Asus rog strix scar iii review in Spanish (full analysis)

Today we review an Asus top-of-the-range notebook, the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III. The third generation of the Scar from Asus is here, and it is loaded with new features and above all with variants for all tastes. With a new design in conjunction with BWM Designworks, the G531GW model that we analyze has an Intel Core i7-9750H, Nvidia RTX 2070 inside and a 15.6-inch IPS screen at 240 Hz.

And do not miss the RGB section of the equipment or all its gaming details, because it is one of the Asus masterpieces that we have the pleasure to try today. We will see if it will be at the height of the AOURS and the MSI, because they are tough competition. Let's get started!

But first, we must thank Asus for the trust placed in us by giving us their gaming laptop for our review.

Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW technical features

Unboxing

The Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW uses a presentation similar to other ROG products that have little to do with it, for example graphics cards or motherboards. And it is that a rigid cardboard box with case-type opening has been used. All the faces of it have the pure ROG design with gray and red gaming prints with the ROG logo very large.

Inside, we have a fairly orderly apartment system with many of them being simple holes. In fact, the opening system makes the laptop rise towards us so that we can take it out of the box better. This one is covered by a plastic, on several departments that keep the cables and other elements.

Inside we should find these elements:

• Asus ROG Strix SCAR III Laptop 230W Asus ROG Keystone External Power Supply SAT Connector Hard Drive Installation Screws Laptop and Keystone Support Manual

Design in collaboration with BMW Designworks

The Asus ROG Strix SCAR III are the current top of the range notebooks from Asus, and this is evident in the strong commitment they have made to design. Without a doubt, a laptop very different from what we are used to in other manufacturers, having been created in collaboration with the BWM Designworks itself.

As for the measurements, this team certifies 360 mm width, 275 mm depth and a tight 34.9 mm thickness. They are very compact measures to be a gaming laptop with a fairly strong cooling system and space for HDD as we will see later. Its weight with battery included is 2.57 Kg, which is not a small amount.

Starting from the outside, we have a very elegant team with gaming sparkles, thanks to a cover made of aluminum and with brushed finishes diagonally in two textures. You can't miss the Asus ROG logo on the side that also has customizable RGB lighting. Curiously, the back is slightly out of the plane of the screen, in order to provide a greater thickness for the heatsinks and a better expulsion of hot air. This part seen from behind is made up of multiple layers in the form of steps to improve the design and minimize the visual impact.

The Asus ROG Strix SCAR III is a feast for the eyes, with a 15.6-inch screen that implements a scissor door-type opening system that feels fabulous. These two hinges come out directly from inside the laptop, thus facilitating space saving, optimizing the thickness of the equipment and, above all, leaving the air outlet completely free. Furthermore, the system is very smooth and safe, so the work done is impeccable.

In turn, the screen has very thin bezels that do not exceed 5 mm in each frame except the one at the bottom. In this, we have a merely decorative asymmetrical design we suppose. Curiously , a webcam has not been installed on this laptop, although we do have a double microphone array located in the lower central area.

For the rest, we have a keyboard layout with a numeric pad in this 15.6-inch version, while in the diagonal of 17 it is integrated. The touchpad is positioned slightly to the left to improve handling. The interior is not metal, but plastic with a carbon-style finish that leaves the marks well marked as it should be.

Before moving on to the sides, we can see a lower part provided with a very wide plastic grid, although quite closed to the outside. Very good for the design, but not so good for air suction, we will see how it influences the cooling. Likewise, 4 rubber feet have been installed, the two rear ones being slightly higher to allow air to pass through.

Complete lighting system and ROG Keystone

Something that stands out above all else in the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III is its complete lighting system. Asus is not enough with the logo on the cover, so it has placed an RGB LED strip with AURA Sync technology throughout the lower area. The result is spectacular, and also the level of brightness is quite high, so its presence is very noticeable.

We can customize this strip using the Armory Crate software and also transport it to other users' equipment using the ROG Keystone. This key is not a mere decoration, once inserted into the special port of the laptop and connected through NFC, it enables us a hidden and encrypted directory at the hardware level to store files especially important to us. It also allows us to transport our keys safely between computers.

