Asus TUF Gaming F17 Review: Big Screen, Modest Muscle
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Edgy with entry-level performance.
By Ash Hill
published
(Image: © Tom’s Hardware)
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
The big 17.3-inch screen on the Asus TUF Gaming F17 FX706HE is appealing, with its 144 Hz refresh rate and IPS panel. But, powered by an RTX 3050 Ti, the laptop struggled to provide acceptable performance in some games, making it more suitable for casual titles with lighter demands.
Pros
- +
+ Large screen is ideal for gaming
- +
+ Portable and lightweight
- +
+ Affordable price
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The Asus TUF Gaming F17 FX706HE is an attractive gaming laptop with a low price and a large, inviting 17-inch display. From its sleek, gamer-focused design to its affordable price tag of just $999, the Asus TUF Gaming F17 stands as a quality machine for casual gamers looking for a dedicated gaming laptop.
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 leans heavily on screen quality with an IPS panel capable of reaching a refresh rate of 240 Hz but doesn’t always pack the punch necessary to make full use of that output. On the Asus TUF Gaming F17, most games run optimally at mid-to-low level video settings, but gamers will be hard pressed to play AAA titles at maximum video settings.
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 acts more like a gaming desktop than a laptop as the battery life is somewhat short, lasting just under two hours, and the 17-inch screen is a bit hard to tuck inside a small bag.
While it’s not ideal for gamers on the go, it’s still somewhat portable with a light weight of just 5.73lbs.
The first thing I noticed about the TUF Gaming F17 was how wide it is—15.71-inches across. That width provides room for a full-sized keyboard as well as enough space to fit the 17.3-inch display. It’s not too thick, measuring .99-inches tall when closed, which is worth considering if portability is a point of concern for you. It measures 10.59-inches from the top to the bottom.
The TUF Gaming F17 chassis is primarily plastic rather than metal. Some sections have a rough texture with lines which make it feel more intentional and professional than a solid plastic sheet. This choice also lends to the machine’s light weight of 5.73 pounds (or 2.6 kg) which is definitely ideal for its size.
The biggest visual element throughout the design is angles. The TUF Gaming F17 is full of 45-degree angles that give it a seriously edgy look that is often expected from a modern gaming machine.
These angles seemingly pop up anywhere from the asymmetrical space bar to the hexagonal power button.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
On the top of the lid is some TUF branding. Most machines opt for a small logo in the center, sometimes with LEDs. In this case, we get ‘TUF’ in huge letters spanning across half of the lid.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Another benefit to the large screen is the extra room on the deck for additional buttons and controls. Here we get a full-sized RGB backlit keyboard complete with a numeric keypad off to the side. The WASD keys are singled out from the rest and designated with unique key caps that allow more RGB LEDs to shine through.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The ports are all on the sides of the laptops, with none on the back. The power cable plugs into the back left but a rear port for power and Ethernet would have been more flexible. On the left side is the power port, Ethernet port, an HDMI port, two USB type-A ports, a Thunderbolt 4 port and a 3.
5mm audio jack. The right side has an additional USB Type-A port.
The TUF Gaming F17 is both larger and heavier than the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE which has a 14-inch display and weighs just under 4 pounds. The MSI Pulse GL66 is slightly larger at 4.6 pounds with a 15.6-inch screen but the TUF Gaming F17 takes the cake, measuring in at 5.73 pounds with a 17.3-inch display.
