Achieve esports excellence at up to 240Hz on the Strix SCAR III and Hero III gaming laptops

Success in esports comes down to milliseconds; it demands quick, decisive reactions to moment by moment action. Just as it’s crucial to get the right weapons and items to handle any in-game situation, you need the right real-world gear to get the edge on opponents.

The new ROG Strix SCAR III and Hero III are designed to deliver the speed, precision, and responsiveness required for high-level play. Catch every nuance of battle with the smooth, crystal clear graphics that pros demand on an ultra-fast display up to 240Hz. The high refresh rate and quick response time take full advantage of the triple-digit frame rates pushed out by powerful NVIDIA GeForce® RTX graphics. Equipped with the latest generation of Intel Core processors and a comprehensive Intelligent Cooling system that tweaks settings for the scenario, these machines power through graphically intensive games and anything else that comes their way.

Dual personas driven by innovation

Distinct SCAR III and Hero III personas are each available in 15’’ G531 and 17’’ G731 sizes to make tailoring them to your preferences easy. They combine sturdy, portable chassis with upgraded aluminum skin on the lid. The FPS-inspired SCAR III wears a gunmetal grey finish with subtle carbon weave styling on the inner deck, while its futuristic Hero III counterpart dresses in midnight black with a stealthy cyber-text pattern on the interior.

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Both styles are based on the same forward-thinking design inspired by our collaboration with BMW Designworks Group to imagine the future of gaming laptops. The Strix’s sculpted surfaces echo a key element of the Face Off concept that collaboration produced, with raised ridges that artfully accent the ventilated 3D Flow Zone at the back. The asymmetrical cut below the display also borrows a design cue explored during brainstorming workshops for the final concept.

Evoking a deeper physical connection with the machine was another key theme of our BMW Designworks Group collaboration. The Strix SCAR III and Hero III channel this idea with the new ROG Keystone, which docks neatly with the chassis and offers a more personalized link to your laptop. These NFC-enabled devices act like physical keys; docking one can transform system lighting and other settings based on Armoury Crate profiles, and grant access to a secret Shadow Drive that hides and encrypts important files. In addition to offering new capabilities today, Keystones lay the groundwork for additional functionality in the future. Starting Q1 2020, Windows 10 Pro users will be able to enable Shadow Drive encryption as well as quick access to custom Scenario Profiles linked to their ROG IDs.

Game-changing graphics

Pumping out the frame rates needed for the fast pace of high-level esports is serious business. With NVIDIA® graphics up to the GeForce RTX™ 2070, the latest SCAR and Hero have the firepower for all your favorite titles.

Bolstered by ROG Boost, the GPU surpasses slower GeForce RTX™ 2070 configs by clocking up to 1540MHz at 115W in Turbo mode, offering incredibly smooth gameplay for action-packed encounters. The Turing™ architecture at the heart of the GeForce RTX™ series blends traditional CUDA cores for programmable shading with RT and Tensor cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing and artificial intelligence. With this combination, Turing-powered GPUs can efficiently produce a stunning depth of detail that enriches your experience with lifelike lighting, realistic reflections, and other enhanced effects.

Once you have high frame rates, you need a display that delivers them. We work closely with professional esports teams and top tournaments that require a refresh rate of 240Hz, which is four times the speed of conventional screens. Displays this fast have traditionally been limited to high-end desktop monitors, but the new ROG Strix series can be configured with panels that make 240Hz gaming portable. Quickly deploying this ultra-fast technology further cements our leadership at the forefront of gaming laptop displays. We showed 240Hz laptop gaming with a 15.6" panel demo at CES 2019 in January and integrated the same display into the SCAR III and Hero III that were introduced in April. At Computex 2019 in May, we're taking that speed to a bigger stage in larger versions of those designs; the SCAR III and Hero III are world's first 17.3" laptops with 240Hz panels.

There's more to the displays than just ultra-high refresh rates. They have 3ms grey-to-grey response times that provide the crisp, clear visuals needed to track targets in the heat of battle. They’re also framed by super-narrow bezels that offer a more seamless view of the screen and a more compact body to fit into your bag.

Power through anything

Games are just the beginning with up to the new Intel® Core™ i9-9880H CPU at your command. This processor pushes frequencies as high as 4.1GHz with a single core, and its eight-core design can execute up to 16 parallel threads to power through demanding workloads like video editing and 3D rendering. Heavy multitasking is fast and efficient, especially with up to 32GB of DDR4-2666 memory. Gamers can play, chat, and stream simultaneously, while content creators can run all the apps they need for maximum productivity.

Get the best of both worlds for speed and capacity with a mix of superfast SSD and spacious SSHD storage. The M.2 NVMe SSD significantly speeds up load times and transfer speeds for your most critical programs and files. With up to 1TB of space, it also has plenty of room for your favorite games. While the SSHD isn’t quite as snappy, its integrated flash storage caches frequently accessed data to accelerate load times for the things you do the most. It adds a terabyte of storage of its own, making it easy to carry your entire collection of games, apps, and media wherever you go.

