Not bad, but not great either. The mini LED panel takes a slight toll on efficiency over a regular IPS display, and it looks like setting the screen on multi-zone lighting has a positive impact on the runtimes while streaming video content. Our test model is the mid-specced configuration of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, code name G634JZ, built on an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, 32 GB of DDR5-4800 memory in dual channel, 2 TB of fast SSD storage, and dual graphics: the Nvidia RTX 4080 12GB dGPU and the Iris UHD iGPU integrated within the Intel processor.

In our basic graphics tests, we saw promising 3DMark and GFXBench results from the ROG Strix Scar 16, joining other 13th Gen systems in the leading batch of scores, but a similar lag behind the larger RTX 40 Series laptops. For example, in the GFXBench Aztec Ruins subtest, systems like the MSI Titan GT77 (2023) and the larger Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 scored 500-plus points, while the 16-inch ROG Strix Scar scored just 419, falling behind even the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8. Despite this, the leap forward from the 2022 12th Gen models is still dramatic, with those systems scoring fewer than 300 points in the same test. Here’s what we got in our tests of this panel with single-zone lighting, with an X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor: Powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, the ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace arch, and Max-Q Technologies, the Katana 17 B13V delivers exceptional gaming graphics with lifelike details, vibrant colours, and lightning-fast performance.

The Pinnacle of Performance

As far as the IPS option goes, it’s the 16-inch BOE QHD+ panel with ~500 nits of brightness, 1200:1 contrast, and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage that Asus offers on most of their ROG series, such as the Strix G16 or the Zephyrus G16. You’ll find more about it by following those links. Hardware and performance Despite having a monster CPU and GPU along with a large 16-inch screen, battery life is actually quite reasonable by the woeful standards of most gaming laptops, reaching 5 hours and 51 minutes in PC Mark’s Modern Office battery benchmark. The 2023 Strix SCAR 16 continues to embody the distinct style of ROG. With sharp chassis designs, unique RGB accents, and a distinct gaming vibe, a Strix laptop will always stand out from the crowd. New for 2022, the Strix SCAR features a rear glow RGB panel, which paired together with per-key RGB illumination on the keyboard and the light bar make the laptop a beacon of gaming power from any angle. But that’s not it. The MSI Stealth (9S7-17P211-018) also comes with a Thunderbolt 4 port, which enables lightning-fast data transfer and device charging, making it perfect for gamers who are always on the go. Its superfast SSD of 512GB speeds up load times, and an open SSD slot makes it easy to add more space for carelessly saving all your games, game files, and other data.

Actual gaming, where the full might of the Nvidia GeForce 4080 comes into play, showed a similar score distribution, with respectable scores that fall a half-step behind the top-scoring systems with more powerful RTX 4090 GPUs, but still showing a large improvement over last year's 30 Series chips, in some cases doubling the scores we saw in 2022. This is then heightened by the addition of DLSS 3, which is Nvidia's secret sauce for improving performance from the latest generation of mobile GPUs.Left: power, 2.5G Lan, 1x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C gen2 (with video, data, power), HDMI 2.1, headphone&mic With NVIDIA® Advanced Optimus, the laptop can automatically route frames from the discrete GPU directly to the display using a MUX switch, bypassing the integrated graphics. This pathing improves performance 5-10% compared to machines without a MUX Switch, making sure you get the absolute best gaming experience—all without needing touch a single button. This automatic switching also preserves your machine's battery life, as it can dynamically transition between the high power discrete GPU and the lower power integrated GPU. No matter what you’re doing, your machine will switch to the most optimized mode without you having to lift a finger.

Switching over to the Performance profile translates in the CPU stabilizing at ~100W and temperatures in the low-80s, with the fans spinning quieter at ~42 dB at head-level. The system power limits the CPU on this profile, and the performance takes a 10-12% drop from the Turbo profile.NVIDIA Max-Q is an advanced suite of AI-powered technologies that optimize your system for peak efficiency. This enables blazing-fast laptops that are thin, quiet, and have amazing battery life. Synthetic benchmarks told a similar tale, with the Scar 16 faster in some and the Zephyrus faster in others. For instance, the SPECviewperf 3ds max 3D modelling test favoured the Zephyrus by 195fps to 175fps, while in the CPU-intensive multicore Cinebench R23 test, it was a victory to the Scar 16 by a crushing 30,309 to 19,269. The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is equipped with a dedicated MUX switch and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus support, giving you the upper hand against all your rivals. The MSI Katana 17 is one of the best RTX 4050 laptops in the industry, designed to take your gaming experience up a notch!