With each new generation of mobile GPUs, we inevitably see a new generation of laptops that incorporate them. Asus is once again at the forefront as NVIDIA’s RTX 5080 has just been released for mobile setups. But how does this laptop and the new GPU generation stack up? Our review provides the answers.
Technical Specifications
| Model | Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) G835 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 399 mm x 32 mm |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 pixels |
| Display Technology | LCD |
| Touch Screen | No |
| Processor (CPU) | Core Ultra 9 275HX |
| Graphics Chip (GPU) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 |
| RAM | 16, 32, 64 GB |
| Internal Storage | 1024, 2048 GB |
| Build | Plastic |
| Operating System (OS) | Microsoft Windows 11 |
| Weight | 3330 grams |
| Depth | 298 mm |
| Product Page |
Design
If you love LEDs, you’ll be thrilled with the ROG Strix Scar 18, which continues to be a flashy gaming PC ringed with a huge multicolor LED strip that wraps the computer in a plethora of customizable colors. The ROG Strix Scar 2025 also benefits from the full Anime Matrix on the top of the chassis, a feature filled with tiny white LEDs that display fully customizable animations. This was a major highlight of the Zephyrus line before Asus scaled it down to just a simple strip.
The chassis is primarily a very plain metal aside from the lights, moving further away from the “loud” designs typical of gaming PCs a decade ago. If you turn off all the customizable lighting, you’re left with a large, respectable black metal block. “Large” indeed, as the 18-inch size makes the ROG Strix Scar 18 more of an all-in-one than a portable PC, weighing in at 3.3 kilograms and measuring 3.20 centimeters at its thickest point.
What makes this 2025 model of the ROG Strix Scar 18 appealing for demanding users is how easy it is to upgrade the RAM, SSD, or clean the fans. The bottom plate can be quickly and easily removed to access the two M.2 PCIe slots for storage and two SO-DIMM slots for DDR5 RAM.
It’s even possible to go a bit further by unscrewing a few standard Phillips screws to access the motherboard or the Wi-Fi chip, among others. This ease of upgrading and repairing is extremely welcome in a modern PC, and it’s something Asus deserves credit for.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard is a chiclet style with fully customizable RGB lighting, of course, but it’s quite different from standard laptop configurations like those Razer offers on its gaming laptops. Here, the key activation distance and rebound are definitely geared more towards gaming, and while a mechanical setup might be preferable, it resembles a very good membrane keyboard. The numeric keypad remains somewhat cramped, however, requiring some time to get used to before it’s fully functional.
The touchpad, slightly shifted to the left rather than being central, offers a very slick glass surface and a well-defined click. The only upgrade one might wish for is a haptic feedback system, but the quality is solid with this more traditional setup.
Connectivity
On the left, we find a 2.5G Ethernet port, a full-size HDMI 2.1, a USB A 3.2 Gen 2 port, and two Thunderbolt 5 ports. On the right side, there are two additional USB A 3.2 Gen 2 ports.
What’s missing? On such a large setup, a full-size SD card reader would have been absolutely perfect. However, it’s hard to complain when you can benefit from two Thunderbolt 5 ports, whose potential for future use is virtually unlimited. That’s well worth having a small separate USB reader.
Webcam and Audio
The webcam features a simple 1080p sensor. This sensor is not particularly high-performing, struggling to provide a non-pixelated or noisy image that accurately reproduces colors, making it just passable for video conferencing. Advances by companies like Qualcomm in this area have raised our expectations, especially for a PC that could double as a streaming station with a more impressive webcam.
The audio quality isn’t bad. It could use a bit more maximum volume without distortion, and the mids could be treated with a bit more reverence, but the sound output isn’t poor for a laptop. Compared to solutions from Apple or Dell, it doesn’t quite measure up, but it’s still above average.
Screen
The ROG Strix Scar 18 2025 model we tested is equipped with an 18-inch Mini LED panel supporting a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, or a 16:10 aspect ratio. It features an anti-glare treatment and is compatible with a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz, supported by the G-Sync label.
Under our probe and using the Calman Color Calibration software by Portrait Displays, we found a coverage of 109.72% of the DCI-P3 space and 163% of the sRGB space. Maximum brightness was measured at 1355 cd/m² (across the entire screen), with a contrast ratio of 9075:1, which is simply excellent for a Mini LED.
The average color temperature was measured at 6354K, very close to the sought-after NTSC standard of 6500K, with an average Delta E00 of only 1.81 and a maximum deviation of 5.84 on royal blue tones. What can we say… It’s simply sublime. Nothing is lacking between the brightness of the Mini LED, excellent calibration, or the refresh rate for both gamers and creatives. Outstanding, just outstanding.
