{"id":147850,"date":"2023-04-14T20:21:18","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T18:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hwcooling.net\/?p=147850\/"},"modified":"2023-04-15T07:07:27","modified_gmt":"2023-04-15T05:07:27","slug":"rog-strix-scar-18-or-a-test-of-rtx-4090-core-i9-13980hx-combo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hwcooling.net\/en\/rog-strix-scar-18-or-a-test-of-rtx-4090-core-i9-13980hx-combo\/","title":{"rendered":"ROG Strix SCAR 18 or a test of RTX 4090\/Core i9-13980HX combo"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

Basic parameters<\/h2>\n

<\/div>
<\/th><\/th><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Parameters <\/td><\/td>Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 G834JY-NEBULA040W <\/td><\/tr>
<\/td><\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions <\/td><\/td>399 \u00d7 294 \u00d7 23,1\u201330.8 mm <\/td><\/tr>
Weight <\/td><\/td>3073 g <\/td><\/tr>
Display <\/td><\/td>18\", 16:10 QHD 2560 \u00d7 1600 px, IPS, 240 Hz, 100 % DCI-P3, matte <\/td><\/tr>
Procesor <\/td><\/td>Intel Core i9-13980HX, 24C\/32T, 55 W, 7nm <\/td><\/tr>
Graphics card <\/td><\/td>Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 16 GB GDDR6 (175 W) \/ Intel UHD 13th gen, integrated <\/td><\/tr>
Memory <\/td><\/td>32 GB DDR5 SODIMM (4800 MHz), replacable, up to 64 GB <\/td><\/tr>
Storage <\/td><\/td>2\u00d7 1 TB SSD M.2 PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe (Raid 0) <\/td><\/tr>
Ports <\/td><\/td>1\u00d7 USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 1\u00d7 USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gb\/s type C, 2\u00d7 USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gb\/s type A, 1\u00d7 HDMI 2.1, 1\u00d7 RJ-45 2.5G Ethernet, 1\u00d7 3.5mm jack <\/td><\/tr>
Battery size <\/td><\/td>90 Wh <\/td><\/tr>
Camera resolution <\/td><\/td>720p <\/td><\/tr>
Speakers <\/td><\/td>4\u00d7 <\/td><\/tr>
Approximate price <\/td><\/td>3999 EUR <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>Wordpress Table Plugin<\/a>
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Details<\/h2>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Unlike high-end models such as the GT77 Titan<\/a>, the SCAR unfortunately offers almost no accessories<\/span> 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<\/span>, there’s no Keystone and its pendant<\/a> here anymore. Apparently, this idea did not catch on well with users.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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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 <\/span> 17-inch GE77 Raider<\/span><\/a> is a hair lighter with 3049 grams. So the tax for the larger display isn’t as big as it might seem.<\/span><\/p>\n

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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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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One of the already iconic features of ROG Strix SCAR<\/span> models is the interchangeable Armor Cap<\/a>, which you can again print yourself on a 3D printer.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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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 mm\u00b2, 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. <\/span><\/p>\n

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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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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The cover can only be opened to an obtuse angle, a straight opening is not possible due to the cooling design.<\/p>\n

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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<\/span> models.<\/p>\n

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The previous model suffered from a strange anomaly and that was the absence of a webcam, at least an integrated<\/span> 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.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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The main novelty is the back side, which not only complements but also surpasses the backlighting on the front side.<\/p>\n

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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 <\/span>18 shares the same battery with its smaller sibling, the SCAR <\/span>16, and that’s part of the reason why there’s free space and lower capacity.<\/p>\n

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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 SCAR<\/span>18 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 SCAR<\/span>17 had, despite the larger display.<\/span><\/p>\n