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日本ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) vs ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 – Ultimate Power vs Portability
ASUS gaming laptops go in two directions. An all-powerful and bulky beast with superb cooling and super-fast components, aka the ROG Strix SCAR 16, or a thin & light approach that still brings unholy amounts of performance, aka the ROG Zephyrus G16. Both laptops deliver the top echelon of their respective processor series, with a Core i9-14900HX (SCAR 16) or a Core Ultra 9 185H (G16).
In terms of graphics, the RTX 40-series is available on both laptops, with appropriate power limits to accommodate the form factor. The displays here are really good, covering lots of colors and delivering a great viewing experience. Today we’re having an interesting comparison that will show if the extra size of the SCAR 16 will contribute to any meaningful performance increase.
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024): Full Specs / In-depth Review
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605: Full Specs / In-depth Review
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) configirations:
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 configurations:
Specs table
| Specification | ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i9-14900HX | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Laptop, 175W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (Laptop, 175W) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Laptop, 115W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (Laptop, 115W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (Laptop, 105W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop, 100W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 100W) |
| Display | 16.0″, WQXGA (2560 x 1600), 240 Hz, MiniLED | 16.0″, WQXGA (2560 x 1600), 240 Hz, OLED |
| Memory | up to 192GB DDR5 5600MHz | up to 96GB LPDDR5x 7467MHz |
| Battery | 90Wh | 90Wh |
| Weight | 5.8 lbs (2.65 kg) | 4.1 lbs (1.85 kg) |
| Dimensions | 13.94″ x 10.39″ x 0.89″ (354 x 264 x 22.6 – 30.4 mm) | 13.98″ x 9.69″ x 0.59″ (355 x 246 x 14.9 – 17.2 mm) |
| Ports |
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Unboxing
In any case, both laptops come with paperwork and a power adapter. Now, depending on the region, you can get some additional goodies, like a Backpack, a mouse, headphones, or a Type-C 100W travel charger for when you’re on the go.
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 | |
|---|---|---|
| Charger power | 330W | 240W or 200W |
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Design and construction
The Zephyrus G16 is 1.7 lbs (800 grams) lighter, which is super noticeable. It’s also much thinner, with a 0.30″ difference. The SCAR 16 has much more RGB, but overall we appreciate the sleek design lines of the G16.
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 5.8 lbs (2.65 kg) | 4.1 lbs (1.85 kg) |
| Dimensions | 13.94″ x 10.39″ x 0.89″ (354 x 264 x 22.6 – 30.4 mm) | 13.98″ x 9.69″ x 0.59″ (355 x 246 x 14.9 – 17.2 mm) |
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Keyboard and touchpad
Both keyboards lack a traditional NumPad, but the SCAR 16 actually does something to remedy this. You Get a NumberPad, which is a digital NumPad that spawns the numbers on the touchpad. Overall, the SCAR 16 has the better keyboard, with longer key travel and clicky feedback. With that said, the G16’s keyboard is also very good, bringing as much key travel as possible from the thin chassis.
The touchpads are really good, with smooth surfaces that let you glide across effortlessly.
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Ports
Despite the slimmer chassis, the G16 is able to exceed the SCAR 16 in terms of ports. You get the same amount + an SD card reader for you photographers and videographers. With that said, we have to mention that the Type-A ports on the G16 are slower than the ones on the SCAR 16 (5 Gpbs vs 10 Gbps).
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ports |
|
|
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Display and Sound Quality
Here we have almost identical displays. The SCAR 16 features a Nebula HDR display with a MiniLED panel, while the G16 has an OLED panel. MiniLED is like a Lite version of OLED, as you get many local dimming zones that can still give you the deep OLED blacks and the high contrast, however, it’s not as accurate as OLED panels, which have individually-backlit pixels.
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 | |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Panel technology | MiniLED | OLED |
| Pixel density | 189 PPI | 189 PPI |
| Dot pitch | 0.14 x 0.14 mm | 0.13 x 0.13 mm |
| Retina distance | 18″ (46 cm) | 18″ (46 cm) |
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Both panels have excellent viewing angles, as you can see form the video footage below.
The SCAR 16 has the brighter panel of the two. Both displays have a close-to-neutral color temperature. The OLED panel of the Zephyrus G16 has a much higher contrast ratio, leading to super deep black colors, which makes the rest to just pop.
