ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 laptop test: bit more

 

New generation ASUS ROG Strix SCAR gaming laptops received a chassis that is already familiar. But there are changes inside and in some details. We have already tested the relatively compact 16-inch model of the previous generation. However, no one canceled the update of components, so we now got a larger version for testing – with an 18-inch screen and a 14-generation processor, Raptor Lake.

 

Table of contents

• Design and ergonomics
• Equipment and autonomy
• Impressions

 

Design and ergonomics

 

 

The exterior concept has not changed. This is a massive black case, with straight lines of edges and panels. There are designer accents here and there. The lower part of the case has backlight strips that surround the laptop from front to corner and back. Each LED can be configured individually.

 

 

In fact, using the entire rear edge for hot air exhaust is one of the big changes for this chassis since last year. Previously, several connectors were placed here, but now this place is reserved for the removal of hot air from the third cooler.

 

 

Two black lines, consisting of the Republic of Gamers logos, are located on the same level on the lid and on the keyboard panel. Decorative lines cut these planes diagonally. The lines are glossy and, with a certain play of light, appear interestingly on the matte finish.

 

 

When the lid is opened, we are greeted by a translucent panel around the keyboard and on the sides, a decorative line with ROG logos and a modernized Armor Caps mounting design near the lid hinge on the left.

 

 

Armor Caps are visible on the superstructure on the left. It also contains system operation LEDs and technical holes. The set includes two overlays – matte dark gray and translucent.

 

 

In general, the main difference from the 16-inch model which described here, There are additional space now for the number pad on the right side of the keyboard.

 

 

Two speakers are installed on the bottom of the case, there is also a varied topography of the legs and multi-level surfaces with ventilation grilles.

 

Keyboard and connectors

 

 

The general layout has been preserved. There are five additional keys on top (adjusting the sound, cooling modes and launching Armory Crate). The arrows are the same size as other keys and, being separated from the main key field, “cut” into the number pad field. Something unusual is another Print Screen key to the right of the space bar, the duplicate of which is also above the number pad. The 16-inch version did not have a block, so this rearrangement was more logical. The power button, praise to gigahertz, remains free-standing on the top right above the keyboard.

 

 

The location and number of ports on the left and right sides have not changed at all. True, Ethernet, which stuck out unsightly from the translucent plastic, is now more neatly integrated into the row of ports. On the right is a USB-A pair, everything else is not on the left side. The webcam is in the protrusion of the screen lid, which is also a more convenient way to open the lid with one hand.

 

Hardware and battery

 

An IPS matrix with Mini LED backlight measuring 18 inches diagonally is installed. The resolution is 2560×1600 (WQXGA). The matrix belongs to the ROG Nebula HDR Display class, which implies high-quality and “fast” screen components. Refresh rate – 240 Hz with 3 ms response. Two types of signal output are supported – MUX Switch and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. The latter allows you to permanently select graphics processing with a discrete video adapter, rather than automatically switching to an integrated one when powered offline.

 

Intel Core-i9 14900HX is a fresh solution, it was presented at CES in the first half of January 2024. The chip belongs to the Raptor Lake Refresh generation. It is as similar as possible to the Core i9-13980HX, which we have seen in other models , except that the frequency has been increased from 5.6 to 5.8 GHz. In general, these are the same 24 cores as the desktop Core i9. Therefore, the performance increase of the new CPU relative to last year’s is quite small. At the same time, it is important to remember that the results also depend on the efficiency of the cooling systems of the laptop in which it is installed. According to tests, the Core-i9 14900HX is inferior to AMD flagships in terms of energy efficiency, although the difference here is also insignificant.

 

 

The new ROG Strix SCAR 18 has two Samsung 16 GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM memory sticks. There are also two SSD from SK hynix with a PCIe 4.0 interface of 1 TB. Out of the box, they are combined into an array that increases the speed of write and read operations.

 

A laptop traditionally requires two proprietary applications for settings – MyASUS and Armory Crate. We see the first one in office laptops, and the second one really likes to be updated. I would really like to optimize them and, for example, separate them by device class. Leave MyASUS for office and ultrabook devices, and Armory Crate for gaming devices.

 

The installedbatteryof 90 Wh allowed the laptop to work under office load for more than two hours. This is a good indicator, although with reduced screen brightness and economical operating mode, you can get a confident three hours. It is worth remembering that there is a large display installed here; other gaming models in our tests usually had 16-inch diagonals.

 

 

Impressions

 

The ASUS ROG SCAR 18 (G834) laptop turned out to be an interesting upgrade with the next generation of processors. The video cards used so far are the same as in the latest models we tested. However, special praise goes to the RTX 4090, which allows you to practically not think about the system requirements of the games you are running.

 

Thanks to the power realized at the permitted maximum speeds, the body received a new design and layout. It also migrated to the new generation of laptops in 2024. Technically, this is a full-fledged flagship among gaming laptops, available in two screen sizes – 16 and 18 inches. A minor update of processors will most likely allow you to work more comfortably with loads designed specifically to load the processor, since the previous generation chips were enough for games.

 

A nice touch were some fixes, such as a neater wired Internet connector. Was it possible to get more connectors in the 18-inch model than in the 16? Probably yes, but besides an SD or MicroSD card reader, there is more or less enough of everything here.

 

In addition to a small power supply, the kit includes nice bonuses in the form of a branded backpack and a ROG Gladius III P514 mouse, a test of the wireless version of which is available on our website.

 

Characteristics of the laptop ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 G834 (G834JYR-R6059X)

display:	18”, 2560×1600 (16:10), 240 Hz, 3 ms
Processor:	Intel Core-i9 14900HX, 2.2 GHz (36 MB cache, up to 5.8 GHz, 24 cores, 32 threads)
Video adapter:	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, 16 GB GDDR6, 2040 MHz Boost frequency + 50 MHz, 150 +25 W Dynamic Boost
RAM:	64 GB DDR5-5600 (2×32)
Storage:	2× 1 TB SSD, SK hynix PC801 HFS001TEJ9X101N, PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 (RAID 0)
Connectors:	1× HDMI 2.1 FRL 2× USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1× USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort / power delivery / G-SYNC 1× LAN 2.5G port 1× Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort / G-SYNC 1× 3.5mm audio combo
Web camera/IR sensor/microphone/LAN:	720p/yes/yes/2.5G
Memory card reader:	no
Fingerprint sensor:	no
Communications:	Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.3, 1x 2.5G LAN
Keyboard backlight:	yes
Sound:	speakers 2×2 W
Battery:	90 Wh
Additional:	RGB backlight of the case
Operating system:	Windows 11
Dimensions:	399×294×231 mm
Weight:	3.1 kg
Supplier:	ASUS representative office in Ukraine
Price:	approximately $4600

Rating:

+ high performance

+ backlight customization

+ webcam is back in action

-no card reader

 

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