ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop: 18-inch 2.5K 240Hz Mini-LED, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU

ASUS has just announced its next-gen ROG Strix SCAR 18 and ROG Strix SCAR 16 gaming laptops, powered by the latest silicon from NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD. Check them out:

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Inside, the new ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptops packs up to Intel's new Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, which packs 24 cores and 32 threads at up to 65W TDP, and up to NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB of super-fast GDDR7 memory and 175W max TGP and a MUX Switch with NVIDIA Advanced Optimus.

There's a big and beautiful 18-inch 2.5K Nebula HDR Mini-LED panel with a super-smooth 240Hz refrrsh rate, with up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM inside, and up to 4TB of Gen4 SSDs in RAID0 mode for the ultimate in performance, but they're both easily upgradeable thanks to ASUS using a tool-free design.

ASUS has a maximum of 240W flowing into its new ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop, with 65W to the CPU and 175W to the GPU... which adds up to 230W, with the additional 10W flowing into the CPU if you go into Manual Mode.

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NVIDIA Advanced Optimus has the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop automatically route frames from the discrete GPU directly to the display using a MUX switch, bypassing the integrated graphics. This pathing improves performance by 5-10% compared to machines without a MUX Switch, making sure you get the absolute best gaming experience-all without needing touch a single button. This automatic switching also preserves your machine's battery life, as it can dynamically transition between the high-power discrete GPU and the lower power integrated GPU. No matter what you're doing, your machine will switch to the most optimized mode without you having to lift a finger.

On the cooling side, ASUS has completely revamped the cooling system of the 2025 Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop with precise calculations in mind to ensure that you get the best gaming experience from your laptop, ev ery time. ASUS has moved the exhaust vents to the rear of the hinge, keeping warm air away from your mousing hand.

The sides and bottom of the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop now act as an air intake, creating a natural, efficient path for airflow. Airflow also flows through the keyboard desk, keeping your hands cooler during gaming sessions... a very nice touch from ASUS there. ASUS says that when paired with an end-to-end vapor chamber with a sandwiched heatsink, Tri-Fan Technology, and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal placed on both the CPU and GPU, the new Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop hits a lower noise level in Turbo Mode compared to previous generation gaming laptops, while offering the same calculated excellence you expect from a ROG Strix SCAR.

ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop features:

• Ultimate gaming performance: Brand new silicon from Intel®, AMD, and NVIDIA® drive the Strix lineup to new levels of performance
• Top-tier thermal system: End-to-end vapor chambers, sandwiched heatsink designs, and Tri-Fan Technology keep Intel®-based laptops cool under pressure
• Brand new designs: Intel®-based laptops feature full-surround RGB lighting, AniMe Vision on Strix SCAR machines, and Thunderbolt™ 5 support
• Enhanced Nebula Displays with ACR technology: Dual-layer filters reduce reflections and boost contrast by 4.5X for a punchy image in any environment
• Future-proof upgradeability: All Strix models are easily upgradeable, with the Intel models featuring the first-ever tool-less access to RAM and SSD

The new ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 rocks a huge 18-inch ROG Nebula HDR display with Mini-LED technology, featuring over 2000 dimming zones, up to 1200 nits of peak brightness, and beautiful colors thanks to 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space.

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ASUS has made some other upgrades, with a brand-new dual ACR layer, with this display ensuring every single game and movie is done true justice. The 18-inch 2.5K (2560 x 1600) with a 16:10 aspect ratio panel has a 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time.

On the back of the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop is that wicked AniMe Vision, pioneered on the ASUS Zephyrus series, with 810 LEDs shining through 9152 precision-milled holes. You can show off your personal style on the back of the laptop through pre-made animations, uploading a GIF, or animating your own image.

A gaming laptop wouldn't be complete without a good keyboard, with the new SCAR 18 featuring a professional esports-grade keyboard, designed to "secure the win" adds ASUS. The keyboard switches are built to last, rated for over 20 million presses, and k-key rollover guarantees your system won't ever miss a command, even if you're button-mashing the keyboard.

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ASUS is using a full-sized keyboard with dedicated media controls and customizable hotkeys for different Armoury Crate functions, with per-key RGB and full Aura Sync customization.

There are Dolby Atmos-powered speakers on the ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop with two tweeters and two downward-firing subwoofers to create an authentic sound stage for your games. ASUS includes Hi-Res audio support to listen to your music in the same quality that it was recorded. There's also two-way AI Noise Cancellation processes both incoming and outgoing audio to filter any background noise, making sure that everyone you're talking to through your microphone hears you perfectly.

ASUS uses a larger 90Wh battery that should last for a few hours of gaming unplugged, with USB Type-C Power Delivery of up to 100W so you can get some quick charging on the go. There's also Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, faster 2.5GbE ethernet, and even dual Thunderbolt 5 ports providing some wicked I/O on the new ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop.