Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review: Exceeding expectations where it matters the most

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Asus recently added several new gaming laptops to its ROG family tree. These included new additions to the company's Strix Scar and Zephyrus series. However, our focus today is on the new Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, a mobile powerhouse backed by a flagship spec sheet.

 

Our model of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) arrived with a power 13th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, an Nvidia RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, and 32GB of DDR5 RAM. While the ROG Nebula Display pushes out the visuals.

 
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

PROS

  • Superb Gaming Performamce
  • Vibrant Mini-LED Display
  • Optimal Cooling
  • Comfortable, Tactile Keyboard
  • Excellent for Content Creators
  • Fairly Priced

CONS

  • Plastic Build
  • Muffled Audio
  • Chunky Design

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Pricing India

Now, before we dive into the details, let's take a brief look at pricing. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) features a starting price of Rs 2,79,990, while our model (ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) G634JZ-NM057WS) with the Mini-LED display came in at Rs 2,84,990.

Design & Build

The design of the new 16-inch Strix Scar is pretty much the same as last year's Scar 15 model. It features a light bar on the front and one at the back. The aluminium lid also has an RGB ROG logo on the top and smaller ROG logos emblazoned across its entire length.

There are exhaust vents on the back and sides of the laptop. The Scar 16 also has a replaceable back plate in case you want to switch things up. The notebook also features a chunky build weighing 2.5kg and measuring over 22mm thick, although with the extra heft comes more room for cooling so that may not be such a bad thing.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

Unlike some laptops, the Strix Scar 16 (2023) isn't trying to mask its gamer aesthetics. From the moment you switch it on, there's no hiding the Scar's gaming DNA. Additionally, the overall build quality is mostly plastic here but the laptop by no means feels cheap, it actually feels quite solid.

Ports & Webcam

In terms of connectivity, the ROG Strix Scar 16 features a two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A ports on the right with everything else sitting on the left. These include - a USB Type-C port that supports PD up to 100W, a second USB Type-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support, a combo audio jack, an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ-45 jack, and a power input port.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

For wireless connectivity, there's Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support. The new ROG Strix Scar 16 also has a sub-par 720p webcam, although it is better than not having one at all. The assortment on I/O on the Strix Scar 16 (2023) is strictly average considering the size of this laptop.

Keyboard

The Strix's chiclet-style keyboard comes with per-key RGB backlighting that is fully customisable through the Armoury Crate app. I'm not a big fan of the Numpad, so the fact that Asus has left it out doesn't really bother me. However, there are some utile dedicated media buttons on the right and top of the keyboard. The keyboard itself also was solid for both gaming and typing with the keys offering a good amount of travel. Additionally, there was adequate spacing between the keys to offer a comfortable typing experience.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

The Strix Scar 16 (2023) also gets a glass touchpad that was convenient to use in part thanks to its smooth surface. The touch response was quite good while there were no issues with palm rejection. The Strix Scar 16's touchpad also features an LED Numpad and Windows 11 gesture support. The keyboard on the ROG Strix Scar 16 is excellent for both gaming and working, while the touchpad is reliable for navigation in the absence of a mouse but wasn't a priority while using the Scar 16.

Display

To match the new ROG Strix Scar's powerful spec sheet is one of the most impressive screens we've seen on a gaming laptop to date. The Scar 16 (2023) opts for a 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600, WQXGA) Mini LED Nebula HDR display. The panel boasts a 240Hz refresh rate and a 3ms response time.

The screen boasts a highly impressive peak brightness of 1,100 nits, which is extremely high for a gaming laptop. The Pantone Validated panel also support 100 percent DCI-P3 colour coverage and Dolby Vision HDR, making it ideal for both consuming and creating content.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

Apart from the high refresh rate and low response time, you also get Nvidia's G-Sync support to prevent stuttering and frame tearing. The display here also TUV Rheinland certification, making it flicker-free and low blue light compliant and is DisplayHDR1000 certified to deliver enhance contrast performance.

Performance

When it comes to performance, the ROG Strix Scar 16 doesn't hold anything back. The notebook is equipped with an Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU (175W), although you can opt for the RTX 4090 as well. Our model (G634JZ-NM057WS) also came with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of PICE Gen 4 SSD storage.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

Moreover, the notebook also features Nvidia's Advance Optimus, which lets you to automatically route frames from the discrete GPU directly to the display using a MUX switch. This is touted to improve in-game performance by 5 to 10 percent with a flick of a switch. All the games we tested was using the MUX switch in the GPU-only mode.

We ran games on the ROG Strix Scar 16 for the better part of four hours, running titles like Battlefield V, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Forza Horizon 5. However, the Scar 16 didn't disappoint, delivering excellent sustained performance and extremely high frame rates, in part due to the laptops excellent cooling system, which complements the heavy-duty specs.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

We also tested some benchmarks on the Scar 16 starting with Geekbench 6, where we saw a single-core score of 2,851 points and a multi-core score of 16,801 points. In Cinebench R23's test, the laptop managed a single-core score of 2,201 points and a multi-core score of 28,650.

The Cinebecnh stress test yielded 2,133 points in the single-core test and 26,531 points in the multi-core test. We also tested the RTX 4080 in Geekbench's OpenCL test, getting a score of 77,012 points. In 3D Mark Time Spy Extreme, the graphics card scored 10,023 points. The benchmarks here clearly speak for themselves.

Three fans sit under the hood of the ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023), cooling both the CPU and GPU. Additionally, liquid metal paste is also applied on both CPU and GPU. The laptop also has several vents and heat pipes to adequately dissipate heat.

This results in almost no thermal throttling and moves all the heat away from the keyboard and palm rest areas. The drawback of this cooling system is that the fans tend to get extremely loud, drowning out the audio. Overall, the ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) does an excellent job delivering peak sustained performance.

Audio

For audio, the Strix Scar 16 relies on quad speakers with Smart Amp technology and Dolby Atmos support. The speakers produce well-rounded audio with good bass but are not nearly as loud as past Strix Scar models. Volume levels are on the lower side and the noisy fans can drown out the audio, making external audio a necessity on the new Scar 16.

Battery Life

The new Stix Scar 16 (2023) packs a massive 90Whr battery and comes with a 330W charging adapter. It also supports up to 100W power delivery through the USB Type-C port. In our YouTube test, the battery life on the Strix Scar 16 lasted little over five and a half hours. This was with screen brightness at 50%, which was on the high side for a gaming laptop, and speaker volume at 60 percent.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

The Advanced Optimus also switches between the integrated and dedicated GPU to deliver better battery life. But we found permanently switching to the iGPU helps you squeeze out an hour to 90 minutes more. I'd put battery estimates here to around seven to eight hours on the Strix Scar 16 (2023), which is quite impressive for a gaming laptop.

Verdict

So should you buy the ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023)? Let's examine both the why and why not, starting with the why! The ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) sits a level below Asus' Zephyrus line-up but delivers performance of the highest level. I'm not just talking excellent performance but excellent sustained performance. Then you've got a solid assortment of I/O, a gaming-oriented design, the latest connectivity, and superb cooling.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) Review

Add one of the best displays on a gaming laptop and the almost all-day battery life and you've got yourself a mobile gaming powerhouse that doesn't shy away from content creation or entertainment consumption. However, there are a few downsides to the new Scar 16, one of them being the plastic build and muffled audio.

While the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) does carry a hefty price tag, it does seem like it's on the affordable side of the spectrum for an RTX 4080 machine. And considering Asus is offering enthusiast gaming performance and easily one of the best displays I've seen on a gaming laptop, I'd give the Strix Scar 16 (2023) an easy recommendation for those looking for this level of performance.

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