Asus has refreshed its ROG Strix Scar lineup for 2025, equipping the new models with the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series laptop GPUs and Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors. The laptops also sport a revamped design that’s flashier than before, but also more functional as they offer easier access for upgrading RAM and storage. Asus says it has improved the cooling system as well, which is now quieter than the previous generation.
One standout addition is the AniMe Vision display on the lid, a feature that first gained popularity with the Zephyrus lineup.
With all these upgrades, the base variant featuring the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU is priced at Rs. 3,79,990. If you’re aiming for the top-tier model with the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, be prepared to spend Rs. 4,24,990. Both variants feature the Intel Core Ultra 275HX CPU.
Now that’s a steep price for a gaming laptop. So is it worth the price tag? Read on to find out.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 Design: Improved and flashier
- Dimensions – 354 x 268 x 22.8mm
- Weight – 2.80kg
- Colours – Off Black
The 2025 ROG Strix Scar 16 looks very different to its predecessor thanks to a new lid, bottom panel, and improved RGB lighting. The lid gets 8,353 precision-milled holes for the Anime Vision display, which uses 810 LEDs to play animations in dot-matrix style. You’ll also find an RGB ROG logo and the text ‘For Those Who Dare’ printed on the lid.
The lid features 8,353 precision-milled and 810 LEDs for the AniMe Vision display
Asus has also made the sides more chamfered and smoother for a premium look. Unlike last year’s model, which featured sharp edges, the 2025 variant gets rounded edges, making the laptop appear slimmer. There’s also a full 360 RGB strip at the bottom that passes all kinds of gamer checks.
The laptop offers a 360-degree wrap-around RGB light bar at the bottom
The left side houses a proprietary AC input port, a 2.5G Ethernet port, HDMI 2.1, dual Thunderbolt 5 inputs, a hybrid 3.5mm jack, and a USB 3.2 Type-A port. On the right side, the laptop offers two USB 3.2 Type A connectors.
You get plenty of ports on the laptop, but it misses out on an SD card slot
You’ll find the exhaust ports at the back, and the intake vents at the bottom and the sides. Turning over the laptop reveals the new rear cover, which now offers tool-less removal thanks to a latch system. There’s also a new Q-latch system, which makes storage upgrades easy and fast.
The new tool-less back cover is easy to remove
Asus has used magnesium alloy and plastic on the ROG Strix Scar 16. The build quality is top-notch, with both the lid and keyboard area showing no signs of flex. It’s also quite heavy at 2.8kgs, making this more of a desk machine than a portable laptop.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 Display: Mini LED Excellence
- Size and type – 16-inch Mini LED HDR panel, 3ms Response time
- Resolution – 2.5K (2560×1600) WQXGA, 16:10 aspect ratio
- Refresh rate – 240Hz
Opening the lid, which can be done with one finger, reveals the beautiful anti-glare Mini LED panel. Asus calls it the ROG Nebula HDR display, and it offers over 2,000 dimming zones, 1,200 nits peak brightness, and 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage. The display also offers Dolby Vision, HDR, and Nvidia G-Sync support. Add the 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms GTG response time, and the ROG Strix Scar 16’s display is a delight for gaming and content consumption.
The Mini LED display supports HDR and Dolby Vision
The Mini LED display boasts deep blacks and vivid colours. It also gets super bright indoors, especially when HDR is enabled. The anti-glare coating also helps keep reflections at bay. The display features slim bezels on the sides and thicker bezels on the top and bottom.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 Keyboard, Touchpad, speakers, and webcam
- Keyboard – Backlit with per-key RGB, Copilot key
- Touchpad – Multi-touch with NumberPad
- Speakers – Quad drivers, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res certification, Smart Amplifier technology
- Webcam – 1080p IR camera with Windows Hello support
The laptop features a full-size keyboard on the Strix Scar 16 with dedicated media controls and customisable keys. The keyboard supports per-key RGB and includes a Copilot key. You get excellent travel and feedback from the well-spaced keys. Asus also claims that the switches used in the keyboard are rated to last over 20 million presses.
The keyboard offers hotkeys and per-key RGB
I was pleasantly surprised by the touchpad on the laptop. It’s large, offers multi-touch support, good palm rejection, decent feedback, and features a glass surface for a smooth glide. The touchpad also gets a digital numpad. Simply tap the Num LK switch placed on the top left corner of the touchpad, and you’ll have access to a digital number pad.
The touchpad is now 36 percent larger than the last-generation model
Asus has installed four speakers on the Strix Scar 16 that comprise two tweeters and two woofers. The sound output from the speakers is loud enough for indoor use, and you also get some bass. The laptop also offers Dolby Atmos, Virtual surround sound, and Smart Amp technology. The headphone jack on the laptop also supports Hi-Res Audio output.