Cooling you can see

A comprehensive Intelligent Cooling system sustains the potent performance of the SCAR III and Hero III by melding the right mix of hardware for the chips and chassis, along with software that adapts to the scenario.

The striking structural design of the laptop is not just a treat for the eye; it’s designed to carve out multiple cooling advantages. Scissor-door hinges are shifted forward, opening up additional room for the 3D Flow Zone at the back. Positioned near the rear exhaust ports, this area adds ventilation through 181 individual perforations in the 15” G531 and 236 in the 17” G731. The trapezoidal cut in the display above it ensures unrestricted airflow when the laptop is open.

Inside, dual 12V n-Blade fans deliver maximum cooling. Made from a special liquid crystal polymer, their blades are 33% thinner than conventional designs yet still strong enough to hold up at high RPMs. We can fit an incredible 83 blades per fan, and the high density combines with additional ventilation to increase airflow by 11% compared to the previous generation.

An extended heat spreader and up to five heatpipes absorb and distribute thermal energy from the CPU, GPU, and VRM supplying them with power. The design is tweaked based on the GPU configuration and uses up to three separate heatsinks. Ultra-thin fins increase the surface area for thermal dissipation while simultaneously lowering air resistance and increasing flow. The self-cleaning thermal module keeps the fans and heatsinks debris-free by catching particles in anti-dust tunnels that expel them out the back. Preventing buildup helps maintain cooling efficiency and overall stability for the long haul.

Cooling and performance requirements vary based on what you’re doing, so we offer multiple modes tuned for different needs. Silent mode minimizes acoustics for less demanding everyday tasks like web surfing and video streaming. Balanced mode is ideal for gaming, with the power to pump out high FPS without blasting the fans. Turbo reaches even higher performance with the volume to match, offering maximum speed for more intense projects and tasks.

Shift between operating modes on demand with a simple keyboard shortcut. You can also configure Scenario Profiles in ROG Armoury Crate software that automatically switch modes and adjust other system settings based on the active application.

Gain an illuminated edge

Aura Sync accents add RGB shine to the distinctive structural design. A new wraparound light bar glows under the front and side edges of the chassis, extending illumination into your environment and complementing the backlit ROG logo on the lid. Plenty of USB ports provide connectivity for a collection of compatible Aura Sync devices that let you match RGB colors and effects across a mouse, headset, and other peripherals to make your gaming environment feel like home.

The lighting on the keyboard offers per-key control which can be enabled and fully customized once Aura Creator launches in June 2019. It can be used to highlight critical bindings and shortcuts for your favorite games and frequent workflows. Versions of the Strix SCAR III and Hero III area also available with four-zone keyboard lighting that uses transparent caps on the WASD keys to provide a quick visual guide to standard in-game movement controls.

The heat from internal components can sometimes make keyboards less comfortable to use, especially over marathon gaming sessions, so we use strategic ventilation around the WASD keys to let air flow through the area. This CoolZone design reduces the surface temperature by 2° Celsius compared to the previous generation, keeping the keyboard cool even when you’re under fire. 

Additional thoughtful enhancements to the keyboard improve convenience, accuracy, and actions per minute. Dedicated hotkeys put volume and microphone mute within easy reach at all times, so you can make quick adjustments without taking your focus off the game. Strategically spaced blocks of function keys allow easier identification on the fly, and an enlarged space bar provides a bigger target for your thumb. The 15” G531 editions light up a digital numpad on the touchpad that’s easy to access the press of a button, while 17” G731 configurations have a full numpad similar to full-size desktop keyboards.

Overstroke technology lifts the actuation point of the underlying keyswitches to provide a faster response for gaming, and the extended travel after actuation improves the overall feel. Punch in complicated, multi-key inputs with abandon knowing that full N-Key rollover registers every press precisely. The keyboard is built to last with switches rated for 20 million presses, so you can bang away relentlessly on the durable design.

The right hook-ups for maximum versatility

Whether you’re expanding your battlestation at home or taking your game on the road, the Strix  SCAR III and Hero III have connectivity covered. Maintaining a Wi-Fi connection stable enough for gaming on the go can be tricky, but RangeBoost eliminates a ton of issues with ordinary setups by using a smart, quad-antenna system that regularly evaluates the environment and chooses the right pair of antennas to maximize signal strength for the surroundings. For serious multiplayer gaming and other activities that are more sensitive to network performance, plug into Gigabit Ethernet and experience lower latency free from wireless interference.

