Asus’ ROG gaming laptops have FPS and MOBA keyboard layouts (Asus ROG Strix SCAR II)
Asus gaming brand Republic of Gamers (ROG) on Thursday launched two new gaming laptops in India. Asus ROG Strix SCAR II and ROG Strix Hero II are equipped with a 144Hz Refresh Rate display, 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor, RangeBoost technology, and HyperStrike Pro keyboard. First unveiled at Computer 2018 back in June, the two gaming laptops have now made their way into the country. The new Asus gaming notebooks started selling in India starting August 30, and their price in India begins from Rs. 1,39,990.
The Asus ROG Strix Scar II is a new version of the e-sports gaming laptop built for FPS titles, while the ROG Strix Hero II edition is a new model of the e-sports gaming laptop built exclusively for MOBA titles. They have a new design that includes two contrasting brushed finishes across the lid, front light bar with customisable Aura Sync lighting, and new keyboard layouts with Kevlar-inspired and cyberpunk-inspired markings respectively.
As mentioned, both the ROG Strix Scar II and Hero II feature a 15.6-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) 144Hz super-narrow-bezel display with an 3ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time, a HyperStrike Pro gaming keyboard for improved control, and HyperCool Pro technology to cool the CPU and GPU. They are the world’s first laptop to feature multi-antenna Wi-Fi for improved connectivity, the company claims.
Meanwhile, the SCAR II and HERO II offer up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM support through a dual channel and a 512GB PCIe SSD along with a 1TB FireCuda SSHD storage. In terms of graphics, the SCAR II employs an 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 whereas the Hero II gets a 6GB GeForce GTX 1060 card. Notably, there’s another variant of the SCAR II laptop, which features a GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C port, USB 3.1 port, HDMI port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and more. In terms of dimension, the laptops measure 36.1×26.2×2.61cm and weigh 2.4 kilograms.
Asus ROG Strix Hero II
Both Strix SCAR II and Hero II feature a gaming keyboard with HyperStrike Pro technology. Asus says that the keyboard has a desktop-inspired layout, including four hotkeys, customisable Aura Sync-compatible RGB backlighting across four zones, and ergonomically-designed keys with 0.25mm-deep keycap curves. Additionally, with ROG Overstroke technology, it enables earlier key actuation, and has a longer overstroke distance. The keyboard comes with specially-highlighted ‘WASD’ keys in the SCAR II and ‘QWER’ keys in the Hero II. The keyboard is claimed to have a 20-million-key-press lifespan.
The ROG Strix Scar II and Hero II come with the RangeBoost zero blind spot technology. Leveraging a 4-antenna configuration the laptops can switch between different main and aux antenna, after gauging the strength of the signal. This, Asus says, results in optimisation of the radiation pattern in the laptops and also reduction of blind spots.
The new Asus gaming laptops use a HyperCool Pro thermal system that comes with an extended cooling plate to soak up the heat and spread it evenly to avoid thermal throttling and keep chipset power components below 90-degree Celsius. Meanwhile, two 12V fans deliver a strong airflow and air pressure to cool the CPU and GPU and drive hot air out of the chassis. The HyperCool Pro also incorporates an Anti-Dust Cooling (ADC) system, which uses centrifugal force to expel dust particles and dirt out of the chassis.
The Asus ROG Scar II – GTX 1060 and Asus ROG Hero II – GTX 1060 are already available for purchase in India at all Asus authorised retail outlets for a price of Rs. 1,39,990. Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Scar II model with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 will hit the shelves starting September 30, priced at Rs. 1,79,990.
Commenting on the launch, Arnold Su, ROG and PC Head, Asus India said, “We are extremely excited to introduce the two new and formidable e-sports gaming laptops to our growing gamers tribe. SCAR II and HERO II are crafted to perfection, keeping in mind the unique preferences of gamers, providing a robust performance and awe-inspiring aesthetics. We are certain that the power-packed laptops will be a hit amongst the gamers and look forward to an affirmative response.”
