The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 (2023) Laptop Review: Mobile Ryzen 9 7945HX3D with 3D V-Cache Impresses

Closing Thoughts

As PC components and hardware constantly evolve, especially at the higher end of the market, users can expect more and more performance, pushing game developers (not PC porters) to develop better game graphics on more advanced game engines and technologies to utilize the hardware. Flagship hardware is the best-in-class hardware available at the time of purchase, and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is a prime example of leading-edge hardware in the laptop space, aiming to replace a desktop system.

The ROG Strix Scar 17 is a 17.3-inch premium gaming notebook and, on paper, is a highly capable machine, even in a laptop form factor, designed to replace the large and bulky desktop system on a desk and spearheaded by the latest AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D. The Ryzen 9 7945HX3D is, by all accounts, a high-performance desktop replacement chip primarily aimed at gamers, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 16 GB laptop graphics chip, the best laptop-centric graphics chip currently available.

Ryzen 9 7945HX3D: 3D V-Cache in Mobile, Desktop Replacement Levels of Performance

Perhaps the most fundamental part of this review is the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, which has 96 MB of 3D packaged L3 cache on one CCD, while the other second has the default 32 MB (as per the Ryzen 9 7945HX). This is AMD's first mobile CPU to feature their 3D V-Cache, which deserves special attention, especially given the success of their Ryzen 7000X3D series for desktops and even the initial Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which debuted back in 2022 using Zen 3 cores.

The Ryzen 9 7945HX3D can operate in two primary modes, assisted by a pair of AMD drivers, the PPM Provisioning Driver and 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer Driver. Working in tandem with Microsoft's Game Mode, when Game Mode is enabled with a game is running, the PPM Provisioning Driver parks the 8C/16T CCD without the 3D V-Cache and operates exclusively from the 8C/16T CCD with the 96 MB (32+64) of L3 cache.

Given that not all games, for whatever reason that may be, can't utilize the extra L3 cache, some titles just aren't going to see the frame rate increases that may be expected. In the hidden crack where a title can't use that large L3 cache, but is effectively optimized for more cores, then there's the likelihood that disabling Game Mode on the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D could be advantageous.

One example was Total Warhammer 3, where we saw slightly better performance from 16C/32T without V-Cache than 8C/16T with the 3D V-Cache enabled. In other titles, such as F1 2022, the 8C/16T CCD with the 96 MB of 3D V-Cache performed noticeably better in average frame rates, which gamers want, even if they don't necessarily need them. With ASUS adding a 240 Hz panel to the Scar 17, getting more frames is beneficial from a utilization point of view. Even though we've had Ryzen processors with 3D V-Cache for over a year now, there still doesn't seem to be a defacto list of what games can or do benefit from more L3 cache, which would be helpful for gamers making an informed buying decision.

On the compute side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D operates with 16 x Zen 4 CPU cores active, effectively making it a Ryzen 9 7945HX, but with a 200 MHz lower base clock. In our power tests, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D hit a maximum of 102.4 W, which for a mobile device, is quite a bit, but in the context that this is a desktop replacement chip, and the chips it's aiming to replicate operate with 120 W or more, then it's easy to see why. Designed to be plugged in, albeit with very lackluster battery life performance, this can be forgiven as the caliber of the notebook the Strix Scar 17 represents. They are more suited to being tethered to a power socket than as a portable gaming machine for, say, a long plane or train journey.

Even in CineBench R23's multi-threaded test, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D came up short of the desktop Ryzen 9 7950X3D by around 8%, which is seriously impressive performance and power efficiency from AMD. Given that one is a flagship desktop processor and the other is designed for laptops, the level of performance on offer from the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D is impressive, especially at the power envelope.

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17: A Premium 17.3-inch Desktop Replacement

It's no surprise that the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 performs as well as it does, especially given the inclusion of the latest Ryzen 9 7945HX3D CPU and the best mobile graphics card available today, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. The ASUS Armory Crate software allows users to adjust performance expectations on the fly through profiles. Where the performance preset does precisely what it says on the tin, the silent mode focuses more on dropping performance to ensure thermals remain stable by slowing the cooling fans. In contrast, the turbo mode pulls power from the CPU towards the power budget of the RTX 4090, effectively giving it a 'TDP' of 175 W through Dynamic Boost technology. Giving users the choice and the power to affect what performance levels they want, or can get, is a plus point.

As we've highlighted, the majority of the chassis on the Scar 17 is coated in plastic, and that's hit-and-miss, but mainly it's down to personal opinion. Despite the plastic, the chassis itself is well-built, as far as the use of plastic goes. It's also a fingerprint magnet; natural oils from skin or fingers will leave noticeable marks. Other elements are audio, which two front-facing speakers drive, and while it's likely users will use a gaming headset, they do sound pretty good, at least when I was listening to music through them. As my taste varies across multiple genres, I found the Strix Scar 17 speakers to carry plenty of good high and mid-range, but I noticed an inherent lack of bass reproduction. While sound is subjective to personal opinion, I'm just giving mine.

Another area is connectivity, and the ROG Strix Scar has enough to remain functional, and while there are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, users looking to replace an entire desktop might want to opt for a USB hub. Also included is a single 3.5 mm audio port which supports both a mic and headphones, and there's a single HDMI 2.1 video output, and the Scar 17 benefits from a 2.5 G Ethernet port and Wi-Fi 6E and BT 5.2 connectivity.

Focusing on gaming performance, as far as laptop graphics go, the NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop GPU is the best available and is seriously capable. Despite being a cut-down version of the desktop RTX 4080, NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace architecture has pushed gaming performance on the 4000 series cards, specifically the RTX 4090, to even greater heights. Couple this with specific games that can leverage the 3D V-Cache on the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, making things even more impressive in performance. Even with the 17.3-inch IPS panel is decent, with a 240 Hz refresh rate and a native resolution of 1440p, it fits the level of performance expected from this notebook, but the 240 Hz aspect is more applicable to 1080p resolutions and in eSports titles than say a AAA game which is more demanding,

The only lackluster area we believe needs highlighting is ASUS's choice to use DDR5-4800 memory over DDR5-5200. While this might not be the most significant upgrade from a user's point of view, given the desktop replacement pedigree and classification, we would at least expect ASUS to opt for AMD's rated JEDEC specifications on processors they use. 

Closing Thoughts: ROG Strix Scar 17 Is Impressive, Ryzen 9 7945HX3D More So

There's no secret that more and more users are considering a desktop replacement gaming laptop over conventional desktops, and there are many reasons why a more portable option might be a better fit. The onus on vendors is to provide more options, not just on paper, but in practicality too.

The hardware available to vendors to build these desktop replacements is a crucial factor, and for gamers, the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D is a welcome addition. Combined with an NVIDIA RTX 4090, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 delivers the expected performance levels in the premium gaming laptop market, not just in compute and gaming performance but in other areas, such as cooling efficiency, user experience, and build quality. ASUS has a solid dual fan and an effective and efficient vapor chamber cooling design. It vents from multiple areas, most notably in areas away from natural hand placements (vents point up instead of straight), giving it a more comfortable user experience when used with external mice.

One glaring omission at the time of writing is almost certainly the price, and as it stands, we currently haven't been given one. However, following on from the ROG Strix Scar 17 with the same configuration, but with the Ryen 9 7945HX, which retails for around $3000, we expect the X3D variant to cost slightly more, putting it in the $3200-3500 price range. That would be fair given that this is the first time AMD, or anyone, has put 3D V-Cache into a mobile processor, and the best-in-class products typically demand a premium price tag.

From our testing of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17, the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D truly performs like a desktop replacement processor should, with the added advantage for gamers in titles that can use the additional L3 cache. As stated, we would love to see a list of games provided by developers or AMD from in-house testing, so gamers and users can make informed buying decisions based on the 3D V-Cache alone. Even so, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D is a superb mobile chip with lots of performance available in both compute and gaming to be tapped into, and combined with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 mobile graphics card, there's not a situation we don't feel the ROG Strix Scar 17 can't deal with.