Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 2022 review (G733ZW – Core i9-12900H, RTX 3070Ti)
Summary:
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 is a capable performance/gaming full-size laptop and one of the better value options in its class, especially with an RTX 3070Ti + QHD screen configuration tested here. Compared to previous Scar 17 the New one is significantly more powerful than its predecessor. The update includes upgraded specs, higher power graphics chips and implementation of a MUX which all work together to give gamers an elite experience in game play or heavy workloads alike! However despite these benefits there’s still some drawbacks worth mentioning such as overheating issues with the GPU side on newer Intel Alder Lake platforms and is not as efficient on battery use as the AMD hardware in the 2021 model.
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This article takes an in-depth look at the new Asus ROG Strix Scar 17, a full size performance/gaming laptop released by them this year.
The new Scar 17 (2022) from Asus is an updated version of the (2021) model released last year. While there are no significant changes in appearance or features, this time around they have gone with a more standard rubber-dome keyboard instead of their optical mechanical switch implementation on 2021’s edition which wasn’t well received by buyers (and me). I’m sure most potential customers will appreciate not having to deal with pesky ghost keystrokes while typing out sentences!
The new Scar 17 generation of laptops is here! The 12th Intel Alder Lake platform, DDR5 memory and the latest RTX 3070 Ti graphics chip from Nvidia are just some features that make this laptop so fast. With upgraded power settings for your GPUs to 150W instead of 130 W like before on the 2021 generation.
This Scar 17 notebook has a significant performance boost in demanding workloads and games, but also high internal temperatures on the GPU side with those activities. The downsides are that it’s less efficient than other laptops due to its larger size as well having limited runtimes on battery life which can be an issue for gamers who want long sessions before needing outlets nearby or someone constantly travelling through airports where there aren’t always available power ports at every gate waiting patiently behind them!
You’ll find all the essential information you need to know about this series in our comprehensive review below.
Specs Sheet As Reviewed
2022 ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733ZW | |
Display | 17.3-inch, 16:9, non-touch, matte, BOE BOE0A69 panel QHD 2560 x 1440 px IPS, 240 Hz with 100% DCI-P3 FHD 360Hz panel option also available, with 100% SRGB |
Processor | Intel 12th gen Alder Lake, up to Core i9-12900H, 6C+8c/20T |
Video | Intel UHD + Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti Laptop 16GB (up to 150W with Dynamic Boost) with MUX and Adaptive Sync (no GSync on internal display) |
Memory | 32 GB DDR5-4800 RAM – up to 64 GB (2x DIMMs) |
Storage | 2 TB SSD (Samsung PM9A1) – 2x M.2 PCI 4.0 x4 slots |
Connectivity | WiFi 6E (Mediatek MT7922) 2×2 with Bluetooth 5.2, 2.5Gigabit LAN (Realtek RTL8125) |
Ports | 2x USB-A 3.2 gen1, 1x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C gen2 with video and data, HDMI 2.1, LAN, headphone&mic |
Battery | 90Wh, 280 W power adapter, USB-C charging up to 100W |
Size | 395 mm or 15.55” (w) x 282 mm or 11.1 (d) x 27.5 mm or 1.08” (h) |
Weight | 2.76 kg (6.1 lbs),99 kg (2.2 lbs) power brick and cables, EU version |
Extras | rubber-dome per-key RGB backlit keyboard with NumPad, quad speakers, no webcam or biometrics, Keystone |
This is the best-value 2022 Scar 17 configurations available here. The Core i9 processor paired with RTX 3070 Ti graphics chip and QHD 240Hz screen make for a powerful laptop, but there’s a chance that particular combo might not be available everywhere as Asus reserves this option for some markets only.
We’ll be following up with reviews on other GPU configurations in the next couple of weeks, for an RTX 3080 Ti model ( Scar 17 G733ZX) and hopefully a base-tier decision too!
Design and construction
The ROG Scar 17 is a full-size 17-inch laptop, roughly 1.1-inches (27 mm) thick and 6.1 lbs (2.76 Kg) in weight. The lightweight and compact design is still present but with more features than before for those who need it in their professional life or gaming session on-the go!
The SCAR 17’s exterior is nearly a perfect replica of its 2021 predecessor, with only some minor design changes and an even more discreet ROG logo.
Before, the entire lid-logo was backlit, and now only the perimeter is lit and the inside of the logo is not. This is still RGB and fully controllable in the Aura Creator control app, much like all of lightbars. The one under your display screen as well as a secondary chassis around main body are both adjustable with this app. The Aura app is still a bit cumbersome to figure out, but Asus includes an helpful how-to guide that explains it well and manages what they’re designed.
With aluminum for the lid-cover and different types of plastic used elsewhere, this laptop is neither light nor durable. The anodized metal on its surfaces can get scratched easily while smudge marks are permanent due to black or dark grey coloration that shows even when cleaned off; especially present in places like smooth plastics arm rests and at spots where dirt likes settle most often – onto these vulnerable areas!
