Quick verdict
If you want the fastest mobile GPU available, a 240 Hz mini-LED that actually looks as good as the spec sheet promises, and a laptop that behaves like a compact desktop, the Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 is a top pick. It trades silence and battery endurance for raw sustained performance, so buy it if FPS, ray tracing or fast creative work matter more than portability.
TL;DR
RTX 5090 delivers top mobile GPU performance, the 240 Hz mini-LED is stunning, SSD and RAM are class leading, but high CPU temps and loud fans make it a loud power hungry desktop replacement.
Spec snapshot
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU (175 W class behavior) |
| RAM | 2 × 32 GB 5600 MT/s (64 GB total) |
| Storage | 2 TB PCIe Gen4 — Read ~6884 MB/s, Write ~6364 MB/s |
| Display | 2560 × 1600 @ 240 Hz mini-LED (sRGB 100, DCI-P3 ~99.5, Adobe RGB 88) |
| Battery (light web) | ~5 h 42 min at 50% brightness |
| Thermals (gaming) | CPU avg ~98 °C, peak >100 °C; GPU avg ~77 °C, peak ~79 °C |
| Power draw (gaming) | CPU avg ~54 W, peak ~67 W; GPU avg ~139 W, peak ~180 W |
| 3DMark | Steel Nomad 5663, Port Royal 15323 |
| 3DMark DLSS RT test | Off 34.18 FPS, On 135.31 FPS |
| Selected game averages | Rainbow Six Siege ~264 FPS, Baldur’s Gate 3 ~202 FPS, Cyberpunk 2077 ~90.9 FPS, Armored Core 6 ~94.4 FPS, Ready or Not ~165.7 FPS |
| Cinebench R23 | Single core 2091, Multi core 28404 |
| Drivers and power | NVIDIA driver 580.88, Armoury Crate Performance with GPU Performance = Ultimate, Windows power plan Performance |
| Ambient test temp | ~32 °C |
Who this is for
This is a laptop for people who want a stationary powerhouse that can move when needed. Think pro gamers who stream or record, creators who edit and render on the same machine, and tech pros who want a single desktop replacement. Not for frequent flyers or anyone who needs quiet battery first performance.
Design and build
The SCAR 18 trades thinness for function and gaming flair. Sculpted lines and lots of RGB give it presence. The base uses plastic in places that shows fingerprints and grime, but the overall fit feels solid for a high-end gaming laptop. Toolless internal access is a nice practical touch; upgrading RAM or storage is straightforward. Ports include dual Thunderbolt 5, but lack of rear I/O means desk cable routing still needs planning. Overall it is designed to live on a desk as a portable desktop rather than to be carried every day.
Display
Calibration shows 100% sRGB and roughly 99.5% DCI-P3, with mini-LED local dimming that gives bright highlights and deep blacks. At 240 Hz it combines esports-level smoothness with true HDR contrast. Adobe RGB at 88% is not full studio grade but it is more than enough for most creators who also game. Practically this means vivid HDR scenes, confident color for client previews and buttery motion when you need it.
Performance — GPU leads the show
With high Cinebench R23 scores (28404 in multi-core and 2091 in single-core) coupled with the RTX 5090, the SCAR 18 behaves like a compact desktop. 3DMark and in-game averages confirm the GPU is currently the fastest mobile solution we have seen. Games run at high frame rates even at native resolution, and DLSS makes ray tracing practical in demanding titles. The NVIDIA driver used for testing was 580.88 with Armoury Crate set to Performance and GPU Performance on Ultimate, Windows power plan Performance.
CPU thermals are high under sustained load. Average CPU temps near 98 °C and peaks above 100 °C show the chassis favors maximum sustained clocks over low temperatures or quiet fans. That is a deliberate design choice: you get desktop-class throughput at the cost of heat and noise.
Thermals and noise
Fans get loud. In our test ambient (about 32 °C) the system leaned on aggressive fan curves to maintain GPU and CPU power limits. The result is preserved performance but higher noise and surface heat. If you do long streaming sessions or record audio with the laptop’s built-in mic, plan to use an external mic or a separate recording rig. For purely performance-focused users this is acceptable. For people who value silence this is not ideal.
Storage, memory and expandability
The 2 TB PCIe Gen4 drive posts sequential reads around 6884 MB/s and writes around 6364 MB/s, which translates to quick project loads and fast export times for editors. 64 GB of DDR5 gives plenty of headroom for heavy multitasking and large timelines. Toolless access makes future upgrades painless.
Battery and mobility
~5 hours 42 minutes of light web browsing is reasonable for an 18-inch desktop replacement, but on-battery gaming or rendering is impractical. High power limits and thermal targets push the laptop to perform best plugged in. Treat this as a portable desktop rather than a daily commuter machine.
How it fits into a creator workflow
For client demos, quick edits and one-machine workflows the SCAR 18 is a time saver. Exports and previews complete fast. The panel helps you judge HDR and color. The downside is loud fans during heavy workloads which complicates on-the-fly audio capture. Use an external audio interface for final recordings.
Gaming performance — how each title ran in real use
Test conditions: native 2560 × 1600 resolution, Armoury Crate set to Performance with GPU Performance = Ultimate, NVIDIA driver 580.88, Windows power plan Performance, ambient ≈ 32 °C. Averages captured with CapFrameX during extended play sessions. Scoring and procedures follow the ggwptech Laptop Benchmarking Methodology.
Gaming summary table
| Title | Average FPS (2560×1600) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Six Siege | ~264 FPS | Excellent for 240 Hz competitive play |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | ~202 FPS | High FPS with occasional CPU-bound dips in complex scenes |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | ~90.9 FPS | RT possible with DLSS; enable DLSS for playable RT |
| Armored Core 6 | ~94.4 FPS | Good balance of visuals and steady performance |
| Ready or Not | ~165.7 FPS | Great for tactical, respo nsive gameplay |
Rainbow Six Siege — ~264 FPS (average)
Rainbow Six Siege prioritizes frame rate and low latency over flashy visuals. At 2560 × 1600 and ultra settings the SCAR 18 averaged about 264 FPS. Practically that means you can fully exploit a 240 Hz panel with headroom for frame drops, and you get low input latency for competitive play. If you stream or record while playing, the laptop still has margin for background processes.
Baldur’s Gate 3 — ~202 FPS (average)
Baldur’s Gate 3 alternates between CPU-bound and GPU-bound scenes. On this machine it averaged roughly 202 FPS at native res and high settings. Expect occasional CPU-limited dips in very crowded or particle-heavy scenes but nothing that ruins the experience. This is a strong result for players who want cinematic quality and high responsiveness at the same time.
Cyberpunk 2077 — ~90.9 FPS (average)
Cyberpunk is one of the most demanding modern titles when ray tracing is enabled. At native 2560 × 1600 and high settings the SCAR 18 averaged about 90.9 FPS. Native ray tracing is expensive but our DLSS plus RT stress test shows a huge uplift: DLSS off ~34.18 FPS versus DLSS on ~135.31 FPS. Practical takeaway: enable DLSS Quality or Balanced when using RT to get playable framerates while retaining much of the visual fidelity.
Armored Core 6 — ~94.4 FPS (average)
Armored Core 6 is more GPU bound at higher settings. The laptop averaged about 94.4 FPS, giving smooth visuals on the 240 Hz panel while leaving headroom for background recording or streaming. The platform maintains steady clocks in long sessions which helps keep frame pacing consistent.
Ready or Not — ~165.7 FPS (average)
This tactical shooter benefits from high frame rates for consistent aim tracking and fast input response. At native resolution and high settings the SCAR 18 averaged around 165.7 FPS. That is excellent for tactical play. If you want to squeeze closer to 240 Hz, drop a few nonessential settings like shadow quality or crowd density.
