Asus strix scar ii gl504gm review

The Asus Strix line of laptops has a track record of being solid, workhorse, mid-range gaming laptops. Which is why when Asus unveiled its next-generation Strix Scar 2 and Hero 2 laptops at Computex I expected a functional, but ultimately un-inspiring refresh.

Asus ROG Strix 2 price

Asus hasn’t confirmed the price for either laptop.

Asus ROG Strix 2 release date

We’re also still waiting on a release date for both.

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Therefore, it was such a nice surprise to find the Scar 2 and Hero 2 have been completely reworked to have a pleasingly modern, XPS-inspired, design and not just another modest hardware refresh. The only issue is, other players have already beaten them to the punch, like Gigabyte with its new Aero 15 and Aero 15 X.

Asus ROG Strix 2 new design

The Strix 2 is being sold in two variants: the Scar 2 and Hero 2. The Scar 2 is aimed at semi-serious gamers who regularly play FPS shooters. The Hero, by comparison, is designed for less intensive MOBA games.

From the outside, the Scar 2 looks fairly similar to its predecessor: it has the same two-tone brushed metal finish and RGB ROG Strix logo on its back.

Up close you’ll spot a few differences. For starters, Asus has added an RGB strip along the laptop’s bottom. Personally, I always want laptops to have less, not more RGB lighting, but some people in the room outright swooned at the addition. Each to their own on RGB I guess.

What’s more interesting is the new near bezel-free screen, updated fan cooling system and slightly improved keyboard.

The Strix Scar 2’s screen has a 2.33cm smaller bezel than its predecessor. This, coupled with the soft touch, slightly rubbery material surrounding the keyboard and trackpad make it look and feel like a slightly gamified Dell XPS, which is no bad thing.

The backlit RGB keyboard uses the same membrane switches as before but has an improved 1.8mm travel. Though minor, this made it feel slightly more responsive while gaming.

The improved cooling system is the final noteworthy change. On the outside, the system is shown off with a nifty new trapezoid cut lid on its back. The cutaway is a minor touch Asus claims will improve the laptop’s thermal performance by up to 27%. It apparently does this by stopping the lid accidentally blocking airflow from the cooling fans, which have also had a spruce.

Asus claims the new 12V fans have even more blades, offer 20% better speeds and 43.5% more airflow than the original ROG Strix. On top of this, the heat pipes have extra cladding to help keep the GPU and CPU below 90 degrees during intensive gaming sessions.

I only had a couple of hours with the laptop in a very noisy press room and until I get a chance to benchmark and properly game on it I can’t attest to performance or how quiet it is. But if there’s any truth to Asus’ claims this could be a key selling point for the laptop. Competing laptops, like the Aorus X5, are notoriously led and have a tendency to run fairly hot during prolonged gaming sessions.

For those that want a little more control over the fans, Asus has also loaded three different modes: silent, balanced, fan over boost. The self-descriptive modes are easily cycled through using a Fn+FS shortcut.

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Asus ROG Strix 2 specs

Outside of this, the specs remain largely unchanged. The new Strix 2 laptops have the same GPU, CPU, memory and storage options as their predecessors. This means the higher end Scar tops out with an 8th gen i7 CPU, GTX 1070 GPU and 32GB of DDR4 memory. Some people may bemoan the lack of a 1080 GPU option, but the lack of 1440p or 4K screen options mean its absence is more than forgivable, especially when you consider how good the FHD screen is. The 15.6-inch panel retains the 144Hz refresh rate of its predecessor, making it a solid choice for competitive online gamers.

You can see a full spec sheet for the new ROG Strix Scar 2 and Hero 2 in the table below.

ROG Strix SCAR II (GL504GM / GL504GS) ROG Strix Hero II (GL504GM) Processor8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H

8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H

8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H

8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300H

Operating systemWindows 10 Home

Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10 Home

Windows 10 Pro

Display15.6″ IPS-level FHD (1920 x 1080) panel with 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms GTG response time, 100% sRGB color gamut, and non-glare coating 15.6″ IPS-level FHD (1920 x 1080) panel with 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms GTG response time, 100% sRGB color gamut, and non-glare coating

15.6″ IPS-level FHD (1920 x 1080) panel with 60Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB color gamut, and non-glare coating

GraphicsFor GL504GM:

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 with 6GB GDDR5 VRAM

For GL504GS:

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 with 8GB GDDR5 VRAM

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 with 6GB GDDR5 VRAMMemoryUp to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz SDRAM (dual-channel) Up to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz SDRAM (dual-channel)StorageM.2 NVMe PCIe® 128GB / 256GB / 512GB SSD

