ROG Strix Scar II: one of the best gaming laptops from Asus

Presentation

Everything that makes up this new model in the ROG range has been designed for the player. Its screen, first of all, which has fine edges and a refresh rate of 144 hertz. Its chassis too, which is only 2.6 cm - which is not much for a gaming model. And finally its power, this PC can embark a GTX 1070 in its best configuration.

An explosive cocktail, which could explode in flight, if the heat and noise were not well managed. However, Asus perfectly masters its partition and offers with the Scar II the best PC for players in its range for a very long time. Indeed, this computer is true to its promise and does not carry any major unacceptable defects. A success.

Note that the configuration tested here will be sold from mid-July at a price of € 2,499, but that prices start at € 1,999. Which remains quite expensive, despite the obvious qualities of the product.

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Construction

Asus keeps its design logic and we find the usual lines of the ROG range. However, there are some efforts, especially at the rear cover in brushed aluminum and with a bright logo - which will displease fans of sobriety.

If the keyboard part is equipped with a military print with "questionable" rendering, it is however the only false visual note of the machine, which perfectly combines sober lines and LEDs specific to gaming computers. A global success, therefore.

Regarding the connectivity, the Scar II is very complete. It thus offers a USB type-C port, three USB 3.1 ports, a mini-DisplayPort port, an HDMI 2.0 port, an RJ 45 and an SD card reader, with of course the eternal 3.5 mm mini-jack. A complete and practical connection for the user.

The chiclet keyboard is of good quality, with a long stroke and slightly curved and pleasant keys under the fingers. It should be noted that Asus equips its PC with its in-house Aura software, which can manage the RGB backlight, which is practical but which unfortunately lacks customization options. Rather rare to be reported on a gaming computer, the trackpad is successful and responds correctly when navigating, while being well integrated into the chassis.

Asus has apparently found the right cooling formula for its Scar II. After our usual test protocol (Metro Last Light benchmark for one hour), it did not exceed 46 ° C on the hottest point (at the bottom of the screen), where the air is expelled by a grid located above the keyboard. A very honorable score for a computer of this type and which is obviously to the detriment of noise, since it gives off 48 dB when it is running at full speed; which is still very correct. Diffuse noise, audible and not very annoying, which is just under the average of other gaming laptops on the market equipped with a GTX 1070.

Consumption is also in the current average. On the Windows desktop, the Scar II consumes 43 watts. This consumption goes to 207 watts in game and to 0 watt when the PC is in standby.

Ultimately, the Scar II is a beautiful PC, well mastered in terms of engineering. It has no major faults and allows itself the luxury of staying cool when the graphics card is heavily used.

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Screen

The Strix Scar II is equipped with a 15.6-inch IPS panel with a definition of 1,920 x 1,080 px and a refresh rate of 144 hertz. The screen / facade ratio is 76.11%, which seems little considering the thin edges (7 mm). Nevertheless, it is the lower edge (42 mm) which brings down the average, which allows Asus to place the front webcam there. But the "borderless" effect is visually there.

Once passed under the lens of our probe, the Scar II slab reveals very positive results. The contrast is thus very good (1110: 1) and allows a good vision of the shades of gray, always very practical in game. The temperature of the screen reaches 6 365 K and practically stalls on the standard (6500 K). Likewise, the Delta E average is excellent, reaching 2.9. The greens and blues are slightly distorted, but nothing alarming. The brightness reaches 300 cd / m², which is still very good for a matte panel.

The screen adopts a refresh rate of 144 hertz and an excellent remanence of 5 ms. Ultimately, the Scar II presents a very good screen, undoubtedly one of the best on the PC gaming market. A success.

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Performances

The Strix Scar II is equipped with an 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750H processor supported by 16 GB of RAM. With such a data sheet, the Asus computer ranks among the most powerful laptops on the market. This is confirmed after his visit to the lab.

After our tests (3D calculation, audio and video conversion, file compression, photo editing…), the Scar II reaches the index of 156, which places it just above the Strix GL 702Z equipped with a Ryzen 7 and just below MSI's GT75 Titan, equipped with a Core i9. Its great power therefore makes it possible to easily run software very greedy in computation.

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Games

The ROG Strix Scar II has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB) graphics card which is not afraid of the big games of the moment displayed in "ultra" mode. And the tests confirm it.

During our test protocol (ultra settings, vertical synchronization disabled, definition in 1920 x 1080 px), the Scar II delivered excellent results. The Witcher 3 averaged 76 fps, Assassin's Creed Origins 58 fps and Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Civilization VI 84 fps. Metro Last Light, a relatively old game, runs at 182 fps. Very good averages which show that the Scar II is what it claims to be: an efficient and uncompromising gaming PC.

In terms of pure gaming power, the Strix Scar II reaches the index of 141 (measured on 3DMark), far ahead of the 1070 MaxQ of the Gigabyte Aero 15X, for example.

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Mobility / Autonomy

With its 15.6-inch screen, the Scar II remains relatively transportable for a gaming laptop. However, its 2.6 kg (without power) is still felt in a bag.

But it is autonomy that constitutes the real Achilles heel of the computer. During our usual protocol (Netflix in Chrome, brightness set to 200 cd / m², backlight off), the Scar II lasted 2:17 before switching off. Curiously, the screen is in 144 hertz and it is impossible to pass it to 60 hertz to gain autonomy. A software block which penalizes the PC on this precise point. Too bad, but not crippling for a gaming laptop.

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Audio

The Scar II offers speakers placed under the chassis on the sides. They deliver a weak sound, with high distortion. Likewise, the not very generous bass does not allow to listen to music in good conditions. The midrange and treble are on the contrary well present on the restored spectrum, which allows a good identification of the timbres of voice. We can also note a well managed stereo.

The headphone jack has delivered halftone results. Indeed, the Scar II would have benefited from having a slightly lower crosstalk as well as a little more power on this side.

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Conclusion

The Strix Scar II keeps all its promises. With its chassis that efficiently manages heat, its excellent screen and its optimal performance, it is simply one of the best 15 inch gaming devices on the market. If we regret a somewhat fair autonomy and a design that will divide, these faults do not weigh heavy a balance full of qualities.

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