Ladies and Gentlemen, fans of esports gaming laptops. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for ever since the ROG Strix Scar II and Hero II debuted. The pair squared off at Computex 2018, setting the stage for an inevitable clash over sibling supremacy. They settle the score today in a nine-round battle through the latest games. Both laptops are bred for competition. They come from the same updated Strix stock, which brings gloriously narrow bezels to an uncompromised gaming display. Intel’s latest Coffee Lake processors and NVIDIA’s GeForce 10-series graphics provide plenty of punch, while desktop-style keyboards and multi-antenna arrays enhance your tactile and wireless connections, respectively. Despite slimming down, the display doesn’t miss a step. Its ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate and 3-ms response time enable fluid movement and crisp visuals even in the midst of a frantic flurry. Unlike gaming displays that trade graphics quality for speed, the Strix’s IPS-type panel covers the full sRGB gamut with rich colors that stay true across wide viewing angles, so everyone who gathers around for the main event gets a good view of the action. Keeping up with the display is largely on the graphics chip, which is where we find the most important difference for today’s bout. While the Strix Hero II is equipped with a GeForce GTX 1060 discrete GPU, the Scar II can be configured with a more muscular GTX 1070. The Hero is understandably an underdog as a result, but don’t underestimate its ability to keep up. While RGB lighting demands attention, the keyboard makes its case more quiet. Its desktop-style layout feels like home, complete with an expanded space bar provides a bigger target perfectly placed for my thumb. Dedicated hotkeys for volume and muting the microphone are within reach for quick adjustments mid-match, and I really like how the separated function row makes it easier to find my favorites: Alt+F4 to close windows, F5 to refresh web pages, and F12 to start logging frame time