If performance, especially in gaming or other graphics-intensive tasks, is your top priority, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 with its more powerful GPU and CPU is a better option. However, it's heavier and less portable compared to the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, which offers good performance with a slimmer and lighter design, making it easier to carry around. The ASUS has a higher refresh rate screen, which is beneficial for fast-motion visuals, but the Lenovo has a screen with a higher resolution and better aspect ratio for productivity tasks. Consider the ASUS if gaming and heavy tasks are a priority and you don't mind the extra weight and higher cost. Otherwise, the Lenovo offers better portability, a nicer screen for work, and it's less expensive at the cost of some performance. 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 gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
7.7/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
8.6/10
8.0/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is equipped with a high-performing Intel i9 processor and a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, which, alongside a large screen and high refresh rate, makes it ideal for demanding engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.5/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
Screen Quality
8.1/10
7.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 have displays that offer clear images and vibrant colors at a resolution that makes text and visuals sharp, along with sufficient brightness for comfortable viewing in various lighting conditions. In terms of engineering and design, these laptops boast wide color gamuts, rendering them capable of displaying a broad range of colors which is essential for precision in color-critical tasks like photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates mean motion might not appear as smooth, which can detract from the experience in fast-paced gaming or when working with animation where fluid motion is key.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a price of $2,499 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 costs $1,000.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for general use due in part to its powerful Intel i9 CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality IPS screen which offers excellent colors for a premium visual experience but is less portable and has a shorter battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 also provides good performance with a capable AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and an impressive IPS screen with a higher aspect ratio for more vertical screen real estate, balanced with better portability and similar battery duration to the ASUS, however, it compromises slightly on screen color quality and has half the storage capacity.
Software Development
7.5/10
7.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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