Asus TUF Gaming F17 Specifications
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| CPU | Intel Core i5-11260H (3.9GHz) |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU (4GB GDDR6, 1,222 Mhz W Max graphics power, 1,485 MHz boost clock) |
| Memory | 8GB DDR4-3200 |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Display | 17.3 inches,1920 x 1080, 144 Hz |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 6 802. 11ax, Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Ports | Power, Ethernet, HDMI, 3x USB Type-A, Thunderbolt 4 and 3.5mm audio jack |
| Camera | 720p |
| Battery | 48Wh 4050mAh Lithium Ion battery |
| Power Adapter | 180W |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Dimensions(WxDxH) | 15.71 x 10.59 x 0.99 inches / 399 x 269 x 25.2 mm |
| Weight | 5.73 pounds / 2.6 kg |
| Price (as configured) | $999.99 |
Gaming Performance on Asus TUF Gaming F17
When it comes to gaming, the TUF Gaming F17 is a bit of a mixed bag. With an Intel Core i5-11260H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, effectively the entry-level gaming laptop GPU, it’s not the biggest beast in the kingdom.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Overall, the TUF Gaming F17 had a lower average performance (measured in frames per second) than the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE and MSI Pulse GL66, both of which were equipped with more-powerful, RTX 3060 GPUs. It reached 46 fps in our Red Red Redemption 2 benchmark (1920 x 1080, medium) run which was close on the heels of the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE with an fps of 48 fps and the MSI Pulse GL66 which hit 51 fps.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
During the Grand Theft Auto V (1080p, very high) benchmark, the TUF Gaming F17 averaged 55 fps against the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE’s 72 fps and 83 fps from the MSI Pulse GL66. On Far Cry New Dawn (1080p, ultra), the F17 produced an average fps of 50 fps, much lower than the Predator Triton 300 SE’s 73 fps and MSI Pulse GL66’s mark of 83 fps.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Lastly, we ran the TUF Gaming F17 through Borderlands 3 (1080p, badass settings) benchmark which only measured up to 36 fps while the Predator Triton 300 SE hit 57 fps and MSI Pulse GL66 averaged 52 fps.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
To stress test the TUF Gaming F17, we ran the Metro Exodus benchmark using RTX settings for 15 consecutive runs, simulating about 30 minutes of gaming. The TUF Gaming F17 produced an average of 36.5 fps throughout all 15 runs.The first run started at 35 fps and, by the 15th run, it reported at 36 fps which is remarkably consistent. The CPU ran at an average of 3.9 GHz and around 84 degrees Celsius (183 degrees Fahrenheit). The RTX 3050 Ti GPU operated at an average of 1,540 MHz, reaching 77 degrees Celsius (170 degrees Fahrenheit).
I tried a few games on my own, too. The first game I dug into was Elder Scrolls Online. When installing ESO from Steam for the first time, the TUF Gaming F17 threw a blue screen at me. This was the only BSOD experience throughout all of the testing and installation completed successfully after a reboot.
To my disappointment, there was noticeable lag right off the bat in ESO. By default, it loads with medium-level video settings.
The character loading screen lagged when navigating the menu and this was before accessing a server or lobby with other players. Fighting in areas with lots of players and enemies was doable but with quite a bit of delay making it hard to land hits where you want them to land. This got worse when graphics settings were increased but resolved when lowering them.
Overall, games that aren’t incredibly demanding should run just fine on the TUF Gaming F17 but AAA titles will likely require turning down the settings.
Productivity Performance of Asus TUF Gaming F17
The TUF Gaming F17 edition we tested was configured with an Intel Core i5-11260H, 8GB of RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD, and an RTX 3050 Ti GPU.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
On Geekbench 5, the TUF Gaming F17 earned a single-core score of 1,354 and a multi-core score of 5,045. This performance is similar to (but just short of) the results for the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (Intel Core i7-11375H) which had respective scores of 1,483 and 5,234.
The MSI Pulse GL66 (Intel Core i7-11800H) outshines them both with a multi-core score of 6,949 and single-core rating of 1,579.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With Handbrake, we have computers transcode a 4K video to 1080p. The TUF Gaming F17 took 10 minutes and 36 seconds, a full minute faster than the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE. The MSI Pulse GL66 was the fastest at 8:30.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
On our file transfer test, in which we copy 25GB of mixed media files, the TUF Gaming F17 results were behind both the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (993.13 Mbps) and MSI Pulse GL66 (801.1 Mbps) with an average transfer speed of 596.39 Mbps.
Display on the Asus TUF Gaming F17
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The screen on the TUF Gaming F17 spans 17.3-inches and offers a refresh rate of 144 Hz with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. From head on, images look fantastic. Videos, pictures and gamesall shine. However, catching the screen from the wrong angle will quickly mute the vibrant colors with earthy tones.
The refresh rate is noticeable and does make for a smooth, seamless experience. As long as the game you’re playing doesn’t experience lag, you’re guaranteed a clean, bright output. In Elder Scrolls Online, the colors contrasted beautifully. Trees were lush and green while flowers popped against the contrast of the surrounding rocks and dirt. This was true with both medium and maximum video settings.
No Man’s Sky also looked just as stunning. The stars twinkled with a shimmer and the space pirates were easy to spot, but that was primarily due to their brightly-colored space lasers. This was the case with the resolution and FPS set as high as possible.
I streamed a few 4K videos online, one of which was this 4K flight video over the Dolomites in Italy. It was easy to make out details on the houses like windows and the crisp edges of the trees. When it comes to watching videos or movies, the TUF Gaming F17 performs well both when streaming and playing files off the hard drive.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
According to our sensors, the TUF Gaming F17 covers 45% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and emits up to 284 Nits of brightness. The MSI Pulse GL66 reaches a dimmer 246 Nits and covers 42% of the DCI-P3 gamut. That said, the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE takes the cake, covering 81% of the color gamut with a brightness of 292 Nits.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Upon first inspection, the keyboard looks sleek and the keys are responsive, albeit quiet with no tactile response, but they also have a low profile design which caused a slightly negative impact on speed while gaming.