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 | |
|---|---|---|
| Peak brightness (middle of the screen/average for the entire display area) | 546/545 nits | 416/416 nits |
| Max deviation | 3% | 1% |
| Color temperature (on white screen) | 6520K | 6470K |
| Contrast ratio | 1140:1 | 1 000 000:1 |
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Color coverage
Here are some illustrations (Fig. 1) & (Fig. 2). The whole “sail-shaped” map below consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors that the panels of the laptops can display:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
The yellow dotted line shows the color coverage of the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) and the Zephyrus G16 GU605, both of which cover the entire sRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts.
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 | |
|---|---|---|
| sRGB | 100% | 100% |
| DCI-P3 | 100% | 100% |
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Color accuracy
Now let’s see how big is the difference between the real colors and the ones you’ll see on the three laptops. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the bigger the number, the more different they look.
For the next illustration, we’ve chosen 24 common colors like dark and light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Below you can see the results of the two laptops with our Web Design and Office Work profile applied. The ROG Strix SCAR 16 is the more accurate of the two, with a dE value of 1.0.
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) 16.0″ BOE NE160QDM-NM7 (BOE0C24) (2560×1600) Mini LED IPS: Buy our profiles
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 16.0″ Samsung ATNA60DL01-0 (SDC41A3) (2560 х 1600) OLED: Buy our profiles
PWM
Both laptops show PWM usage, which makes them difficult to use for prolonged periods, as your eyes will tire out quickly. Flickering is when your panel constantly turns on and off, which is a way to control brightness.
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Sound
Both laptops have quality speakers, with four units in total that performed great in our tests, with no deviations across all frequencies. The placement is different, depending on the laptop. The SCAR 16 has four units on the bottom panel, positioned in the four corners. The G16 has two speakers flanking the keyboard, and two more on the bottom panel.
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605Performance – CPU, GPU, Gaming, Storage
Below we’ve highlighted the configurations that we’ve tested.
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i9-14900HX | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Laptop, 175W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (Laptop, 175W) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (Laptop, 115W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (Laptop, 115W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (Laptop, 105W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop, 100W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 100W) |
CPU benchmarks
The Core i9-14900HX is a lot more powerful than the Core Ultra 9 185H, with a 62% higher score in Cinebench 2024.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU benchmarks
Here we have a 175W RTX 4080 going against a 115W RTX 4090. The GPU with the higher Power Limit scores better in the tests, with an 8% lead in 3DMark Time Spy and 5% in Wild Life.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) – RTX 4080 (175W)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 – RTX 4090 (115W)
| Borderlands 3 | Full HD, V.Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Badass (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 – RTX 4080 175W | 237 fps (+27%) | 208 fps (+28%) | 179 fps (+25%) | 154 fps (+18%) |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 – RTX 4090 115W | 187 fps | 162 fps | 143 fps | 131 fps |
| Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 – RTX 4080 175W | 281 fps (+30%) | 224 fps (+33%) | 210 fps (+31%) | 190 fps (+26%) |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 – RTX 4090 115W | 216 fps | 168 fps | 160 fps | 151 fps |
Battery
Both laptops have a 90Wh battery pack. However, thanks to the more efficient components, the G16 outlasts the SCAR 16 by 4 hours and 17 minutes in the video playback test.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Upgradeability
Unfortunately, the Zephyrus G16 has soldered RAM and two M.2 PCIe slots for Gen 4 SSDs. The SCAR 16 brings two SODIMM RAM slots and two M.2 PCIe Gen 4 slots.
Verdict
While the ROG Strix SCAR 16 certainly brings more performance and is the more powerful laptop of the two. However, you really have to appreciate the performance that you can get from the Zephyrus G16 too, since it’s not super far off the SCAR 16 in certain areas while being so much more portable.
The GPU performance difference between the 175W RTX 4080 and the 115W RTX 4090 is bigger in games than it is in benchmarks, so if you want the most FPS possible, the SCAR 16 is the answer. The laptop also has a more powerful processor, which generates a lead of 62% in the Cinebench 2024 test. The displays here are both fantastic, aside from the PWM usage, so take breaks as often as possible and rest your eyes.
In terms of pricing, both laptops have nearly identical prices when configured with a Core i9 or Ultra 9 processor and RTX 4080 or 4090 graphics. That means you have a choice in front of you. You can either pick the all-powerful SCAR 16 and have all the FPS in the world but at the cost of portability and lower battery life. We’d recommend it if you’re looking for a desktop replacement type of laptop, where you won’t be carrying it around very often.
Or you can go for the Zephyrus G16, get plenty of power (albeit not on the level of the SCAR), lose some upgradeability, and gain a lightweight laptop that you can take anywhere with you.
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024): Full Specs / In-depth Review
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605: Full Specs / In-depth Review
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024) configirations:
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605 configurations:
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