ASUS ROG Strix Scar III - Review

Whenever I get the chance to review hardware, I am both excited and hesitant, new hardware means new potential, but it can also mean more of the same. Laptops fall into this problem very easily, as there are both the basics that they all have and a few bells and whistles to stand out, Asus however have started to make each of their machines feel different, even if the core is the same.

For the Strix Scar III, the first impression I had of it, taking it out of the box, was that it was going to be another beefy laptop, the shape was big, and it looked heavy, but I was wrong. Yes, the size of the laptop is large, but that size betrays how light it is, of course it is still heavy, coming in at just over 2.5kg, but it looks like it would weigh more. Opening up the lid and taking a peek at the keyboard and trackpad revealed two interesting points, the first was that the WASD keys have been left transparent, which emphasizes the gaming nature of the laptop. The second was that track pad is once again doubling as a keypad, making it very useful as a production machine as well as a gaming on. Of course, the best part about the keyboard was that it was not cramped, some laptops tend to shrink each key down by only a few millimetres to have them all fit, within the chassis and the end result is that the device feels cramped, the Strix Scar III did not have that problem.

Looking up from the keyboard and taking notice of the screen, the first thing I noticed was that there was a massive gap in the casing, between the screen and the main unit. A gap is always going to be present, but for some reason Asus have decided to really make it prominent here and I can’t see why, closing the lid you can see the indicator lights, for power, hard drive and such, but they could have gone anywhere really. It does not hurt the laptop, it is just a really odd thing to see, however if you look past that and up to the screen itself, you will see one heck of a display. The size is a generous 15 inches, displaying 1080p, but it also has the added bonus of a refresh rate of 240Hz and a response time of 3ms. While not the most powerful display on market, it is one of the most advanced that I have seen fitted into a laptop, at least one that does not cost an exorbitant amount of money to buy. The display sits with a nice small bezel around the screen, which helps keep you locked onto the action you see, it is a nice display that works well for games and media.

Speaking of games, this is a gaming machine and while you can play Solitaire on it, I know I did, there is very little that I threw at it, that the game could not handle. One of my go to games for testing is DOOM (2016), as the game has some frantic action and demands a lot, the laptop was able to run it at high, without issue, due in part to the powerful GeForce RTX 2070 packed inside of it, but also as the machine has some pretty wicked cooling happening, more on that in a bit. Of course DOOM is not the most taxing game I could throw at it, but it is consistent, I tested out other games like Gears 5 and Sea of Thieves, both were able to run without issue and even a more sedate game like Horizon 4, at least when just cruising around, ran without issue and that has some impressive draw distances. Overall, the games I was throwing at the laptop, all ran without issue, at least once I updated drivers, and I could easily see it becoming my PC platform of choice.

As I mentioned before, the laptop has a pretty wicked cooling setup, thanks to a design that Asus call the 3D Flow Zone and apart from sounding like an off-brand Frozone, is actually really smart. Packed on the inside, amongst the CPU and GPU, are a series of fans that contain blades that are a slim 0.1mm thick. What this allows is for the air to be moved at a fast rate, without the need for the fans to be larger, which again helps keep the weight down, while the included fans can get loud, if you really push it, the noise levels are not that high. Most of the airflow is pushed out the back, though there is an exhaust port on the right-hand side, with them both having issues, but still manages to maintain an even heat while in use. The biggest problem I discovered is that without the fans running, the heat takes a bit long to disperse, leaving you with a large and hot piece of tech. Of course, as a laptop, using it on ones lap is an option and while the machine did get warm, it was still able to remain comfortable, which is a big win for any laptop.

The issues that I have with the cooling system, or more specifically where the vents are, is based on how most people, myself included would use the device. On the rear of the machine is where your power goes, along with ethernet, HDMI and usb-c, making it easy for you to connect to your setup at home or in the office. As two of the exhaust ports are located either side of these connections, if you have been playing something big, or doing some demanding work like video rendering, access to the ports can be irksome, especially if you are wanting to access while they are still in use. The right side has no ports, the three remaining usb-a ports are on the left, along with the headphone jack, so you would hope that there are no issues, except that is where most people have their mouse. Again, this is only an issue if you throw a lot of work at the laptop but given that it is designed to be a gaming laptop, not being able to play without your hand getting warm, is not a good thing.

The other issue I had with the laptop, is mostly due to the aesthetic, as I am honestly confused as to what look it is meant to have, there are segments of brushed aluminium on the lid that go in multiple directs. On the inside that same look is repeated, except now there is an inch or so of raised plastic that has a series of bumps over it, which wrap around behind the laptop. On the right side, near the vent there are a lot of angular lines on it, which again wrap around the rear of the machine, blending in with the vents, but on the left side, it is straight solid plastic, no bumps, grooves or notches of any kind to be found. The look is just confusing and while it does not impact performance, a lot of people will purchase a laptop these days, based on how nice it looks when closed and this one looks messy.

If you are looking for an affordable gaming laptop, then the Strix Scar III is one you should look into, the most basic model still comes packed with enough specs to keep you competitive for years to come, but not the latest to jack the price up. The placement of the air vents, is a little odd and while not a deal breaker, is something to be aware of, especially if you plan on using it in multiple locations and while the overall look is a hodgepodge of looks, it should not deter you.

Review unit provided by Asus