Today (May 17) Asus announced the ROG Strix Scar 17 Special Edition gaming laptop. As a high-end machine, the Strix Scar 17 SE sports components that should make it sufficiently powerful for those who want the most from their gaming experiences. It also has a unique design element that differentiates it from similar gaming laptops.
The ROG Strix Scar 17 SE includes an Intel Core i9-12950HX processor and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card. You can outfit it with up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage. It has a 17.3-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Different configurations have either a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display at 360Hz or a QHD (2560 x 1440) display with a 240Hz refresh rate. Both have a response time of 3ms.
Aside from its powerful specs, what sets the Strix Scar 17 SE apart is that it uses invisible ink that’s only visible under UV lighting. The laptop’s lid has patterns that serve as tips for ROG’s SCAR Runner parkour game. It’s an interesting gimmick that owners will likely enjoy, so long as they have a UV lamp or light to see the laptop’s hidden patterns.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 SE | Asus ROG Flow X16 |
| Price | TBD | TBD |
| Display | 17.3-inch (Full HD 1920 x 1080, 360Hz or QHD 2560 x 1440, 240Hz) | 16-inch (up to QHD 2560 x 1440 at 165Hz) |
| CPU | 12th gen Intel Core i9-12950HX | Up to AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS |
| GPU | Up to NVIDIA RTX 3080Ti | Up to NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti |
| Storage | Up to 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD |
| RAM | Up to 64GB DDR5-4800MHz Dual-channel | Up to 64GB DDR5-4800MHz Dual-channel |
| Ports | 2 USB-C, 2 USB-A, 1 Ethernet, 1 HDMI, 1 audio jack | 1 XG Mobile interface, 1 USB-C, 2 USB-A, 1 HDMI, 1 3.5mm audio, 1 microSD card reader |
| Battery | 90Wh | 90Wh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 15.5 x 11.1 x 0.92-1.11 inches | 13.97 x 9.56 x 0.76 inches |
| Weight | 6.6 pounds | From 4.4 pounds |
Asus also announced the ROG Flow X16, which is effectively the bigger sibling to last year’s Asus Flow X13. This 2-in-1 gaming laptop can be configured with either an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti or an AMD Ryzen 6900HS GPU, up to 64 GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage.
It also has an option for a mini-LED touchscreen (a la the mini-LED display on Apple's iPad Pro 2021 [12.9-inch]) with up to 1,100 nits of peak brightness, according to Asus. There will be options for QHD displays with a 165Hz refresh rate. All configurations have a QHD display with a 16:10 aspect ratio.
Both of Asus’ upcoming gaming laptops look great on paper, though we’ll need to conduct proper testing to determine if they rank among the best gaming laptops. Asus didn’t reveal official pricing for either machine. But given the cost of the Flow X13 ($1,499 as reviewed) and the standard Strix Scar 17 ($1,999 to $3,299 on Asus' site), don’t expect these new rigs to be budget-minded. At the moment, neither has a firm release date.
