We’re getting some exciting announcements from CES 2024, including some new additions to ASUS’s ROG Strix SCAR line-up coming in Q1 2024.
The SCAR laptops sit between the G line and Zephyrus line in terms of price and performance. The 2023 models were impressive, although a bit costly. This year’s SCAR 16 and 18 seem to be continuing that trend, coming at $3999 for maxed-out specs.
Here’s a look at the specs you get for that price.
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CES 2024: ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16/18 specs & features
The SCAR 16 and 18 each have two variants and share a lot of similarities with previous generations of the SCAR line, but with some key improvements.
The maxed-out configuration comes with a 14th Gen Intel Core i9 14900HX processor, 64GB of DDR5 5600MHz memory, 4TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics.
Both the 16-inch and 18-inch models have ROG’s Nebula HDR mini LED display, although this is the first time we’re seeing it on an 18-inch. Both models have a 16:10 aspect ratio, 3ms response time, 240Hz refresh rate, and NVIDIA G-Sync support.
The 2024 Strix SCAR laptops got a facelift with an all-new chassis design. It retains the sleek cyberpunk look we’d expect from an ROG laptop, though. You still get the RGB lighting around the front and rear edges of the chassis with new accent designs on the back and keyboard. The 2024 models also have slightly thinner bezels with a 90% screen-to-body ratio.
All models have a 90Wh battery, so we can expect them to have similar battery life to last year’s SCAR line-up. Unfortunately, the relatively low battery life on the 2023 Strix 18 was one of the few drawbacks in our tests, but hopefully improved cooling and fast charging will help this year’s SCAR laptops overcome that.
If you have a 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 16 or 18, these new models are not a significant bump in power or performance. However, if you do have an older model in this line or you’re looking for a new mid-range gaming laptop, either of these might be worth considering.
The big drawback that’s standing out to me, though, is the price. Last year’s SCAR laptops were quite pricey, as well. Last year’s 18-inch Strix SCAR came in at $3,699 and this year’s model is $300 more at $3,999.
So, it’s definitely geared more toward the premium price bracket, despite the SCAR and G line-ups usually being marketed to mid-range buyers. Still, if you can afford it, the specs on the 2024 SCAR 16 and 18 are impressive and you’ll certainly get better performance than ROG’s more budget-range models.