Some of you might also think that the inner chassis is made out of plastic and not metal, but this actually feels comfortable to the touch. The top-right half of the C-deck is translucent and allows you to peek inside at the internal components. This wouldn’t have been possible with a metal construction!
These laptops are a design particularity of the ROG Scar series, alongside customizable caps. With different versions included in this pack and ability to create your own 3D printed version if you want customized Laptop for yourself!
The build quality is sturdy, with little flex in either the lid or chassis. I also haven’t noticed any warping noises during my time with these 2022 ROG Strix models- a good sign for those looking to buy this laptop!
This laptop is perfect for those who want to work from their desk and it’s very easy to pull up or adjust with one hand. The screen also has enough glare protection so you can see what your doing without any problems, plus its rubber feet keep the device securely planted on surfaces! The edges are dulled and friendly on the wrists. This laptop has a spacious armrest, as expected from an 17-inch product. It also features uncompromised inputs and punchy speakers that fire through cuts under the display!
The computer’s screen still doesn’t lean back past 110 degrees, which can be limiting when not using this laptop on a desk. Some might also complain about the design with tiny bezels at top and sides (which leave no room for any camera) as well as heavy chin under it – but I don’t mind because my gaze is drawn naturally behind anyway so that cut in profile allows me peek behind without fully exposing cables connected there!
What really bugs me is the big and bright status LEDs under my screen, or that always-on red light in power button. It’s so annoying when I use this at night!
The IO is still mostly on the back of your laptop and left side, but with a few changes. There are only 2x USB-A slots now, both on the left edge, and 2x USB-C ports on the back: one of them supports Thunderbolt 4 with data and video and is plugged into the iGPU, and the other supports data and video through the dGPU. With the latest upgrade, gamers can now use their dGPU and HDMI 2.1 port to output games without sacrificing performance!
I still don’t understand the practical benefits of that Keystone and would have preferred if Asus had utilized its space for either an SD card reader or even another USB-A slot. This might not sound like much, but having all my USBs on one side isn’t ideal to me – although it is something I can live with (for now).
All in all, the ROG Scar 17 is still a fair design for 2022, and it would be up to you to accept its drawbacks or look elsewhere if any are a deal-breaker.
Keyboard and trackpad
The ASUS 2020 ROG Scar 17 will be returning to a standard rubber-dome keyboard after last year’s experiment with optomechanical switches wasn’t received as well in some areas.
This year, Asus finally came out with a regular keyboard instead of clicky mechanical keys. The new design is much more comfortable and it’s also quieter than last year’s model—I’m happy for these changes!
The layout of the keyboard is also partially different, especially around the arrows and NumPad section. Yes there’s a bit more cramped space for this area but you can still find keys that will help with almost anything in here! And while they’re shorter than what we saw on 2021 design model ,I still find them perfectly usable as well because of how slightly spaced apart from everything else makes all operate easier-and looking at pictures never gets old.
The keyboard is very similar to the one in 2021 ROG Strix G17 series. It didn’t strike me for anything in particular, just doing its job of making you type fast without mistakes!
The keys on this board are bright and colorful, with the ability to customize each key’s color. There is some light creeping from under their caps but it doesn’t become an issue until you’re looking directly at them which means most people won’t even notice!
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When it comes to the mouse, Asus has stuck with larger glass clickpads they offered in past. This is a comfortable and accurate device but I still find physical clicks rather clunky as well as noisy when tapping on them strongly for firmer responses from your computer’s trackpad or keyboard surfaces which can be more sensitive depending upon how much force you use during each tap.
There’s no sign of any biometrics on this 2022 ROG Strix SCAR 17.
Screen
ASUS offers two screen options for the 2022 ROG Scar 17, all of which are 17.3-inch panel displays with 16:9 aspect ratios and matte finishes (non touch).
- FHD 360Hz 3ms with 300+ nits of brightness and 100% sRGB colors;
- QHD 240Hz 3ms with 300+ nits of brightness and 100% DCI-P3 colors.
We have a later option on our unit and it makes the most sense for this kind of laptop today.
Aside from the fact that this panel doesn’t get very bright, there’s nothing to complain about. This screen option is ideal for daily use, gaming and professional creators who need good color accuracy. However if there’s one more thing missing here: GSync support on the internal monitor; Adaptive Sync is implemented instead to prevent tearing.
Here’s what we got in our tests, with an X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor:
- Panel HardwareID: BOE BOE0A69 (NE173QHM-NZ2);
- Coverage: 99.9% sRGB, 85.0% AdobeRGB, 99.2% DCI-P3;
- Measured gamma: 2.15;
- Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 299.47 cd/m2 on power;
- Min brightness in the middle of the screen: 12.44 cd/m2 on power;
- Contrast at max brightness: 1115:1;
- White point: 6900 K;
- Black on max brightness: 0.26 cd/m2;
- PWM: No.
With a calibration run, the panel comes well-calibrated out of box yet you can further improve Gamma and White Point with minimal effort. Once properly calibrated our sample proved reasonably uniform despite some imbalances in corners that were evident when viewing an object from particular angles or close up shots due to light bleeding on one side only – this varies between each unit so make sure your units have been looked into before purchasing!
The lower tier configurations of this laptop come with a FHD 360Hz panel, which is similar to the one we tested in our 2021 Scar 17 review over here.
Hardware and performance
This is the top of line for gaming laptops, The test model is the top (G733ZW) model built on an Intel Core i9-12900H processor, 32 GB of DDR5-4800 memory in dual channel, 2 TB of fast SSD storage, and dual graphics: the Nvidia RTX 3070Ti dGPU with 8 GB of vRAM and the Iris Xe iGPU integrated within the Intel processor.
We have been sent over a review unit by Asus and the software currently available is BIOS 306, Armoury Crate 5.0 22 0 (early February 2022). As aspects change through later releases there might be differences in features or performance with this hardware/drivers combo so keep an eye out for updates!
The latest Intel and Nvidia hardware is at the heart of this year’s ASUS ROG Scar 17. The Core i9-12900H is one of the top mobile processors in Intel’s Alder Lake 12th-gen platform, with 14 Cores and 20 Threads. It is a hybrid design with 6 High-Performance and dual-threaded Cores, and 8 extra Efficiency cores, which work together in the various loads. The design and thermal module of this Scar also allow the processor to run at up to 100W of sustained power in demanding CPU loads, on the maximum-performance profile.
For the GPU, the 2022 Scar 17 series is available with RTX 3000 and RTX 3000 Ti graphics chips. What we have on this sample is the mid-tier RTX 3070Ti running at up to 150W with Dynamic Boost in supported games and applications.
The new Asus Scar series was a vast improvement over last year’s model, with improved power settings for their GPU and an updated thermal compound that leads to increased performance. They also added in some extra features like MUXes which really pimped out this laptop!
With its two accessible memory DIMMs and M.2 SSD slots, the laptop still offers great storage options for when you need it most! We were able to get this unit with 32 GB of DDR5-4800 RAM in dual channel while also including a fast PCIe 4 Samsung SSD. I cannot guarantee you’ll get the exact same SSD with the retail units.
Getting inside the computer is easy, all you have to do it lift up on back panel. It’s held in place by two screws that are covered when installed so make sure not touch them or else they might break! Be careful with lifting also because if there’s too much tension then these ribbons connecting lights near your screen could come off too – which would require fixing again.
Inside you’ll find all the components, the big battery, and the thermal module.
The lack of innovation is disappointing, but the Scar 17 has a few improvements over its smaller sibling. The longer heat-pipes on GPU side provide an extra measure for safety when playing games with high processor demand and greater chance at maxing out your system’s power draw; I would have appreciated seeing some additional design elements used to make this laptop more exciting like beefier speakers or even larger battery capacity in that empty space around it.
Asus offers a variety of power profiles in the Armoury Crate control app: Silent, Performance and Turbo and manual with various settings between them.
- Silent – quite fan-noise at under 35 dB, limited CPU/GPU speeds and power;
- Performance – balanced profile with stock CPU/GPU settings and 40 dB max fan noise;
- Turbo – High-Performance profile with increased CPU power allocation, faster-spinning fans at up to 48 dB, and overclocked GPU (+50 MHz Core/+100 MHz Memory, up to 150W,).
- Manual – like Turbo, but with the ability to custom tweak the CPU PL1/PL2 power level and GPU power/clocks, plus create manual fan profiles based on temperature limits.
The different profiles allow you to tailor your system’s performance for specific tasks. Turbo/Manual are meant specifically with gaming and other demanding loads in mind, while Silent is made of light daily use where the fan will only turn on when necessary at 60 degrees C or less than that if needed.
Here’s what to expect in terms of performance and temperatures with everyday multitasking, browsing, and video.
Performance and benchmarks
We then move on to more demanding loads, such as testing the CPU’s performance by running Cinebench R15 for 15+ times in a loop with 1-2 seconds delay between each run.
With the Core i9 processor, we see that it stabilizes at ~100W of sustained power on Turbo mode which translates into frequencies between 3.3GHz and 4 GHz for all four cores with temperatures staying around 93-95 degrees celsius (carrying out this test under heavy workloads). The fans spin 48 dB ruuus while running flat out – no throttling here! The CPU does run at higher power for a short while in this test, as the PL1 and PL2 levels are set at 135W here, but thermal and power throttling kick in after a little bit, leading to the stabilized sustained power of around 100W.
The i9 processor could score somewhat higher in this test if the thermal design is different. At the same time, the 2022 i9-based Scar 17 scores roughly 25% higher in this test compared to the 2021 Ryzen 9 Scar 17. It’s also worth noting that Asus have also upped the sustained power limits from the Ryzen 9 2021 models by a fair amount, as those were only running at 75-80W sustained power.
For what it’s worth, there’s no undervolting option in the BIOS and voltage control is locked with both XTU or Throttlestop so you can’t tweak your CPU at this point.
Switching over to the Performance profile translates in the CPU stabilizing at 70W and temperatures still in the mid 90s, but with the fans spinning quieter at ~40 dB at head-level. Once more, the system allows for a higher power allocation closer to the 90W PL1 limit set for this profile for a couple of loops, and then the PL2 power limit kicks in once the processor hits 95C consistently.
This Silent profile is more power-limited at only 30W sustained, with barely audible fans (sub 35 dB) and lofty temperatures. The i9-12900H still scores 1500 points in the Cinebench test; roughly 60% of its Turbo performance–not bad for a Silent mode!
Finally, the CPU runs at ~35 W on battery, on the Performance profile, with still respectable scores of around 1650+ points. Details below.
The Core i9-12900H implementation is a clear winner in this test, edging out even the most potent AMD and Intel processors. We haven’t yet tested how it fares against newer models such as Ryzen 7 9700HX or NVIDIA’s RTX 2080 Ti.
We also ran the 3DMark CPU profile test and it showed that our Alder Lake review unit is a powerful one. On Turbo, results are 5%+ over anything else in lower-cores tests while 20+percent better than competition for all 16 threads active at once!
We next verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and Blender – Classroom, which resulted in similar results to those explained above.
We ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook to see if it could handle heavier workloads. The 3DMark test is designed for 20 loops and looks for performance variation and degradation over time, and this unit passed it just fine, which means there’s no performance throttling with longer-duration sustained loads.
We ran the entire suite of tests and benchmarks, on a stock Turbo profile in Armoury Crate.
- 3DMark 13 – Fire Strike:26461 (Graphics – 29768, Physics – 31403, Combined – 12789);
- 3DMark 13 – Port Royal:6856;
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy:11646 (Graphics – 11302, CPU – 14081);
- Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme:7132;
- Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium:21075;
- Handbrake 1.3.3 (4K to 1080p encode):19 average fps;
- PassMark 10:Rating: 9888 (CPU mark: 33280, 3D Graphics Mark: 23838, Disk Mark: 39791);
- PCMark 10:7825 (Essentials – 10841, Productivity – 9752, Digital Content Creation – 12298);
- GeekBench 5.4.3 64-bit:Single-Core: 1865, Multi-core: 13833;
- CineBench R15 (best run):CPU 2933 cb, CPU Single Core 264 cb;
- CineBench R20 (best run):CPU 7102 cb, CPU Single Core 708 cb;
- CineBench R23 (best run):CPU 18506 cb, CPU Single Core 1838 cb;
- x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit:78 s.
The 2022 i9 + RTX 3070Ti 150W+ MUX model ends up faster across the board when compared to its R9 + RTX 3080 Super 130W configuration of the 2021 Scar 17.
We saw a 15-25% increase in single core scores and 20 -30% higher in the all-core tests.
The RTX 3080 in the 2021 Scar only came up faster than its predecessor, but when put head-to-head with other cards from this year’s lineup it still maintains an edge, but the higher-power RTX 3070Ti in the 2022 generation outscores it by a small margin in all the other benchmarks.
And here are some workstation benchmarks, on the same Turbo profile:
- Blender 2.93 – BMW Car scene- CPU Compute:2m 21s (Turbo);
- Blender 2.93 – BMW Car scene- GPU Compute:35s (CUDA), 19s (Optix);
- Blender 2.93 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute:6m 35s (Turbo);
- Blender 2.93 – Classroom scene – GPU Compute:2m 24s (CUDA), 1m 2s (Optix);
- Pugetbench – DaVinvi Resolve:1193 points;
- Pugetbench – Adobe Afert Effects:1021;
- Pugetbench – Adobe Photoshop:1141;
- Pugetbench – Adobe Premiere:919;
- SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax:49 (Turbo);
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia:88 (Turbo);
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Creo:91 (Turbo);
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Energy:54 (Turbo);
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya:47 (Turbo);
- SPECviewperf 2020 – Medical:4 (Turbo);
- SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX:32 (Turbo);
- SPECviewperf 2020 – SW:53 (Turbo).
- V-Ray Benchmark:CPU – 12454 vsamples, GPU CUDA – 1250 vpaths, GPU RTX – 1541 vpaths;
The i9 demolishes the Ryzen 9 5900HX in every single one of these tests, and as a whole this middle-upper 2022 configuration outmatches its top tier model across all departments by an equally large or smaller amount.
You can see from these results that the laptop does run at up to 48 dB on the Turbo profile, so there might be situations when you’d rather sacrifice performance for noise-level. Here’s how this 2022 Scar 17 performs with its Performance setting which limits fans speed and ensures they only generate 40dB of sound at head level!
- 3DMark 13 – Fire Strike:23573 (Graphics – 27288, Physics – 28940, Combined – 10253);
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy:10660 (Graphics – 10368, CPU – 12691);
- Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme:6712;
- CineBench R20 (best run):CPU 6224 cb, CPU Single Core 704 cb.
The Performance mode only takes a 10% hit on this, but at the same time internals tend to heat up. That means I wouldn’t abuse it for sustained demanding chores in hotter environments.
The fans rarely go over 35 dB with Silent profile, which is perfect for when you want to game or listen quietly.
