ⓘ Asus
A few weeks ago, we got a chance to go hands-on with the latest ROG Strix Scar 18. Initially presented months earlier, the 2026 edition surpasses its 2025 predecessor (curr. $2,649 on Amazon) with a few significant upgrades despite appearances. Now, Asus has quietly started selling its updated 18-inch gaming laptop globally.
To recap, the ROG Strix Scar 18 (G835) adopts a 4K and 240 Hz Mini LED display, rather than the lower resolution equivalent used in last year’s model. Moreover, the laptop showcases Asus’ new ROG Nebula ELMB technology, which should deliver up to 16x better motion clarity while maintaining 1,600 nits peak brightness (3% APL) in HDR mode.
On top of that, Asus includes an 18% higher wattage power adapter to facilitate up to 320 W simultaneous power draw from the laptop’s CPU and GPU. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus can top out at 200 W too, though. However, the GeForce RTX 5080 and GeForce RTX 5090 remain pegged at 175 W. Still, over 50% higher peak CPU wattage should give the ROG Strix Scar 18 a slight in-game performance advantage compared to Asus’s 2025 model.
Unsurprisingly, the ROG Strix Scar 18 (G835) is an expensive affair. At the time of writing, Asus charges $4,299 for a GeForce RTX 5080 variant with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Also, comparable SKUs retail for £4,199 in the UK and €4,499 in the Eurozone. Meanwhile, Asus is offering a GeForce RTX 5090 variant with 24 GB VRAM, 64 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 2 TB SSD for £5,299 for a 26% uplift over the company’s cheaper SKU. UK orders receive a free Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight game code too.
Prior to writing and translating for Notebookcheck, I worked for various companies including Apple and Neowin. I have a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds, which I have since converted to a Law Degree. Happy to chat on Twitter or Notebookchat.