Peripherals that complement the gaming setup

This Asus ROG Strix SCAR III would not be a perfect gaming station without a good pack of gaming peripherals to match. The touchpad is very good, but if we want an extra control, the best thing to do is buy an external mouse with good features, such as the Asus ROG Strix Gladius II Wireless. A mouse with a 16000 DPI optical sensor and Omron switches at the top of the brand's range.

Likewise, headphones like the ROG Delta Core that we analyzed here a while ago, would be another good acquisition. The gaming headphones par excellence of the brand with a good quality / price ratio and Jack connectivity for the most purists. If you want more info, we will go through its corresponding review.

Ports and connections

We will focus next on the ports and connections of the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III. These are distributed both on the sides and in the rear area.

Starting precisely from this rear, we will have in the central part the RJ-45 Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.0b video connector, a USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C compatible with DisplayPort 1.2 and finally the Jack type connector for power. On the part of the two data ports, we have support for 4K @ 60 FPS resolutions as it should be, although the USB-C does not have Thunderbolt, a major loss.

The left side has 3 USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports and the only 4-pole Jack for audio and microphone. Finally, the right side only has the slot for the connection of the ROG Keystone. We therefore lose a useful SD card reader that would have been very welcome by many.

Likewise, there are two large openings in the rear area to expel hot air, which are complemented by another on the right side with identical features.

240 Hz IPS gaming screen

We already go to the technical section of the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW, specifically we start with the screen, one that we see increasingly in more gaming models.

And it is a screen with 15.6-inch IPS image technology and native resolution Full HD 1920x1080p. The most interesting thing for the user is that it provides us with a refresh rate of no less than 240 Hz with a response of only 3 ms. They are spectacular features considering that it is not a TN or VA panel.

This panel gives us 100 % in the sRGB space, although this or we will check later. We can see that the viewing angles are well over 178o and the quality of colors and contrast are very good. The manufacturer does not provide specific data on this, so we will see them during the calibration.

Likewise, we have other versions with 15.3 inches and identical resolution, although the refresh rate drops to 144 Hz. And if we go to the 17.3-inch versions, we will find exactly the same two screens. The laptop has integrated GameVisual software, which allows us to select between various image modes to suit our needs. In any case, we will not be able to modify the RGB values ​​unless we use the Nvidia control panel.

Calibration

We have carried out some calibration tests for this IPS panel with our X-Rite Colormunki Display colorimeter, and the HCFR and DisplayCAL 3 programs, both of which are free and available to any user with a colorimeter. With these tools we will analyze the color graphics of the screen in the DCI-P3 and sRGB spaces, and we will compare the colors that the monitor delivers with respect to the reference palette of both color spaces.

The tests have been carried out with the brightness at 50% and the standard panel configuration according to GameVisual.

Brightness and Contrast

Measurements	Contrast	Gamma value	Color temperature	Black level
@ 50% brightness	1153: 1	2.36	6662K	0.1050 cd / m 2

The results that the screen gives in the first instance are quite good, with a contrast that is clearly above 1000: 1 and a great depth of blacks at medium brightness. Similarly, the adjustment with the D65 point is very close to the ideal 6500K, although the gamma value is slightly above 2.2.

Regarding the uniformity of the screen with the brightness at 100%, we will obtain in practically all areas 300 nits, except the upper corners. Remember that this screen does not have HDR, so these are its maximum brightness benefits.

SRGB color space

The calibration in this space is very good, judging by the Delta E registered, with an average of 1.78, which is in any case less than 2. Likewise, the panel fulfills 92% of this space, which is high, although not 100% promised by the manufacturer.

We also enclose the luminance, gamma and RGB calibration curves respectively to observe that all of them are quite well adjusted. Only in the Gamma are we presented with very high values ​​in the white tones, reaching above 2.6. Likewise, the level of colors can be improved in the red tone, which is slightly below the ideal setting, thus tending the screen to show the colder colors than usual.

