If you prioritize portability and battery life, the MacBook Air is lighter and has longer battery life, but its performance is suited mostly for general use and less intensive tasks. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers superior performance suitable for gaming, 3D modeling, and engineering software, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. The MacBook Air typically costs less, while the ASUS comes at a premium price but includes a larger screen and better hardware for resource-demanding applications. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
8.4/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17, with its high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics and a high refresh rate screen, is tailored to excel in gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Apple MacBook Air (2022), although having a fair GPU in the form of its integrated Apple M2 chip, falls short particularly due to a standard refresh rate screen and limited gaming compatibility on MacOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 outshines the Apple MacBook Air (2022) for engineering and design due to its superior Intel i9 processor, double the RAM and a high-performance Nvidia RTX GPU, which together provide strong computational power critical for engineering software and tasks. Despite its excellent screen quality, the MacBook Air's lesser hardware specifications make it less ideal for demanding engineering work, though its lighter design and silent operation offer better portability and comfort for general use or less intensive design tasks.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.1/10
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
292.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The MacBook Air's display offers vibrant colors and clarity due to its high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for everyday tasks and professional design work where color accuracy is key. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17, while having a good display for general and engineering tasks, may fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate which is essential for smooth motion rendering. Both laptops, however, might not be ideal for the most demanding 3D work as their screens don't prioritize the extreme refresh rates that professional 3D artists often need.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Excellent
Poor
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 costs $2,499.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) delivers a balance suited for general use, offering good screen quality, battery life, and portability with its lightweight design and silent operation, which is particularly appealing for everyday tasks and mobility.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 laptop review: liquid metal 7 nm AMD Zen 3 is stunning. The raw performance increase is absolutely bonkers if you're upgrading from a laptop on Coffee Lake-H or older. The 45 W Ryzen 9 5900HX is neck-to-neck with the thicker, heavier, and hotter Schenker Ultra 17 running on a desktop-class Core i9-11900K despite their wide TDP differences. The performance-per-watt advantages can make Intel Rocket Lake feel like a last generation platform at times. As for the chassis itself, it's a huge light show with RGB LEDs on almost all sides of the system."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,695
Recommendations made
22,468
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.