A great option in terms of power and price, but not looks
, at least in terms of looks. Both feature a thin, impressive design with high-end build materials. But if those qualities don’t matter to you, the Strix Scar 17 might be priced more to your liking. While getting either the Blade 17 or X17 with similar specs will cost you well over $3,000, the model that I tested costs $2,499.99 at Micro Center.
Taking a tour around the laptop, the Strix Scar’s keyboard, once again, delivers a brilliant typing experience. The keys are nearly silent, yet they feel tactile and fulfilling to type on. It may take a few days to get accustomed to the keyboard layout, but I’m on board with everything that Asus is going for here. There are dedicated keys raised near the top of the keyboard for volume, and the power button is far enough away from the other keys to not be pressed on accident.
Along the right side, there’s the Keystone II NFC physical key that can be used to securely log into the laptop, with all Asus account and device settings in tow. Additionally, it can activate a performance mode and a designated app when inserted. Conversely, you can program it to lock the computer or shut down applications when removed. It can also give access to a “shadow drive,” which can be encrypted if you have Windows 11 Pro.
Given how terrible most gaming laptop speakers are, I wasn’t expecting one of my favorite things about the Strix Scar 17 would be its speakers. On top of its full-sized keyboard that types like a dream, my music and games sound better played through this laptop’s speakers than almost any that I’ve tested before . Games have a lot more punch in their sound than what I’ve experienced with other gaming laptops.