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The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023) is based around an Intel Core i9-13980HX chip, which on paper should be the fastest mobile CPU that Intel has ever made. With 16 E-Cores running at up to 3.4GHz and and 8 P-Cores running at up to 5.4GHz, it can monster its way through 24 simultaneous threads, and that’s just what it does given half a chance. Take on even the largest projects with confidence and a PCIE Gen4 SSD configured in RAID 0. With raw throughput up to 7000MB/s, massive files and large games will load in the blink of an eye. W (~4-6 h of use) – Netflix 4K HDR – multi-zone lighting, fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON; Leveraging the brand new DDR5 standard, enjoy a huge generational performance jump to 4800Mhz, with write times 50% faster than DDR4 equipped machines. This ultra fast memory makes all aspects of the laptop feel snappy, from intense gaming to light web browsing.
Keep in mind that I’ve measured the below FLIR recordings in a 24-25 C ambient room, with the laptop on the desk. Placing the laptop on a raised stand will positively impact these temperatures, dropping them by 2-3 degrees in the hottest spots, and the outer conditions in your place will also impact the readings. There’s still a MUX on this design, for uncompromised gaming performance, but new for the year is support for Nvidia’s Advanced Optimus technology and GSync on the main display. Advanced Optimus seems to work as it should here, with the exception that the system freezes for 1-2 seconds when switching between GPU modes. The Core i9-13980HX is the top mobile processor in Intel’s Raptor Lake 13th-gen platform, with 24 Cores and 32 Threads. It is a hybrid design with 8 High-Performance and dual-threaded Cores, and 16 extra Efficiency cores, which work together or separately in the various loads. The design and thermal module of this Scar allow the processor to run at ~135-150W of sustained power in demanding CPU loads, on the Turbo or Manual profiles. Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 G834JZ / Scar 16 G634JZ – Intel Core i9-13980HX + RTX 4080 175W + QHD display.With NVIDIA® Advanced Optimus, the laptop can automatically route frames from the discrete GPU directly to the display using a MUX switch, bypassing the integrated graphics. This pathing improves performance 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. Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 Gaming Laptop is a top-of-the-line gaming laptop with exceptional features. MSI Raider GE78 (9S7-17S111-062)
The MSI Stealth (9S7-15F212-011) is one of the perfect RTX 4060 gaming laptops for all the power-hungry gamers out there! Its superfast SSD of 512GB speeds up load times, and an open SSD slot makes it easy to add more space for carelessly saving all your games, game files, and other data. We tested a couple of different types of games on the various available profiles at QHD+ and FHD+ resolution, all with the MUX set on the Ultimate GPU mode. I’m not usually a huge fan of this kind of thing, but even I have to admit that it’s impressive – and it became a focus of serious attention for one of my two cats. Just like on the Scar 18, though, I noticed some coil whining on this sample, but only when launching any demanding load, in the 5-10 seconds before the fans start spinning. I haven’t experienced electronic noises with daily use, though. I also haven’t experienced persistent coil whining on the Silent profile, once the fans start spinning.The MSI Raider (9S7-15M211-012) is one of the RTX 4070 gaming laptops that enables blazing-fast performance for all the gamers who game for more than "just fun".
Play over 100 high-quality games with friends on your PC, console, phone or tablet for one low monthly price.* With games added all the time, there’s always something new to play. I reran the tests on the mature software available around late-April (BIOS 309), several months past the initial launch of this series. Despite having a monster CPU and GPU along with a large 16-inch screen, battery life is actually quite reasonable by the woeful standards of most gaming laptops, reaching 5 hours and 51 minutes in PC Mark’s Modern Office battery benchmark. Spec-wise, this 2023 ASUS Strix ROG Scar 16 is built on the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware available to date.The Strix SCAR is ready to go the distance. Featuring a 90Wh battery, the laptop can easily browse the web for hours away from the wall before needing a recharge. For flexibility on the go, USB Type-C charging is supported up to 100W. When charging using the supplied 330W power adapter, the SCAR can recharge from zero to 50% in just 30 minutes.
However, it's also important to note that the Intel Core i9-13980HX inside the Strix Scar 16 came in third behind the Strix Scar 18 and Titan GT77 in many tests. This is highly likely due to the thermal (and therefore power) constraints of a 16-inch laptop versus a 17- or 18-inch laptop using the same CPU. Graphics Tests Across a multiplicity of graphics tests, it’s impossible to say which is the outright better performer, the 150W/16GB RTX 4090-equipped Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 or the 175W/12GB RTX 4080-equipped Scar 16. Whether you're playing the latest AAA titles or streaming live gaming content, the MSI Stealth (9S7-15F212-011) is the perfect choice for all the gamers who want nothing less than the absolute best! Wrapping Up! Finally, most gaming laptops have a dual fan cooling system, but the SCAR 16 was able to push the performance envelope even further with the introduction of a third fan that helps keep the GPU and VRAM cool. Paired with seven heatpipes and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on both the CPU and GPU, the SCAR 16’s cooling system is a marvel of engineering.Above the display is a 720p webcam, which isn't much to write home about, but it works. The color quality is decent, but not fantastic (my skin tones always looked redder than in reality), and it struggles with varying light levels. However, its biggest issue is the resolution, which will make you the most pixelated kid on the Zoom call. It's a shame that this Strix couldn't receive the same 1080p webcam sold on competing models like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8. Switching over to the Performance profile translates in the CPU stabilizing at ~100W and temperatures in the low-80s, with the fans spinning quieter at ~42 dB at head-level. The system power limits the CPU on this profile, and the performance takes a 10-12% drop from the Turbo profile.
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