DCI-P3 color space

The results in the curves will of course be extensible to this space, so we are on identical terms. Here if we see a slightly less adjusted Delta E, especially in the warm colors starting from red. In this way, the average value rises to 3.14, with a space that is met at 67.3% according to Display CAL.

Calibration

We have performed a calibration in search of a better adjustment of the Delta E, which we have achieved in sRGB but not much in DCI-P3. Here we leave you the new results.

High-level sound system

In this Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW we will not find a webcam, although we will find the two typical microphones to communicate through chats.

The most interesting lies in the audio section which has positively surprised us. It has two 4W speakers located on each side of the equipment and facing downwards as in most cases. These have Smart AMP technology and can be managed through Sonic Studio software.

And despite not having a woofer, this configuration with round speakers provides us with impressive sound quality. Not only in detail, but also in volume and bass, noting their physical design and power quite a bit. We could say that it is above average in quality.

Touchpad and keyboard

Two other elements that are at an excellent level are the keyboard and the touchpad, something you should expect from the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III.

Starting with the keyboard, in the 15.6-inch version we have a configuration without a numeric keyboard, while the width of 17.3 inches does allow us that extra. In both cases it is a chiclet-type membrane keyboard with RGB Per-key backlight and AURA Sync technology. As gaming advantages, we have a full N-key rollover and Antighosting system, so we can press any number of keys that will all respond independently.

The keystroke system has been optimized for both gaming and writing, with an activation path of just half the full stroke, thus providing increased response speed and a feel closer to a mechanical keyboard. And we must say that it shows when writing fast for example. The keys meanwhile have the size and separation of an external keyboard, with the detail of separating the arrow keys, the "F" keys in groups of 4 and the paging functions column.

Volume control, mic control, fan speed and the ROG launcher for the application have also been separated on dedicated keys. Likewise, all the F keys include double functions, and also the direction keys, so the functionality is maximum.

We move on to the touchpad, one that has the same good quality as the keyboard. Its panel is panoramic to a good size and with two separate action buttons. This allows us to have a completely fixed and stable touch panel, while the buttons are quite large and with a very fast and soft click, ideal for handling.

Network connectivity

Something we miss about this Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW is higher level network connectivity, both wired and Wi-Fi.

For the first case, a standard Intel I211 card has been chosen that provides a bandwidth of 1000 Mbps. For Wi-Fi connectivity, we have an Intel Wireless AC 9560 NGW chip working on 802.11ac that gives a bandwidth 1.73 Gbps in the 5 GHz band and 533 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band.

In this sense, we would have liked at least a Wi-FI 6 card, especially in the case of Asus, being the first manufacturer to launch an AX router on the market.

Internal hardware

We continue with the hardware section where we will review everything we have left inside the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW, which is not a small thing.

Always starting with the CPU, we have nothing less than an Intel Core i7-9750H that works at a base frequency of 2.6 GHz and 4.5 GHz in turbo boost mode. A 9th generation CPU that also has 6 cores and 12 processing threads under a TDP of only 45W and a L3 cache of 12 MB. In addition to this, we have two more configurations available with a more discreet Core i5-9300H, and an 8C / 16T Core i9-9880H as an extreme configuration.

Continuing with the GPU, we have an Nvidia RTX 2070 Max-Q. With a total of 2304 CUDA Core, the same as in the desktop version, and Tensor and RT cores to do Ray Tracing and DLSS. The processing frequency in this model is between 885 MHz base and 1540 MHz at maximum performance. There is also no lack of 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, although in this case they work at 12 Gbps instead of 14. Again, we have versions available with the RTX 2060 and the cheapest with the GTX 1660 Ti. We only lose one version with RTX 2080.

The motherboard equips the Intel HM370 chipset, the best performance for laptops. In it, a DDR4 RAM memory module with SK Hynix chips of 16 GB at 2666 MHz is installed in Single Channel SO-DIMM. This capacity will be expandable up to a total of 32 GB with a second module or 64 GB if we install two 32 GB ones. At this point we would have liked a configuration of 2x 8 GB to take advantage of the Dual Channel, since the difference in performance in games is going to be quite noticeable.

