ROG Strix SCAR 16 and 18 (2025) Review: A Gamer's Dream with No Compromises

ASUS has once again thrown down the gauntlet with its latest ROG Strix SCAR 16 and ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) models. These laptops are not just an upgrade; they are a statement, packing the absolute latest and most powerful hardware into a sleek, gamer-centric design. If you're a gamer who demands the best and wants a machine that will chew through any AAA title you throw at it, then listen up, because the new SCARs are here, and they are glorious.

A Display That Will Blow You Away

Both the ROG Strix SCAR 16 and 18 come equipped with a stunning 16-inch and 18-inch 2.5K Nebula HDR Display, respectively. You're getting a Mini LED screen with over 2,000 dimming zones. This translates to incredibly deep blacks and bright, vibrant colors, making your games look more realistic than ever before. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you more vertical screen real estate, which is great for both gaming and productivity.

For gamers, the most important specs are the refresh rate and response time, and the new SCARs do not disappoint. With a blistering 240Hz refresh rate and a 3ms response time, you can expect silky-smooth gameplay with no motion blur. This is a huge advantage in fast-paced competitive games where every millisecond counts. The display also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, so you'll be seeing colors exactly as the game developers intended.

Under the Hood: Pure, Unadulterated Power

Now, let's talk about what makes these beasts tick. Both the ROG Strix SCAR 16 and 18 can be configured with up to an Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 275HX processor up to an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5090 Laptop GPU with a whopping 175W max TGP. For storage, you’re getting up to 64GB DDR5 and 4TB of PCIe 4.0 SSDs in RAID 0. In short, this is an absolute beast of a laptop, complete with easy maintenance with a tool-less design to access the innards.

A quick disclaimer first: our sample of the ROG Strix SCAR 16 is not exactly the same as what you get in Malaysia. It packs a GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, which you can only get in a ROG Strix SCAR 18 here. In any case, the ROG Strix SCAR 16 doled out an average of 222FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 with RT Ultra, DLSS at Balanced and MFG 4x. The next step up with the ROG Strix SCAR 18 ft. GeForce RTX 5090, we got an average framerate of 247FPS. Meanwhile in Black Myth: Wukong, the ROG Strix SCAR 16 easily dished out an average of 88FPS at the Cinematic preset with Full Raytracing, DLSS Balanced and Frame Gen enabled, while the larger, beefier ROG Strix SCAR 18 pushed out 101FPS on average.

Staying Cool Under Pressure

Packing so much power into a laptop chassis is a recipe for a hot mess, but ASUS has gone to great lengths to ensure the new SCARs can handle the heat. They've implemented a sophisticated cooling system that includes an end-to-end vapor chamber, a sandwiched heatsink, Tri-Fan Technology, and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on both the CPU and GPU. Even during extended gaming sessions, both the CPU and GPU run comfortably at around 80~85°C without any sign of thermal throttling.

A Design That Screams "Gamer"

The new Strix SCARs are not afraid to show off their gaming heritage. The design is inspired by automotive racing, with smooth lines and aggressive angles. The SCAR 18 features a full-surround RGB light bar and a customizable AniMe Vision display on the lid, allowing you to personalize your laptop with your own animations and logos.

The keyboard is a full-size, per-key RGB affair with dedicated media controls and customizable hotkeys. It also features ROG's Overstroke technology, which provides a satisfying and responsive typing experience. As visible, the ROG Strix SCAR 16 gets a NumberPad fitted in its sizeable touchpad, while the ROG Strix SCAR 18 gets a physical numpad, perfect for the GTA5 gamers.

Future-Proof Connectivity

To round things out, the new Strix SCARs come with all the latest connectivity options you could ask for. They support the new Wi-Fi 7 standard, which will provide you with the fastest and most stable wireless connection possible. They also have a 2.5G ethernet port for those who prefer a wired connection.

But the most exciting addition is the inclusion of dual Thunderbolt™ 5 ports. This new standard offers twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4, opening up a world of possibilities for connecting high-resolution displays, external GPUs, and other high-performance peripherals. In addition to the Thunderbolt ports, you also get two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and an audio jack, so you'll have no trouble connecting all your gear.

The Verdict

The ROG Strix SCAR 16 and 18 (2025) are, without a doubt, two of the most powerful and feature-packed gaming laptops on the market. They offer a no-compromise experience for gamers who demand the absolute best. With their stunning displays, top-of-the-line performance, advanced cooling, and future-proof connectivity, these laptops are built to dominate the gaming landscape for years to come. If you have the budget and the desire for a truly top-tier gaming experience, then the new Strix SCARs should be at the very top of your list.

Now, let’s talk pricing. The ROG Strix SCAR 16 comes in at a whopping RM21,999, while the ROG Strix SCAR 18 starts from RM16,999 for the GeForce RTX 5080 specification, while the top-of-the-line specification with 64GB RAM, 4TB of storage and GeForce RTX 5090 comes in at RM23,999. They definitely don’t come cheap, but for a flagship desktop replacement that’s on the absolute cutting-edge in terms of design, cooling and hardware, I would say that these are definitely worth the money ASUS Malaysia is asking for.