2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 vs. M2 MacBook Pro 16”: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively analyzed the technical specifications for the 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 and M2 MacBook Pro 16” models. Our report includes intricate details such as the CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 image

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18

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M2 MacBook Pro 16” image

M2 MacBook Pro 16”

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2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 Pros

Reasons that 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 is better than M2 MacBook Pro 16”.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-13980HX inside 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 has a 44% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G) inside M2 MacBook Pro 16”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 - Intel Core i9-13980HX
22,149
M2 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
15,305
M2 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
15,305
M2 MacBook Pro 16” - Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
14,899
Upgradable memory

The 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the M2 MacBook Pro 16” since it has onboard memory.

Memory2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR5LPDDR5
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 16GB GDDR6 175W Max TGP vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

The 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 comes with two M.2 slots that you can easily upgrade and install an additional SSD to expand the storage on the device.

Slots2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
M.2
Yes x2
Onboard
11% larger display

The 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 has a 18-inch screen size 11% larger than the 16.2-inch M2 MacBook Pro 16”.

Display size
2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18
18-inch
M2 MacBook Pro 16”
16.2-inch
Has one more port and slot

The 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 has more ports and slots count than the M2 MacBook Pro 16”. It has eight versus seven amount of ports and slots on the M2 MacBook Pro 16”.

Ports2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
full-size SD card slotNoYes
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portYesYes
RJ-45YesNo
Thunderbolt 4YesYes x3
USB-AYes x2No
USB-CYesNo
Total87
More versatile connectivity

The 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the M2 MacBook Pro 16”. It has seven versus five commonly used ports and slots on the M2 MacBook Pro 16”.

Ports2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
HDMIYesYes
headphone jackYesYes
power portYesYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
full-size SD card slotNoYes
RJ-45YesNo
USB-AYesNo
USB-CYesNo

M2 MacBook Pro 16” Pros

Reasons that M2 MacBook Pro 16” is better than 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18.

Supports larger memory

M2 MacBook Pro 16” supports a larger memory capacity than the 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18. It supports up to 96GB versus 64GB of system memory on the 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18.

Max system memory size
M2 MacBook Pro 16”
96 GB
2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18
64 GB
About 32% lighter

M2 MacBook Pro 16” weighed 4.7 pounds, 32% lighter than the 6.83 pounds 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18.

Weight2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Pound
6.83 lbs.
4.7 lbs.
Kilogram
3.10 kg
2.13 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 Price
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2023) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula Display 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX 4090, Intel Core i9-13980HX, 32GB DDR5, 2TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JY-XS97,Black
 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2023) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula Display 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX 4090, Intel Core i9-13980HX, 32GB DDR5, 2TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JY-XS97,Black
By ASUS
$4,175.70
See at Amazon
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX™ 4090, Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5-5600, 2TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JYR-XS97
 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX™ 4090, Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5-5600, 2TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JYR-XS97
By ASUS
$3,899.00
See at Amazon
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX™ 4080, Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5-5600, 1TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JZR-XS96
 ASUS ROG Strix Scar 18 (2024) Gaming Laptop, 18” Nebula HDR 16:10 QHD 240Hz/3ms, GeForce RTX™ 4080, Intel® Core™ i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5-5600, 1TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Pro, G834JZR-XS96
By ASUS
$2,999.00
See at Amazon
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Price
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Silver
 Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M2 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Silver
By Apple
$1,998.99
$2,499.00 20% OFF
See at Amazon
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip (16.2-inch, 16GB, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
 2023 Apple MacBook Pro with M2 Pro chip (16.2-inch, 16GB, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,724.97
See at Amazon
2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
 2023 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M2 Pro Chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,448.20
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Released20232023
Release DateAnnounced on January 04, 2023 (CES 2023)
  • Announced on January 17, 2023.
Available on January 24, 2023.
Pricing-
  • $2,499
    M2 Pro 12-Core CPU 19-Core GPU 16GB 512GB
  • $2,699
    M2 Pro 12-Core CPU 19-Core GPU 16GB 1TB
  • $3,299
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 30-Core GPU 32GB 1TB
  • $3,899
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 1TB
  • $4,299
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 2TB
  • $4,899
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 4TB
  • $6,099
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 64GB 8TB
  • $6,499
    M2 Max 12-Core CPU 38-Core GPU 96GB 8TB
Applicable Models
  • 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18
  • ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2023)
  • ROG Strix SCAR 18 with Intel Core i9-13980HX
  • ROG Strix SCAR 18 G834
  • ROG Strix SCAR 18 G834JZ (RTX 4080)
  • ROG Strix SCAR 18 G834JY (RTX 4090)
-
Generations-