I usually type on a Razer Black Widow mechanical keyboard with an average typing speed of 95 words per minute (WPM), according to 10 Fast Fingers. On the TUF Gaming F17, this was lowered to 81 WPM.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There are no dedicated media keys and no macro keys for swapping profiles. However, most of the keys have alternate functions that can be accessed with the help of a FN key.
All of the keys are illuminated with RGB LEDs—particularly the WASD keys which have clear keycaps.
The WASD keys shine brighter than the others, which can be notably distracting in low-light environments. All of the lights can be adjusted with Aura Sync and have presets (pulse, strobe, fade, solid, etc) that you can set using keyboard shortcuts. These effects can be further edited using the Armoury Crate application.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The touchpad measures 4.2 inches x 2.4 inches. It supports gestures such as two-finger scrolling and zooming but you will definitely want to use a dedicated mouse for gaming. One aspect I appreciate is the separate left/right buttons. Instead of using one piece for both the touchpad and buttons, there are three separate components at work to make clearly defined buttons.
Audio on Asus TUF Gaming F17
The TUF Gaming F17 comes with two built-in speakers. They’re supported by DTS:X Ultra, offering virtual 7.1-channel surround sound.
Asus also offers 8 preset modes optimized for things like gaming, movies, and music that can be set in the preinstalled DTS:X Ultra application.
If you’re big into audio quality, you definitely want to use separate speakers or a headset. However, for built-in speakers, the quality here is nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t get particularly loud but treble comes through sharply and bass has a nice little thump to it.
DTS:X Ultra offers a variety of audio optimization features and they do make a noticable difference on audio quality but not significantly so. When listening to music, the presets most noticeably changed the bass levels. While gaming, certain sounds like menu ticks and gunfire were heightened by the treble adjustments. I didn’t hear any white noise during silence or audio pops during my testing. Overall, the sound is somewhat muted compared to dedicated, high-quality audio output peripherals but they will get the job done if you don’t want to use external speakers.
Upgradeability of Asus TUF Gaming F17
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Opening the laptop is simple enough; you just need a little bit of space and a Phillips head screwdriver. The TUF Gaming F17 has room for additional components while some other parts can be replaced.
Once inside, you’ll notice two slots for RAM—our review machine was using just one of the slots to house an 8GB module. These slots are easy to access behind a small piece of shielding and can support up to 64GB total. There is an additional slot to add a second PCIe SSD (though this may be filled depending on your configuration). Battery Life of Asus TUF Gaming F17
The TUF Gaming F17’s battery life falls short compared to its competitors, lasting only one hour and 47 minutes on our test, which involves surfing the web continuously over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. The MSI Pulse GL66 endured for 3:14 while the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE blew them both out of the water with a whopping 6:40 run time.
The preloaded Armoury Crate app also offers settings to save power through going into iGPU mode. This setting disables discrete GPU and GPU applications to conserve power when you’re not gaming.
Heat on Asus TUF Gaming F17
To get an idea of the heat profile, we measured the temperature in various spots near the end of the Metro Exodus benchmark test. Between the G and H keys, it got as warm as 100 degrees Fahrenheit but the touchpad lingered around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The underside was the hottest, reaching as high as 112 degrees Fahrenheit during the test.
Despite the warm temperature across the keyboard, I didn’t feel uncomfortable while gaming. It’s definitely warmer than room temperature but you’re not burning your fingers while using it.
Webcam on Asus TUF Gaming F17
The TUF Gaming F17 comes with a 720p webcam built into the top center of the lid. It will get the job done for basic needs like conference calls, but if you want something more serious and dedicated for things like streaming, consider getting one of the best external webcams.
The image quality was alright as far as sharpness goes. There wasn’t much pixelation and objects were visible with detail. It doesn’t take much movement to cause a blur, however, and the colors were not as vibrant as I would have liked to see. No matter how bright the lighting was in the room, saturated objects of any color always appeared somewhat muted and earthy-toned.
Software and Warranty of Asus TUF Gaming F17
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 comes with a series of Asus’ own apps installed. Armoury Crate is used to control RGB lighting, adjust audio settings, and more. It asks you to make an account, but will work without one. There’s also MyAsus, which comes with system diagnostic tools to help fix basic issues with things like network connectivity. It also offers a few settings with additional links to Armoury Crate for advanced options.
Some applications come pre-installed as part of the Windows OS. Spotify was included for users looking to synchronize their music library.
It also has Xbox Game Pass pre-installed with an offer for free access to 100+ PC games. You’ll find standard MS applications like Groove Music and MS Office Tools for viewing or accessing Office files. There is an application installed called Mixed Reality Portal which offers access to a variety of VR-related games. It also comes with the Nvidia Control Panel for adjusting GPU settings.
