The 17.3" Republic of Gamers Strix SCAR II Gaming Laptop from Asus is built for gamers who are looking for a balance between performance and portability. Featuring a slim design and weighing roughly 6 lb, the SCAR II is equipped with a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7-8750H six-core processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD paired with a 1TB 5400 rpm Seagate FireCuda SSHD, and an NVIDIA RTX 2070 graphics card. Thanks to its dedicated GPU, you'll be able to turn up the graphical settings in your games to enjoy them at their best. Other integrated features include an RGB backlit keyboard, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit LAN, HDMI and mini DP ports, USB Type-A and Type-C ports, and the usual webcam plus audio setup you need for gaming and video chatting.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-Series
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series graphics cards are built on the Turing architecture. Combining traditional CUDA cores with RT and Tensor cores for ray-tracing and AI, these cards offer more realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections in real-time.
Display
The display on the ROG Strix SCAR II has slim bezels for an immersive viewing experience. Size aside, it's built with features that gamers need such as a fast 144 Hz refresh rate and a 3 ms response time. Not just for gamers, but also for content creators, the SCAR II provides you with 100% sRGB coverage.
Cooling
To efficiently cool its components, the SCAR II is equipped with the HyperCool Pro thermal system. It includes an extended cooling plate, two high-performance 12V fans, and a trapezoid-cut lid design to increase airflow. Additionally, the fans feature an anti-dust system to prevent dust buildup that can cause overheating.
RangeBoost
ROG RangeBoost technology utilizes multiple antennas to eliminate dead spots and increase Wi-Fi range, allowing you to game a bit further away from the router than you normally could.
Keyboard
RGB lighting has become a staple of gaming products, appearing everywhere from keyboards to chairs. Therefore, the SCAR II has 4-zone RGB backlighting that you can customize with the ASUS Aura Sync software. Its keyboard also has N-key rollover and anti-ghosting technology to ensure that your commands are accurately and precisely recognized.
Audio
The speakers on the SCAR II are built with smart amplifier technology to deliver higher output with more bass. When plugged-in, you'll be able to experience virtual 7.1-channel surround sound with the Sonic Studio III software.
Windows 10
Start Menu
After its hiatus in Windows 8, the Start Menu has returned. Utilizing a combination of the traditional menu system and Windows 8's Live Tiles, the improved Start Menu gives you more information at a glance, showing notification information alongside your applications and other pinned items.
Cortana
Microsoft's digital personal assistant, Cortana can answer your questions with information gleaned from both your device and the internet at large. You can type or even talk with her, if your system has a microphone. Using her Notebook, Cortana keeps track of your needs and wants, and she learns over time to improve her information gathering skills.
Microsoft Edge
After nearly 20 years, Microsoft has finally replaced its Internet Explorer web browser. With Microsoft Edge, users can write directly on web pages and share notes with friends and colleagues. It also improves the online reading experience by adding a distraction-free mode and read-it-later functionality. Edge also has built-in Cortana integration; you can have her help you find a restaurant, make a reservation, and pull up directions without leaving your browser.
Windows Store
For Windows 10, Microsoft has unified the Windows Store. Now, apps for PCs, tablets, and phones will all be accessible from one place. And with support for Universal Apps, one version of an app can work across all your compatible devices automatically.
Windows Continuum
Windows 10 was designed for a variety of screen sizes and input styles, and with its Continuum feature, it automatically adapts to fit your needs. A Windows 10 tablet on its own requires a touch-centric approach, but attaching a mouse and keyboard will shift everything to a more traditional interface. You can even attach an external monitor to your Windows 10 phone for a near-desktop experience. But it's not just the operating system; Windows Universal Apps take advantage of Continuum as well.
Xbox on Windows 10
Gaming is a big focus of Windows 10. Xbox integration allows for PC players to match up against Xbox One players on supported games, and if you have an Xbox One, you can even stream compatible titles to your PC. Native support for recording with the new Game DVR feature makes it easy to capture and share your gameplay. The new DirectX12 takes better advantage of multi-core processors, giving games a performance boost, even on older hardware. Windows 10 also features native support for virtual reality headsets, such as the Oculus Rift.