ROG Strix SCAR vs Strix G: What's the difference between ROG's esports laptops?

ROG is so committed to gamers, we put it right in our name. Every product we build is designed to provide gamers with the best possible experiences available on PC today. But even within the ROG umbrella, there is one sub-brand that stands a head above the others as the leader in total horsepower: ROG Strix.

More than any other ROG family, seeing the Strix name implies that the machine will have a pairing of the fastest CPU, GPU and display refresh rates available for laptops. The line contains a few different models, including the Strix G15, Strix G17, Strix SCAR 15, and Strix SCAR 17—so you can pick the perfect top-tier esports machine for your needs and budget. 

The Strix SCAR and Strix G both offer high-end performance for esports enthusiasts in a similarly robust and stylish chassis. However, there are a few key differences between the two product lines:
 

• The 2022 Strix SCAR features Intel processors, while the 2022 Strix G packs AMD CPUs.
• The Strix SCAR offers more powerful GPU options, up to an RTX 3080 Ti.
• The SCAR offers more customization, including per-key RGB, Customizable Armor Caps, and Keystone, while the G offers a few bold color options out of the box.
• The Strix G and Strix SCAR offer slightly different display options.
• The Strix G is more affordable than the more premium Strix SCAR.

Those are the basic differences, but if you want a more detailed look at which model is right for you, let's dive a bit deeper.

Strix SCAR 15 and 17: The ultimate in esports power

You’re a competitive gamer. Whether we’re talking about Valorant, Fortnite, or Call of Duty: Warzone, you need a laptop that can deliver consistently high framerates with a display that can take full advantage of the performance on offer. Regardless of whether you’re just playing pubs or truly looking to climb the ladder, seeing your opponent before they see you can make the difference between victory and defeat. 

Going pound for pound with some of the most premium standalone gaming monitors available today, the Strix SCAR 15 offers up to 1080p 300Hz or 1440p 240Hz refresh rate panels, while the more immersive Strix SCAR 17 ups the 1080p panel to 360Hz. With refresh rates that high, motion is buttery smooth, and tracking your opponents will never require guesswork on where the next frame will leave their center of mass. All of these panels offer lightning fast 3ms response times, which means that your character will respond as soon as you deliver a mouse or keyboard input. 

Backing up these rock solid displays are 12th Gen Intel processors, with the top-end Core i9-12900H capable of a staggering 5.0GHz max boost clock that will easily drive high framerates. This 14-core CPU, which is cooled by Thermal Grizzly's top-tier Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal, is also no slouch if you have additional applications open while gaming, like Discord or OBS, with 8 dedicated Efficiency cores. 

Our engineers had to perform some black magic, but they were able to also fit up to an NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU at 150W max TGP in the SCAR's 17-inch and 15-inch chassis. The techno-sorcery doesn’t stop there, with the SCAR sporting up to 64GB of blazing fast 4800MHz DDR5 memory and dual PCIe Gen 4 SSD slots, all of which are fully accessible for upgrades in the future. All of this hardware is wrapped in a sleek, cyberpunk-inspired design with unique ROG touches, including our signature “Fearless Eye” logo. With RGB lighting on the lid, bottom, and keyboard deck with full per-key illumination, the Strix SCAR 15 and SCAR 17 are truly dazzling right out of the box. Go on, we know you want to take one for a spin.

Whether you opt for the SCAR 15 or SCAR 17, you’ll be treated to tournament-ready performance right out of the box. But we weren’t satisfied enough to rest on our laurels. Our engineering team continued tinkering with this beastly machine, and have just released the SCAR 17 Special Edition, a truly one-of-a-kind gaming machine that pushes the possibility of what you can do on a laptop to the absolute bleeding edge.

The SCAR 17 SE features Intel’s flagship Core i9-12950HX CPU, a 16-core processor with a max TGP of 65W. This is paired with the NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU, but the Special Edition unlocks an additional 25W for the GPU, allowing for an absolutely insane 175W max TGP with Dynamic Boost. This is thanks to Thermal Grizzly’s flagship Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal and a vapor chamber that covers just over 50% of the motherboard, allowing for the kind of performance you would expect from an enthusiast tier desktop gaming PC in a 17-inch chassis.