Asus sells the TUF Gaming F17 with a one-year warranty.
Configurations of Asus TUF Gaming F17
We tested the Asus TUF Gaming F17 with an Intel Core i5-11260H, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD and a 17.3-inch, 1080p display with a 144 Hz refresh rate. This model costs $999.99 as of this writing.
For $1,299.99, you can bump up to an Intel Core i7-11800H and 16GB of RAM with the same display, GPU and SSD. $1,499.99 bumps you up to an RTX 3060 and 1TB SSD, though you’re then squarely out of budget laptop territory.
The Asus TUF Gaming F17 looks sleek, though the excessive angles throughout the design are perhaps a little cheesy.
The strongest feature in the Asus TUF Gaming F17 is its screen. The image quality looks fantastic, the colors are vibrant, and the panel illuminates with a warm brightness that’s easy on the eyes, even in a dimly-lit environment.
As tested, the MSI Pulse GL66 and Acer Predator Triton 300 SE are both stronger performers with higher price tags. The RTX 3050 Ti in the F17 is an entry-level card that can’t play the most demanding titles at the highest settings.
As configured, the Asus TUF Gaming F17 FX706HE is a quality gaming laptop best suited for casual gamers who don’t mind playing low-end games or more-demanding titles at low settings.
Ash Hill is a Freelance News and Features Writer at Tom’s Hardware US. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting.
Tom’s Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site .
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ASUS TUF Gaming F17 Review — A Solid Build with solid specs
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is one of the many laptops that were announced during the CES 2022 event, here is our review on the laptop to see how it fairs with other gaming laptops that are in the market right now.
Specifications
| Model | TUF Gaming F17 |
| Processor | 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 |
| Display |
17. 3-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9, anti-glare display, sRGB:62.50%, Adobe:47.34%, Refresh Rate:144Hz, IPS-level, Adaptive-Sync, MUX Switch + Optimus |
| Memory | 8GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM, Max Capacity:32GB, Support dual channel memory |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe® 3.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD |
| I/O Ports |
1x 3. 5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / G-SYNC, 1x RJ45 LAN port, 1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ |
| Audio | Dolby Atmos, AI noise-canceling technology, Hi-Res certification, Built-in array microphone, 2-speaker system |
| Weight | 2.60 Kg (5.73 lbs) |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) |
39. 5 x 26.4 x 2.29 ~ 2.54 cm (15.55″ x 10.39″ x 0.90″ ~ 1.00″) |
| Product Price | RM 4,999 |
Design
The build for the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is more on the hefty side with it having the measurements of 39.5 cm wide, 26.4 cm deep along with the thickness of 2.54 cm. Needless to say, the hefty build adds in to the overall weight of 2.6 kg, meaning to say that the TUF Gaming F17 is on the heavier side which can be troublesome for users who like to carry around their laptops to different places.
But on that note, the one thing I like about the laptop is its industrial feeling that the design has going with it.
The four corners at the top of the laptop have this screw-like design which the overall aesthetic is pleasing to look at for me.
Every surface on the each side of the laptop besides the keycap and trackpad has a matte finish to them, but it’s the coarse-feel which I honestly dig. It also means that your palm and fingerprint marks will less likely be left on the material. On top of the keyboard, there are four LEDs that are arranged in a way that is shaped out like an “X” and the LEDs also shows the status of the laptop like when it’s charging or in airplane mode.
The TUF Gaming F17 offers a lot of ventilation ports, there are two exhaust points at where the hinges are attached to, one ventilation point at the top of the keyboard and one last exhaust point at the right side of the laptop, there’s also a bunch of intake holes located at the bottom of the laptop.
The shape of the lid of the laptop is not a perfect rectangle and the web camera part on the laptop is protruding outwards.
Regardless of how it looks, it doesn’t quite matter to me because it helps me with opening up the lid so I’m cool with that. Although it does need you to hold down the laptop chassis to open up the lid, meaning that it requires both of your hands.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard on the TUF Gaming F17 offers a lot of neat features to it, the 1.7 mm key travel distance is pretty nice for the general users, and typing on the keyboard is pretty quiet too, along with the feedback for it is good.
But the drawback for the keyboard for me is that I found myself needing to punch in the keys in order to input, meaning that I had to press down the keys harder than usual, which leads to having tons of typos with all the missing inputs that I thought had been inputted. I find myself having to slow down and put in more force to each push of the keys down which can be very exhausting for people who don’t particularly like tactile switch keyboards, which this keyboard somehow feels like it.