Software
As usual, we find two pieces of software from Asus: MyAsus and Armoury Crate. The former is straightforward, and on gaming setups, it mainly allows for general updates of the device, including the BIOS. It remains as effective as ever.
Armoury Crate has been updated in this generation, and is now a bit easier to navigate than before. That’s a good thing, as the software remains very enjoyable to use for customizing lighting or keyboard shortcuts as well as the behavior of the PC. However, it still has the same issue: it uses a lot of resources for little return due to the many dependencies required upon installation.
Performance
Our test configuration of the ROG Strix Scar 18 is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, the latest high-performance Intel SoC for mobile featuring 24 cores—8 performance and 16 efficient—and 24 threads that can turbo up to 5.4 GHz. It is supported by 32 GB of dual-channel DDR5 RAM at 5600 MHz, and 1 TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage.
Most notably, it includes the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 mobile, which, unlike the test model of the RTX 5090 we received, is not limited and enjoys its full TGP of 175W.
Benchmarks
On Cinebench 2024, we see a score of 1975 points in multi-core and 128 points in single-core. This second generation of Ultra brings Intel back into competitive form, which is a pleasure to see in comparison to the competition, pending the arrival of AMD’s competing solutions, particularly the 3D mobile SoCs.
For the graphics part, we see a score of 5697 points on Speed Way and 4912 points on Steel Nomad. For comparison, these are scores close to the RTX 5070 desktop version, representing the usual generational gap between NVIDIA’s GPUs and mobile graphics parts.
In the automatic benchmarks integrated into games, which we use as a baseline to compare new configurations, we found:
| Native resolution (1600p) | Black Myth Wukong | Cyberpunk 2077 |
| PT ON, DLSS4 Balanced, FG x4 | 88 FPS | 164 FPS |
| PT ON, DLSS4 Balanced, FG x0 | 52 FPS | 51.77 FPS |
| PT ON, DLSS OFF | 25 FPS | 21.30 FPS |
| RT OFF, DLSS4 Balanced, FG x4 | 135 FPS | 299.66 FPS |
| RT OFF, DLSS4 Balanced, FG x0 | 87 FPS | 117.99 FPS |
| RT OFF, DLSS OFF | 56 FPS | 86.70 FPS |
In artificial intelligence calculations, the mobile RTX 5080 scores 545 points in float32, 1297 points in float16, and 1486 points in integers. Here, we are moving away from desktop GPUs towards performance more akin to standard mobile NPUs, with an advantage in the variety of possible calculations.
The M.2 PCIe 4.0 storage is excellent, at the peak of ultra-optimized end-of-generation technology, pending the arrival of PCIe 5.0 in mobile storage.
In Game
It’s not hard to interpret these results: we are essentially in the same realm as a mobile RTX 4090 from the previous generation. The evolution is excellent on the RTX 5080 of this generation, especially considering that it also unlocks access to all the features of DLSS 4, including Multi Frame Generation.
While its use might be controversial on a standard desktop, it’s particularly appealing on a mobile setup where the necessary compromises are more acceptable and where enjoying a high refresh rate on AAA solo games is much rarer.
For Creatives
For creatives, it’s even more appealing. On this 2025 model of the ROG Strix Scar 18, the performance on the Adobe suite is slightly superior to that of a desktop RTX 5070. It even approaches the performance of a RTX 5070 Ti.
The same goes for 3D creation with Blender, where the results essentially match those of a desktop RTX 5070 Ti.
Cooling and Noise
This power does not come without trade-offs. Naturally, cooling takes a hit. Note: the ROG Strix Scar 18 2025 is capable of sustaining its maximum performance over long sessions, and does not exceed the 55°C expected in this type of configuration.
Problem: the fans are particularly loud when pushed to their limits. Here, we’re still in those circumstances where hardcore mobile gamers will need to wear a headset. Some traditions are hard to break.
Battery Life
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 2025 includes a 90 Wh battery, close to the 99 Wh limit accepted on planes. It is recharged using a hefty 380W power block, whose proprietary charger has the benefit of being reversible.
In typical office use, the ROG Strix Scar 18 2025 offers only between 3 and 4 hours of usage before needing a recharge. Needless to say, in gaming, even using NVIDIA’s Battery Boost—which sacrifices render quality to guarantee the longest battery life—don’t expect more than an hour of play before it shuts down.
Nothing surprising here. Once again: we’re looking at a setup more akin to an all-in-one than a true portable. A transportable, in essence.
Price and Availability
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 will be available starting April 14 in France. Our test configuration with 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, and the RTX 5080
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Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.