Ray tracing and DLSS — practical advice
The RTX 5090 is very capable at ray tracing but native RT without upscaling is still costly. Our synthetic RT/DLSS test shows a jump from about 34 FPS to 135 FPS when DLSS is enabled. Bottom line: use DLSS Quality or Balanced when you turn on ray tracing to keep framerates playable at native resolution. If you chase raw fidelity and accept lower framerates, run more aggressive RT settings at the cost of higher power draw and louder fans.
Thermals and throttling during long gaming sessions
Because the SCAR 18 runs components at high sustained power limits (GPU avg ~139 W, CPU avg ~54 W during gaming) the chassis relies on loud fans to maintain clocks. Expect sustained fan noise and CPU temps around ~98 °C during extended play. Performance is preserved but comfort is affected. For long sessions use a headset for audio, an external mic for stream audio, and ensure good desk ventilation.
Settings recommendations by playstyle
- Competitive players: High or ultra settings, ray tracing off, DLSS off or Performance mode only if you need extra FPS; set in-game low-latency options for best input response
- Visual-first players: High settings, enable DLSS Quality or Balanced if you enable ray tracing; keep native resolution for best image quality
- Streamers and creators who play while recording: Use DLSS to preserve GPU headroom, cap encoder usage and offload audio capture to an external interface to avoid fan noise in captures
Scorecard
Scored using the ggwptech Laptop Benchmarking Methodology and the test results provided.
| Category | Why it matters | Score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Performance | Strong Cinebench R23 numbers and real-world render results show excellent throughput despite high thermals | 5 |
| GPU Performance | RTX 5090 delivers top raster and ray tracing performance, backed by game averages and 3DMark | 5 |
| Storage Speed | PCIe Gen4 SSD with ~6884 MB/s read and ~6364 MB/s write — fast project loads and exports | 5 |
| Display Quality | 240 Hz mini-LED with wide gamut and HDR punch | 5 |
| Thermals | High sustained CPU temps near 98 °C and peaks >100 °C, plus aggressive fans create noise | 2 |
| Battery Life | ~5 h 42 min light use — fine for an 18-inch desktop replacement but limited for heavy mobile work | 3 |
| Productivity Workflows | Fast storage RAM and CPU combine to make editing and office workflows snappy | 5 |
| Gaming Experience | Top FPS and RT performance, but heat and fan noise reduce comfort for long sessions | 4 |
Pros
- Best-in-class mobile GPU performance right now
- Gorgeous 240 Hz mini-LED with wide color gamut and solid HDR behavior
- Fast PCIe Gen4 storage and 64 GB RAM for demanding workflows
- Toolless internal access for easy upgrades
Cons
- Very hot CPU temperatures during sustained loads
- Loud fans when stressed
- High power draw limits on-battery performance for heavy tasks
- Some plastic parts show grime easily
How I tested
- Power and drivers: NVIDIA driver 580.88, Armoury Crate Performance with GPU Performance on Ultimate, Windows power plan Performance
- CPU synthetic: Cinebench R23 single and multi
- GPU synthetic: 3DMark Steel Nomad and Port Royal, DLSS RT Feature Test
- Gaming: CapFrameX capture for averages, with 1% low checks. Games run at native 2560 × 1600 unless noted
- Storage: CrystalDiskMark sequential reads and writes
- Display: Spyder Elite X colorimeter for gamut, white point and contrast checks
- Battery: Light web test for practical on-battery time
- Environment: Ambient temperature roughly 32 °C during the benchmark session
Final thoughts
Buy this if you want the fastest mobile GPU, a gorgeous mini-LED display and a single machine that can handle gaming, streaming and heavy creative workloads without waiting on renders. Skip this if you need long battery life, quiet workspaces or a truly portable daily driver.
Overall score: 4.5 / 5 stars