In terms of the design for the keyboard, the WASD keys are semi-transparent, which is also a feature that was present in previous TUF gaming laptops. It’s also an RGB keyboard but there’s only a handful of colour options for the RGB effects. It’s also a single zone RGB which means that you won’t be able to make a rainbow effect of RGB colours flash through the keyboard.
The trackpad of the keyboard is also pretty huge, and it also has the TUF gaming logo on the top right corner of the trackpad. The trackpad is also off center so that when you’re typing, you won’t have to rest your palm on top of the trackpad. It’s also really smooth and pretty responsive which is an added plus.
Display
The TUF Gaming F17 has a 17.3″ FHD IPS panel that has an aspect ratio of 16:9, which means that it’s a 1080p display. The refresh rate is at a 144Hz which is decently high, and it also has a MUX switch and supports AdaptiveSync which is pretty cool.
Although, the sRGB is only at a 62.
50% which can be a deal break for most people, but I personally don’t really put much emphasis on it. While the colours are less vibrant than what you’d normally see, but it’s not too bad. But unfortunately, the difference between the lowest, mid and highest can be pretty noticeable, which is something worth noting.
Audio
The audio performances for the TUF Gaming F17 is pretty good. The audio really heightens the experiences when watching a show or a movie and while the audio is loud, it doesn’t diminish the overall sound quality. While I still would use headphones when using the laptop, the stereo audio for the F17 is still pretty serviceable.
Battery
There’s two types of battery specs for the TUF Gaming F17, the one that we received is the 56Whr while there’s also a 90Whr version. The battery life for the 56Whr is relatively decent if you only use it for light usage. During my time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, the laptop’s battery went from 100% down to 24%, which can be seen as really fast but I had the brightness up to max and had the laptop on Balanced mode instead of the Battery saving mode which needless to say can affect battery life.
Armoury Crate
The armoury crate is the central hub for everything gaming and laptop settings related. You’re able to monitor the performances of your laptop here, as well as changing the operating mode in the home page. You’re also able to change some of the RGB effects for the keyboard through the hub too.
You can also manually overclock your GPU here as well as changing the MUX Switch settings. I recommend switching it to discrete GPU as it’ll help out your usage of the TUF Gaming F17 by a lot.
Benchmark
The TUF Gaming F17 has an i5-12500H which is a very decent 12 cores CPU, it has an RTX 3050 and 8GB of DDR5 in it. On 3DMark, the laptop scores a 5,562 while on PCMark 10, it scores a 6,863 which is pretty good.
Gaming Experience
Ghostwire: Tokyo
The game actually runs pretty smoothly, on the highest setting without DLSS, I was getting above 50FPS. While with DLSS on, the laptop pushes through the 70 FPS but it does fluctuate between 70-90 FPS, while the FPS is good, it’s not stable.
Stray
While playing through Stray with the highest graphics, it averages out above 100FPS while having some occasional dip to below 100FPS.
Apex Legends
At the highest setting, the framerate fluctuates between 70-90FPS, similar to when playing Ghostwire:Tokyo but there’s no sudden frame drop which is pretty good.
Verdict
The TUF Gaming F17 does a reasonable job as a gaming laptop. While the CPU that this laptop has is an extremely good mid-range CPU, it’s shadowed by the fact that it only comes with 8GB of RAM. While it does run the games fine, it can be a lot better if it has a 16GB RAM configuration instead. If you’re planning on getting this laptop, you should consider getting an extra stick of 8GB RAM to upgrade it.
For those who are interesting in finding out more details about the laptop or wish to buy, do check out the official product page here.
Tags: ASUSASUS TUF Gaming F17Gaming LaptopReview
ASUS TUF Gaming F17 (FX706HE) review and test
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Specifications
- Packing and contents
- Appearance and housing
- Keyboard and touchpad
- Screen
- Testing
- Runtime, heat and noise
- Conclusion
Introduction
Notebook manufacturers have already begun to understand that there are no video cards, the computer games industry is in decline, miners are playing their games and trying to make money for themselves.
As they say: nothing personal, just business. Therefore, with this constant shortage of video cards, it is becoming increasingly important to buy a gaming laptop because it can be even cheaper than a video card, and this is still a full-fledged computer that can be used for different tasks. nine0027
If you play on the screen of the device, and not with an external monitor, then it is better to take a 17” model and use it as a replacement for a desktop computer. At the same time, nothing prevents you from using a separate set with a keyboard and mouse, and does not suffer from a touchpad and a membrane keyboard. One of the most interesting and popular lines of modern laptops is ASUS TUF Gaming. The fact is that the manufacturer offers fairly balanced configurations with a nice price and good opportunities for subsequent upgrades. For example, you can upgrade your memory, install an optional M.2 SSD, and even install a larger battery. These modifications are also really similar to gaming ones — they look stylish, brutal and courageous.
