Review of ROG Strix SCAR 15 (2022): Bold Gaming Design, Powerful Performance with Intel Gen 12 Chip, Impressive Cooling

After a long wait, ASUS has finally officially released the Strix SCAR 15 (2022), a laptop considered a masterpiece in the gaming laptop lineup. With the combination of the 12th generation Intel processor and comprehensive cooling solution, the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) delivers extremely powerful performance to users. So how powerful is the Strix SCAR 15 (2022)? What is the configuration of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022)? Or how effective is the cooling system of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022)? Let's find out through the detailed review of the Strix SCAR 15 2022!

Note: The version of ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 15 (2022) used for evaluation is equipped with the Core i7-12700H processor and RTX 3060 graphics card.

See more: Review of ASUS TUF Gaming F15 (HN144W): Powerful and Bold Gaming

ROG Strix SCAR 15 (2022) features a simple yet bold gaming design

Forget about discussing the performance of Strix SCAR 15 2022 for now and let's first explore the machine's design! In my opinion, the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) carries a design that doesn't have too many differences compared to its predecessor generation.

The front panel of Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is made of metal with the integrated ROG eye logo featuring RGB LED lighting. Besides, the ROG Slash line crossing through the A is also a highlight, making the front design of the machine less plain. In my opinion, the front panel of Strix SCAR 15 (2022) has a relatively simple design, similar to previous versions of this lineup. However, this design style still immediately conveys the powerful appearance of a gaming laptop at first glance.

Oh, besides, on the left corner of Strix SCAR 15 (2022), users can also remove and replace it with one of the 3 accompanying Armor Cap sets (metal, transparent plastic, and matte plastic). I find replacing these Armor Caps quite easy because they are equipped with magnets and fit securely with the machine. According to ASUS, users can also creatively customize Armor Caps with 3D printing technology.

I quite like the design of the screen on Strix SCAR 15 (2022). The screen borders on the sides and top of the machine are thin, only the bottom border is slightly thicker. However, the lower edge design of the screen makes me feel sturdy when using Strix SCAR 15 (2022). The machine's screen size is 15.6 inches, equipped with an IPS panel with QHD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels). Thanks to the IPS panel, even when I use Strix SCAR 15 (2022) in backlight conditions, the screen still displays details clearly. Overall, the display quality on the screen of Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is extremely excellent in experience.

The design of the C side on Strix SCAR 15 (2022) also has impressive features. For a gaming laptop, the RGB LED system on each key is indispensable, and Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is no exception. The machine features a colorful RGB LED system, supporting Aura Sync, allowing me to customize it freely according to personal preferences. Additionally, part of the C side is designed by ASUS in a very interesting transparent style. I can easily see some internal components of Strix SCAR 15 (2022).

A rather subtle point I noticed on the keyboard of Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is on the W key. ASUS has designed the W key with a small raised circular ridge, allowing my hand to find and place it correctly without looking down at the keyboard while gaming. This can be seen as a plus point for the keyboard on Strix SCAR 15 (2022) when I play games at night. The point I didn't like here is probably the navigation keys of Strix SCAR 15 (2022). They are made quite small compared to my hand, making it a bit difficult for me to get used to when using them for the first time.

In the Strix SCAR 15 2022 version, the trackpad of the machine integrates the numeric keypad (NumLK) right on the touchpad area. This makes it more convenient for users when they need to enter numbers without having to use the number keys on the keyboard. Additionally, the trackpad area of the machine is quite spacious and smooth, providing comfortable mouse movement when using Strix SCAR 15 (2022).

Furthermore, the Bezel Glow border on the underside of Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is also equipped with bright LED lights. Combined with the LED lights on the keyboard, it creates an extremely magnificent and gaming atmosphere, especially during the evening gaming sessions.

The new ROG Strix SCAR laptop models also come with a special accompanying component, the Keystone. This is a physical key with magnetic connectivity, NFC support, and is neatly placed on the edge of the machine's frame. This Keystone will help synchronize my Strix SCAR 15 (2022) with gaming settings and profiles on the machine easily and conveniently. Besides this function, I find the Keystone to be a noteworthy design highlight on the Strix SCAR 15 (2022).

Additionally, the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) also supports Dolby Atmos technology and Hi-Res Audio for even better sound quality. The machine's connectivity ports remain the same as the previous generation, including 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port (supporting DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery), 1 RJ-45 network port (2.5G Lan), 1 HDMI 2.1b port, and 1 3.5mm audio port. Particularly, this 2022 version has also been upgraded with an additional USB Type-C port compared to the previous generation, supporting Thunderbolt 4 standard.

ROG Strix SCAR 15 (2022) delivers massive performance with 12th Gen Intel chip

Before diving into performance evaluation, let's quickly go through some key specifications of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022)!

• Display: 15.6-inch size, IPS panel, QHD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels), supports 240 Hz refresh rate.
• CPU: Up to Intel Core i9-12900H 12th Gen.
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GDDR6 16GB.
• RAM: 64 GB DDR5 4,800 MHz.
• Storage: 2 TB SSD PCIe 4.0.
• Operating System: Windows 11.
• Battery: 90 Wh.

The top-of-the-line version of Strix SCAR 15 (2022) will harness its power from the latest Intel Core i9-12900H chip. Moreover, its graphics prowess receives a substantial boost with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU. With such specifications, Strix SCAR 15 (2022) can deliver the ultimate gaming experience.

Furthermore, Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is designed with 14 cores and 20 threads, featuring a completely new architecture and hybrid core design, combining high-performance Performance-cores (P-cores) and power-efficient Efficient-cores (E-cores). With the 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H variant, single-core performance is improved by 25% and multi-core performance by 43% compared to the previous generation (tested with Cinebench R20 software).

