ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced the launch of the 2026 ROG Strix SCAR 18 in Canada.
According to the press release, the laptop is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus 2.7 GHz processor and either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 or 5090 Laptop GPU, with a sustained maximum total system power of 320W. Handling all of this is either 64 or 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and it is upgradeable to 128GB (more on that below).
The laptop also gets up to 4TB of storage depending on the model. In terms of connectivity, both models have two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, a 2.5G LAN port, an HDMI port, and an audio combo jack for both mic in and headphones.
In terms of display, the Strix SCAR 18 boasts an ROG Nebula HDR display featuring an 18-inch 4K 240Hz mini-LED panel with an ROG Nebula ELMB. ASUS states that the ROG mini-LED technology delivers over 2000 dimming zones and up to 1600 nits of peak brightness in HDR.
Interestingly, ASUS also says that the SCAR 18 features a tool-less bottom panel with access to the SSD and RAM modules. ASUS also says that the SSD drive bays feature the ROG Q-Latch, which holds the drives in place without screws. As someone who repairs tech as a hobby, I’m curious not only about how this latch mechanism holds up over the long term, but also about whether other components beyond the SSD and RAM modules are accessible for easy repair.
The 2026 ROG Strix SCAR 18 will be available in Canada starting today, August 11, 2026, on the ASUS store. The configuration that houses the 5080 is now available, but the flagship 5090 configuration will arrive at the end of August or early September. One caveat, though: the Strix Scar 18 will set you back C$6,899 for the 5080 configuration, and C$8,499 for the 5090 configuration — yikes.
Image Credit: ASUS