- 3DMark 13 – Fire Strike:9756 (Graphics – 10809, Physics – 18815, Combined – 3978);
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy:4751 (Graphics – 4310, CPU – 11309);
- Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme:3690;
- CineBench R20 (best run):CPU 3749 cb, CPU Single Core 594 cb.
If you want to use your computer in this mode, be aware that the CPU and GPU will run at perfectly adequate temperatures but there won’t be any thermal restrictions. You can decide if it’s worth sacrificing some performance/noise balance for silence.
Gaming performance
Now, the ROG Scar 17 is primarily a gaming laptop, so let’s see how it handles modern titles.
We tested several games at UHD and FHD resolution on Ultra settings, but also with Manual mode that I’ll explain further down.
I haven’t included Silent Mode in the tables because its benefits are less evident than those of boost or overclocker’s profiles; however we will discuss it below!
Here are the raw numbers, all these on the Discrete GPU mode
Intel Core i9-12900H + RTX 3070Ti Laptop 125-150W |
QHD Turbo | QHD Manual | QHD Performance | FHD Turbo |
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, RTX OFF) |
124 fps (65 fps – 1% low) | 128 fps (70 fps – 1% low) | 115 fps (48 fps – 1% low) | 160 fps (58 fps – 1% low) |
Cyberpunk 2077 (DX 12, Ultra Preset, RTX OFF) |
44 fps (35 fps – 1% low) | – | 41 fps (32 fps – 1% low) | 66 fps (53 fps – 1% low) |
Far Cry 6 (DX 12, Ultra Preset) |
85 fps (45 fps – 1% low) | 87 fps (46 fps – 1% low) | 77 fps (40 fps – 1% low) | 105 fps (55 fps – 1% low) |
Far Cry 5 (DX 11, Ultra Preset, SMAA) |
111 fps (86 fps – 1% low) | 114 fps (88 fps – 1% low) | 102 fps (76 fps – 1% low) | 153 fps (111 fps – 1% low) |
Metro Exodus (DX 12, Ultra Preset, RTX OFF) |
67 fps (48 fps – 1% low) | – | 62 fps (46 fps – 1% low) | 84 fps (54 fps – 1% low) |
Red Dead Redemption 2 (DX 12, Ultra Optimized, TAA) |
79 fps (54 fps – 1% low) | – | – | 115 fps (88 fps – 1% low) |
Shadow of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Highest Preset, TAA) |
99 fps (59 fps – 1% low) | 100 fps (64 fps – 1% low) | 91 fps (55 fps – 1% low) | 133 fps (72 fps – 1% low) |
Doom Eternal (Vulkan, Ultra Preset) |
164 fps (91 fps – 1% low) | – | 161 fps (84 fps – 1% low) | 278 fps (86 fps – 1% low) |
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (DX 11, Ultra Preset, Hairworks On 4) |
106 fps (79 fps – 1% low) | 108 fps (82 fps – 1% low) | 100 fps (74 fps – 1% low) | 143 fps (101 fps – 1% low) |
Battlefield V, The Witcher 3 – recorded with Fraps/in-game FPS counter in campaign mode;
Far Cry 5, Middle Earth, Strange Brigade, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tomb Raider games – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities;
Red Dead Redemption 2 Optimized profile based on these settings.
Those above are rasterization tests, and here are some results for RTX titles
Intel Core i9-12900H + RTX 3070Ti Laptop 125-150W |
QHD Turbo | FHD Turbo |
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, RTX ON, DLSS OFF) |
79 fps (61 fps – 1% low) | 106 fps (74 fps – 1% low) |
Doom Eternal (DX 12, Ultra Preset, RTX ON, DLSS OFF) |
113 fps (73 fps – 1% low) | 244 fps (82 fps – 1% low) |
Cyberpunk 2077 (DX 12, Ultra Preset + RTX, DLSS Quality) |
51 fps (42 fps – 1% low) | 62 fps (51 fps – 1% low) |
Shadow of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Highest Preset, TAA, RTX Ultra) |
58 fps (28 fps – 1% low) | 84 fps (36 fps – 1% low) |
With the 2022 scar, MSI has implemented a higher-power GPU and improved thermal compound on their newest processor. This leads to 5% – 12% more frame rates when comparing this 3080Ti in question with its predecessor, the MUX enabled chip for 2021 Scar 17 models running at 3GHz+.
MUX performance – Hybrid vs Discrete modes
When it comes to performance, the MUX has little impact on model. This is evident in both Hybrid and dGPU modes where they are neck-and-neck with each other for efficiency!
