ASUS ROG Strix Hero II Hands-On, First Impressions

ASUS made quite the twin with the ROG Strix Scar II and Hero II edition gaming laptops. One is focused on FPS gamers, while the other is focused on MOBA players. What we’re taking a look at this time is the MOBA-centric ROG Strix Hero II.

The Strix Hero II is pretty much a carbon copy of the Scar II in terms of design and even in some of its internals. We still have a black and grey color scheme with a two-tone brushed finish and the RGB ROG logo.

The display of the Hero II is also the same with the Scar II, which is a different setup from the previous generation. The original Hero edition released last year featured a 120hz IPS display with a very high 25ms response rate. This time around, we get a 144hz, 3ms GTG FHD display. However, we lost the IPS panel and is now given a high-quality TN. While not a bad display by any means, it won’t be as vivid as the previous generation’s screen and viewing angles will also take a hit.

While no longer distinctively different from the Scar II, ASUS still wanted to give a focus on MOBA for the Hero II. That is why they gave the laptop a different set of highlighted keys — the QWER, which is the most commonly used shortcut keys in MOBA games. Other than that, the rest of the keyboard remains the same — 4 isolated hotkeys, 4-zone RGB, and Aura Sync. The trackpad too is the same.

Under the hood of the Strix Hero II is an Intel Core i7-8750H six-core CPU paired with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU and 16GB of RAM. This setup will be enough to game on high to ultra high on most games at the native 1080p resolution. It will also be more than enough to push over 60fps so that you can take advantage of that high refresh rate screen.

The GTX 1060 will not produce the same heat as the 1070 but the Hero II still has that triple-fan thermal solution the Scar II has. If its sibling already runs cool with this setup, then the Hero II will have no problems with heat at all. Again, we have the same abundant port selection as the Scar II — a USB 3.1 Type-C port, four USB 3.1 Type-A ports, an SD card reader, an HDMI 2.0 port, a mini display port, an ethernet port, a combo audio port, and a Kensington lock.

Like the Scar II, the Hero II is also shaping up to be quite the device. It has an amazing display, a good selection of ports, and a discreet and stylish design. Sadly, with a price tag of Php 104,995USD 1,789INR 151,676EUR 1,704CNY 13,030, it’s quite an expensive GTX 1060 laptop with no Thunderbolt 3 support.

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