Specifications:
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
- Storage: 512 GB
- Processor: Intel Core i5-11400H
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050
- RAM Memory: 8 GB
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Number of USB 3.0 Ports: 3
Review:
These days, it’s challenging to recommend a good gaming laptop at a competitive price. This is not because there are few options but due to the high level of competition among them. As per most people’s preferences, they would also like their gaming laptops to be suitable for work while at the same time being affordable.
So what does this mean about the TUF Gaming F15 from ASUS?
ASUS is one of the best brands when it comes to gaming laptops. They have a variety of choices that can satisfy any need. If you do not want to spend too much on a laptop but still need something powerful enough for games, then consider getting anything from their TUF Gaming series.
The particular model I am reviewing here today has a high-performance Intel Core i5-11400H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage space. With a 1920×1080 Full HD display, you can enjoy your games even more. The model number for this device is ASUS TUF 15 FX506HF-ES51 which comes in different configurations.
What is most interesting about this laptop for now is the price. You can get it for less than $800 for the 8GB RAM model and at that price point, it delivers good gaming performance as well as video editing and day to day tasks. The newest 2024 model of has almost the same features and the same price.
So without much ado, let’s jump into the review and see how good this ASUS TUF F15 Gaming Laptop is.
Design & build quality
This laptop is built of plastic, but not just any type of plastic; it’s durable and feels solidly made—almost military-grade. So, if you’re someone who’s always on the go, whether it’s to college or the office, you can toss this laptop in your bag without worrying too much about it getting banged up.
It doesn’t take up too much space or add a lot of weight, either. It measures about 24.5mm thick and weighs approximately 2.3 kg. On the outside, there’s the TUF gaming logo, a textured surface, and a brushed aluminum finish—all of which they’ve done well to make look like metal even though it’s all plastic.
The hinge is another notable feature; it’s very sturdy and doesn’t wobble much considering how heavy this laptop is. However, due to its heaviness, you may have trouble opening it with one hand alone. All things considered, I would say that this laptop has an excellent design and build quality overall.
Display and ports:
Even before you open the laptop, there’s a handy feature: LED indicator lights. Once you do open it, you’ll see a 15.6-inch display. It’s Full HD, meaning it has a high-resolution picture, and it refreshes at 144Hz, making everything look smooth.
This 144Hz gaming laptop gets bright too—with a peak brightness of 250 nits, it’s more than enough for indoor use. And it’s anti-glare, so you won’t get annoying reflections from lights or windows around you. That’s great for gaming; you want to stay locked in without anything pulling your attention away.
Speaking of gaming: this display has a nice fast refresh rate that’ll be perfect for games like Valorant or Counter, but it’s not the most color accurate thing out there, so I wouldn’t recommend it for serious photo editing or any color-sensitive work like that; however, if all you’re doing is editing videos or casual photo editing, then this’ll do just fine.
In terms of ports, you’ll find a variety on the left side, including power in, Ethernet jack, HDMI 2.1 port that you can use to connect another monitor, USB ports, and a headset jack. On the right side, there’s a USB port and an exhaust vent. The top of the laptop features LED indicator lights for power, charging, flight mode, and battery.
Speaker & webcam:
The quality of sound from the laptop’s speakers is average and can be used privately but with headphones for a better experience. In addition to that, it has a built-in 720p webcam that produces good video quality and supports AI noise cancellation, which makes voices clearer during online meetings.
Performance and specs:
The ASUS TUF F15 is a newly launched model in 2024. It features advanced hardware and specifications to provide excellent performance, making it highly suitable for both gaming and creative tasks. It is powered by an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11400H CPU.
This CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads, so it can handle a lot of tasks simultaneously. It has a base clock speed of 2.7 GHz, which can be boosted up to 4.5 GHz—that’s quite good for a laptop in this price range.
Now onto the RAM: this laptop comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM clocked at 3200MHz (this can be upgraded if you ever need more). 16 GB memory means it is pretty fast and efficient when running applications or multitasking between different windows on your computer screen at once, but what makes me excited about this feature is its flexibility—there are two memory slots available, allowing for upgrades up-to 32 GB of maximum capacity!
As far as storage goes, it comes with a 512GB SSD, which I think should be enough space for most people but if not, then don’t worry because, like the RAM, it can also be upgraded later on!
Regarding the graphic card, this particular laptop has Nvidia’s RTX 2050 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory. DLSS and Ray tracing are among the features supported by this GPU, which can really take your gaming experience to another level.
I must say that this laptop performs really well in terms of performance when it comes to everyday tasks such as watching videos online, browsing through different websites and even attending virtual classes.
It is also capable of doing gaming quite well, especially for esports titles like CS;GO and Valorant, where you should expect smooth gameplay at 1080p resolution or if you connect an external monitor, higher refresh rates could be utilized for a better gaming experience.
For AAA games, though, settings may need tweaking a little bit in order to achieve optimal performance but generally speaking, this laptop handles them fairly decently too, apart from just handling Esport games well enough.
In my opinion, the 2050 is actually a decent card considering its price because it works fine when it comes to video editing or gaming, either way around. Nonetheless, this laptop does perform adequately for the price it costs.
Frankly speaking, if you can afford to buy a gaming laptop a little above $1000, then this machine, MSI Cyborg 15 will make your day. Secondly, if you need a work-gaming combo, then MSI Thin GF63 Laptop can be even better choice. Both are recently launched in 2024 with advanced features and can do anything you want to on your machine.
Battery:
Battery life on this laptop isn’t exceptional. It comes with a 48W 3-cell lithium battery, which is typical for gaming laptops.
You can’t charge it using the USB Type-C port, only for display and data transfer. You’ll need to use the regular DC jack for charging.
The laptop supports fast charging with a 150W power adapter included. However, don’t expect long battery life—around 2 to 2.5 hours at most, especially during intensive tasks like gaming.
You’ll need to stay plugged in most of the time. If you want to save battery life, you can use power efficiency settings in Windows or the Armory Crate software. But even with these measures, don’t expect too much battery life, especially for gaming or video editing. Normal tasks like watching videos or browsing can be done on battery power.
So, who is the Asus Tuf F15 for? This laptop is ideal for anyone who needs a versatile machine that can handle various tasks, such as gaming and video editing. At around $700, it’s a solid choice considering what else is available right now.
What’s good in ASUS TUF gaming F15:
- Bang for your buck! This laptop can run games really well, video editing software, and everyday tasks without any issue
- I must say that the device feels solid and durable
- It has a smooth display, which is perfect for quick games
- RAM and storage can be upgraded at any time
- Games run smoothly at 1080p thanks to the DLSS feature
What’s not so good in ASUS TUF gaming F15:
- The battery life isn’t great so expect to have to keep it plugged most of the time
- USB-C cord can’t be used to charge the laptop
- Speakers are not very loud or of high quality, so you might want headphones
- The colors on the screen aren’t quite right for photo editing