Intel Core i9-12900H + RTX 3070Ti Laptop 125-150W |
QHD Turbo, dGPU | QHD Turbo, Hybrid | FHD Turbo, dGPU | FHD Turbo, Hybrid |
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, RTX OFF) |
124 fps (65 fps – 1% low) | 123 fps (64 fps – 1% low) | 160 fps (58 fps – 1% low) | 154 fps (56 fps – 1% low) |
Far Cry 6 (DX 12, Ultra Preset) |
85 fps (45 fps – 1% low) | 78 fps (61 fps – 1% low) | 105 fps (55 fps – 1% low) | 99 fps (66 fps – 1% low) |
Far Cry 5 (DX 11, Ultra Preset, SMAA) |
111 fps (86 fps – 1% low) | 110 fps (88 fps – 1% low) | 153 fps (111 fps – 1% low) | 148 fps (109 fps – 1% low) |
Metro Exodus (DX 12, Ultra Preset, RTX OFF) |
67 fps (48 fps – 1% low) | 66 fps (48 fps – 1% low) | 84 fps (54 fps – 1% low) | 83 fps (52 fps – 1% low) |
Shadow of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Highest Preset, TAA) |
99 fps (59 fps – 1% low) | 97 fps (82 fps – 1% low) | 133 fps (72 fps – 1% low) | 125 fps (67 fps – 1% low) |
Doom Eternal (Vulkan, Ultra Preset) |
164 fps (91 fps – 1% low) | 153 fps (62 fps – 1% low) | 278 fps (86 fps – 1% low) | 228 fps (76 fps – 1% low) |
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (DX 11, Ultra Preset, Hairworks On 4) |
106 fps (79 fps – 1% low) | 108 fps (80 fps – 1% low) | 143 fps (101 fps – 1% low) | 140 fps (85 fps – 1% low) |
The differences between the three modes are notable, but you can run most recent AAA games on a Hybrid mode at QHD resolution. The MUX plays bigger role in high-framerate titles such as Doom or CS:GO.
With that out of the way, let’s go over some performance and temperatures logs
The Turbo profile with an ambient room temperature of around 25 C allows for one-touch operation.
While most games are run at around 82-86 degrees Celsius on the GPU, which is hot enough for me personally. With Dynamic Boost 2.0 turned on in this case and close to 150W allowed by law with a max power limit of 87C then you can expect some pretty high temperatures here if your preference would be lower than that!
I’d prefer more room when paste degradation occurs later down road so it doesn’t affect gameplay performance too much or ever negatively impact game play itself.
The CPU side often reaches 80 degrees Celsius, with the system powering down to 25-30W as it shifts power from GPU to CPUs. However in Far Cry 5 I recorded an average temperature of mid or high 80s on my i9 processor which was not too far off what you would expect at 85 C for both parts together!
You can find more information by going through the logs. This batch is at screen’s native QHD resolution.”
These are also for the Turbo mode, but at FHD resolution.
With the various tricks tried last year in mind, I wanted to see what can be done this year on my new 2022 Scar 17 with regards high GPU temperatures.
To improve airflow, I raised the back of my laptop from its original position. This opened up room for air to flow under and around it without obstruction or interference by slim rear rubber feet that were previously blocking some intake areas.
The laptop cooler can make a major difference in how your computer operates. We saw an average 2-5 degrees C decrease on both the CPU and GPU, which translates into lower temperatures for you! This might not seem like much, but it’s a notable improvement that Asus could have easily achieved with taller rubber feet on the back of the laptop.
After finding a profile that satisfied my needs in the Manual mode, I moved on to Customize. Here you can set custom fan speeds and settings for your processor as well as change how loud it gets—the max setting being 52-54 dB at head level compared with 48dB on standard Turbo Mode! In order not have things too quiet or noisy sounding when gaming though (since most people would rather Listen than Types), I opted instead for some middle ground.
- CPU: PL1 limit at 35W (to prevent CPU overheating in titles that don’t scale well with Dynamic Boost and favor the power shifting to the GPU), fan set at 60% rpm for temperatures over 70C, 80% rpm for over 80C and 90% rpm for over 90C.
- GPU: the same +50MHz Core and +100 MHz memory overclock (there’s room for further tweaking here), fan set at 80% for temperatures over 75C and 90% for over 80C.
This profile will pretty much always keep your GPU at 90% fan speed, and it’s great for stabilizing temperature in Far Cry 5. The tables above show how!
However, the manual setting has almost no noticeable impact on CPU/GPU temperatures with a laptop sitting on desk.
However, bumping the back of the laptop from the table helps once more, shaving off 1-2 extra degrees over the components compared to the raised Turbo mode.
This laptop has a clever feature that protects your GPU from overheating by limiting the power and frequency. For testing, I set my limit at 80 degrees Celsius so as not to overheat this vital component of every gaming rig!
In Far Cry 6, you’ll see a roughly 10% decrease in performance with the GPU lowered to ~130W of average power. However in Cyberpunk 2020 this only drops 7%, as the GPU averages ~133W of power in this scenario.
The best way to reduce noise when playing games is by turning on either the Performance mode or Silent Mode.
On the performance mode, rpms take about 10% hit compared to turbo. While components still run hot enough and fans spin much quieter at 40 dB on this profile you will have accept GPU temperatures in excess of 85 degrees Celsius as well power throttling from time-to-time while playing games – all which are more heightened than what happens when running solely off your processor’s speed alone (without any reduction).
The laptop’s back is lifted up when using the Turbo profiles, but not as much with lower fan RPMs.
But you can also create a Performance-like profile in Manual mode, opting for lower Dynamic Boost setting and fan profiles. You’ll get around 40 dB noise levels with this setup; expect about 15%-25% performance toll over Turbo Mode, though I’ll further look into this in our future Scar reviews.
The Silent mode is designed to keep your computer as cool and quiet possible, so it limits the amount of processing power that goes into certain parts. This leads not only in lower component temperatures but also noise levels below 35 dB!
You can get a respectable gaming experience with Whisper Mode enabled and the 60 fps limit, but you won’t be able to play recent AAA titles at QHD resolution or Ultra settings. You should cut down graphics settings on these more demanding games if your computer doesn’t have adequate power for it I recommend Medium mode as an option though this Silent profile runs pretty well even while using all available resources!
The 2022 Scar 17 is a high-performance gaming laptop that provides an excellent upgrade over its predecessor. With the 12th gen i9 processor, DDR5 memory and higher power graphics card you can expect up to 25% faster performance than on previous models for matching specs!
The Asus 2020 Scar 17 remains a hot laptop, especially on the GPU side with this generation. They haven’t updated their thermal module or paste since last time I checked – that’s not good! Bumping up against your desk can help cool things off some too- but if you’re going to be gaming often then consider getting one of those top cooling pads as well (or tweaking settings in manual mode).
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others
This new laptop has a sleek and stylish design, but the cooling system is extremely outdated.
The Asus Scar 17 (2022) lacks any significant upgrades from its predecessor in terms on thermals.
The Scar 17 is a relative beast when it comes to performance and thermals. The only noteworthy difference from last year’s model, aside from an updated liquid-metal compound used on the CPU side (Thermal Grizzly Conduconaut Extreme), which actually seems like it’s helping here in conjunction with Dynamic Boost technology that shifts power away from your system’s processor during high sustained application load times so you can safely get more done before overheating – even if they are running at higher powers than before! This newer generation also has lower combined loads for both components as well.
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 is a gaming laptop that’s sure to keep you cool under pressure. With an 82-87 degree average temperature on the Performance and Turbo profiles of all games tested, it’s not too bad for such power behind wheel! The slim rubber feet do cause some choke points where intake fans are located but luckily this can be bumped up by adding more space between your desktops or other objects near them – making even less demanding game play possible without worrying about overworking either component within its limits (and causing tempermental performance).
The design of the 2022 Scar is an updated version from its predecessor, with higher-power settings for gamers. However they still share similar features to cut down on costs and make sure everything fits within desired specifications without making too many changes at once if there’s no need! The rubber feet on rear plate could have been useful but this doesn’t seem like much else besides updating some internal cooling components such as adding larger radiators or fans which would help move more air through your system faster so you’re not bottlenecking any ways.
With those changes, the GPU could have run cooler and perhaps Asus could also allow for even higher-powered graphics cards. Close competition like Alienware X17 offer up to 165W of power in their 17 inch laptops which is more than what I’ve seen on competing models from GE76 Raider or even an updated Predator Helios 500 when/if available. As it stands now ,the Scar series comes within 90%+ percent performance compared with these options—a trade off that may be accepted depending upon your budget needs but shouldn’t come at too high price points since this type product typically falls beneath them.
Now, as far as the outer case temperatures go, those are alright on Turbo and only noticeably warmer on the Performance and Silent profile.
- Gaming – Silent – playing Far Cry 5 for 30 minutes, Silent profile, fans at ~35 dB
- *Gaming – Performance – playing Far Cry 5 for 30 minutes, fans at ~40 dB
- *Gaming – Turbo, on desk – playing Cyberpunk 2077 for 30 minutes, fans at ~48 dB
With the 0dB Technology, this laptop is a breeze with everyday use. The two fans can completely switch off when on Silent profile and only need to work in case if you’re using 60 C or higher for most of your time – which will be less than 1% according to their stats!
- Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Silent profile, fans at 0 dB
The Wireless 6E and Bluetooth 5 on this unit, as well 2.5 Gigabit Lan an update from the previous generations. However Asus only equipped our sample with a rather limited Mediatek chip which is OK for everyday use but not very fast compared modern Intel modules available these days.
I can’t tell for sure what you’ll be getting on the retail units –Luckily, the WiFi chip can be updated if you need/want to and there are plenty of compatible upgrades available.
The audio quality here is top-notch for laptop speakers, with two main speakers firing on the bottom and extra tweeters firing through grills under display. The sound has rich bass as well as loudness that reaches 80+ dB at head level without distortion or any other major noticing issues so far; but you might want to use headphones if this would bother your ears during gameplay– Asus didn’t skimp when it came down making sure all their customers can enjoy themselves no matter what game they are playing.
The camera… well, it still doesn’t exist.
Battery life
The new 2022 ROG Scar models are powered by a impressive 90Wh battery. The 15 and 17 inch options both come equipped with this powerful cell.
When using the laptop on battery, it will automatically switch to a refresh rate of 60 Hz for increased efficiency. To maximize runtimes make sure you enable Hybrid mode in Armory Crate and not use its discrete GPU profile as this tweak may cause flickers when disconnected from an outlet (due to side-effects).
Here’s what we got on our review unit in terms of battery life, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~60 brightness) and on Hybrid mode.
- 18 W (~5 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Silent Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 17 W (~5 h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 15 W (~5-6 h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 24 W (~3-4 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Performance Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 80 W (~1+ h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Performance Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON, no fps limit.
It’s worth noting that while the runtimes are not much improved over earlier software, this may change with future tweaks. Asus mentions 10+ hours of video playback on their site but our tests have yet to reaches those levels as well.
Given our experience with other Alder Lake laptops, it seems that efficiency is still the platform’s Achilles heel. The hybrid CPU design and its Efficiency cores haven’t been able to produce consistent performance increases like they did in earlier releases–not even when overclocked!
In comparison, here’s what we got on last year’s AMD-based Scar 17.
- 5 W (~6-8 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Silent Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 5 W (~10+ h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 8 W (~10+ h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 5 W (~5-6 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Performance Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON;
- 80 W (~1+ h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Performance Mode, screen at 60%, WiFi ON, no fps limit.
The ROG Scar 17 G733ZW configuration comes with a 280W power brick, larger and heavier than the 240 watt variant on 2021 Scars. The battery takes about 2 hours to charge from 0-100%. Fast charging is supported for 1/2 hour at full speed, and USB-C charging is supported, up to 100W.
When this laptop is hooked over USB-C, you will be unable to use the Turbo/Manual settings for everyday multitasking and occasional heavy workloads on Performance. The charger isn’t included in box with ROG models but Asus says that 100W PD chargers should still work well when found at stores this year.
Price and availability- 2022 ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17
The 2022 Asus ROG Scar 17 is listed in some regions at the time of this article.
The top-tier Scar 17 G733ZX, with the RTX 3080Ti dGPU, is priced at :
Final thoughts- 2022 ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 review
Last year I ended up recommending the ROG Scar 17 as a well-balanced laptop for gamers and performance enthusiasts, but warned you about its mechanical keyboard’s high CPU/GPU temperatures under load.
The newest Scar 17 competes with last year’s top-of-the line model in nearly every way. It features more powerful hardware, higher quality graphics and a MUX which all combine to make this mid range configuration significantly better than its predecessors on just about any benchmark or game imaginable – except for perhaps RayTracing tests (which it still wins)
When it comes to keyboards, there’s nothing like the feel of a standard rubber-dome keyboard. The kind you find on most ROG laptops from past years and even some current models such as this year’s Scar 17 that came with an optomechanical keyswitches I wasn’t fond about when using them in practice but sounds cool otherwise! So glad Asus chose instead for something more traditional though.
The 2022 Scar 17 is a more capable performer and better-value gaming laptop, especially in the mid range RTX 3070/3070Ti configuration. You can still opt for an even faster GPU option like RTX 3080s. The 150W GPUs in this product are not as fast than some other 17-inch laptops offer these days.
Despite these few gripes, I am overall pleased with the product. The battery life could be better and there’s nothing special about IO placement other than that it houses a Keystone which is useless in my opinion; however, biometrics are missing so users can’t secure access using their face or fingerprints like on some laptops–this may come as an annoyance for some people who just want convenience when accessing files without having to log into everything individually via password screens!
The laptop’s thermal design is one other aspect to mention here. Last year, the Scar 17 ran hot especially on the CPU side and this year Asus seem have addressed that issue with their new refresh – but ended up achieving very high GPU temperatures in most profiles. That shouldn’t have been a surprise when they upped the power settings to 150W without changing the internal cooling module in any way and without improving the intakes into the fans, which are still choked by the slim rubber feet.
You can address the high internal GPU temperatures by raising up your laptop from desk, or consider using a capable cooling pad for long gaming sessions. You may also want to limit thermal limit in Manual mode if you’re going on an intense gameplay experience where performance will be compromised slightly but it’s worth doing so because these types of games are hot enough that even just one degree less could cause overheating problems later down road!
One interesting detail we noticed about the Intel-based 2022 generation is that battery life with streaming and daily use isn’t great, but multitasking seems manageable. However there have been reports of improved efficiency in later software updates which could improve these numbers!
Bottom point, I was impressed with the performance and features of this laptop. It has a more compact design than 17-inch alternatives which makes it ideal for travel or secondary work stations in homes where space may be limited – especially when considering how affordable they are compared to other machines with similar specifications! Despite their benefits however there’s still room to improve upon certain areas such as battery life (although luckily you can prolong yours by using keyboard shortcuts) or heat generation during heavy use; but don’t let those quirks deter from purchasing one just yet because ultimately what matters most here is quality rather than quantity?
This is the end of our review for the 2022 Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733ZW. Thank you all so much for reading, and please feel free to leave any feedback or questions below! I will be following up with another similar article regarding top-tier RTX 3080Ti configuration when it becomes available – until then stay tuned on Techifu headquarters where progress never stops being made in regards towards future articles….
I hope this was helpful 🙂
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