Exterior

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Dimensions15.71 x 11.57 x 0.91 ~ 1.21” (399 x 294 x 23.1 ~ 30.8 mm)
  • Height: 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
  • Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
  • Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight6.83 lbs (3.10 kg)
  • 4.7 pounds (2.15 kg)
    M2 Pro models.
  • 4.8 pounds (2.16 kg)
    M2 Max models.
Colors
Eclipse Gray
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit keyboard
    ROG Overstroke Calibrated Keystrokes N-Key Rollover Aura Sync Bigger arrow keys Gaps between function keys
  • 2.0mm key travel
  • 0.15mm keycap dish
  • Hotkeys 
    Volume down volume up mute HyperFan Armoury Crate
  • RGB Lighting Options: Per-Key RGB lighting
  • Touchpad with integrated Numpad
    large glass surface matte finish
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Touch ID
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Size18 Inches16.2 Inches
Info
  • 18” FHD+ 165Hz
    16:10 1920 x 1200 165Hz 100% sRGB Non-touch IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync MUX Switch + Optimus Dolby Vision
  • 18” QHD+ ROG Nebular 240Hz Display
    16:10 2560 x 1600 IPS level 500 nits 240Hz refresh rate 3ms response time Pantone Validated 100% DCI-P3 G-Sync MUX Switch + Advanced Optimus Dolby Vision HDR Anti-glare
  • Liquid Retina XDR display
    • 16.2-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina XDR display;10 3456-by-2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch
  • XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range)
    • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
    • 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
    • Color
      1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates
    • ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
    • Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz

Ports

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 Ports
Image Source: ASUS
Left (6)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x RJ-45
    2.5 Gbps
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (2)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
Left (4)
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Left
Image Source: Apple
  • 1 x power port
    MagSafe 3
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Right
Image Source: Apple
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.1, 8K@60Hz, 4K@240Hz

Internal Specs

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Processor
  1. 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13980HX
    24 cores, 32 threads, 2.20 → 5.60 GHz, 36MB SmartCache, 55W
  1. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.50 GHz,
  2. Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz,
  3. Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
    12 cores, 12 threads, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz,
Integrated Graphics
  1. 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13980HX
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 300 → 1650 MHz
  1. Apple M2 Pro (12C, 19G)
    Apple M2 Pro iGPU
    19 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M2 Max (12C, 30G)
    Apple M2 Max iGPU
    30 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  3. Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
    Apple M2 Max iGPU
    38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
Memory
16GB 32GB 64GB
Dual-Channel 4800MHz DDR5 SDRAM.
2 x SODIMM slots
16GB 32GB 64GB 96GB
Unified Memory
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4080 - 12GB GDDR6
    2280 MHz at 150W with ROG Boost up to 2330 MHz at 175W (25W Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4090 - 16GB GDDR6
    2040 MHz at 150W with ROG Boost up to 2090 MHz at 175W (25W Dynamic Boost).
-
Storage
1TB 2TB
M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0.
2 x M.2 SSD slots, supports RAID-0.
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD

Connectivity

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Wi-FiIntel® Wi-Fi 6E with Gig+ performance (802.11ax) 2x2 multi-antenna
  • 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2Bluetooth 5.3 wireless technology
Ethernet2.5 Gigabit LAN
Speed: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps.
-

Battery

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Size
90Wh
4-cell lithium-ion battery.		100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life-
  • Up to 15 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 22 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply
  • 330W
      ø6.0 mm power adapter.
  • 100W
      USB-C power adapter.
  • Supports fast charging technology with up to 50% in 30 minutes.
140W USB‑C Power Adapter 
Charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with included USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.

Software

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
OSWindows 11 ProShipped with macOS Ventura
Built-in Apps
Armoury Crate
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Camera720p HD Webcam
Top mounted
1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio
  • Speakers
    • 4 x speakers with Smart Amp Technology.
    • Dolby Atmos.
    • Hi-Res audio certification.
  • Microphones
    • Built-in array microphone.
    • Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation.
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for spatial audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
Sensors-Touch ID sensor
Security
  • Trusted Platform Module (Firmware TPM)
  • BIOS Administrator Password and User Password Protection
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2023)
  • Barrel-Type Power Adapter
  • TYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter (optional)
  • ROG Gladius III Mouse P514 (optional)
  • ROG backpack (optional)
  • ROG Fusion II 300 (optional)
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 140W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Warranty-Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
More-Display Supports
  • M2 Pro
    • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • One external display supported at 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display at 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • M2 Max
    • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to four external displays: Up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI
    • Up to three external displays: Up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • HDMI digital video output
    • Support for one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz

Key Features

2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18M2 MacBook Pro 16”
At Glance
Released in Early
2023
Nebular 16:10
18”
1600p 240Hz
Weight
6.83 lb
3.10 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i9-13980HX
24C/32T, 2.20 → 5.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
2,160
Single Core
Geekbench 5
22,149
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
32 Execution Units, 300 → 1650 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
4800 MHz DDR5
2023 ROG Strix SCAR 18 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 4090
16GB GDDR6 175W Max TGP
Aura Sync
Rear Glow
Aura Sync
Light Bar
Aura Sync
ROG Logo
Backlit Chiclet
Per-Key RGB
Full-size keyboard
Large Precision
Touchpad with Numpad
Released in Early
2023
16:10 XDR
16.2”
2234p 120Hz
Weight
4.7 lb
2.13 kg
Up to
Apple M2 Max (12C, 38G)
12C/12T, 2.42 → 3.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
2,075
Single Core
Geekbench 5
15,305
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M2 Max iGPU
38 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
96GB
LPDDR5 Memory
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Left
M2 MacBook Pro 16” Ports - Right

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