In the Asus laptop family, we're asking for the big machine that will make hardcore gamers salivate. With its 18-inch QHD+ 240 Hz mini LED screen, its Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and – above all – its Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, the Asus ROG Strix Scar G835LW is undoubtedly a good choice… provided you are ready to invest a small fortune.
Test carried out by Xavier Regord
Since the announcement of the new Nvidia GPUs at the very beginning of the year, manufacturers of laptops dedicated to gamers have been updating their powerful configurations, with more or less finesse (in every sense of the word). In the Asus catalog, we find two types of configurations intended for inveterate gamers: the ROG Zephyrus, (relatively) thin and light (available in 14 or 16 inch formats), and the ROG Strix, which focuses on performance and comfort of use, regardless of the weight to be carried (and the price to pay).
So, if the Razer Blade 16 2025, which we recently tested, focuses on finesse and elegance, the new Rog Strix Scar 18 from Asus is a very big baby that emphasizes extreme power (what else? would say true hardcore gamers) and a design resolutely adapted to its potential audience (it flashes from almost everywhere!). What surprises does this performance monster have in store for us? Do the configuration's features live up to the financial sacrifice required for its acquisition? Let's take a closer look.
Price and Availability
The Asus ROG Strix 18, version 2025, can be found in online stores under the reference G835LW. The model we tested is marketed for the tidy sum of €4,600. For this price, the computer includes the cream of the crop in terms of components and equipment:
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 G835LW | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 18-inch mini LED QHD+ screen | |
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 275HX | |
| GPU | GPU Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 | |
| 64 GB- class="row-6 even"> | Internal memory | 1 TB SSD |
| Keyboard | Backlit chiclet | |
| OS | Windows 11 | |
| Battery | lithium-ion-polymer 90% 380W charger | |
| Weight | 3.48 kg | |
| Dimensions | 39.9 x 29.8 x 2.35 ~ 3.20 cm |
To lower the bill, you can turn to a model equipped “only” with an Nvidia GPU GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. If you make this choice, the bill is reduced to €3,900. But, if you can afford to spend an even larger sum, the top of the Strix Scar 18 G836LW range includes the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU. You can find this model at LDLC, for the modest sum of €5,600 (with 2 TB of storage!). Good point, until May 31, Asus is offering the game Monster Hunter Wilds as a bonus (worth around €45).
A full RGB gamer design
Who says "18-inch screen" also says one of the most imposing formats. This is fatal, if you want to benefit from optimal user comfort, with the largest possible display surface. As a result, the laptop weighs no less than 3.48 kg, and measures 40 x 30 cm, for 2.35 cm thick. When you lift it, you quickly realize that the Strix 18 is more of a "portable PC" than a classic laptop, and that its purpose is not really to follow you all day long on all your travels.
It's a shame, because its look would certainly provoke some reactions of admiration or astonishment among your loved ones. Indeed, the back of the chassis is equipped with the AnimeVision device, which the manufacturer has been developing on its various machines (and even on its smartphones) for several years. In its 2025 version, this system uses no fewer than 810 LEDs to display various predefined animations or your own texts and animated patterns. And it must be said that the result is visually impressive.
But the visual effects of the Asus Strix 18 are not limited to the AnimeVision module. Indeed, the chassis is illuminated from all sides, starting with the keyboard, whose keys have RGB backlighting, with several possible effects (static lighting, pulsation, color cycle, etc.). Moreover, the color and effect selected for the keyboard keys is also applied to the ROG logo, present on the back of the screen. The whole thing is completed by a light bar that delivers RGB effects all around the laptop.
The keyboard offers good typing comfort. It features a numeric keypad (because there's clearly plenty of space!) as well as quick access keys to certain functions:
- Changing the volume
- Activating/deactivating the microphone
- Choosing the operating mode (silent, performance, or Turbo)
- Launching the Armoury Crate
These five keys can be customized to perform other tasks, such as launching an application.
Remember that the Asus Armoury Crate application allows you to configure all the settings of the ROG Strix 18:
- Operating mode (Windows, Silent, Performance, Turbo)
- The different RGB lighting effects
- AnimeVision device animations
- Aura animated wallpapers
- Defining macros
- Settings of the screen (GameVisual)
The keyboard is complemented by a very large touchpad, which allows the index finger to slide smoothly. For security, the Asus Strix 18 does not include a fingerprint reader. The configuration relies on the services of its Full HD infrared webcam, which is therefore Windows Hello compatible, which allows the user to be identified by recognizing their face during startup. On the other hand, paranoids will regret the absence of a manual security shutter.
The connectivity, for its part, is very complete: 3 USB A ports, 2 USB C ports (Thunderbolt 5), an HDMI 2.1 video output, an Ethernet connector and the traditional audio jack. Added to all this is the proprietary power connector. If you want to be picky, you could also consider the presence of an SD or microSD card reader, or a DisplayPort video output.
For sound, the Asus Strix 18 is equipped with four speakers (two woofers and two tweeters). These deliver a full, very well-spatial sound, with appreciable power and generous bass. Perfect for listening to music, watching movies and – of course – gaming. And if the basic sound reproduction doesn't give you complete satisfaction, the Dolby Access application provides everything you need to fine-tune the sound (numerous predefined profiles and a ten-band frequency equalizer).
Finally, it's impossible to finish the tour of the case without addressing a vital point for any self-respecting gamer, namely the opening. And in this area, Asus has done what it takes to make handling as easy as possible, since the bottom cover of the configuration can be removed without any tools. The operation is a real child's play, which can be done in a few seconds. It doesn't take any longer to close everything again, once the SSDs or memory sticks have been replaced. A joy.
A MiniLED screen that has nothing to envy of OLED
When considering purchasing a high-end gaming laptop, you can choose between certain configurations equipped with an OLED display and others, equipped with an LCD panel with mini LED backlighting. The technology has a strong point: it produces perfect black (and therefore a nearly infinite contrast ratio). But it also has a weak point: its limited brightness.
The strength of the mini LED technology, which the Asus Strix 18 screen uses, is to offer a contrast ratio almost equivalent to OLED, thanks to no less than 2000 dimming zones, but with a much higher brightness!
The laptop's panel is matte (without any reflections), offers excellent viewing angles and displays images with QHD+ definition, or 2560 x 1600 pixels (16:10 format). The latter allows you to obtain precise images, without bringing the GPU to its knees, as 4K mode (3840 x 2400 pixels) could do.
On the other hand, the maximum refresh rate is 240 Hz. This is more than enough to obtain hyper-smooth animations and therefore maximum responsiveness, which can help you gain an advantage over your opponents in certain ultra-competitive online games like Fortnite. And, thanks to G-Sync technology, the display is free from any image tearing.
As for screen performance, Asus announces a brightness of 500 nits, with an HDR peak of up to 1200 nits, and full coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut (100%). Furthermore, Dolby Vision compatibility ensures optimal visual quality when watching streaming videos compatible with this standard.
And it's clear that the manufacturer's promises have been verified by the measurements we carried out using our Calibrite Display Pro HL probe. Indeed, the maximum brightness was measured at 550 nits in SDR, and at 940 nits in HDR. In this last mode, the screen is therefore twice as bright as an OLED panel, which generally peaks at around 500 nits, as shown in our test of the Razer Blade 16.
The measurements also show that the contrast ratio is infinite, as on an OLED screen, because the black brightness level is almost undetectable. Moreover, the manufacturer announces a contrast ratio of 100,000:1, which is incomparable with a conventional LED-backlit LCD screen, whose contrast ratio is – at best – around 1000:1 or 1500:1. The Razer 18 2024, which we tested at the end of last year, is an illustration of this.
Ultimately, the ROG Strix 18 screen offers the main advantage of OLED (exceptional contrast), without its drawbacks. What more could you ask for? And, to top it all off, the colorimetry is excellent. Indeed, the average Delta E measured is only 3.2 with the display profile used by default (SDR, native colors). Remember that – through the GameVisual section of the Armoury Crate application – it is possible to use one of the many color profiles predefined by the manufacturer.
Finally, regarding colorimetry, the average color temperature measured is 6402 K in HDR, which is very close to 6500 K, which represents a perfectly neutral colorimetry.
Performance: a true competition beast
As we've already mentioned, the Asus ROG Strix 18 G835LW's performance comes from the near-ultimate duo of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. Only the latter doesn't offer the best possible performance, since another version of the laptop features the GeForce RTX 5090.
In addition, the configuration uses 64GB of DDR5 6400MHz memory (two SO-DIMM sticks) and a 1TB SSD. At a time when highly sophisticated games, like Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle or Black Myth: Wukong, each take up around 130GB, this may not seem like much, after all. Fortunately, a second M.2 slot (PCIe Gen 5 compatible) allows you to add an SSD in the blink of an eye.
Finally, let's point out that the Strix 18 is compatible with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet.
It's not really a surprise, the results of the Intel CPU, in terms of pure calculations, are among the best ever observed. They prove to be significantly superior to those obtained by the Intel Core chips i9-14900Hx and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, especially for the multi-core index. Thus, the Core Ultra 9 275HX obtains Geekbench indices of 3006 (single core) and 19871 (multi core), and Cinebench 2024 of 134 (single core) and 1979 (multi core).
Also remember that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics processor offers another advantage, particularly interesting at the moment: its computing power for operations related to artificial intelligence is considerable. The GPU can in fact execute 1334 trillion AI operations per second (TOPs), which is incomparable with the power delivered by the most powerful CPUs in this area (45 TOPs for example for the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite).
Suffice to say that the configuration does not lack resources, if you want to use video editing, image editing or synthesis applications. In addition, the launch time of very large games is very fast. And, once launched, they have the necessary graphical resources to run in optimal conditions (very high frame rate and best possible display quality). It must be said that the GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, even in its mobile version, is extremely efficient, as illustrated by the scores obtained with the various tests of the 3D Mark application (Performance mode / Turbo mode):
- Time Spy Extreme: 10285 / 10 975
- Time Spy: 20242 / 20849
- Steel Nomad: 4676 / 4891
We note that the Time Spy / Time Spy Extreme indices of the GeForce RXT 5080 GPU are higher than those obtained with the GeForce RTX 4090 chip, present in various gaming PCs, which are in the same "heavyweight" category as this ROG Strix Scar 18, such as the Acer Helios 18 or the Razer 18 2024. Compared to the RTX 5090 present in the Razer Blade 16 2025, the scores of the RTX 5080 of this Asus Strix are for The least confusing: while the Steel Nomad index favors the first chip, the Time Spy score clearly favors the second. When playing, all these very high scores translate into high-flying performance. Nvidia's DLSS 4, Ray Tracing, and Path Tracing technologies then prove decisive (see our report on DLSS).
For example, if you launch Fortnite in Epic quality, you benefit from exemplary responsiveness, with animations ranging between 130 and 180 frames per second, depending on the situation (DLSS in Performance mode). And if you absolutely want to make the most of the screen's capabilities, simply switch to the lowest graphics quality to see the fps counter freeze at 240.
In Cyberpunk 2077, if you enable image generation, enabled by DLSS 4 technology, you can significantly boost performance. Animations can then have up to 150 frames per second, on average, with all graphics options pushed to the maximum! And with Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle, the average frame rate is around 160 / 180 fps, in DLSS Quality. It can climb to 220 fps in DLSS Ultra Performance mode.
Finally, with Black Myth: Wukong, if you push all the graphics settings to the maximum (Cinematic quality, DLSS, Ray Tracing), you get smooth animations, comprising an average of 45 frames per second. The counter can go up to 66 fps if you switch to Full HD display (which is still a shame for a game of such beauty). Another option is to disable Ray Tracing and lower the graphics quality to get animations with 132 fps (in Medium quality). Fortunately, the publisher recently announced that DLSS 4 support will be coming very soon, in a future game update, which should significantly boost the frame rate.
As is often the case, when using such a powerful laptop, the noise level can soar. For example, if you use the Turbo operating profile, the noise generated by the internal fans is quite high. However, we've heard worse! In addition, the noise is somewhat attenuated by the volume of the speakers, if you play an action game, with music and incessant sound effects, like a car race. But, during the dialogues of an adventure game, like the latest Indiana Jones, the noise level of the ventilation can justify the use of headphones. Unless you switch to Performance mode, which is less noisy (but also a little less efficient).
Furthermore, the manufacturer has put all the means to optimize the cooling of the components. Three fans, a vapor chamber and liquid metal try to minimize the rise in temperature, inexorable during intensive gaming sessions. Fresh air is drawn in through the vents on the sides and under the laptop, before being expelled, once warmed up, through the rear of the chassis.
Battery life: let's talk about something else, we'd get angry!
Despite its 90 Wh battery, the Asus ROG Strix 18 offers endurance that borders on the ridiculous. For example, if you want to watch a movie on Netflix, over Wi-Fi, you have to be careful not to choose one that's too long. In fact, during our test, the battery completely discharged in an hour and a half. And this, even if we place ourselves in minimal operating conditions: display brightness adjusted to 200 nits, Silent operating mode, manual switch to 60 Hz mode, all LEDs off...
If we use the battery life test of the PC Mark application (in the same conditions), the result is the same, since the laptop remains in operation for 1 hour and 22 minutes (compared to more than ten hours for a good ultrabook, remember). Finally, if you want to play Fortnite on the train, you'll have to forget the TGV, because it only took 45 minutes to completely drain the battery.
Once again, it has been demonstrated that this type of configuration is more suited to replacing a desktop PC, which must be connected to a power outlet and can be easily transported, than to acting as a real laptop, which will be used, for example, on the train.
Let's end with a good point. The battery can be recharged in two ways: via the 380W power adapter (proprietary connection), which also has the same physical characteristics as a brick, or via one of the two USB C Thunderbolt ports, which supports charging at a maximum of 100W (you still need to have the appropriate power adapter).
So, shall we buy it?
Apart from the inevitable flaws inherent in such a configuration – gigantic and hyper-powerful – such as the very high weight, the ridiculous battery life and the price equivalent to three "normal" laptops (!), it is difficult to turn up one's nose at such a deployment of technologies. With a chassis that flashes everywhere, components that are just waiting to make the meters explode, flawless ergonomics and a screen that combines the best of the LCD and OLED worlds, this ROG Strix is already shaping up to be one of the flagship laptops of 2025.
Amazon4599.98€
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