In-depth review of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W): Priced under 26 million*, rugged design, powerful specs, 144 Hz display

At a price below 26 million (price at Mytour), I evaluate 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) stand out? 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 sold 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) boasts a robust design, true gaming essence

Perhaps among the TUF series laptops released by ASUS in 2021, I highly rate the design of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) the most. The overall appearance of the laptop exudes masculinity and a strong gaming vibe, distinct from its series counterparts with unique and bold cuts and edges. It bears a striking resemblance to ASUS TUF Gaming FX506LH, with two noticeable differences: the red border along the screen edge and the logo.

Surrounding the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is a plastic frame, making the laptop weigh around 2.3 kg, relatively light compared to other 15.6-inch laptops, allowing you to easily slip it into your backpack or bag to carry with you when going out to work. Despite using plastic material, the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) doesn't feel cheap or lacking in solidity at all. With initial impressions, I highly rate the design of this product.

The A surface of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is where the most unique points in the design converge. In this area, we have two different types of surface finishes separated by an X-shaped pattern. The upper and lower parts are textured with a brushed finish, creating a faux metal effect that looks very premium and luxurious. Meanwhile, the left and right parts of the X shape have a textured finish, providing a grippy feel and a sense of security when holding the laptop in this position. Although I'm not sure if this was intentional by the manufacturer, after discovering it, I find it quite intriguing.

The dividing lines between the two surface finish designs of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) are well executed by ASUS, not only adding prominent highlights but also creating a unique blocky feel to the front. The indicator lights and machine name are also divided into two finishes and made prominent to maintain overall balance. Although the surface details are crafted uniquely and attractively, ASUS knows how to balance them to ensure that the TUF logo in the center shines and captures attention right from the first glance.

As for the connectivity ports, the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is equipped with 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 1 USB 3.2 port.

Personally, I find the connectivity ports of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) quite satisfactory for my peripheral device needs, especially with the addition of the LAN port which ensures better network stability during gaming. However, it's a bit disappointing that the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) isn't equipped with an SD card reader, a necessary feature for photographers. So, if anyone intends to use the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) for photo or video editing work, this is something to note.

The underside of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is also meticulously crafted with a highly gaming-centric design, featuring a unique honeycomb-shaped cooling grid. 'A skilled carpenter doesn't use inferior wood for the back panel of a cabinet, even though no one sees it,' and I assess that the underside of the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is finished with the same philosophy.

Keyboard and touchpad of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W)

The exterior has made quite an impression, so now let's open up the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) and focus on the keyboard and touchpad.

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

In addition, this keyboard is equipped with RGB backlighting, an indispensable 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. Furthermore, the backlighting also enhances the excitement of working and gaming on this device.

The touchpad of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is fairly sized compared to the laptop body, providing enough space for various gestures. The touchpad response on ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is also excellent with high sensitivity and smoothness, offering quick feedback. Another feature I like about this touchpad is that the left and right mouse buttons are separately placed below, allowing for easy clicking instead of pressing on a single plastic panel like with integrated touchpads.

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

ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) features a 15.6-inch Full HD resolution display, utilizing an IPS panel for accurate colors and high detail. The top and side bezels of the display are optimized for thinness, giving the laptop a sleek look despite its large display area.

Additionally, the display of 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 talking about the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) display is its 144 Hz refresh rate. With a high refresh rate, all movements on the ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) screen occur rapidly and smoothly with very low latency. Every action in games or motions in movies will be seamless frame by frame.

Furthermore, to better meet the needs of movie watching and gaming, ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is equipped with DTS software, a software that reproduces sound well, delivering multidimensional, vivid sound, allowing you to enjoy an enticing entertainment experience right on your device.

ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) offers a configuration that meets both your gaming and work needs

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

• Display: 15.6-inch size, Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), supporting a 144 Hz refresh rate.
• CPU: Intel Core i5 Tiger Lake - 11400H.
• Graphics Card: Dedicated card - NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050, 4 GB.
• RAM: 8GB, DDR4 2 slots (1 slot 8GB + 1 slot expandable) (support upgrade up to 32 GB).
• Storage: 512 GB SSD NVMe PCIe (Can be replaced, maximum 1TB).
• Operating System: Windows 11.
• Battery Capacity: 48 Whr.

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

To give you a more visual understanding of the laptop's performance, I quickly tested its performance through 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.

GPU Compute: 59,906.

- Cinebench R23 (Single-core/Multi-core): 1,420/8,143.

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 provide you with smooth and swift user experiences. ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) also offers excellent and stable multitasking capabilities. I rarely encounter reloading issues during usage, even though the machine only has 8 GB of RAM, and if you have higher demands, you can upgrade the RAM up to a maximum of 32 GB, so there's no need to worry too much about this issue!

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

First is 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 moments, etc., may cause FPS to drop to around 60 FPS, sometimes down to 30 FPS, but I still found 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.

Moving on to Forza 4 Horizon, a game with much heavier graphics compared to FIFA Online 4 above, but ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) still handles this game without any difficulty. ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) delivers a smooth gaming experience with an average frame rate fluctuating between 45 - 60 FPS (due to screen recording, the machine's frame rate may drop below 60 FPS).

Furthermore, the graphics processing capability of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) is also impressive as it can reproduce game details well, from the sky, surrounding scenery to various effects like object collisions, drifting, etc., all are very detailed and realistic.

Besides, I also utilized Crystal Diskmark software to measure the read/write speed of the SSD inside ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W). The results I obtained are 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 fairly high figures within its segment. Therefore, you can completely rely on 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 cooling ability is satisfactory

Besides performance, battery life is also a concern for many when using a computer.. I used BatteryMon software to test the 48 Wh battery of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) and I 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 brightness 100%, volume 70%, and battery saving mode off.
• Keyboard backlight on.
• Bluetooth connection enabled for keyboard and USB mouse plugged in.

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

• Battery life: 2 hours.
• Measurement time: 1 hour.
• Screen brightness 100%, volume 70%, and battery saving mode off.
• Keyboard backlight on.
• Bluetooth connection enabled for keyboard and USB mouse plugged in.

Based on the above measurement, I assess the battery life of ASUS TUF Gaming FX506HCB (HN144W) as just acceptable, not overly impressive. Without gaming and without turning on the cooling fan, the laptop can last over 2 hours, which I find relatively low. However, with gaming, the 2-hour mark is still within an acceptable range for me. Additionally, considering the 144 Hz screen, some compromise in battery life is understandable!

However, in real-world usage, the 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'll have a better battery life. But if you use it for gaming or graphic design, the battery life will inevitably be shortened.

Additionally, like any other gaming laptop, I still advise you to carry the charger with you when going out to ensure optimal performance for studying, working, and gaming, and we won't be interrupted by a sudden battery drain.

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 measurement, I used the laptop for gaming, work tasks, 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 fully optimized. However, don't worry too much about temperature affecting performance because so far, I haven't noticed a significant impact on my machine's experience. Moreover, the laptop has a dual-fan cooling system, which somewhat helps keep it 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 time and promotional programs). Personally, I find this to be a reasonable price for a 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 comments below to let us know! Thank you for reading through my article.

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