent really falls behind Performance by 74% and only reaches 57% of Turbo, so my estimations were confirmed.

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Armoury Crate

Traditionally, we can manage ROG products using the Armoury Crate app.

After an initial introduction to the features, you’ll be taken to the main page with a choice of modes and quick settings. A restart is required to change the GPU mode.

There are options for adjusting quick buttons, lighting, sound, resource monitoring or changing the GPU mode, and a sleep assistant.

One of the interesting things is definitely the Aura live wallpapers that you can download. They look really fancy, but they will use more power.

There’s also syncing with other devices, updating drivers and changing the app’s theme.

You can also manage your gaming library and set up different modes for specific titles or discover different news and benefits for ROG family members.

The app offers everything you need to control your laptop and customise it to your needs.

Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance.

Evaluation

Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 G834JY is one of the hottest candidates for laptop of the year 2023. That’s not surprising with the history of this series, and SCARs are the ones I recommend to friends and acquaintances very often. This time, however, the Taiwanese manufacturer has really outdone itself and the intergenerational leap is huge. A new design was really needed after two years, but it still takes your breath away.

The high-end Nebula display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, eliminating the wide chin on the bottom that most gaming laptops still suffer from. The cooling system has also undergone a big change, with one more fan and a new heatsink taking up the entire back. High and stable clock speeds at 230W of total power are a breeze, and the top-notch components in the form of the 13th-generation Core-i9 and the RTX 4090 literally crush the competition.

Sometimes my mind would stop and I would get afraid if the values I was seeing were right. But my sight did not deceive me. In RTX tests, the SCAR is consistently over 50% faster than the GT77 Titan with an RTX 3080 Ti, which was the „Top notch“ laptop of last year. A similar trend continued in the raster tests, where a lead of around 40% was quite common. Then came gaming, where SCAR continues to demolish the competition, again by tens of percent. Whether it is 40, 60 or even almost 100% depends on the specific title. But the raw performance of the processor is also worth paying attention to, and it doesn’t matter if it’s when encrypting, exporting video or 3D rendering. Just as fast as the processor and GPU is the internal storage, which reached up to 11 GB/s read and almost 9 GB/s write speeds.

I can also praise the 6.5 hour battery life and relatively fast charging. But it could have been better if it weren’t for the battery from the smaller SCAR 16 model. Although I would like to give the “slayer” of the GT77 Titan the same award, the SCAR 18 is unfortunately not a device without compromises. Although the elaborate cooling system ensures ultimate performance, connectivity has become a victim. It has moved again to the sides of the laptop and is not as plentiful as the competition. Biometric security is completely absent, which should have at least one representation, if not two as with the GT77 Titan.

Although I praise the return of the webcam to the standard equipment, it is not exactly the best quality piece. I would also expect a slightly greater sense of detail with the keyboard, where the competition is experimenting with mechanical switches, or a richer package would also be pretty good. SCAR 18 is nevertheless a brilliant piece, which, although it is not the ultimate solution, offers 95% of the equipment at a significantly lower price tag than the compared GT77 Titan from MSI. And it is the price that is one of the important factors for us gamers.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

Asus ROG SCAR 18 laptops are on offer in the Datacomp e-shop as well

• Contents
• Parameters and details
• Testing methodology
• Display tests
• Rendering and Geekbench
• 3D/PC Mark and Unigine Heaven/Superposition
• Gaming Tests – Dedicated GPU
• Encryption, encoding
• Memory and storage tests
• Temperature and battery life
• Blender – CPU, CUDA and Optix tests
• Performance modes
• Utility App
• Evaluation