Home » Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM Review – 2023’s Mid Range Gaming Beast

Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM Review – 2023’s Mid Range Gaming Beast

Debamalya Mukherjee

August 24, 2023

Laptops

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If you are looking for a gaming laptop with a big 17.3” screen, then the Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM might be what you need.

Packed with an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor and the GTX 1060 6GB graphics card it’s built for high performance and gaming. Plus, its 32Gb RAM is more than enough to power multitasking on the go.

To read my review of this laptop, read this post till the end.

Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM Specifications

The primary specifications of the Asus Rog Strix Scar II GL704GM gaming laptop are:

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Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM Features

After using the Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM for a week, here is a quick rundown of its features.

Design & Build Quality

This laptop has a very neat and clean design when compared with other gaming laptops. It’s not too flashy, with RGB all over the place. The chassis and the hood look absolutely gorgeous with their aluminum finish. The bezels are also pretty thin, making the 17.3” screen look even more captivating.

When it comes to its build quality, it’s pretty sturdy. This is evident by its weight, which is heavier than most gaming laptops (almost 3kgs). Also, if you turn on your fan at full speed, you will not see the hood hinges flailing about.

Display

The display of the Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM is one of its main USPs. It’s big and vibrant 17.3” IPS display looks stunning, mostly due to its sheer size. In addition, the clarity and the color gamut of the display are excellent. Playing video games and watching movies on a 17.3” 1080p screen brought every frame and action to life.

The gamut is smaller on the current Gamut is smaller than on the previous GL703 due to Asus changing panel providers. Those who desire complete sRGB coverage should consider opting for narrower bezel 15.6-inch laptops or wait for the availability of 17.3-inch panels with broader color coverage. Nonetheless, the color accuracy is more than satisfactory for gaming and is generally of minor significance.

When it comes to playing online competitive multiplayer games like Valorant, League Of Legends, and Overwatch 2, more frames will win you more games. However, if your screen does not have a high refresh rate, you won’t enjoy the benefits of a high-end laptop. To solve this issue, this gaming laptop has a 144Hz screen with a 3ms response rate. Therefore, if you have good aims, you can convert them into 1-tap headshots easily.

From a subjective standpoint, the display is a premium offering that justifies its price. Visuals are sharp and virtually free of graininess, even with the matte overlay, reminiscent of the 15-inch Zephyrus GX series. Gamers and content creators will particularly value the exceptionally smooth 144 Hz refresh rate that adds to the system’s “wow” factor. Minor backlight bleeding along the lower edge is present but hardly noticeable while gaming or watching movies.

Keyboard, Touchpad, & Camera

While gaming laptops do not necessarily have mechanical keyboards, a sturdy enough keyboard is preferred. Here, the Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM has a 4-zone RGB chiclet keyboard. This lets you type easily and in a better way, without worrying too much about breaking keys – with colored lights. Plus, the WASD keyboard is transparent too, making it easier for you to move with your lights off.

The Trackpad surface boasts a completely smooth texture that facilitates seamless gliding during swift movements. However, when moving at a very slow pace, there’s a slight tendency for the finger to stick. The surface maintains its sturdiness and exhibits minimal warping when subjected to moderate finger pressure.With Precision functionality, the trackpad is of a decent size (~10.7 x 5.9 cm), slightly smaller than the GL703’s trackpad (10.4 x 7.1 cm). This alteration is due to the inclusion of dedicated mouse keys in the current system, a departure from the previous generation model which featured integrated click pad keys. This transition is highly appreciated, as the click pad keys on the GL703 series felt cheap and lacked tactile response. The new mouse keys on the GL704 offer enhanced usability, emitting relatively subdued noise, providing shallow feedback, and delivering a satisfying click sensation.

The touchpad is pretty simple, with the two mouse buttons at the bottom, placed pretty ergonomically. However, if I have a complaint here, then it’s the placement of the face cam. This is probably the only laptop that I’ve seen with a face cam on the bottom bezel of the screen. Here, you can say that Asus made this laptop preferably for users who prefer using the laptop while sitting on their beds, with the screen tilted back a little. Also, the webcam quality is terrible, considering it’s a 720p HD webcam.

Communication 

Additionally unchanged from the previous generation model are WLAN and Bluetooth. The Intel 9560 has theoretical transfer rates of up to 1.73 Gbps as standard. Interestingly, compared to the GL703GM, wireless performance is more consistent this time.

Connectivity Ports

The Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM has a plethora of i/o ports. It has lots of USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2 ports. Therefore, connecting various devices at once will never become a hassle. It also has an ethernet port for your internet, along with a mandatory 3.5mm audio jack as well.

The best add-on comes in the form of an SD card/memory card reader. This is not something that you can get in most gaming laptops. In addition, two display ports (1x DisplayPort and 1x HDMI 2.0 port) are welcome additions for using multiple monitors.

Battery Life

After testing out various applications and tasks, the battery lasted a maximum of 5 hours unplugged. This was when I was simply brewing for information on Google and also watching some YouTube videos as well.

However, when it came to gaming, I was able to play Valorant for a maximum of 2 hours. I also played Red Dead Redemption 2 for 1.5 hours. Just like every other gaming laptop, its battery does not last long.

Performance

Since it has such great specifications, it handles all its tasks pretty well. Whether it’s simple office work like managing a few sheets and databases or creative tasks – they will all run smoothly. I was able to effortlessly edit a 2K video with no lags in Adobe Premiere Pro, with several other tabs and apps open in the background.

This laptop performs great as a gaming laptop. Even though its GTX 1060 6GB can be a downer compared to modern RTX laptops, it still performs well. You can easily play all the latest games here, no problem. However, newer games will struggle to run at max settings. Therefore, you have to lower its quality to low or medium settings.

Here are some frame rates I experienced across many games, played at max settings and 1920×1080 resolution:

Maintenance 

With a sharp edge and a Philips screwdriver, the bottom panel may be readily removed to reveal two storage bays, two SODIMM slots, the cooling system, the battery, and the WLAN module.As can be observed above, the internals have changed dramatically from the GL703GM of the previous generation. As opposed to the Zephyrus GX series, service is simpler with the notebook’s classic form.

Frequently Asked Questions ! (FAQs):

Gamers have various queries regarding the Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM. Here are my answers:

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Final Verdict – Is The Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM Still Good In 2023?

If you have read this Asus ROG Strix Scar II GL704GM review so far, you will know by now how good this laptop is. As a gaming laptop, it’s a pretty good performer. It handles all tasks pretty well, along with gaming as well. Here, its 17.3” display is its primary highlight. However, its poor battery life and horrendous face cam are my only complaints. Plus, its $2,299 price tag is pretty high compared to other gaming laptops.

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