In-depth Review of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W): Priced under 26 million*, robust design, powerful configuration, 144 Hz display

With a price tag under 26 million (price at Mytour), I assess ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) as one of the fairly good laptops designed by ASUS for gamers and graphic designers. So what makes ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) outstanding? What is the configuration of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W)? How does ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) deliver user experience? Let's find the answers through the article below!

(*)Note: ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is currently available at Mytour for 25.99 million dong (prices may vary depending on timing and promotional programs).

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ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) robust design, bold gaming essence

Perhaps among the TUF laptops released by ASUS in 2021, I highly appreciate the design of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) the most. The overall look of the laptop is quite rugged, masculine, and bold gaming, compared to its series counterparts, with unique and daring cuts and edges. The machine bears a close resemblance to the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506LH, a laptop we had hands-on experience with before, with two noticeable differences being the red trim running along the edge of the screen and the logo.

The ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is surrounded by a plastic frame, making it weigh around 2.3 kg, relatively light compared to other 15.6-inch laptops, allowing you to easily slip it into a backpack or bag to carry around when working outside. Despite using plastic material, the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) does not feel cheap or lacking in sturdiness at all. Upon initial impression, I highly appreciate the design of this product.

The A-side of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is where the most unique points converge in the machine's design. In this area, we have two types of surface finishes separated in an X-shaped pattern, with the upper and lower parts made in a brushed texture to create a metallic effect that looks very premium and luxurious. Meanwhile, the left and right parts of the X shape have a rough finish, giving a tactile feel and more confidence when holding the machine in this position. Whether or not this is intentional by the manufacturer, after discovering it, I find it very intriguing.

The dividing lines between the two types of surface designs of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) are well executed by ASUS, providing both prominent highlights and a unique raised feel to the front. The indicator lights and the machine's name are also divided into two finishes to maintain overall balance. Although the surface details are unique and attractive, ASUS still knows how to balance it to ensure that the TUF logo shines brightly and captivates from the first glance.

In terms of connectivity, the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) offers quite a variety! On the left side, we have the charging port, LAN port, HDMI port, 2 USB 3.2 ports, 1 USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the right side, it's simpler with just an additional USB 3.2 port.

Personally, I find the connectivity ports of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) to be quite sufficient for my peripheral connection needs, especially with the LAN port ensuring better network stability during gaming. However, it's unfortunate that the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) doesn't come with an SD card reader, which is essential for photographers. So, if you intend to use the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) for image or video editing work, it's something to consider.

The bottom panel of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is also crafted with high-quality gaming aesthetics, featuring a unique honeycomb-shaped ventilation grille. 'A skilled carpenter doesn't use inferior wood for the back panel of a cabinet even though no one sees it,' and I evaluate the underside of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) to be finished according to that motto.

Keyboard and touchpad of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W)

Now let's dive into the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) and take a look at its keyboard and touchpad.

One thing I really appreciate about the keyboards on ASUS TUF laptops is the softness, and the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) provides a similar typing experience as its predecessors. Personally, I find the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) offers a great typing feel with soft keys, high bounce, and a deep key travel, allowing for extended typing without finger discomfort. The key layout and spacing are also logically arranged, making it easy to get used to.

Additionally, this keyboard is equipped with an RGB backlighting system, an essential feature for gaming laptops, allowing you and this laptop to 'shine' both literally and figuratively. With this backlighting system, we can work and play games easily even in low light conditions or at night. Moreover, the backlighting also enhances the sense of excitement when working and gaming on this device.

The touchpad of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is quite spacious compared to the body of the laptop, providing enough space to perform swipe gestures with 2 to 3 fingers. The touchpad responsiveness on the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is also excellent, with high sensitivity and smoothness, providing quick feedback. Another thing I like about this touchpad is that the left and right mouse buttons are separately placed below, making them easy to press without having to press on a single plastic surface like with touchpads where the left and right mouse buttons are not separated.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) impresses with its 144Hz refresh rate display

ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) features a 15.6-inch Full HD resolution display, using an IPS panel for true-to-life colors and high detail. The top and side bezels of the screen are optimized for slimness, making the laptop look neat despite its relatively large display area.

Additionally, the display of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is equipped with Anti Glare technology and has a maximum brightness of 250 nits, making it easier to view content on the screen in bright lighting conditions.

A standout feature when discussing the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) display is its 144Hz refresh rate, providing smooth and fast motion rendering. With the high refresh rate, every movement on the screen of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) happens rapidly and smoothly, with very low latency. Whether it's gaming actions or movements in movies, everything will be seamless frame by frame.

Furthermore, to better meet the needs of movie watching and gaming, the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is equipped with DTS software, which reproduces sound excellently, delivering immersive and vivid audio. Thus, you can enjoy an enticing entertainment experience right on your device.

The ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) configuration meets both your gaming and work demands effectively

The detailed specifications of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) (the version sold at Mytour) are as follows:

• Display: 15.6-inch size, Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080), supporting 144Hz refresh rate.
• CPU: Intel Core i5 Tiger Lake - 11400H.
• Graphics Card: Dedicated - NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050, 4 GB.
• RAM: 8GB, DDR4 2 slots (1 slot 8GB + 1 slot spare) (supports upgrade up to 32 GB).
• Storage: 512 GB SSD NVMe PCIe (Can be replaced, supports up to 1TB).
• Operating System: Windows 11.
• Battery Capacity: 48 Whr.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is powered by the Intel Core i5 Tiger Lake - 11400H chip, along with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage (expandable up to 1 TB), providing smooth multitasking and spacious storage. Additionally, the laptop is equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050 4GB dedicated graphics card, delivering smooth graphics processing for creative tasks such as video editing, 3D modeling, and AI applications.

