ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LH Review

Are all gaming laptops super-expensive? Can you do productivity work on a device that costs just a few hundred dollars? If these questions led you here, we have an article for you!

The ASUS brand is as broad as the names they put on their machines. We went for a detailed overview of their probably most affordable gaming laptop, the ASUS TUF GAMING F15 FX506LH. 

Since the TUF 15 is a budget laptop, as you would expect, it has its strengths and weaknesses. In this article, we’ll look at both and see which types of users would find this laptop a good fit.

Excited for more? Then let’s dive in.

Is ASUS TUF GAMING F15 FX506LH a Good Laptop?

It pretty much depends on the kind of user you are. If you want to play games at the highest settings or you’re into professional 3D modeling, you should probably consider other options. But as far as cheap laptops go, the TUF Gaming 15 is pretty good for both gaming and light productivity workloads. 

Even though the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LH comes with a previous- gen. CPU and GPU combo, it still packs a punch. It’s safe to say that the TUF (The Ultimate Force) lineup is no match for the ROG Strix family of super-expensive gaming laptops. But if you are on a budget and don’t mind lowering the settings, rest assured that the TUF Gaming F15 can run AAA titles at playable FPS.

In my tests, I played lighter games with no issues whatsoever, so TUF would make a wonderful laptop for Minecraft, or League of Legends.

Of course, there are other cheap and powerful laptops that won’t break the bank, but TUF 15 ranks pretty well.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LHSpecs

The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LH offers some variety in terms of specs. These machines are powered by 10th Intel Core i5 processors and NVIDIA’s dedicated GTX/RTX series GPUs. 

What about RAM and storage? The base model comes with 8 gigs of RAM and 512GB SSD storage, but these can go up to 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. 

Speaking of RAM, going for the maximum may be overkill, but I wouldn’t recommend going for the bare minimum. Running the OS (Windows 11) alone will eat up to 4GB RAM. So for a smooth workflow and a quality gaming experience, 16GB RAM is the sweet spot for most users. 

For more details, check out the table below: 

*Note that these specs are specific to the FX506LH model, and there are other TUF 15 variants available (check the Asus website for more details)

Upgradability

Suppose you get the base model with only 8 gigs of RAM and 512GB SSD storage, and somewhere along the line, you end up needing more. Lucky for you, the TUF F15 can be upgraded in both departments. 

As for the rest of the components, you’re stuck with what you get. But this is not any different from other laptops.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LHPerformance

Now for the segment you’ve been waiting for. Performance-wise, the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is pretty good, considering its price point and the mid-tier hardware it packs. In terms of web browsing, Youtube videos, or MS Office files, the laptop works without a hiccup.

What about video games? As the name suggests, the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is a gaming device. It will handle games like Fortnite, CS:GO, and CoD: Warzone with ease. The NVIDIA GTX 1650 is an entry-level GPU, but it’s good enough to run even demanding AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 – if you settle for lower settings.

However, there are other variants of the TUF F15 equipped with 12th Gen. i5 processors and NVIDIA’s higher-end 30-series GPUs (3050/3060). Those will provide much smoother gameplay, but they cost more.

One thing’s sure though — ASUS TUF 15 is a great budget option among other great laptops for gaming and school.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LHBuild Quality

The ASUS TUF F15 doesn’t disappoint with its build quality. It’s made of plastic, with only the top cover made of aluminum, but it feels pretty tough. I wouldn’t be worried about wear and tear in the long run with this one. 

Plus, the whole thing looks sleek and refined.

Screen

This model comes with a 15.6” FHD display with an IPS panel and a 144Hz refresh rate. The screen’s high refresh rate makes for a smooth gaming experience, but it’s not the most color-accurate panel (low sRGB). So I wouldn’t recommend this model to content creators who are highly dependent on color-accurate screens.

For gamers, though, the high refresh rate is much more important, and even the regular TUF 15 is pretty good in that department.

It’s not the brightest display out there, so if you’re taking the laptop outdoors, it’s going to be a problem. But it works great indoors.

The higher-end TUF variants come with a QHD+ panel that is super color-accurate and much brighter.

ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop

Keyboard and Trackpad

When it comes to keyboards, ASUS is one of my favorite brands, and their gaming laptops are no exception. Overall, I found it pretty comfortable and easy to type on.  

Moreover, it has a single-zone RGB backlighting, which is useful for typing in the dark. And it looks cool.

The included numpad may not mean much to you if you only use the laptop for gaming, but it’s a nice feature for crunching numbers and working on spreadsheets. 

As for the trackpad, it feels a little spongy and needs a little force for a response. It is also not the most spacious trackpad you can find on a laptop. But I wouldn’t complain too much about it, since the TUF F15 is a gaming device above all, and you’d probably be getting a mouse anyway. 

ASUS TUF keyboard and trackpad

Design and Weight

For me personally, the ASUS TUF F15 is one of the best-looking laptops on the market. Due to its simple and neat design, the laptop blends into an office or classroom environment without drawing too much attention. 

With a little over 5 lbs, the TUF 15 is slightly on the heavier side. But this weight is considered standard for gaming laptops.

Webcam and Speakers

Audio and video quality is where ASUS compromised the most. You get an average 720p webcam that is okay for conference calls or online classes. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone trying to build a Youtube channel, though.

I found the speakers okay for spoken content, but the audio quality is lacking with games, music, or movies. So if you care about those I’d suggest investing in a nice set of headphones.

Port Selection

Here is a list of all the ports you get with the ASUS TUF F15 FX506LH:

• 1xUSB 2.0 Type-A
• 2xUSB 3.2 Type-A 
• 1xUSB 3.2 Type-C 
• 3.5mm audio jack 
• HDMI 2.1 port 
• Gigabit Ethernet port

As you can see, ASUS didn’t t skimp on ports. Whether you’re a student or a business professional, you get most of the ports you might need. The only exception would be an SD card reader, but this is a budget laptop, after all.

ASUS TUF Gaming Port Selection

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LHBattery Life and Portability

This variant is powered by a small 48Wh battery, so I wouldn’t expect more than a couple of hours of unplugged gaming. I did, however, get around 5-6 hours of web browsing and other light activities. 

Portability is another weak point of the TUF F15 due to its bulky design and 5.07 lbs of weight. Still, for a 15-inch gaming laptop, this is not unreasonably heavy. If portability is super important to you and you don’t actually care too much about gaming performance, check out some of the ASUS VivoBook models as a more portable budget alternative.

Verdict

Overall, the ASUS TUF F15 FX506LH brings a ton of value for your money. Obviously, this is a gaming laptop, but due to its capable CPU/GPU combo, it is also great for productivity work. The gorgeous design, durable chassis, and abundance of ports are other great reasons to consider it.

As a result, I believe it’s a great laptop for many students and young business professionals. And who doesn’t like blowing off some steam with video games in their free time? 

And now over to you — make sure tocheck specific recommendations for the best ASUS laptops and find your favorite. 

Do you think the ASUS TUF F15 is a good bang for the buck and why? Let us know in the comment section below.