ASUS Philippines was gracious enough to lend me this the gaming laptop to play around with. Here’s my ASUS TUF Gaming FX504 Review. 

Introduction

This baby is the first born for the the TUF Gaming line of gaming laptops from ASUS. If you’re pressed for time but you want to low-down, this laptop is the well-rounded one. It’s got everything you need and want from a laptop. It promised to be good both for gaming and work and during its run with me, I’ve actually been able to do both.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX504 specifications

• 15.6-inch 60Hz FHD display @ 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Intel Core i5-8300 2.3GHz (Max Turbo @ 4.0GHz) quad-core processor
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
• 4GB DDR4 RAM
• 1TB + 8GB SSHD
• Speakers powered by ICEpower technology, DTX Headphone X
• 1x USB 2.0
• 2x USB 3.0
• 1x combo audio port
• 1x RJ45 LAN
• 1x HDMI 1.4
• Kensington Lock
• WiFi 802.11ac
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Backlit chiclet keyboard
• HD webcam
• 4 Cells 48 Whrs Battery
• Windows 10 Home
• 384 x 262 x 25 mm
• 2.3kg

 

General Look and Design

 

The FX504 TUF borrows heavily from it’s desktop “kuyas”. They way it looks with all the silver definitely gives that “durable” aura and vibe.

When its closed, the laptop is very unassuming. Nothing flashy but when you pop the laptop open, that’s when the fun starts.

I feel bad that the unit also has room for just one HDMI port; but it does have three USB ports.

If you’re the type who wants to have a laptop that’s not as flashy or attention grabbing, then this laptop is definitely for you.

Its a minor thing, but I also love the unique edges that they put into this laptop. I have no clue why it was placed there but I loved it. (See photo below)

Keyboard

The 504’s keyboard is neatly backlit in red. There are controls that you can use to adjust the brightness. It may take a while to get used to but you’ll be fine.

Its not as keen as the top level mechanical keyboards but it feels ergonomic and light enough for either playing your favorite PC games or working.

There’s also a dedicated numpad for the FX504, something that’s a treat for people who plans to use this for work and/or play. The TUF FX504 trackpad is also an enjoyable thing to use. It’s smooth to use with no delays whatsoever. The surface is also grippy enough and is responsive as heck. The design doesn’t have the usual physical buttons or dividers but when you rub your digits on this you will know where the right and left click are.

 

Apps

There are a couple of nice apps that come along with the 504 that’s connected directly to Asus.

There’s a lot of “bloatware” too, mostly from Microsoft. Still its a good deal to have all these in your laptop straight out of the box.

Display

There are a few variants of the TUF FX504 and the one I reviewed featured a 60hz panel. This unit had thicker bezels. I felt that the screen has good color with Full-HD resolution. The pixel density is also serviceable. Lastly we have normal viewing range and angles for this laptop.

Battery Life

This is a gaming laptop and that would mean that the battery life on this thing won’t be dependable. And that is the case. A full charge can go anywhere between 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours if you’re not doing anything heavy i.e. just typing. The cool thing about the product is that it will take around 45 minutes for a full charge. So this is a great laptop to bring along with you when you go to work or school.

Thermals

Another impressive feat that the FX504 shows when in use is the heat. There’s barely any heat that builds up even when streaming. I was assuming that it would be a stupid idea initially to use the laptop in my lap but by the time I sent it back to ASUS, I was using it the way a laptop should be. And no, my balls weren’t fried by the heat. And while its pack with OK internal parts like the GTX 1050 and Intel Core i5-8300H, it doesn’t even overheat.

Benchmark

Userbenchmark

Gaming

Here’s a look at how gaming works for this laptop

I was planning to get Resident Evil 2 Remake to test the full capabilities of the unit but it wasn’t possible because of time constraints. Streamed the game with 30FPS and there was zero to minimal lags on the game. This makes for a very good gaming experience whether you are looking to go and stream games online for your viewers or just want to entertain yourself.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX504 VERDICT

I highly recomment the FX504. For me, it delivered the promise of being able to meet your gaming and work needs. The unit is light, looks and feels durable too. It’s very unassuming and that’s perfectly fine. The display is good with the colors clear. The frame rate is consistent too. If you have heat issues with your laptop, or you don’t want a piece that gets hot immediately, then this is definitely one for you. Good price too; depending on where you buy the product, you can get it anywhere between PHP52,000 to a maximum of PHP57,000.