Not everyone likes the military style, but here it is minimal. nine0027
Today we tested an updated version of the very popular ASUS TUF Gaming F17 (FX706H).
This is a 2021 model with new Intel Tiger Lake-H processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. This combination is designed specifically for the mass user who decided to play in 2021, but does not yet know where to buy a video card at a reasonable price.
Let’s start studying the device with characteristics.
recommendations
Specifications
| Model | ASUS TUF Gaming F17 (FX706HE) |
|---|---|
| Device type | Notebook |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-11800H; Intel Core i7-11400H |
| Video processor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti for Notebooks with 4GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Operating system | |
| RAM | up to 32 GB + 32 GB DDR4 2666 MHz |
| Accumulators | 2 x M. 2 SSD (NVMe PCIe), PCIe 3.0 1TB (hyper) / 1TB, support RAID0 |
| Shield | 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS, up to 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, 100% sRGB 9 color gamut0053 |
| Wireless interfaces | WiFi 6; Bluetooth v5.1 |
| Battery | 48 Wh |
| Dimensions | 399 x 269 x 26 mm |
| Weight | 2.6 kg |
| Price | N/A |
Memory speed is limited by the CPU controller. The Intel Core i7-11800H is an octa-core model with 16 threads and a TDP in the region of 35-45W (depending on cooling configuration and laptop manufacturer settings). Naturally, the higher the power, the greater the frequency and the need for appropriate cooling. Accordingly, the performance will be higher. The new Intel processors are manufactured using the 10 nm process technology, but this does not mean that they are very cold.
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It is much more interesting to look at the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics accelerator in action. Obviously it can’t beat the RTX 3060 or RTX 3070 Laptop Edition. However, no one requires 4K from him: ideally, he should cope with the native resolution of the laptop matrix, and here we have Full HD. So far, according to the specifications, in my opinion, this is a replacement for the GTX 1650. Painfully, they are similar in type and amount of memory used.
Okay, let’s not guess, but let’s start studying the novelty from the packaging. nine0027
Packing and contents
The notebook is delivered in a large cardboard box in regular yellow color. Only from the ends there is a black stripe. On the one hand, there is a red large logo of the ASUS TUF Gaming series of a new sample, which is logical.
The opposite side has only the standard battery warning and model and trim sticker.
It also contains barcodes and service information.
There is a similar sticker on one end of the box.
There is a black plastic handle on top for easy transport. nine0027
Inside the box, the entire frame and compartments are also made of cardboard. There are compartments on the left and right. One of them hides the power adapter and cable for connecting it to the network
There is a niche under the laptop, where there should be instructions. They were not there, but a sheet with funny stickers was inserted into the top cover. They are specially designed for the TUF Gaming series.
Supplied with 20V 9A adapter providing 180W of power. This is a good indicator. At the same time, the power supply does not look huge and heavy. Still, this is a gaming laptop and the power should be with a margin, because the battery must be charged even during the game. And here we only have a processor and a video core at the peak of 90 W according to the passport.
Appearance and housing
We cannot say that the design of the novelty has changed a lot compared to the previous generation.
In appearance it seems that only the logo on the lid has changed. The rest of the changes have not happened, with regard to the case.
For example, the same plastic cover is used on the bottom. It also allows for easy disassembly for maintenance and upgrades.
Top cover with screen is hard to lift. The hinges are quite tight and they do not have such a free course. It is impossible to open the lid with one hand, even considering the weight of the device. nine0027
Over time, the mechanism may evolve, and this model is mainly intended for desktop home use. This is due to the size, weight and battery, which is not very capacious here.
Lid does not open all the way. The limiter here is the loops. Their design is classic. The stroke is limited so that the screen opens to a certain degree (about 140 °) and the laptop does not rest on the edge of the lid. At the back, large holes for the exhaust of hot air from the cooling system are noticeable. Radiators are visible through them.
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There are no connectors at the front or at the back, only on the sides. In the upper frame above the screen is a regular HD camera. There are no curtains here.
On the left side you can see the power connector, Ethernet, HDMI, two USB 3.1 Gen1 ports, Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) and a combined 3.5 mm audio jack.
On the right side we find only a USB 3.1 Gen1 port and a hole for a Kensington lock.
The back is made of plastic. It has several rubber feet of various shapes. The laptop stands very stable on a flat surface. nine0027
The cover is easy to remove. To do this, it is enough to unscrew a few screws with a Phillips slot. One corner lifts the lid. All you need is a plastic card or something equally flexible to open the latches.
Let’s dismantle the cover and see how the device is arranged inside. Disassembly doesn’t take long.
