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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is a premium laptop with a high price, offering powerful performance suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks, but it is less portable due to its weight and size. It also features a high refresh rate display for smooth visuals, though at a standard resolution. The Gigabyte A7 is a more budget-friendly option with less powerful components but still capable of decent gaming and general use. It’s also more portable and lightweight than the ASUS, which can be an advantage if you need to carry it around frequently. Both have the same screen size and type but the ASUS has a battery that lasts longer and is a more recent model. Choose ASUS for top-tier performance and gaming or Gigabyte for cost-efficiency and easier portability. 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 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte A7
- The Gigabyte A7 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17.
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
292.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for general use, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a very high refresh rate screen and a robust processor like the Intel i9, perfect for robust performance and a great visual experience for general use, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to some other options. On the other hand, the Gigabyte A7 also has a strong processor with the AMD Ryzen 7 and a quality screen, yet it offers longer battery life and better portability which might be more convenient for users who prioritize those aspects over the highest performance specs.
Gaming and AI
8.4
7.3
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 stands out for gaming and 3D applications with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 360Hz, offering smoother visuals and potentially better gaming performance than the Gigabyte A7, which is equipped with the capable but less powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 and a refresh rate of 144Hz.
Engineering and Design
8.6
7.6
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 outperforms the Gigabyte A7 for engineering and design due to its superior Intel i9 processor and RTX 3070 Ti graphics, which offer better performance for intensive tasks, paired with higher quality screen features that benefit design work. While both laptops have the same amount of RAM and screen size, the ASUS model is less portable and noisier under load but compensates with a better keyboard and higher screen refresh rate, making it highly suitable for demanding engineering software and detailed design applications.
Content Creation
8.2
7.3
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte A7 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
7.5
7.0
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for software development, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.1
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Gigabyte A7 have panels that offer clear visuals and ample brightness, making them easy on the eyes for browsing and productivity tasks. For engineering and design, the same laptops provide wide color gamuts ensuring accurate and vibrant colors which are essential for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these laptops could lead to less smooth visuals, which might detract from fast-paced action and high-end graphics performance.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte A7 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$940
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a price of $2,499 and the Gigabyte A7 costs $940.
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Key similarities
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte A7 to have only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Gigabyte A7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 | Gigabyte A7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,499 | $940 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.02'' | 15.6'' x 10.3'' x 1.19'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.39 lbs | 5.58 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 15.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.1" | 10.31" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 49 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 292 nits | 318 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.9/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | No Webcam | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2021
"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."
Gigabyte A7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | October 2021
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 or the Gigabyte A7
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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