ASUS recently refreshed its line of gaming laptop to Intel’s 10th Gen CPUs and the ROG Stirx Scar 15 is one of them. The new ROG Strix SCAR 15 (GL532) is an update the ROG STRIX Scar III that I have reviewed a few months back. The ROG Strix SCAR 15 (GL532) retails for S$3,998.
Unboxing
Inside the box, you will receive the following:
- ROG Strix Scar 15 GL532 laptop (GL532LWS)
- 230W charging brick
- GC21 external webcam + stand
- ROG Gladius II gaming mouse
- ROG Delta Gaming headset
- ROG Backpack
- Keystone II (not pictured)
Build quality and design
The ROG Strix SCAR 15 GL532 is still using the same chassis as its predecessor so the overall design is kept relatively the same albeit some minor aesthetic changes. The exterior of the Strix SCAR 15 GL532 is made from aluminium but now has a smooth matte finish instead of the former brushed aluminium. The interior also feature new design changes – the keyboard deck now sports a smooth matte texture with gamery font splattered across the top right corner.
The ROG logo retains the ability to light up in RGB colours. You can still lift the lid with one hand, and the hinge feels sturdy. There is also minimal flex on the keyboard deck. Overall, the build quality is as sturdy and robust as its predecessor.
One unique design of the Strix SCAR 15 series of laptop is that it has eye-catching RGB going round the outline of the laptop’s base. So, if you are really into those RGB lights to impress, the Strix SCAR 15 GL532 definitely has one of the coolest implementation of RGB on a laptop.
Do note that there is no webcam on the laptop, so ASUS throws in a GC21 external webcam if you ever need to use a one.
Tech specs
Display
The Strix Scar 15 GL532 screen gets a major update from its predecessor. It now has a 300Hz 3ms IPS 1080p (Full HD) panel, which is similar on the Zephyrus S15. However, do note that the Strix Scar 15 GL532 does not support GSync. But at least you get an Optimus mode. To get the 3ms response time, remember that you have turn on Panel Overdrive in the Armoury Crate software.
As for general screen quality, the screen on the Strix Scar 15 GL532 produce nice colours, good viewing angles and contrasts. Brightness like the Zephyrus S15 isn not its best suit. It gets bright enough for indoor use but may struggle when you’re using it outdoors.
Performance
The Strix Scar 15 GL532 I have is the most powerful of the two available for purchase. The GL532LWS model comes with a NVIDIA RTX 2070 SUPER, powered by an 8-core Intel i7-10875H processor, supported by 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.
The are four power profiles to choose from namely – Silent, Performance, Turbo, and Manual, listed the ascending order of power. On battery, only Silent and Performance profiles are available.
Here are some benchmarks done in Turbo Mode for your reference:
- Geekbench 5: Single-core = 1233, Multi-core = 6003
- PCMark 10 Extended: 6906
- Cinebench R20: 4016
Performance in games in pretty good. I am able to achieve over 90fps on Turbo mode for most of the games tested below. The Strix Scar 15 GL532 boasting a 300Hz screen is made for first person shooter gamers, but the refresh rate you can get is not as high as the Zephyrus S15. But of course these tests were done at extreme settings to push the system. If you were to relax the settings, you can definitely achieve higher frames per second. Here are the average fps I got in the following games at maximum possible graphic settings:
- CS GO: 122fps
- GTA V: 93fps
- Hitman Absolution: 89fps
- Valorant: 144fps
As for thermals, the laptop does a pretty good job keeping the laptop cooling it to warm temperatures. Even at Turbo settings playing games, the laptop does not feel uncomfortably hot. The cooling is better than on the Zephyrus S15, which is expected due to its thicker chassis. Noise levels though can get quite loud to cool the laptop down whenever you are running heavy programmes or pushing graphic limits at Turbo mode.
It is worth noting that the 16GB RAM is single channel, which is not that ideal as a dual channel memory system. Having said that there is an empty RAM slot available in the laptop if you were want to upgrade your system’s RAM.
Keyboard and trackpad
The Strix Scar 15 GL532 keyboard when compared the recently reviewed Zephyrus S15 needed lesser actuation force, which should please most people. The keyboard has a nice amount key travel and a softer feedback making typing accurate and comfortable. There are dedicated hot keys for quick access to volume, microphone, fan control and the Armoury Crate software. The ‘W” key has a small extrusion, allowing you to locate the key just by touch, a pretty neat feature. The keyboard also supports per-key RGB lighting.
Moving on to the trackpad, it’s pretty much the same tracked as its predecessor, where you still get dedicated click buttons. The trackpad has smooth glass surface which is Windows precision. The virtual NumPad, like those found on ZenBooks, also makes an appearance with a more gamery font.
Ports selection
The ports on the Strix Scar 15 GL532 is essentially the same as it’s predecessor, with just a slight Gen improvement for the USB-C port but still no Thunderbolt 3 support.
- 3 x Type A USB 3.2 Gen 1
- 1 x Type C USB 3.2 Gen 2
- 1 x LAN RJ45 Jack
- 1 x HDMI 2.0b
- 1 x 3.5mm Audio Jack
- 1 x Keystone slot
As for connectivity, the Strix Scar 15 GL532 now comes with Intel Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and GigaBit LAN to ensure your laptop is future proof.
Like its predecessor, the Strix Scar 15 GL532 comes with something called “Keystone”. The Keystone is a NFC-enabled key that slots magnetically to the slot on the right side of the laptop. Once the Keystone is slotted it, the laptop gives off an orange accent and gives you access to an encrypted Shadow Drive and customised game-specific profiles or lighting effects. Basically, the Keystone is a token that applies your personalised settings. The concept of this would seem to be helpful if you and your sibling share this laptop and each owning a keystone. But unless you are sharing the laptop, I can’t really see an average user benefiting much from this.
Battery life and speakers
The battery is the Strix Scar 15 GL532 is a 76Wh one. Like its predecessor, do not expect the laptop to survive for long hours. For general day-to-day use of surfing the net, watching some videos in YouTube/Netflix, and composing this review in Silent Mode at 50% brightness, the battery lasted me around 4-5 hours. Do note that if you are not plugged in, the screen’s refresh rate will lower to 60Hz to save battery, and will revert back to 300Hz once you’re plugged back in.
As for speakers, they are positioned at the side of the laptop and sound surprisingly good. There is a little more bass presence than the Zephyrus S15, but still lack a full sounding experience. Volume does not get too loud, but it is sufficient for watching general media or playing games.
Conclusion
The Strix Scar 15 GL532 is still a well-built machine and the update mainly provided hardware updates in terms of screen and CPU. We see some minor design updates that give it a cleaner look. Unfortunately, IO improvements such as Thunderbolt 3 wasn’t seen on this new laptop. Performance from the Strix Scar 15 GL532 is still strong, and a solid option if you do not mind the heavy weight of it.