The model is large, so there is enough free space. The main part of the internal space is occupied by the cooling system.
This is not surprising because this device has a productive filling. nine0027
The processor and video accelerator are far from the most powerful, but they still need to be cooled. Automation is struggling to monitor the many sensors that monitor temperatures in different places on the board and in sensors built into the chips.
Branded Arc Flow fans with modified impeller blade geometry are used. They increase airflow by up to 35% for the CPU and up to 21% for the GPU compared to previous models — without increasing the noise level. Arc Flow optimized design fans use a special impeller consisting of 84 specially shaped blades with curved tips to reduce turbulence. nine0027
The blades, made from liquid crystal polymer, are only 0.2mm thick at the base to help increase airflow while being strong enough to spin at high speeds.
Newer gaming laptops are equipped with a self-cleaning system to ensure that the efficiency of the cooling system does not decrease over time due to the accumulation of dust on the radiator grilles and fans.
In an improved version of this system, the length of the dust tunnels has been shortened in order to increase the space for air flow. As a result, the efficiency of the fans has increased by 15% compared to the original version. nine0027
The battery here is only 48 Wh. Given the filling, it can be compared with a built-in UPS. There are modifications with a more capacious 90 Wh battery, but this only doubles the battery life, and in fact it turns out that you can work in office tasks for about 8 hours, and play for about an hour.
Expansion possibilities are good. To begin with, you can replace the RAM modules and eventually achieve a total capacity of 64 GB. You can replace an existing drive, or you can install another one. Perhaps there will be some kind of kit for installing a 2.5 ” drive, since the place allows, especially with a small battery. nine0027
Keyboard and touchpad
The laptop is large and therefore a good full size keyboard is used. It is slightly recessed into the topcase.
Transparent plastic around the perimeter of the buttons immediately catches your eye, as well as four WASD keys, because the laptop is a gaming one.
This panel has a cutout for each individual button, as well as the touchpad and its buttons. The latter is quite large and comfortable.
It is located at the bottom center. There are separate buttons corresponding to mouse buttons. They are plastic and slightly rough to the touch for ease of use. nine0027
Most laptops use membrane-type keyboards, and this new product is no exception. However, here it is more durable: the manufacturer claims a resource of 20 million clicks.
There is support for Overstroke technology, which reduces the response delay when pressed. This is very useful for the gaming model because it increases the speed of control in dynamic scenes.
The key travel is an impressive 1.4 mm. The surface of the keys is flat. The layout of the keys largely repeats the layout of peripheral desktop keyboards.
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Among other things, the keyboard is equipped with RGB backlighting. However, everything is not so simple and it is highlighted all in some color or the effect works immediately on all LEDs at once. Personally, it is more convenient for me to choose one static color and work like that.
Screen
The 17.3-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels is the best option for the average gamer. Even on such a seemingly huge screen, the grain is not particularly noticeable. And in this resolution, the requirement for a video card is noticeably simplified. AU Optronics B173HAN04.9 matrix is used here.
This is already a familiar matrix, but I cannot say that this is some kind of special screen. 144 Hz is more for marketing here, because the video card is not so powerful to provide such a number of frames in a modern game. Adaptive-Sync is there, but I don’t think it will work everywhere.
The manufacturer claims 100% compliance with the sRGB color space.
However, with a regular preset, you can’t tell about this.
Wide viewing angles, colors do not change depending on the viewing angle. During use, the brightness is perceived to be the same and no contrast is observed. nine0027
Black color does not stand out with strong highlights or significant stray shades. In general, the result is not bad.
White looks natural and without deviations in gamma or color temperature. At an angle, a slight pinkish tint appears. Apparently, this is the result of applying an anti-reflective coating. However, this does not affect the actual use.
Using a colorimeter, I measured the brightness of the backlight in various brightness modes, and also tested the quality of the factory color calibration. nine0027
| Brightness level, % | White brightness, cd/m 2 | Black brightness, cd/m 2 | Contrast, x:1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 262 | 0. 205 |
1411 |
| 50 | 115 | 0.073 | 1408 |
| 0 | 14 | 0.012 | 1403 |
The brightness is adjustable in the middle range, and the display itself shows a good level of contrast. Thanks to the anti-reflective coating, there is no stray light even when used outdoors.
All graphs exactly match each other, but deviated quite noticeably from the «reference». However, this cannot be called critical.
The color temperature matched the reference value almost perfectly. It will not be possible to see differences with the standard during operation. nine0027
Initially, the screen is not all right with the calibration in normal mode, but thanks to the presets in the Armory Crate app, you can find a good mode.
In general, this is a gaming model, and it does not claim to have perfect color reproduction.
And if necessary, the device can be calibrated.
