Review Summary
Expert Rating
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is a true powerhouse in the gaming world, packing a serious punch in a striking, no-nonsense design. It’s not just heavy on performance, though — it also comes with a price tag that matches its high-end status. In this review, we’ll dive into what makes the Scar 17 a standout in the gaming arena, and where it might stumble along the way.
This device was originally reviewed by Florence George, and this article is based on his evaluation.
Here is a video review of the laptop:
Table of Contents
Design and Build Quality
The Strix Scar 17 makes a bold statement with its design. While the chassis is primarily constructed from high-quality plastic, the lid boasts an aluminium finish, lending a premium feel to the device. The overall build quality is robust, with no noticeable flex in the keyboard area or chassis.
ASUS has really embraced RGB lighting on this model. The laptop sports LED lights all around the edges, and the keyboard is fully lit up in RGB too. Even the ROG logo on the lid glows, giving it that true gaming vibe. If you’re into customisation, the Armory Crate software lets you tweak the RGB settings to your heart’s content, and you can even sync the lights with your wallpaper.
The laptop’s bottom has sturdy, grippy feet, keeping it stable during those intense gaming sessions. With a 17.3-inch screen, it’s definitely on the larger side, focusing on performance and screen space rather than portability.
Display
The Strix Scar 17’s Quad HD display impresses on multiple fronts. With a refresh rate of 240Hz and G-Sync support, it delivers incredibly smooth gameplay and eliminates screen tearing. The panel covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, making it suitable not just for gaming but also for content creation tasks that require colour accuracy.
The display is HDR compatible, further enhancing the visual experience in supported games and media. ASUS has opted for a 16:9 aspect ratio, which may be preferable for many gamers compared to the increasingly common 16:10 ratio found on some competitors.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The Strix Scar 17 features a full-size keyboard with per-key RGB lighting. The typing experience is generally good, with decent key travel and tactile feedback. However, some users might be disappointed by the lack of a mechanical keyboard, which is something that has been known to come in a laptop with such a high price tag.
The trackpad is made of glass, providing a smooth and responsive surface for navigation. It’s generously sized and works well for everyday tasks, though most gamers will likely opt for an external mouse during gameplay.
Despite its large size, the Strix Scar 17 doesn’t offer an abundance of ports. The right side is dedicated to ventilation, while the left side houses an audio combo jack and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports. The rear of the laptop features two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 2.5 Gig LAN port, and DC input for power.
Wireless connectivity is well-covered with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, ensuring fast and stable connections for online gaming and peripherals.
Performance
At the heart of the Strix Scar 17 lies AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 7945HX CPU, boasting 16 cores and 32 threads. This is paired with Nvidia’s top-tier RTX 4090 GPU, running at an impressive 175W TGP. The review unit came equipped with 32GB of DDR5 RAM, upgradable to 64GB, and a 1TB NVMe SSD with an additional slot for expansion.
In synthetic benchmarks, the Strix Scar 17 performs on par with competitors using Intel’s Core i9 HX series processors. Real-world performance is equally impressive, with the laptop handling demanding tasks like 4K video editing, heavy rendering work, and 3D modelling with ease.
Gaming performance is where this machine truly shines. In our tests, it achieved 156 FPS in Horizon Forbidden West at very high settings. The laptop consistently delivers high frame rates at ultra settings across a range of modern titles, taking full advantage of the 240Hz display.
| Geekbench 6 (single/multi) | Cinebench R23 (single/multi) | |
| ASUS Strix Scar 17 | 2561/14386 | 1681/28435 |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 | 2322/14340 | 1722/19394 |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16 | 3016/18669 | 2180/31270 |
| MSI Raider GE78HX | 2851/17904 | 2072/32149 |
| PCMark 10 | 3D Mark Time Spy | 3D Mark Fire Strike | |
| ASUS Strix Scar 17 | 9084 | 19133 | 38332 |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 | 8295 | 16186 | 29710 |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16 | 9047 | 19146 | 33825 |
| MSI Raider GE78HX | 7899 | 21228 | 34474 |
The powerful components in this laptop do produce a fair bit of heat, and the thermal management system really has its work cut out to keep things cool. During gaming sessions in a room at around 27°C, the CPU temperature can climb up to about 95°C and stay there. The GPU handles the heat a bit better, usually staying around or below 80°C.
Though these temperatures are on the higher side, it’s good to know that the laptop doesn’t experience thermal throttling, so it keeps up its performance even under heavy use. However, even with the cooling system, the laptop can run pretty hot during intense tasks.
Software and Features
As mentioned before, ASUS includes its Armory Crate software, which serves as a central hub for system controls. Here, users can adjust performance modes, customize RGB lighting, and toggle the MUX switch. The MUX switch allows users to disable the discrete GPU to save power when high performance isn’t needed.
The My ASUS application gives you extra system controls, though it’s worth noting that, unlike some other ASUS laptops, the speaker customization options are a bit limited on this model.
Speaking of which, the speakers on the Strix Scar 17 are a bit underwhelming, especially for a laptop in this price range. The sound quality isn’t great, and without equalizer options in the My Asus software, users have limited ability to fine-tune the audio to their liking.
The webcam is a basic 720p unit that gets the job done but doesn’t stand out. It struggles with motion blur and delivers fairly average image quality. For a high-end laptop, a higher resolution webcam would have been a nice touch.
Battery Life
The Strix Scar 17 is equipped with a 90Wh battery, which is sizable for a gaming laptop. However, given the power-hungry components, battery life is predictably short. In our PCMark 10 test at 80 percent screen brightness in eco mode, the laptop lasted just 2 hours and 19 minutes.
The power adapter is a hefty 1.1kg unit, reflecting the high power requirements of the system. While this adds to the overall weight when travelling, it’s necessary to support the laptop’s performance capabilities.
Verdict
With a price tag north of Rs 3 lakhs, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 is unquestionably a premium product. It competes directly with other top-tier gaming laptops, including those featuring Intel’s latest HX series processors.
Its combination of a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 processor, top-tier Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, and a high-refresh-rate Quad HD display makes it a dream machine for serious gamers and content creators alike.
The laptop’s strengths lie in its raw performance, excellent display, and robust build quality. The extensive RGB lighting and customisation options will appeal to those who enjoy a flashy gaming aesthetic.
However, it’s not without its drawbacks. The high operating temperatures, average speakers, and basic webcam are areas where improvements could be made. The short battery life, while expected for a laptop of this calibre, limits its portability.
In the end, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is definitely one of the top gaming laptops you can get. If you’ve got the budget and want a gaming experience without any compromises, it’s a strong choice. That said, potential buyers should think about what they really need, especially if portability is important to them.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Pros:
- Powerful gaming performance
- High-refresh-rate Quad HD display
- Customizable RGB lighting
- Solid build quality
Cons:
- High operating temperatures
- Average speakers
- Basic 720p webcam