To provide you with a more visual understanding of the laptop's performance, I quickly tested its performance using software such as Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, and 3DMark. Here are the results I obtained:

- GeekBench 5:

Single-core/multi-core: 1,369/4,936 points.

GPU Compute: 59,906 points.

- Cinebench R23 (single-core/multi-core): 1,420 points/8,143 points.

Overall, I find the performance scores of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) to be very impressive compared to other devices in the same segment, and I believe the machine will deliver smooth and fast user experiences. ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) also offers very good and stable multitasking capability, and I rarely encounter reload issues during use despite the machine having only 8 GB of RAM. If you have higher demands, you can also upgrade the RAM up to 32 GB, so don't worry too much about this issue!

Besides benchmarking performance, I also tested two games, FIFA Online 4 and Forza 4 Horizon, on ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W). I set the graphics to the highest level in both games and used MSI Afterburner software to measure FPS, CPU temperature, RAM usage, etc., to provide you with a more visual understanding.

Firstly, in FIFA Online 4, ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) can maintain frame rates ranging from 75 to 90 FPS throughout a match. Sometimes, sudden scene transitions like goal replays, slow-motion, etc., may cause FPS to drop to around 60 FPS or even 30 FPS, but I still find the experience very good. In terms of graphics processing, ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) reproduces images with very detailed characters, environments, and even small details like the grass on the pitch are very clear.

Next up is Forza 4 Horizon, a game with much heavier graphics compared to FIFA Online 4 above, but ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) still has no difficulty handling this game. ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) delivers a smooth gaming experience with average frame rates ranging from 45 to 60 FPS (due to screen recording, the machine's frame rate may drop below 60 FPS).

Moreover, the graphics processing capability of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is also very impressive as it can reproduce game details well, from the sky, surrounding scenery to detailed effects like crashing objects, drifting, etc.

Additionally, I utilized Crystal Diskmark software to measure the read/write speed of the SSD drive inside ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W). The results I obtained were quite impressive, here are the specific figures:

Read speed: 3,052 MB/s.

Write speed: 1,632 MB/s.

Based on the above scores, I highly appreciate the data read/write capability of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) as the machine delivers excellent results with relatively high figures compared to other devices in its segment. Therefore, you can fully trust the data transfer time of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) as the machine can copy or move data, files to storage devices quickly and efficiently.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) battery life exceeds 2 hours and its cooling capability is decent

In addition to performance, battery life is also a matter of great concern for many computer users.. I used BatteryMon software to test the 48 Wh battery of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) and divided it into 2 different usage scenarios, the results I obtained are:

- Scenario 1: Normal tasks usage without gaming:

• Battery life: 2 hours 28 minutes.
• Measurement time: 1 hour.
• Screen at 100%, volume at 70%, and battery saver mode off.
• Keyboard backlight on.
• Bluetooth connection enabled for keyboard and USB mouse connected.

- Scenario 2: Normal tasks usage with 20 minutes of gaming:

• Battery Life: 2 hours.
• Measurement Time: 1 hour.
• Screen at 100%, volume at 70%, and battery saver mode off.
• Keyboard backlight on.
• Bluetooth connection enabled for keyboard and USB mouse connected.

With the measured time above, I assess the battery life of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) to be only moderately satisfactory, not particularly impressive. When not gaming and with the cooling fan off, the machine can last for over 2 hours, which I find quite low. However, when gaming, the 2-hour mark is still within an acceptable range for me, considering the device's 144Hz display, so some compromise is needed.

However, in real-world usage, battery life may vary depending on the tasks you perform on the device. If you only use ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) for light tasks like web browsing, reading, or social media, we can expect better battery life. But if you engage in gaming or demanding tasks like game design, graphics work, the battery life will inevitably decrease.

Additionally, like any other gaming laptop, I still recommend bringing the charger with you when going out to ensure optimal performance for studying, working, and gaming, so we won't be interrupted by a drained battery midway.

Regarding the cooling capability, I noticed that ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) gets quite hot during daily use, especially around the keyboard area when performing heavy tasks. To provide you with a clearer picture, I used HWiNFO64 software to assess the cooling performance of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W). During the test, I ran tasks such as gaming, working, opened multiple Chrome tabs, and continuously used Photoshop for 1 hour.

The average CPU temperature is 74°C, and the average GPU temperature is 62.9°C. As I felt during usage, ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) operates quite hot, and the cooling capability is not yet optimal. However, don't worry too much about temperature affecting performance because so far, I haven't noticed it significantly impacting my machine's performance. Moreover, the dual-fan cooling system somewhat helps keep the machine cooler during usage!

How much does ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) cost? Is it worth buying?

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is currently available at Mytour for 25.99 million VND (prices may vary depending on the timing and promotions). Personally, I find this to be a reasonably priced gaming laptop with a beautiful, premium design, powerful performance, and a high refresh rate 144 Hz display.

What about you? How do you rate the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W)? Don't forget to leave your comment below for us to know! Thank you for reading my entire article.

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