2.5” 5400rpm 1TB SSHD

2.5” 5400rpm / 7200rpm 1TB HDD

M.2 NVMe PCIe® 128GB / 256GB / 512GB SSD

2.5” 5400rpm 1TB SSHD

2.5” 5400rpm / 7200rpm 1TB HDD

Wireless802.11ac 2×2 Wave 2 Wi-Fi

Bluetooth® 5.0

802.11ac 2×2 Wave 2 W-Fi

Bluetooth® 5.0

Connectivity1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ (USB-C™)

2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1

1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2

1 x mini DisplayPort 1.2

1 x HDMI 2.0

1 x RJ-45 jack

1 x SD card reader

1 x 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack

1 x Kensington lock

1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ (USB-C™)

2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1

1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2

1 x mini DisplayPort 1.2

1 x HDMI 2.0

1 x RJ-45 jack

1 x SD card reader

1 x 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack

1 x Kensington lock

KeyboardBacklit chiclet keyboard

RGB across four zones, with Aura Sync support

Marked WASD keys

Hot keys: Volume up / Volume down / Mute / ROG Gaming Center

1.8mm travel distance

0.25mm keycap curve

Backlit chiclet keyboard

RGB across four zones, with Aura Sync support

Marked QWER keys

Hot keys: Volume up / Volume down / Mute / ROG Gaming Center

1.8mm travel distance

0.25mm keycap curve

Audio2x 3.5W speakers with smart-amplifier technology

Array microphone

2 x 3.5W speakers with smart-amplifier technology

Array microphone

SoftwareROG Gaming Center 2.5

ROG GameFirst V

ASUS Splendid

ASUS Sonic Studio & Sonic Radar III

ASUS Aura Core 2.5

XSplit Gamecaster (free)

Android™ / iOS app

ROG Gaming Center 2.5

ROG GameFirst V

ASUS Splendid

ASUS Sonic Studio & Sonic Radar III

ASUS Aura Core 2.5

XSplit Gamecaster (free)

Android™ / iOS app

VR ReadyYes YesWindows Mixed RealityBasic (minimum 8GB RAM required) Basic (minimum 8GB RAM required)PowerFor GL504GM:

180W power adapter

For GL504GS:

230W power adapter

180W power adapterSize36.1 x 26.2 x 2.61cm 36.1 x 26.2 x 2.61cmWeight2.4kg 2.4kg

Opening impressions

The new ROG Strix Scar 2 and Hero 2 aren’t huge updates on their predecessors, featuring near identical internal specifications.

But the few changes Asus have made look like definitive positives. The new screen is a decent upgrade that puts it on a par with key competitors, like the Gigabyte Aero 15. Personally, I could have done without the extra RGB lighting, but the improved cooling is another very welcome addition.

Hopefully, the new Strix 2 laptops will make good on their opening promise when the launch in the UK.

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Unlike other sites, we test every laptop we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.

What is ASUS ROG Strix gl504 scar II?

This has the unwieldy moniker Asus ROG Strix GL504 Scar II. Asus offers a dizzying array of gaming laptops with different combinations of names: ROG (Republic of Gamers), Strix, Zephyrus, Scar, Hero, FX and so on. Most are available in numerous configurations.

Is the ASUS ROG Strix scar II worth buying?

In terms of value, the Asus ROG Strix Scar II is somewhat hard to recommend to buy right now when you look at the gaming performance you are getting. But this is not specific to this laptop, but all RTX laptops currently in the market.

What is a gl504 GTX?

Called the ROG GL504 series, the new models directly succeed the last generation GL503 series by incorporating a brand new narrow-bezel chassis design inspired by the pricier Zephyrus series. The GL504 is currently available in two major SKUs: the GL504GM Hero II with the GTX 1060 and the GL504GS Scar II with the GTX 1070.

Is Asus gl504gs a good laptop?

Asus also offers an ROG GL504GS model, similar to the GL504GM in every way, except for the fact that it gets a more powerful Nvidia GTX 1070 graphics chip. It’s more expensive, but an option for those of you interested in playing games at higher than FHD resolutions or keeping the laptop for a very long time.

Are Asus Strix laptops good?

The Asus ROG Strix G15's a pretty good choice if that's your budget cutoff, and definitely a better buy than cheaper models with lesser graphics and 8GB RAM. But if you're pickier you may not be able to get everything you want for that money.

What is the difference between Rog strix and scar?

The Strix SCAR offers more powerful GPU options, going all the way up to an RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. The Strix SCAR offers more customization, including per-key RGB and swappable Armor Caps, and features a transparent keyboard deck. The Strix G has fewer RGB flourishes but offers two color options out of the box.

Is ROG Strix worth the price?

Overall, the Asus ROG Strix is a great gaming laptop that offers powerful performance, great display, and a sleek design. However, it is relatively expensive, and its battery life and upgradability options are limited.

Is Rog Strix high end?

ROG Strix G17 G713RW is a top-end laptop that guarantees a remarkable 1440p gaming experience thanks to the combination of the NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti, a high quality panel able to reach 240 Hz refresh rate and the new AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX.