Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 SE: the best gaming laptop of the year – La Tercera

While the big three of computing — Lenovo, Dell and HP — are known to dominate the vast arena of laptops — a market with a turnover of $165.3 billion in 2021 — there is one brand that is edging ever closer to the top. from that list: the Taiwanese Asus.

Unlike its compatriot Acer, which is also positioned at the top, Asus has been able to establish itself as a company that, in addition to delivering and guaranteeing good performance, both in leisure and productivity, manages to innovate in each of its new releases.

Not only in its exterior design, which always has something new, but also in interior or operational aspects, which transform it into a brand with a unique identity. Something that is especially noticeable in its line dedicated to video games: Republic of Gamersor simply ROG, for friends.

Computers dedicated to the world gamer —due to their immense power and high graphic capacity— they are usually at the top of the pyramid. But this model, the Asus ROG Strix 17 SE, is at the top. Without further ado, it has to be the most powerful display and performance model available on the market today.

Virtually all well-known brands have their own beasts dedicated to gaming, but few machines can compare to this true monster, which excels in both performance and design. Let’s see it in detail.

• Dimensions: 39.5 x 28.2 x 2.34 cm. ~ 2.83 cm.
• Weight: 3.10kg.
• Screen: 17.3″ IPS-LCD
• refresh rate: 240Hz
• Resolution: WQHD (2560 x 1440) 16:9
• Processor: Intel Core i9 12th Gen – 12950HX @ 2.3Ghz
• Graphic card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (16GB GDDR6)
• Memory: 32GB GDDR5-4800 (expandable to 64GB)
• Storage: 1TB SSD + 1TB PCIe 4.0
• Operating system: Windows 11
• Tickets: 1 3.5mm jack audio port / 1 HDMI 2.1 port / 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port / 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports / 1 Ethernet LAN port / 1 Thunderbolt port
• connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 / Wi-Fi 6E
• Drums: 4-cell 90Wh Li-Ion
• Audio: 4 speakers with Dolby Atmos / integrated microphone

We have said it before, but we will emphasize it again: taking an Asus product out of the box is a unique experience, only comparable to the excitement produced by the unbox of the gadgets Manzana. Here, when uncovering the Asus ROG Strix 17 SE and its accessories from the box and its packaging, it is immediately noticeable that there is a special dedication and a lot of love for the product. It even includes a specially designed laptop bag, among other surprises.

The computer is bulky and robust, not as heavy as one might imagine for its size and power (only three kilos), and stunningly beautiful in its design and features. The screen is supported by two thick and very firm hinges, which guarantee that it always stays where you want it.

We have a full and generous multi-color RGB backlit keyboard, with a number pad on the right and ample room to rest your wrists. To the center, of course, a width touchpad for touch controls. Its finish is an elegant matte black (black stealth), but what is definitely striking, due to its novelty, is that a third of the upper right part is semi-transparent, which gives it a look and very sophisticated feel and cool.

On the back, the cover features a complex but hypnotic engraving of invisible ink, along with the traditional logo of Republic of Gamers. The kit includes a small UV flashlight with which you can decipher what it says on the back, as well as some magnetic pieces that can be attached to it. All very, very cyber and playful, minimal but surprising details that make a big difference.

Visually, this is a computer that wants to attract attention, something that it more than achieves but also with good taste, a combination more difficult than it seems. It is what we see in the base, for example, that matches the lighting with the same logo, the keyboard and its RGB colors.

On the left side we have a ventilation area next to two USB-A 3.2 inputs, located in the central part, in addition to an always useful 3.5″ jack audio input, vital for users. gamers.

On the right, we only find the Asus proprietary port, where the user’s profile and other details can be stored through an included key. Underneath, the laptop has sturdy rubber feet to keep the machine in place. Very functional and stable.

But the back is where the most interesting is: unlike most competing models, which place all the connections on the sides, here we have an HDMI 2.1 port, a Thunderbolt 4 input and another USB-C in the rear area. 3.2, an ethernet port for a wired connection to the internet (always welcome) and the power outlet, all together with two large spaces for ventilation, which ensure that there will be no overheating. These are also enhanced with heat dissipation outlets that appear when opening the computer, which gives it extra bonuses in performance and design.