	ROG Strix SCAR 15	ROG Strix SCAR 17
CPU	Intel Core i9-12900H  Intel Core i7-12700H
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti  NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti  NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Display	Full HD 300Hz/3ms 100% sRGB  QHD 240Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3 QHD 165Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3	Full HD 360Hz/3ms 100% sRGB  QHD 240Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3 QHD 165Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3
Memory	Up to 64GB DDR5 4800MHz
Storage	Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
I/O	2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C  2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A   1x 2.5G LAN RJ45 1x HDMI 2.1  1x 3.5mm audio combo jack  1x Power (DC) input port
Battery	90Wh
Size	354.9 x 259.9 x 22.69 ~ 27.2mm  2.3kg	395 x 282.1 x 23.4 ~ 28.3mm  2.7kg
Where to buy	Newegg Amazon Best Buy Micro Center B&H Photo	Newegg Amazon Best Buy Micro Center B&H Photo

Strix G15 and G17: Incredible performance for the discerning gamer

For competitive gamers on a slightly tighter budget, we also offer the Strix G line. While the Strix SCAR offers the best of the absolute best, the Strix G provides high-end performance with fewer bells and whistles for a more affordable package. 

While they still offer high refresh rates, the Strix G15 and G17 don't have quite as many display options as their SCAR siblings. The Strix G15 offers the same 1080p 300Hz panel, alongside a QHD 165Hz panel with 100% DCI-P3 coverage for vivid colors. The Strix G17 offers both a 1080p 300Hz and QHD 240Hz panel, just like the larger SCAR model. These displays will keep that frenetic esports action looking silky smooth, especially when paired with Adaptive-Sync, which automatically synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the framerate you’re getting in game, completely eliminating motion tearing.

Instead of the Intel CPUs found in the SCAR, the Strix G15 features up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor. This 8-core, 16 thread CPU has max boost clocks of 4.9GHz, allowing it to easily power fast and stable framerates in all of the latest AAA and eSports titles you’ve been waiting to play. You also have access to all of the latest NVIDIA RTX 3000 series mobile GPUs, up to the RTX 3080. With support for up to 32GB of 4800MHz DDR5 RAM and with dual M.2 slots, this machine has specifications that would make even some desktop owners green with envy.

Both Strix G models also have some physical differences from the SCAR line. Instead of the emphasis on cybertext across the machine, the Strix G laptops offer bold color accents that act as a vibrant contrast to their black chassis. For a more reserved look, Eclipse Gray keeps your laptop’s true potential under wraps, while bold Volt Green and Electro Punk make sure you stand out from the crowd.

	ROG Strix G15	ROG Strix G17
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX   AMD Ryzen 7 6800H
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti   NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
Display	Full HD 300Hz/3ms 100% sRGB QHD 165Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3	Full HD 360Hz/3ms 100% sRGB  QHD 240Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3
Memory	Up to 32GB DDR5 4800MHz
Storage	Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
I/O	2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C  2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1x 2.5G LAN RJ45  1x HDMI 2.0b  1x 3.5mm audio combo jack  1x Power (DC) input port
Battery	90Wh
Size	354.9 (W) x 259.9 (D) x 22.69 ~ 27.2 (H) mm  2.3kg	395 (W) x 282.1 (D) x 23.4 ~ 28.3 (H) mm  2.8kg
Where to buy	Walmart Costco	Costco

Strix lets you game with confidence

There are a lot of variables that go into a successful match. Connection speed, matchmaking, your teammates…but your hardware plays a big role. No matter what Strix machine you choose, you can rest assured that your computer is not holding you back. Designed from the ground up to offer the fastest gaming components with the most cutting edge thermal solutions, the Strix family is here to give every gamer a leg up on their competition. Which one will you pick?