It seems that only yesterday that ASUS ROG updated their Scar and Hero gaming notebooks to Intel’s Coffee Lake-H platform. In an ROG event just before Computex 2018, ASUS ROG unveiled to the public the second generation Hero II and Scar II gaming notebooks.
Since there are no new processors and GPUs from Intel and NVIDIA, the Scar II and Hero II carries over the Intel Coffee Lake-H platform and Pascal GPUs found on the most recent refresh of the original Hero and Scar notebooks. The Hero II and Scar II, however, now come with an improved display with both notebooks getting a 15.0-inch FullHD IPS display with 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, which is almost the same specifications found on the screen of the Zephyrus M. The bezels on the new displays for the Hero II and Scar II are 2.33cm narrower compared to previous generations of these laptops.
The keyboard has been improved with the Hero II and Scar II. The keyboards of both notebooks are AuraSync compatible with RGB lighting in four zones, while the keycaps have been sculpted with a 0.25mm curve for better ergonomics.
To differentiate between the Scar II and Hero II, the highlighted zones on the keyboards have been changed. Optimized for FPS games, the WASD zone of the Scar II comes with transparent keycaps. The Hero II, meanwhile, is geared for MOBAs which leads to the QWER zone being highlighted. Both keyboards come with N-key rollover as well as a lifespan of 20 million key presses.
The wired experience will still be the most optimal way to play online. If you’re on a laptop, however, it will be inevitable that you’ll need to play over WiFi. To improve the wireless experience, both notebooks no come with ROG RangeBoost technology. This allows the notebooks’ connection via WiFi to have a 30% wider coverage with its four antennas located at the front and back of the chassis. They also support 802.11ac Wave 2 standards that delivers up to 1.7Gbps of bandwidth.
Both notebooks now feature HyperCool Pro thermal system to provide cooling for its internals. An extended cooling plate soaks up the heat and distributes it evenly though out the notebook to make sure that the components don’t go beyond 90°C. Aside from the plate, there are two 12V fans on the notebooks that deliver better airflow and air pressure.
Air flow is also improved with the trapezoid-cut displays. Instead of blocking the exhausts at the back of the notebook, the air is now clear to go out of the chassis without any kind of impedance. This design promises 27% better cooling efficiency than that of a traditional screen design. Here are the full specs of both the ASUS ROG Strix Hero II and Scar II as well as the SKUs that will be arriving in the Philippines:
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar II | ASUS ROG Strix Hero II | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8750H | Intel Core i7-8750H |
| OS | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Home |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 |
| RAM | Up to 32GB 2666MHz DDR4 | Up to 32GB 2666MHz DDR4 |
| Display | 15.6-inch IPS, 144Hz, 3ms, 1920 x 1080, 100% sRGB | 15.6-inch IPS, 144Hz, 3ms, 1920 x 1080, 100% sRGB |
| Storage | 256GB NVMe SSD / 1TB FireCuda SSHD | 128GB NVMe SSD / 1TB FireCuda SSHD |
| I/O Ports | 3.5mm combo jack, 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C, RJ-45, HDMI 2.0, SD Card Reader, Kensington Lock | 3.5mm combo jack, 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C, RJ-45, HDMI 2.0, SD Card Reader, Kensington Lock |
| Audio | 2x 3.5W speakers with smart amplifier | 2x 3.5W speakers with smart amplifier |
| Connection | Ethernet, WiFi | Ethernet, WiFi |
| Weight | 2.4kg | 2.4kg |
| Model Name | LCD | CPU | RAM | HDD | VGA | SRP |
| GL504GS SCAR | 15.6-inch FHD IPS 144HZ | i7-8750 | 16GB | 1TB+256G PCIE | GTX1070 8GD5 | 129,995 |
| GL504GM HERO | 15.6-inch FHD IPS 144HZ | i7-8750 | 16GB | 1TB+128G PCIE | GTX1060 6GD5 | 104,995 |
Both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar II and Hero II will be available in the Philippines within the 2rd quarter of 2018.