The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 SE is a beastly gaming laptop with a unique feature Tom's Guide Skip to main content Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 SE is a beastly gaming laptop with a unique feature By Tony Polanco published 17 May 2022 Hidden patterns give this laptop a distinguishing flair (Image credit: Asus) Today (May 17) Asus announced the ROG Strix Scar 17 Special Edition gaming laptop. As a high-end machine, the Strix Scar 17 SE sports components that should make it sufficiently powerful for those who want the most from their gaming experiences. It also has a unique design element that differentiates it from similar gaming laptops. The ROG Strix Scar 17 SE includes an Intel Core i9-12950HX processor and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card. You can outfit it with up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage. It has a 17.3-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Different configurations have either a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display at 360Hz or a QHD (2560 x 1440) display with a 240Hz refresh rate. Both have a response time of 3ms. Aside from its powerful specs, what sets the Strix Scar 17 SE apart is that it uses invisible ink that's only visible under UV lighting. The laptop's lid has patterns that serve as tips for ROG's SCAR Runner parkour game. It's an interesting gimmick that owners will likely enjoy, so long as they have a UV lamp or light to see the laptop's hidden patterns. Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 SEAsus ROG Flow X16PriceTBDTBDDisplay17.3-inch (Full HD 1920 x 1080, 360Hz or QHD 2560 x 1440, 240Hz)16-inch (up to QHD 2560 x 1440 at 165Hz)CPU12th gen Intel Core i9-12950HXUp to AMD Ryzen 9 6900HSGPUUp to NVIDIA RTX 3080TiUp to NVIDIA RTX 3070 TiStorageUp to 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSDUp to 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSDRAMUp to 64GB DDR5-4800MHz Dual-channelUp to 64GB DDR5-4800MHz Dual-channelPorts2 USB-C, 2 USB-A, 1 Ethernet, 1 HDMI, 1 audio jack1 XG Mobile interface, 1 USB-C, 2 USB-A, 1 HDMI, 1 3.5mm audio, 1 microSD card readerBattery90Wh90WhConnectivityWi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2Dimensions15.5 x 11.1 x 0.92-1.11 inches13.97 x 9.56 x 0.76 inchesWeight6.6 poundsFrom 4.4 pounds Asus also announced the ROG Flow X16, which is effectively the bigger sibling to last year's Asus Flow X13. This 2-in-1 gaming laptop can be configured with either an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti or an AMD Ryzen 6900HS GPU, up to 64 GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage. It also has an option for a mini-LED touchscreen (a la the mini-LED display on Apple's iPad Pro 2021 [12.9-inch]) with up to 1,100 nits of peak brightness, according to Asus. There will be options for QHD displays with a 165Hz refresh rate. All configurations have a QHD display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Both of Asus' upcoming gaming laptops look great on paper, though we'll need to conduct proper testing to determine if they rank among the best gaming laptops. Asus didn't reveal official pricing for either machine. But given the cost of the Flow X13 ($1,499 as reviewed) and the standard Strix Scar 17 ($1,999 to $3,299 on Asus' site (opens in new tab)), don't expect these new rigs to be budget-minded. At the moment, neither has a firm release date.Today's best Asus ROG Flow X13 deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$1,419.90 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$1,634.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$3,299.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)Show More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Be In the Know Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Tony PolancoComputing WriterTony is a computing writer at Tom's Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. 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