Into to the front lines | ASUS GL504GM SCAR II First Impressions
Complete with a near borderless screen that impresses!
Last month we got our chance to test out the ASUS ROG GL503 GE Hero edition and we rather liked it! Now we got a chance to try out the ASUS ROG Strix GL504GM SCAR II. If the Hero is made for MOBA players, the SCAR II is designed with FPS fans in mind.
So is it a similarly good laptop as the Hero edition? Check out our first impressions of ASUS’ SCAR II here!
Opening the box we are greeted with the SCAR II; even without taking it out of the box, we can already tell that the laptop has ASUS’ classic metal finish and clean overall look. Though it’s not as loud as other gaming laptops, it should still catch gamers’ eyes.
Taking it out of the box, the SCAR II feels a bit heavy, even though it should be lighter than the GL503 Hero; it might be due to the laptop design’s weight distribution. While it still isn’t as heavy as larger gaming laptops, it might not be the best travel companion for gamers who want a slim and light device.
Moving on the keyboard, the WSAD buttons are highlighted, emphasizing the laptop’s FPS-centric design. They also threw in something special for FPS fans by decorating the keyboard area with some “Camo” prints, while it looks really good, it’s barely visible in lower light conditions.
For I/O, the left side of the SCAR II packs 2x USB-A 3.1, 1x USB-C gen 2, HDMI 2.0, miniDP 1.2, LAN, Power port, and a 3.5mm jack.
Over to the right side we have the SD card reader, Kensington Lock, and 1x USB-C gen 2.
The most striking thing about the SCAR II is no doubt its display. The laptop packs a 15.6-inch FullHD display with minimal borders, making the display almost all screen. Not only is it a good-looking display, it’s also a 144hz screen! The laptop’s front is not perfect though, as I don’t like is the new webcam placement which is now below the screen. While this makes for a slightly awkward camera angle, it feels like a decent trade off for the near-bezel-less 144hz screen.
The new look of the ASUS ROG Strix GL504GM SCAR II is great, especially its awesome-looking 144hz display. While it’s not perfectly designed, as an overall package, the SCAR II is a promising device. Now to test it out on actual gaming!
Specs Summary
- Intel i7-8750H, six-core
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
- 32GB DDR4-2400 RAM
- 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD
- 66 Wh, 180 W power adapter
- Weight – 2.4kg
- Price – Php 104,995
With its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, I expect the GL504GM SCAR II to perform well for gaming. While I’m happy with its performance in games such as CS:GO, I’ve still yet to try it out more extensively. For our final verdict on the SCAR II, check back soon here at UnGeek for the full review!