HardwareGaming LaptopsThe SSDs and RAM on this new Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 can be upgraded entirely without toolsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareGaming LaptopsThe SSDs and RAM on this new Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 can be upgraded entirely without toolsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Image1of4(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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For many of today’s most popular gaming laptops, manufacturers have shrunk and soldered so much to save space that we’ve lost the ability to upgrade our machines. Not thisAsusROG Strix Scar 18, though. It’s been built with upgradeability in mind.
The Scar 18 has received a redesign in 2025. It’s curvier, has RGB down-lighting around its circumference, a Mini-LED Nebula HDR display, and will come packed with a newIntel HX Series mobile CPUandNvidia RTX 50-series GPU.
But what’s most interesting about this design is when you flip it over. There are no screws visible from the underside of this laptop. Instead, it has a single sliding latch. This unlocks the rear cover, which can then be slid off and removed—no tools required.
Underneath the cover sit two diagonally arranged NVMe slots and a pair of SO-DIMM packages. All of which can be swapped and changed. That’s maybe notthatamazing, but Asus has got rid of the frustratingly tiny screws and opted for small latches on each of the NVMe slots—called Q-latch—much like it’s done with its motherboards in recent years.
(Image credit: Asus)
That means the laptop can be upgraded without even a screwdriver, which is pretty special. The battery is also easily accessible. Though to get down any further than these components requires removing a few screws, but it’s less likely you’ll need to get down there except for repairs.
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
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