Hi guys, I’m from South Africa, and gaming laptop prices are insane, with a decent laptop going for about R45000 to R50000, which equals about $2500 to $3000. I’ve been running a GTX 1060 for almost 8 years now and I’m finally upgrading to an RTX 4090. I did splash out A LOT of cash on this, but I think it’s worth it. I’ve had an HP Omen 18 inch, so I’m upgrading to an ASUS ROG SCAR 18. Any thoughts and suggestions? Anyone else wait this long to upgrade as well? I’m just looking to have something that can give me another 8 years of life.
My GF uses a Scar 18 4090 and honestly, if there was a fire, I’m pretty sure she’d save the laptop first then maybe wonder if I’d gotten out okay or she needed a new man in her life. That’s how much she loves it. I’ve got my issues with Asus, but as for the laptop, I cannot say a bad word about it. It’s never even required more troubleshooting than a restart in over a year and a half now.
@Steele
That’s a relief, so what we’ve actually got available in my country are HP Omens and Victus, the Lenovo range, the Asus range, the Acer range, but not all CPU or GPU configurations are available. Considering your GF’s needs, I definitely am happy to go the ASUS route lol
@Dru
If a second opinion means anything, I think you made the best choice possible. Only Acer and Asus make 18 inch laptops on your list, and the Asus has much better cooling and performance than its Acer competition. In a place as hot as South Africa, better cooling equals a better laptop. And let’s be honest, after using an 18 inch screen, very few of us would want to go back to less. lol
The Scar 18 is a great laptop. For a list of suggestions/advice, see here.
That’s a solid 18" option I’d say.
Might be even viable for 10+ years. Depending on work though.
I got a 4070 g18 for a good deal. I really wanted a Scar but they are mad expensive, so I totally get when you say you’re shelling out a lot of money on it. The cooling on these things is second to none; most gaming laptops have two fans but the ROG Strix series has three for better cooling. The bottom lid also has a dust filter that you can clean when it needs cleaning. I could go on about the cooling system, but I think you get the gist.
There’s also the Razer Blade 18 if you want something more portable and less gamery. But between the Strix 18 and that, the Strix is only slightly more powerful.
Nico said:
There’s also the Razer Blade 18 if you want something more portable and less gamery. But between the Strix 18 and that, the Strix is only slightly more powerful.
Unfortunately, the Razer isn’t available in South Africa, only their mice, and not even their latest gen mice at that. Alienware is also not available here. And what Alienware you can get is often outdated and overpriced as well.
@Dru
Dang, that’s disappointing but understandable. I think the upgrade you’re getting is worth another 8 years. But you’re not waiting for the RTX 50 series coming in a few months? Or do you need one now?
Scar 18 is an awesome machine. Just remember to get GHelper! 
Scar 18 is as good as you can possibly get currently.
Gale said:
Scar 18 is as good as you can possibly get currently.
I definitely watched a ton of videos beforehand, seeing as the last time I bought a gaming laptop was 8 years ago. I had a lot of footage to go through, lol
If you don’t need as much portability, maybe you could consider a PC?
Drew said:
If you don’t need as much portability, maybe you could consider a PC?
I definitely need portability; I am constantly traveling. I game on the move and need it for Microsoft Office as well. I’m one of those ‘game during meetings’ type of guys as well.
@Dru
Ah well, then you definitely can’t go wrong with the Scar. It’s really good.
A beautiful machine should get you many years. I currently have an Acer Predator Helios 16.
Honestly, I need a new laptop now. Apart from the 1060 not being playable for games, it’s giving up on me quite literally as well. If I could wait, I would, but it’s a desperate situation at the moment.
I went from a GTX 1060 to an RTX 4070 and love it. Got an Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. I did not want to shell out cash for anything more than a 4070. If my 1060 worked well, a 4070 will be so much better. You’re going to be very happy with your 4090. It’s light years ahead of the 1060.