One detail: the Strix does not include a front camera for video calls. Okay: it’s not a work laptop, nor is it intended for video conferencing. But how much did it cost to include it? The only low point for now, although the brand includes an external Full HD 1080P webcam in its box, in addition to a ROG Impact mouse.

When you open it, the screen immediately stands out. It is wide, large and overwhelming. These are the virtues provided by a 17.3-inch panel with a refresh rate of up to 240 Hz and 2K resolution. Visually, this machine is second to none, and whichever way you look at it, it looks pretty.

Until less than a month ago, before Nvidia launched its new generation 4080, the ROG Strix 17 SE had the most desired graphics card on the market: the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti. Paired with 32GB—yes, you read that right—and a 12th Gen Intel Core i9 16-core card, the result is lightning-fast, heavenly performance literally built to run any kind of game, app, or software, no matter what. as demanding as it is.

High demand video games such as the newly released Uncharted they look awesome and shiny, plus they run without any issues at all. Other titles, such as those of the saga Warhammer, full of small fighting figures and science fiction scenarios, are appreciated very much alive. Thanks to its very high refresh rate, the action in combat sequences managed to flow like melted butter. A real pleasure.

Let’s also consider that the laptop comes with a state-of-the-art 2TB solid-state drive (SSD), giving you ample storage space to keep multiple titles on hand, ready to go at speed.

When you turn on the ROG Strix, immediately a wave of red (the hue of this Asus line) moves across the keyboard, and a low-pitched sound announces that the laptop is waking up. Ticket office. Although for some this great stage display can be something very fast and furious, the sound effects and colors that greet you are very attractive and eye-catching. And if they don’t like it, they can be customized to suit the user.

For me, at least, it was relaxing to see those waves of colors crossing the keyboard. What I did miss was a biometric reader for the power button. By now, that should be standard on any laptop.

Inside, as we said, there is a 12th generation Intel processor (the 13th just appeared) with 16 cores, a Core i9 chip with 32GB of RAM —expandable to 64GB, in case someone doesn’t have enough— so that everything runs and works without any hiccups.

All this heat-producing power is kept cool with a highly discreet and quiet cooling system, whose fans are barely noticeable when spinning. Carrying out the exercise of opening several browser windows and putting on YouTube simultaneously, no performance problem appeared, much less noise of over-demand. In any case, the Asus internal system allows you to customize the settings to achieve the desired performance, be it the highest performance or, on the contrary, energy savings to reserve the battery. While the hot air coming out of the machine is noticeable, it always stayed cool as a cucumber.

As for the keyboard, a detail that I particularly like about this type of keyboard style chicklet is that its layout and the “click” of each key are very pleasant when typing or writing a text. Meanwhile, the touchpad he behaved from one: spacious, responsive and comfortable.

It should also be noted that the sound is very powerful, with deep bass and crystal clear sounds thanks to its Dolby Atmos system. Definitely better than your average high end. With wired headphones, we had the same result, and the RGB color scheme on the keyboard, which rhythmically moves to the sound of the deep bass of your sound, makes for an intense experience.

In this type of device, the battery feels like a rather secondary aspect. Given the size and the amount of power it consumes, it is evident that most of its use will be in spaces with plugs and that the autonomy will not be all terrain. Still, the Strix manages to pack in a battery that lasts for more than six hours of full-resolution video playback. It may not seem like much, but the average duration for this type of laptop is around four hours.

When running a game with high graphic demand, yes, after an hour and a half I already needed to plug it back in. Nothing strange, if we consider that a good gaming experience does not occur in movement but in controlled spaces. Except for a little luxury, the Asus Strix works better and gives more security if it is connected to the current.

With the Asus Strix 17 SE we have a laptop extremely powerful, innovative, beautiful, full of design details and almost professionally oriented to the public that loves video games. Virtually nothing else is needed other than this beast.

We are talking about the best possible performance, a vivid, bright and even hypnotic screen. The keyboard is very comfortable and a joy to look at thanks to its RGB lighting system. Its battery, unimpressed, still manages to be better than average. But it also seduces its unique, sophisticated design that tells the world: I have a richer and more powerful laptop than yours. Without a doubt, the best laptop gamer of the market that we have tested this 2022. Hence its very high price.

Note: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

*The prices of the products in this article are current as of October 18, 2022. Values ​​and their availability may change.