Review on 💻 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (2021) Gaming Laptop with 15.6” 300Hz IPS FHD Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Opti-Mechanical Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Windows 10 - G533QS-DS96 by Shawn Mortensen

After spending many years with an old Alienware 17, I really needed to upgrade it, but I wanted to wait for a real performance boost over current-gen CPUs and GPUs. I was very impressed with the Ryzen processor in the Zephyrus G14 last year and wanted to get a laptop with an AMD processor this time. Initially, my main options were the 2021 Zephyrus G15 and 2021 Strix G15, both with an RTX 3070. After trying out the Zephyrus, I found that I really liked the extremely loud fans under load and the fact that its unique Ergo-Lift Hinge disliked design meant all hot exhaust fumes blew just below the display panel. While I'm sure ASUS has gone to great lengths to ensure this doesn't affect the lifespan of the display, I didn't like it. Moving on to Strix, it wasn't supposed to launch until April. So when I saw that the SCAR 15 was available from Revain I immediately placed my order. In the two days I had him, I fell in love with him. Don't get me wrong, it has its downsides; It doesn't have a webcam (which is an unacceptable omission for most, especially in times of the ongoing video conferencing pandemic), the aesthetics aren't exactly what you'd call thin (especially compared to the dormant gaming laptops seen in the are available). Zephyrus line) and weighs more than any of its thin and light competitors. These shortcomings weren't much of a compromise for me, though; I use an external webcam anyway (which offers much better quality than most laptop webcams) so the lack of a built-in option didn't bother me at all. I love the gaming aesthetic with the RGB backlit keyboard, the light bar illuminating the case, and the semi-transparent keyboard allowing a glimpse of what's inside. However, with the lights off, it would drastically reduce interest in the laptop. Finally, its size and weight, dating back to a time when gaming laptops were truly desktop spares and a Herculean task to transport. The SCAR 15 is quite light in comparison. Even compared to the Zephyrus G15, which is considered one of the best thin and light, the SCAR 15 is less than a pound heavier. This extra bulk also allows it to run at the full power of RTX 3070 mobile devices, rather than the low power available on thinner laptops. to you. If you feel like you can wait and don't mind paying extra for bells and whistles like an opto-mechanical keyboard, you might be better off waiting for the STRIX G15 to launch. As for me, I'm going to go and enjoy my wonderful new laptop!