Multi-task more efficiently by spreading windows and work across multiple monitors. The Type-C USB has DisplayPort technology that lets you pair the integrated display with an external 240Hz desktop monitor. To enjoy media and games at higher resolution, hook up a 4K monitor or TV via HDMI 2.0b, and bask in the glory of a bigger screen at up to 60Hz.

Virtual 7.1-channel surround sound puts you right in the center of the action with superior spatial awareness that helps you get the jump on enemies. It’s compatible with a wide range of devices, from analog headphones and speakers to USB DACs and VR headsets. The side-firing speakers are enhanced by Smart Amp technology that adjusts output on the fly to prevent damage to the cones, letting you turn up the volume louder to experience deeper bass and broader dynamic range with less distortion.

	ROG Strix Scar III G531	ROG Strix Scar III G731	ROG Strix Hero III G531	ROG Strix Hero III G731
Processor	Intel Core i9-9880H Intel Core i7-9750H Intel Core i5-9300H	Intel Core i9-9880H Intel Core i7-9750H Intel Core i5-9300H	Intel Core i9-9880H Intel Core i7-9750H Intel Core i5-9300H	Intel Core i9-9880H Intel Core i7-9750H Intel Core i5-9300H
Display	15.6" FHD 120Hz vIPS display, anti-glare 15.6" FHD 144Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare 15.6" FHD 240Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare	17.3" FHD 144Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare 17.3" FHD 240Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare	15.6" FHD 120Hz vIPS display, anti-glare 15.6" FHD 144Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare 15.6" FHD 240Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare	17.3" FHD 144Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare 17.3" FHD 240Hz 3ms IPS display, anti-glare
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GDDR6 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GDDR6 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GDDR6 8GB	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GDDR6 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GDDR6 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GDDR6 8GB	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6
Memory	Up to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz	Up to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz	Up to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz	Up to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz
Storage	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD 1TB 2.5‑inch SSHD	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD 1TB 2.5‑inch SSHD	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD 1TB 2.5‑inch SSHD	128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD 1TB 2.5‑inch SSHD
Wireless	Intel 9560 2x2 802.11ac Wave 2 Gigabit WiFi Bluetooth 5.0	Intel 9560 2x2 802.11ac Wave 2 Gigabit WiFi Bluetooth 5.0	Intel 9560 2x2 802.11ac Wave 2 Gigabit WiFi Bluetooth 5.0	Intel 9560 2x2 802.11ac Wave 2 Gigabit WiFi Bluetooth 5.0
Connectivity	1 x RJ45 LAN  1 x Keystone 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5 mm audio combo jack	1 x RJ45 LAN  1 x Keystone 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C with DisplayPort 1.4 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x 3.5 mm audio combo jack	1 x RJ45 LAN  1 x Keystone 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5 mm audio combo jack	1 x RJ45 LAN  1 x Keystone 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C with DisplayPort 1.4 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x 3.5 mm audio combo jack
Keyboard	RGB-backlit chiclet keyboard with highlighted WASD keys, 2 mm travel distance, N-key rollover, and Overstroke	RGB-backlit chiclet keyboard with 2 mm travel distance, N-key rollover, and Overstroke	RGB-backlit chiclet keyboard with highlighted WASD keys, 2 mm travel distance, N-key rollover, and Overstroke	RGB-backlit chiclet keyboard with 2 mm travel distance, N-key rollover, and Overstroke
Audio	2 x 3.5W with smart amplifier	2 x 4W with smart amplifier	2 x 3.5W with smart amplifier	2 x 4W with smart amplifier
Battery	66Wh 4-cell Lithium-ion	66Wh 4-cell Lithium-ion	66Wh 4-cell Lithium-ion	66Wh 4-cell Lithium-ion
AC Adapter	230W AC Adapter 280W AC Adapter (Core i9 SKU)	230W AC Adapter 280W AC Adapter (Core i9 model)	230W AC Adapter 280W AC Adapter (Core i9 SKU)	230W AC Adapter 280W AC Adapter (Core i9 model)
OS	Windows 10	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10	Windows 10 Home
Size	14.19 (W) x 10.83 (D) x 1.02 ~ 1.02 (H) inch	15.7 (W) x 11.5 (D) x 1.02 (H) inch	14.19 (W) x 10.83 (D) x 1.02 ~ 1.02 (H) inch	15.7 (W) x 11.5 (D) x 1.02 (H) inch
Weight	2.4 kg	2.9 kg	2.4 kg	2.9 kg

A professional esports competitor

Whether you choose the gunmetal SCAR III or stealthy Hero III, the new ROG Strix esports  gaming laptops add pro-level performance to your arsenal. They overachieve on the specs you need for serious play, from a 240Hz display that qualifies as world’s fastest for laptops, to the powerful processors required to make it shine. Elevate your experience and get an edge over the competition. The ROG Strix Scar III and Hero III will be available in June 2019 starting at $1,699 USD. Check with your local ROG representative for specifics on pricing and configurations in your region.