And we finish with the storage, which this time is not too top either. Asus has chosen to mount an M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 Intel SSD 660p 512GB SSD that will give us a performance not at the height of the best in any case. We have versions between 128 GB and 1 TB SSD, and also with 2.5 ”Firecuda SSHD and 1 TB of storage. In the analysis model, we only have the SATA slot for the same or any other SSD that we want to install.

Throttling-free cooling system

Despite the lights and shadows of this hardware configuration, we have a powerful cooling system and this time, it works perfectly.

This system consists of a system provided with 5 heat pipes for the CPU and GPU area together with two other extras for the VRM and the GDDR6 memory chips. All of them transport the heat to three copper heatsinks with 189 high density fins. The air flow generated by the two turbine type fans with 83 blades per unit and considerably noisy.

Asus reports that the system has an air flow under the keyboard to make it not heat up as much, which we will see later in the final captures we have made. Likewise, it is assumed that two channels below each fan will make the dust that enters the system be expelled without major problems. But of course, dust usually sticks to the fan blades, and this is inevitable right?

In any case, this configuration has given us impressive results. In fact, it 's the first laptop with an i7-9750H that keeps the CPU under stress at 83 ⁰C steadily and without thermal throttling, which is great news for performance.

Fair autonomy

And we finish the hardware section with the autonomy of the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III, which has a battery that delivers 66 Wh. Since it is completely covered by opaque plastic wrap we were unable to see its mAh details.

In any case, the autonomy that it has given us with a balanced performance profile, basic use and brightness at 50% has been exactly 3 hours and 25 minutes. The truth is that it is quite little, so it is not a recommended laptop for studying or working without having a plug near us.

In testing we have not disabled lighting, although we believe that the influence is low because LEDs consume very little energy.

Included software

The Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW has a lot of software included in the operating system. Specifically we find Armory Crate, GameFirts V, Sonic Studio, GameVisual and AURA Creator shortly. To this, we add the nice McAfee installer that every so often will be giving us the ember to buy it and others (this was superfluous).

We will focus on the first one we have discussed, the Armory Crate for being the most complete software for managing the laptop we have. Bypassing the spectacular and clean design, we have quite a few options to navigate through, specifically 8, although 5 will be the ones that interest us.

In the first one, we can adjust the performance profile of the laptop among 5 different ones, giving us a detailed hardware monitor. The second is for the Asus Keystone device, the device with which we can take the configuration of the program (and RGB) to other users of this same laptop. In addition, we have different functions to stop running processes, which come in handy enough to free up memory.

The third section has everything related to AURA lighting, except the keyboard that will be in the previous section. In this, another, we can configure the RGB LED strip that occupies the entire base of the laptop. Finally, the 4th section allows us to configure the quick keys available on the keyboard, such as Windows, Touchpad, fans, etc. Removing the last configuration section, the others will be related to user support or other matters of less interest.

Test of performance

We go to the practical part where we will see the performance offered by this Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW. As always, we have carried out synthetic tests and tests in games.

All the tests that we have submitted this laptop have been carried out with the equipment plugged into the power supply, the ventilation profile in turbo mode and the power profile at maximum performance.

SSD performance

Let's start with the benchmark of the Intel SSD, for this we have used CristalDiskMark in its version 6.0.2.

And the truth is that the chosen model is not exactly a portent in performance, delivering just over 1500 MB / s in sequential reading and just 1, 000 MB / s in writing. In this case, a Samsung PM 981 or similar would have been a better choice.

CPU and GPU benchmarks

Let's see below the synthetic test block. For this we have used the following programs:

• Cinebench R15Cinebench R20PCMark 83DMark Time Spy, Fire Strike, Fire Strike Ultra and Port Royal

In this sense, the results are close to computers with a similar hardware configuration such as the Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED. This is good news for the manufacturer, since, despite having a RAM configuration in Single Channel, it seems that the good cooling system makes up for these deficiencies correctly.

