The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop with a midrange price, offering a balance of performance and portability, making it suitable for general use, light gaming, and engineering tasks with its capable AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU. Its high-quality display with touchscreen capability and a 165Hz refresh rate is excellent for everyday tasks and can handle fast-motion content well. It's also lighter and thinner, enhancing its portability, and has a good battery life for typical usage.
On the other hand, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D, while significantly more expensive, is a powerhouse designed for high-end gaming and intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning. With its top-tier AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor and Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, it delivers exceptional performance that surpasses the Flow X16, especially in gaming and engineering applications. However, its larger size and weight, along with a shorter battery life, make it less portable. The Strix Scar also lacks a touchscreen and has a lower PPI, which might be noticeable for detailed work, but it boasts a higher contrast ratio and a 240Hz refresh rate, which is ideal for competitive gaming.
In summary, if you prioritize portability, versatility, and value for money for general use and some gaming, the ROG Flow X16 is a strong contender. But if you're looking for the best performance for demanding tasks and gaming without concern for portability or budget, the ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is the way to go. 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 ASUS ROG Flow X16
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6/10
9.2/10
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
9.1/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.5/10
8.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
502.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a better screen than the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D for general use, and engineering and design, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a better screen for gaming and AI, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
5.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has 3 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
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has good portability, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has very good build quality, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,300
$3,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a price of $1,300 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D costs $3,500.
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and ASUS ROG Flow X16 are both very good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.2/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and ASUS ROG Flow X16 are both very good for content creation.
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
7.7/10
7.9/10
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and ASUS ROG Flow X16 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow X16 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D compare to other laptops
"Above all else, the Asus ROG Flow X16 is one thing - versatile! It is a thin, mobile work device, it's a 2-in-1, tablet, a powerful workstation and even a gaming PC. But something even more surprising: It does all of these things really well without making any big blunders. It's anything but a lazy compromise. Because, despite its compact dimensions and 2-in-1 functionality, the hardware isn't throttled and boasts, at least in turbo mode, above-average performance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Flow X16 or the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D
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.
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.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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.