Asus has shown that it is ready to go after the competitive gaming market. The G17 and G15 ROG Strix is evidence that the latest versions are suitable for high-end gamers. Asides from being more solid than the preceding model, the G15 comes with the RTX-3000 Nvidia series graphics chip. A chip that is difficult to find on desktops.
The ROG Strix G15 is a gaming monster as it has some features. It has stunning visuals and speedy screens. This is because of the amount of power it possesses and the 300Hz Full-HD display or the 165Hz WQHD panel.
The Strix Scar 15 is more solid than the Scar 17, and it has an easy-to-use keyboard while maintaining other specs, IO, and construction lines with the Scar 17.
The Scar 15 has enough power under its solid build, as it efficiently executes modern games. It has a great battery, a great screen, and it handles noise and cooling so well.
Design
The Asus ROG Scar boasts of a more solid build than its predecessors. This is easily noticed through the small bezels around the display. The big chin beneath the PC pushes the display upwards; it also has a hump at the back that hides the thermal and partly the IO.
The 15 inch model is similar to the 17 in construction and design. The chassis is sturdy, as well as the lid. The exterior is made from matte metal, while the interior is made from smooth plastic. There is a light bar on the sides and front, with its RGB lighting.
However, the screen can only go back as much as 140-degrees. The camera doesn’t have a camera and biometrics, but it keeps the keystone on edge at the right side.
Display
There are varying options for the display in the Scar 15. All screen options are 15.6-inches and a 16:9 screen ratio. It is also not touch-enabled. If you need a touch screen you can trade your laptop for one that you like on.
The options include; a 300Hz FHD screen with an sRGB colour measuring 100% and a peak brightness of over 300 nits; a 300Hz FHD screen with an sRGB colour measuring 100% and a peak brightness of over 300 nights; a 165Hz QHD screen with a DCI-P3 colour measuring 100% and a peak brightness of 400 nits.
The refresh rate is excellent for games and outstanding colour balance. The display is great for daily use; it is efficient and affordable than the previous 4K options on 15-inch PCs.
Performance
The Scar 15 comes with the Ryzen-9 5900HX CPU from AMD. DDR4 memory of 32GB with options reaching 64GB. It has a 2TB RAID SSD storage, the RTX-3080 GPU from Nvidia and 16GB of video RAM. It also has Vega iGPU from AMD integrated into the AMD CPU.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The Scar Strix 15 keyboard is the same as that of the Scar Strix 17. The switch is optical-mechanical, and the touchpad is larger than the predecessors’. It has a NumLock functionality that is baked-in, as there is no NumPad section on the 15-inch model, unlike the 17-inch model.
The keyboard has a standard layout for Asus laptops, but a weird right side. The arrows are placed beside the left Shift-Key, and that might be worrisome for active users of the key. The media keys are located on the far right side.
Aside from the multimedia keys located in the left top, other key’s switches are optical-mechanical. Users might need time to get used to these mechanical keys as it has better feedback than the usual rubber dome keys.
The touchpad is made of glass, and it is way bigger than before. However, the click buttons are not as quiet as before. The touchpad is reliable, fast and quite accurate. The Scar Strix 15 doesn’t have biometrics like its predecessors.
Connectivity
Connectivity is quite good on the Scar Strix 15, with the ports mainly located at the back. The HDMI, Type-C USB, PSU, and Type-A USB are behind, while the audio jack and two Type-A USB ports sit on the left. However, the ports are not compatible with Thunderbolt 4.
Battery life
The Scar Strix 15 has a good battery life, lasting between 6 to 8 hours, depending on your run programs. The laptop charges fully in two hours, while fast charging fills up in one hour. There is USB-C charging support, but there is no USB-C charger included.
Final Verdict
Asus did well with the design on the Scar Strix 15, and the hardware update makes it even better. Gamers will prefer the 165Hz QHD display option due to its fast refresh rate, good colour balance and sharp resolution. The laptop is excellent for QHD gaming.
The laptop is excellent for daily use, as it runs coolly and quietly. It is recommended for gaming, and the optical-mechanical switches make it even better.