Gaming performance

To establish a real performance of this Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW, we have tested a total of 7 titles with fairly existing graphics, which are the following, and with the following configuration:

• Final Fantasy XV, standard, TAA, DirectX 12 DOOM, Ultra, TAA, Open GL Deus EX Mankind Divided, Alto, Anisotropico x4, DirectX 12 Far Cry 5, Alto, TAA, DirectX 12 Metro Exodus, Alto, Anisotropico x16, DirectX 12 Shadow of the Tomb Rider, High, TAA + Anisotropic x4, DirectX 12 Control, High, DLSS 1280 × 720, Ray Tracing Medium, DirectX 12

Again we find very similar results to other computers with the same main hardware. There is not much more to analyze just to the effect that the 240 Hz of the screen are not going to be used fully unless we reduce the graphic demands of the games or even the resolution. So choosing the 144 Hz version could be a more than interesting option.

Temperatures

The stress process to which the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III has been subjected has lasted around 60 minutes, in order to have a reliable average temperature. This process has been carried out with Furmark, Prime95 and the capture of temperatures with HWiNFO.

Asus ROG Strix SCAR III	Repose	Maximum performance
CPU	54 ºC	82 ºC
GPU	44 ºC	73 ºC

There is no doubt that they are spectacular temperatures for the hardware we have inside, and be careful, at maximum performance. Traditional designs are shown to perform much better than Max-Qs due to increased space for cooling. In addition, the manufacturer redesigned the entire system to obtain improvements that are obvious with respect to the previous generation.

Most important is the fact that you have seen virtually no thermal throttling at any time, indicating the rapid response of the cooling system and the excellent thermal paste that the dissipation blocks must carry.

Final words and conclusion about Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW

We come to the end of this review of the Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW, a 3rd generation top of the range worthy successor to the previous models. With an impressive renovated design full of lighting and metal cover, it may be the most gaming design of a laptop in this 2019.

The most important thing will be performance, and the laptop has proven to be up to the competition with figures always above 60 FPS and very close to 100. The configuration with the i7-9750H + RTX 2070 seems to us the best, although faster SSD and Dual Channel memories are very weak aspects of it.

Where it has been greatly improved is in the cooling system. Well designed, great quality and even better performance, keeping the CPU at bay and throttling at 83 ⁰C. Yes it is noticeably noisy as we begin to stress the laptop, but it is the price to pay. Like all this, autonomy is not one of the strong points, with difficulties reaching 4 hours.

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Keyboard and touchpad are at a very high level, being one of the best we have tested on a gaming laptop with permission from the mechanical keyboards. Excellent key layout, quality and good design for a very comfortable and fast keyboard. Similarly, the audio quality is magnificent, and one of the best in a gaming laptop. And a touchpad with independent buttons that for me is the best option. In this case we do not have a webcam and the network is one step below without Wi-Fi 6.

The screen is also one of the top on the market, 240 Hz IPS panels are establishing themselves as the manufacturers' favorite option to combine high speed without sacrificing image quality. And Asus is almost always an insurance in this regard, with excellent calibration and a large panel.

We finish as always with the availability of this Asus ROG Strix SCAR III G531GW. This specific model will be available from € 1799 in PCComponentes, to € 2099 in Asus Eshop. Precisely for this high figure we must always be demanding with a laptop of these characteristics, even so, it is highly recommended.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ SPECTACULAR GAMING DESIGN	- LITTLE AUTONOMY
+ HARDWARE AND GROSS PERFORMANCE	- NO THUNDERBOLT OR CARD READER
+ HIGH LEVEL MULTIMEDIA SECTIONS KEYBOARD + TOUCHPAD + SOUND	- WI-FI AND RAM IMPROVABLE
+ HEATSINK WITHOUT THROTTLING
+ 240 HZ SCREEN WITH GREAT IMAGE QUALITY

The Professional Review team awards you the platinum medal and recommended product:

Asus ROG Strix SCAR III

DESIGN - 92%

CONSTRUCTION - 90%

REFRIGERATION - 90%

PERFORMANCE - 90%

DISPLAY - 89%

90%

One of the most beautiful gaming laptops of 2019, with incredible performance and better cooling