The Strix SCAR 15 (2022) variant I have here is equipped with an Intel Core i7-12700H chip paired with an RTX 3060 card. Although not the most powerful configuration, the performance scores of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) are quite impressive. In my opinion, certainly with the highest-end configuration, the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) could deliver even more impressive results. You can refer to some performance test results of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) below.

Moreover, the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) impresses me with the latest DDR5 RAM clocked at up to 4,800 MHz and PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD, delivering lightning-fast responsiveness and processing capability.

Through these numbers, you must have somewhat assessed the power of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022). The laptop brings a powerhouse configuration with extremely strong performance in its segment. Besides using software to benchmark the performance of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022), I also used it to play some relatively graphics-intensive games. The result is that the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) can handle most games at maximum graphics settings, averaging frame rates of 60 FPS or higher. You can check out some results below to better understand how powerful the gaming performance of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is.

Most gaming laptops are equipped with two types of graphics cards: a dedicated GPU with high performance and an integrated GPU (iGPU). When we play games, the dedicated GPU will handle rendering frames, while the integrated card will handle displaying image data to the screen. However, a long-standing issue is that the iGPU is not powerful enough to process data sent from the dGPU, leading to a bottleneck phenomenon and affecting the performance of the machine.

For instance, when playing Valorant on a laptop with an RTX 3080, the laptop's power allows you to experience the game with a minimum FPS of over 300. However, the integrated graphics cards from Intel and AMD are not strong enough to output the full 300 frames in a short period, so the actual FPS results will hover around 200FPS - a figure easily achieved by an RTX 3060.

To address this, ROG has equipped its laptops with a chip called the MUX Switch. This chip allows data from the dGPU to be sent directly to the screen, similar to on PC models. This helps users avoid bottlenecking and reduces latency as data no longer needs to pass through multiple components as before. I believe that gamers who need high FPS in games like CS:GO, LoL, Valorant, Apex Legends, etc., will definitely appreciate ASUS's new technology.

The MUX Switch can be customized using ROG's dedicated software. Each time it's toggled, the machine needs to be restarted to apply changes, but I believe this won't bother those who primarily use their laptops for gaming.

ROG Strix SCAR 15 (2022) impressive battery life and cooling capability

In addition to performance requirements, battery life and cooling capability are also important factors for many gamers when choosing a gaming laptop. Here, I used BatteryMon software to test the 90 Wh battery of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022). I conducted tests under different usage scenarios, and here are the results I obtained:

- Scenario 1: Regular tasks usage without gaming.

• Battery life: 3 hours 23 minutes.
• Measurement duration: 1 hour.
• Screen brightness 100%, volume 70%, and battery saver mode off.
• Keyboard backlight on.
• Bluetooth connection enabled for keyboard and USB mouse connected.

- Scenario 2: Regular tasks usage with 20 minutes of gaming.

• Battery life: 2 hours 41 minutes.
• Measurement duration: 1 hour.
• Screen brightness 100%, volume 70%, and battery saver mode off.
• Keyboard backlight on.
• Bluetooth connection enabled for keyboard and USB mouse connected.

With the above result, the battery life of Strix SCAR 15 (2022) appears to be quite robust. With regular tasks usage excluding gaming, the battery life achieved is 3 hours 23 minutes. When incorporating 20 minutes of gaming, the battery life achieved is only 2 hours 41 minutes.

Regardless of gaming or non-gaming usage, in my opinion, the battery life provided by Strix SCAR 15 (2022) is quite impressive for a gaming laptop. Moreover, due to its 240 Hz refresh rate display, this is also a very good point for battery life, so I feel okay with this trade-off. However, for a smoother experience, you should still bring the charger for Strix SCAR 15 (2022) when taking the laptop outside.

Playing a crucial role in maintaining performance and temperature stability is ASUS Strix SCAR 15 (2022)'s intelligent cooling system. Opening the back of the laptop, what catches my eye is the system of 6 densely packed copper pipes, and I see that these copper pipes must cover up to 90% of the surface of the laptop's important components. The copper pipes are also coated with a matte black layer to minimize oxidation over long-term usage.

The highlight of the cooling system in the ROG Strix SCAR 15 2022 model for me is the use of Thermal Grizzly's liquid metal thermal paste. Historically, the biggest concern with using liquid metal thermal paste has been the difficulty in applying it as well as the risk of leakage causing serious damage to the circuits and capacitors. However, with the complete automation of the paste application process, ASUS has completely eliminated this risk for users. Oh, for those who don't know, the new thermal paste for this laptop is called Conductonaut Extreme, reducing CPU temperatures by up to 15 degrees Celsius!

For a more visual understanding, I used HWiNFO64 software to check the cooling capability of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022). During the measurement process, I used the laptop for normal tasks such as gaming, work, opening multiple Chrome tabs, and continuously using Photoshop for 1 hour.

The average CPU temperature I obtained was 60 degrees Celsius and GPU temperature was 62.7 degrees Celsius. Quite an impressive result regarding the cooling capability of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022). Despite being equipped with powerful specs, the temperature doesn't raise too much concern during usage. Thanks to its excellent temperature optimization, the performance of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) remains relatively unaffected even during prolonged use.

Summary

According to the information provided by ASUS, the starting price of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) will be around 54 million VND. Personally, I believe this is a reasonable price considering what the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) has to offer, from its gaming-centric design with RGB lighting system to its powerful specs.

What about you? What do you think of the Strix SCAR 15 (2022)? Do you think the Strix SCAR 15 (2022) suits your usage and entertainment needs? Don't forget to leave a comment below to let me and everyone else know. Thank you for reading through my entire article.

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