– 4K 240 Hz Mini LED display with ROG Nebula ELMB technology (16x better motion clarity, 1,600 nits peak brightness)
– 18% higher wattage power adapter (up to 320 W) with Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus supporting up to 200 W peak CPU wattage
– GeForce RTX 5080/5090 GPUs remain at 175 W, but over 50% higher peak CPU wattage offers slight gaming advantage
– Premium pricing: $4,299 (RTX 5080, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD) to £5,299 (RTX 5090, 64 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD)
A few weeks ago, we got a chance to go hands-on with the latest ROG Strix Scar 18. Initially presented months earlier, the 2026 edition surpasses its 2025 predecessor (curr. $2,649 on Amazon) with a few significant upgrades despite appearances. Now, Asus has quietly started selling its updated 18-inch gaming laptop globally.
Display and Motion Clarity Enhancements
To recap, the ROG Strix Scar 18 (G835) adopts a 4K and 240 Hz Mini LED display, rather than the lower resolution equivalent used in last year’s model. Moreover, the laptop showcases Asus’ new ROG Nebula ELMB technology, which should deliver up to 16x better motion clarity while maintaining 1,600 nits peak brightness (3% APL) in HDR mode.
Power Delivery and Wattage Upgrades
On top of that, Asus includes an 18% higher wattage power adapter to facilitate up to 320 W simultaneous power draw from the laptop’s CPU and GPU. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus can top out at 200 W too, though. However, the GeForce RTX 5080 and GeForce RTX 5090 remain pegged at 175 W. Still, over 50% higher peak CPU wattage should give the ROG Strix Scar 18 a slight in-game performance advantage compared to Asus’s 2025 model.
- Power adapter: 18% higher wattage (up to 320 W total draw).
- CPU: Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, up to 200 W peak.
- GPU: GeForce RTX 5080 (175 W) or GeForce RTX 5090 (175 W).
Pricing and Configuration Details
Unsurprisingly, the ROG Strix Scar 18 (G835) is an expensive affair. At the time of writing, Asus charges $4,299 for a GeForce RTX 5080 variant with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Also, comparable SKUs retail for £4,199 in the UK and €4,499 in the Eurozone. Meanwhile, Asus is offering a GeForce RTX 5090 variant with 24 GB VRAM, 64 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 2 TB SSD for £5,299 for a 26% uplift over the company’s cheaper SKU. UK orders receive a free Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight game code too.
Regional Pricing List
- RTX 5080 variant (32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD): $4,299 / £4,199 / €4,499.
- RTX 5090 variant (64 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD, 24 GB VRAM): £5,299 (26% uplift over cheaper SKU).
- UK bonus: free Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight game code.
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