ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (2025) G635LX / MSI Crosshair 16 HX AI D2XWGKG-211US

ASUS's US spec page shows two G635LX configurations: Windows 11 Home, 1×32 GB, 1 TB, and Windows 11 Pro, 2×16 GB, 2 TB. The G635LW with the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU is a separate model.

Intel rates the chip at 55 W base and 160 W maximum turbo power. In this laptop ASUS allocates 55 W to the CPU in Turbo mode and an extra 25 W in Manual mode; its graphic shows up to 80 W for the CPU.

Other SKUs of the Crosshair 16 HX AI family use up to a Core Ultra 9 275HX.

TOPS is trillions of operations per second the neural accelerator can perform (Int8). 13 TOPS is below the 40 TOPS Microsoft asks for Copilot+ PCs.

175 W is the ceiling including 25 W Dynamic Boost shifted to the GPU when the CPU is lightly loaded; it is not a constant draw in every game. The RTX 5090 Laptop GPU is not the desktop RTX 5090. Graphics memory is soldered.

In MSI OverBoost mode, the processor and graphics card can draw up to 170 W combined; actual power varies by scenario. MSI quotes 798 AI TOPS for the GPU.

Advanced Optimus can route the panel straight to the discrete GPU when a game starts without a reboot, and fall back to integrated graphics on the desktop to save battery.

ASUS quotes more than 2,000 local dimming zones and 1,200 nits peak; the peak applies to small HDR highlights, not sustained full-screen brightness. The panel is Pantone Validated.

MSI’s family page lists the panel type as IPS-level. 100% DCI-P3 indicates coverage of the wide colour space used for cinema and HDR content. MSI gives no brightness or HDR figure for this SKU.

G-SYNC matches the panel refresh to the GPU frame rate to reduce tearing. The spec sheet also lists G-SYNC for external displays connected over Thunderbolt 5.

ASUS says the layer reduces reflections and improves contrast by 4.5x; this is a manufacturer claim.

SO-DIMM modules are not soldered and can be swapped under the bottom cover. The single 32 GB module configuration runs single-channel until the second slot is filled. The product page mentions DDR5-6400 elsewhere; the spec sheet value of 5600 is used here.

According to the family page, the two slots take up to 96 GB and support up to DDR5-6400; actual speed depends on the memory and processor combination.

SSDs are held by tool-less Q-Latch clips. The ASUS product page calls the slots “PCIe Gen 5 ready”, but the spec sheet says PCIe 4.0 and one independent test reported no 5.0 support. Because of nearby components, only single-sided SSDs are supported.

The free slot can be used for an extra SSD; MSI recommends consulting an authorised service centre for storage upgrades.

120 Gbit/s is the Thunderbolt 5 one-way Bandwidth Boost rate; the normal bidirectional bandwidth is 80 Gbit/s. There is no card reader. The HDMI version is not stated on the spec sheet.

The only USB-C-type connection is the Thunderbolt 4 port, which handles both external displays and USB-C power. According to MSI, the HDMI 2.1 output drives an external display at 8K 60 Hz or 4K 120 Hz. There is no card reader.

The third auxiliary fan moves heat from the GPU and VRAM to the heatsinks. The up-to-15 °C drop ASUS quotes for liquid metal comes from its internal test against the previous-generation compound.

These are the manufacturer ceilings under simultaneous full load; in Silent mode the GPU runs at a far lower limit.

ASUS says the mainboard frame comes off with a few screws. An independent test reported that the Wi-Fi module is soldered.

Overstroke registers a press earlier in the key travel. ASUS rates the switches for 20 million presses and lists n-key rollover.

All lighting can be switched off.

The camera has no mechanical shutter.

The Thunderbolt 5 ports accept power delivery; with a lower-power USB-C charger the battery can still drain under gaming load.

Adapter weight not included.

24-zone lighting allows separate colours for key groups; anti-ghosting aims to keep simultaneous key presses from being lost.

Warranty terms can vary by country of purchase.