The laptop also offers Two-Way AI Noise Cancellation technology
Moving on to the web camera, which is a 1080p IR unit with Windows Hello support. The camera performs well when there’s plenty of light, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary. In lowlight conditions, noise starts creeping in, making the image look soft. Before getting on that video call, make sure you’ve got good lighting around. Windows Hello works well, is secure, and fast.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 Software: Typical Windows experience
- OS – Windows 11 Home
- Additional tools – Aura Sync, Armoury Crate, Copilot
The laptop runs Windows 11 Home out of the box and comes preinstalled with Office Home 2024. Microsoft Copilot is also available on the laptop, offering quick answers to queries and more.
Armoury Crate lets you manage all kinds of settings on the laptop
You will also find additional Asus tools such as Armoury Crate, which lets you customise all the RGB lighting on the laptop. The tool provides access to the AniMe Vision display, allowing you to select custom or pre-made animations. Aura Sync is part of Armoury Crate and lets you create custom lighting zones across the keyboard, the ROG logo on the lid, and the 360 light strip.
Armoury Crate also lets you switch between the five Performance modes, manage Scenario Profiles, and set macros.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 Performance: More than you’ll need
- Processor – Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
- RAM – Up to 64GB DDR5-5600
- Storage – Up to 4TB M.2 PCIe 4.0
- GPU – Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a powerful mobile CPU, and our review unit came bundled with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU with 16GB GDDR7 VRAM, 32GB DDR5-5600 MHz RAM, and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD. You get dual RAM and SSD slots for expansion.
You can also configure the ROG Strix Scar 16 with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU
Although most of the hardware here is top-notch, my only gripe is with the type of storage used. Asus could’ve offered a PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD, which the laptop supports, but instead comes with the now older 4.0 SSD. While end users won’t notice any major difference, the synthetic benchmarks show that the laptop is slower than the competition, such as the HP Omen Max 16 (Review), which gets a 5.0 drive. Take a look at the benchmark scores below.
| Benchmark | Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 | HP Omen Max 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 Single | 2,183 | 1,275 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 32,895 | 30,974 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 3,015 | 2,948 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 15,335 | 18,373 |
| PC Mark 10 | 8,429 | 8,436 |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad | 4,689 | 5,171 |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 17,652 | 21,129 |
| 3DMark Speed Way | 5,110 | 5,818 |
In benchmarks, the laptop did quite well. I ran the tests in Turbo mode, which delivers a total wattage of 230W. However, there’s also a Manual mode that unlocks more performance, offering a total of 255W of wattage. The GPU is rated for 175W TGP, and the CPU can go up to 80W TDP. To keep everything running smoothly, the laptop also features an upgraded cooling system. There’s a larger vapour chamber, three fans, liquid metal thermal paste, and a sandwiched heatsink design. Asus claims that the upgraded cooling can keep the temperatures down by 15 degrees Celsius.
Needless to say, you can play all kinds of AAA games at high frame rates without any worry. Asus moving all the exhaust vents to the back also means that the keyboard and the surrounding area remain cool during long gaming sessions. I ran CyberPunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and The Last of Us Part 1 on the laptop to test out its performance. Since the laptop uses the new RTX 50 series GPU, you also get DLSS 4.0 AI frame generation.
Hogwarts Legacy is running on the ROG Strix Scar 16 with Ultra graphic settings
In CyberPunk 2077, without DLSS 4.0 enabled, texture quality set to high, and resolution at 2K, the game delivered about 45-50fps. With DLSS enabled, I got about 75-80fps. Meanwhile, Hogwarts Legacy ran at around 120fps with DLSS turned on at Ultra settings. With DLSS disabled, the game delivered a frame rate of 80-90fps. Running The Last of Us Part 1 with all settings at max, I got about 85-100fps. For AAA gaming, 4K video editing, and all sorts of creative work, the ROG Strix Scar 16 won’t let you down. It also appears that Asus has indeed improved the cooling system on the new laptop.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the laptop offers fast triple-band Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Wireless performance was excellent, and I did not face any random disconnections.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 Battery: Ordinary
- Capacity – 90Whr
- Charging – 380W AC adapter
The laptop packs a 90Whr battery, which is the same capacity as the predecessor, but I don’t think anyone thinks about battery life when purchasing such a powerful gaming laptop. During gaming sessions, with the profile set to Turbo, I got about 1-2 hours of battery life with brightness set to around 50 percent. In normal usage, I got about 4 hours of battery life with the iGPU enabled.
The laptop has triple fans on the inside
Charging is handled by a large 380W brick of an adapter, but you can also charge the laptop using the USB Type-C port, which supports up to 100W PD. Using the provided 380W adapter, I was able to charge the laptop from 20 to 60 percent in about 30 minutes, with a full charge taking about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025 Verdict
If you’ve got the money, I’d recommend buying the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 for its excellent performance and cooling, flashy gamer-approved design, and the bright Mini LED display. The laptop also has a nice keyboard and a large touchpad. The tool-less rear panel is also quite useful and something other laptop manufacturers should adopt. The only downside, albeit minor, is the use of PCIe Gen 4 storage, particularly when the laptop supports Gen 5 SSDs.
The ROG Strix Scar 16 can easily replace your gaming desktop and add some portability to the mix. Of course, a gaming desktop offers better upgradeability, but does it have AniMe Vision? The laptop is definitely worth the price tag.
