The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 (2023) Laptop Review: Mobile Ryzen 9 7945HX3D with 3D V-Cache Impresses
by Gavin Bonshor on August 22, 2023 9:00 AM ESTROG Strix Scar 17 (2023): Compute Performance
Typically in previous notebook reviews, we lump basic compute and general performance in with our system performance summary. As we advance into 2023 and beyond, we'll split the sections up and use some of our 2023 CPU Suite benchmarks to measure performance, not just from a compute standpoint but also from memory and other compute-related variables that can substantially affect compute performance.
CPU-Z Screenshot of the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor
We'll also have more data points as we test more notebooks, and for now, we've included our data from some of our more recent yet relevant CPU reviews to judge performance. This includes AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the regular 7950X, and other lower-powered 65 W Ryzen 7000 CPUs. We've also added the Intel Core i9-13900K in for good measure, as, after all, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D is technically designed to be a desktop replacement alternative.
Starting off with our 3DPM v2.1 benchmark, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D performs insanely close to the Intel Core i9-13900K in the non-AVX section, which is very impressive, given that it pulls 1/3rd of the power than the desktop chip at full blast. Naturally, AMD's Zen 4 architecture includes support for AVX-512 workloads through two 256-bit channels, and as a result, performs very similarly to the 12C/24T Ryzen 9 7900 desktop chip.
Next up is Blender 3.3, and in the case of the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, it's more than capable of performing rendering tests. Sitting primarily between the Ryzen 9 7900 and the Ryzen 7 7700 (both desktop) processors, it outputs a lot of grunt for a 55-75 W processor packed into a notebook chassis.
In our Crysis CPU render benchmark, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D performed very well and wasn't too far off its larger packaged desktop sibling, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.
Looking at the results in our C-Ray 1.1 4K benchmark, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D performs very well, even ousting the Ryzen 9 7900 slightly and making light work of the other sub-16 core chips on test; both desktop and the mobile Ryzen 9 7940HS.
Often used as the go-to benchmark to measure CPU performance by users across the world, CineBench R23 yielded some interesting results. First of all, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D was only around 8% slower than the desktop Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which also has the 3D V-Cache packaging. It also showed similar performance in the single-threaded test, which is understandable given both chips feature the same Vermeer Zen 4 cores.
Our last compute-related benchmark is WinRAR 5.90, which is sensitive to both CPU cores and memory. Again, we see very similar performance between the desktop Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the mobile Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, which is impressive. It's worth noting that the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is using DDR5-4800 memory, which, if ASUS had used faster memory such as DDR5-5200 as per JEDEC specifications, the tables could have turned.
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blkspade - Saturday, September 2, 2023 - link
With the exception of having decent built-in speakers, literally no one that genuinely cares about audio relies on any computers built-in audio interface. Recent Realtek chips like the ALC1220 is actually not even a terrible audio chip, but it matters more how its implemented as an onboard solution. If you were going to do any sort of production, you'd always use an external interface anyway. Audiophiles will have a preferred DAC, since no computer at any price is likely to have anything built-in that's comparable. Most of the people such a laptop targets are going to be using some relatively crappy USB gaming headset completely bypassing the analog interface.Your only real options for built-in solutions are Intel, Realtek and Marvell. Intel's recent 2.5Gb NIC has been problematic, to the point where Realtek was probably the superior solution. Marvell Acquantia based 10Gbe NICs have been better than the one Intel 10Gbe I bought. Unless you're using the laptop as a server, you probably aren't running into issues where it being a Realtek chip is the problem. I get the full and expected performance out of the Realtek 1Gb NIC in my $1200 laptop, and I'm frequently transferring data to/from the server at work. I haven't run into a problematic or poor performing Realtek NiC in a while, outside of maybe a USB one. This will handle your typical steam updates just fine. Your opinions are clearly based on long outdated knowledge/experience.
Duncan Macdonald - Tuesday, August 22, 2023 - link
Any laptop with a 720p (or worse!!) camera advertises that penny pinching occurred in the design.As you can get FHD (1080p) on even a £60 Android phone the price difference to the maker of 720p and 1080p cameras must be minimal. I take the presence of a low resolution camera as a warning that there is likely to be penny pinching with important components (eg the battery). As such I will not buy a laptop that does not have at least a FHD camera.
Besides the penny pinching aspect - a FHD camera is useful if you want to show an A4 document to someone on a video call (720p cameras blur the text too much if you try to get a full A4 page into a single picture).
brucethemoose - Tuesday, August 22, 2023 - link
The 1st gen G14 didn't even have a webcam!I guess its not a priority for gaming focused designs?
Makaveli - Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - link
With you on the webcam even if you don't use it much you know it would cost them a few extra bucks to make it 1080p........lemurbutton - Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - link
The biggest constraint for a webcam on a laptop is the thinness of the lid. Phones are significantly thicker than the lid of a laptop. That's why Macbooks have a notch. It's also why some laptop makers have tried putting the webcam at the bottom of the lid.ballsystemlord - Tuesday, August 22, 2023 - link
It's unfortunate that there is no DVD drive. DVDs are still popular and M-Disks are the ultimate cold storage solution.back2future - Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - link
since pretty much high-top components and performance, "while there are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports", wondering about USB 4 hubs availableDVDs with option for external drive, what would not saturate USB3.2 connections, if there's no need for mobile access for optical storage ~100GB, 12x avg(25GB disc) ~35MB/s (~25-54MB/s, ~USB2.0 almost sufficient for 12x data transfer) (ODA, ~5.5TB each cartridge (11discs), discontinued product, Sony 2022 (next), wr ~185/370MB/s, ~50-100plus years data access, HDDs ~5-25yrs)
James5mith - Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - link
Weird that they ship this with DDR5-4800, not 5600. Wonder why that is? Just a small way to try and save some power I guess? But since both run at JEDEC 1.1v, what's the major difference?garblah - Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - link
Strange that OLED panels aren't standard on these top of the line notebooks yet. I would far prefer a 120hz OLED to a 240hz IPS, even if the primary use is gaming and the resolution only 1440p. Something about backlight bleed on the best notebook IPS makes it even more noticeable than desktop displays.peevee - Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - link
There are a bunch of all-important questions for laptop owners which you just ignore.Is battery user-replaceable? Are replacement batteries available? How much do they cost? What about 3rd party batteries? Are they still going to be available in 2,4,6,8 years?
Is memory user-replaceable? Is SSD?
If you just test it it might not matter. If you plan to use it for more than 2 years these matter way more than fps over 60 (given that progress has slowed to a crawl a laptop like this is not even be outdated in 10 years)