Points of the gray wedge clustered within the borders of the delta. The user does not have to observe significant parasitic shades.
Points of the gray wedge are grouped inside the delta. nine0027
Testing
The laptop comes pre-installed with a licensed copy of the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system. Professional or home versions are traditionally available.
Before use, it is recommended to update everything through the update center, because even the device firmware is updated there. In addition, there is the familiar ASUS Armory Crate utility.
This application allows you to customize almost all device settings, including the screen. The closest in color reproduction is the Cinema preset. The Keystone function is already in its second generation. nine0027
System performance and cooling efficiency can be configured in user profiles. Turbo mode is the ultimate laptop performance for the most demanding games, which also keeps the fans spinning at maximum speed, while Silent mode is designed for work and entertainment applications.
At low loads on the central processor and video card, when their operating temperature does not exceed 60 ° C, the fans stop and the laptop works silently. nine0027
User profiles not only allow you to select the cooling mode, but also configure a number of other system settings, such as disabling the Windows key so that you do not accidentally press it during the game, or change the backlight effects. To quickly switch between settings profiles, it is convenient to use hotkey combinations.
CPU-Z:
GPU-Z:
AIDA64 GPGPU:
AIDA64 Cache & Memory:
Cinebench R20:
Cinebench R23:
3DMark Time Spy:
PCMark:
CrystalDiskMark 8.0.1:
Metro Exodus Ultra, RTX, DLSS:
Metro Exodus High:
Battery life, heat, and noise
3 *hour. This is small, but it is not positioned as a portable solution for everyday mobile use. This is simply inconvenient due to the size and weight of the device. The battery here replaces the UPS more.
A full charge of new ASUS takes 1 hour 50 minutes. This result is achieved thanks to the powerful power supply that comes with the kit. nine0027
Playing on battery will not work for a long time. The PCMark test suite with the Gaming preset runs for less than an hour. But the Modern Office test, which emulates work in office applications, demonstrates confident work — 3 hours 45 minutes.
It is clear that by modern standards this is not so much, and even ultrabooks with a 90 Wh battery last 8-9 hours.
Notebook heats up moderately. Even when using the heaviest applications (Prime95 and Furmark), the keyboard temperature does not rise above 37°C, but you can notice that the heating is uneven. Most of the hot air exits the sides and rear. nine0027
At the same time, the places where the fans are located are visible from the front, and in these places the device is the coolest due to the air flow.
As for the noise, it peaks in Turbo mode when the fans start spinning at 3900 RPM under load.
The noise level reaches 41.2 dB at a distance of 1 m from the device.
Conclusion
ASUS TUF Gaming F17 (FX706H) is an upgraded 2021 model. The manufacturer did the right thing not to be smart with the new design and chassis, but used the already existing base in order to introduce the new platform as quickly as possible. Indeed, for this, in fact, it is enough to prepare the motherboard, since the processor itself and the video accelerator are provided by partners. The market appreciates and loves efficiency, because no one wants to buy yesterday’s platform for the same money today. Therefore, the engineers made the chassis with a margin of power and functionality so that changes in the design could be quickly made. nine0027
The dimensions of the matrix are classic, and here you can also use something relevant at the moment.
In my opinion, the priority here is the cost. The model is gaming, and the manufacturer reasonably believes that the main audience will play or do some office tasks. For most cases, this screen diagonal is sufficient. This is not a professional monitor with perfect color reproduction, because such devices are quite expensive in themselves, and if you want, nothing prevents you from connecting it separately. nine0027
It should also be remembered that the TUF Gaming line is aimed at the mass user, which means that there will be the most attractive price here. This is an important detail for many buyers: many are guided by it and select a device for themselves based on a certain budget. And everything should be on the level. And for those who want a more functional and productive device, the ASUS ROG Strix series is provided.
Personally, I liked everything. The case is strong, durable and not very easily soiled. The prints on the lid are easy to clean off. Scratched? Don’t worry, stickers are included.
Cooling is good. The temperatures are not very high, the noise is moderate, and if you play in a headset, you can’t hear anything at all. The screen may not be the best I’ve seen in my life, but this is not a graphics station for designers, although everything can be calibrated and the stock of brightness back to back. The keyboard is large and very comfortable. I liked typing even more than on some of the more expensive gaming models. Performance was enough almost everywhere, you can play comfortably in Full HD without beams, or with beams + DLSS, which is understandable. nine0027
The manufacturer turned out to be a decent entry-mid range model that is well equipped. Most importantly, everything is perfectly implemented and there is the possibility of modernization.
Andrey Ponkratov aka
wildchaser
We would like to thank:
- To the official representative office of ASUS in Moscow for providing the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 (FX706HE) laptop for testing.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen or telegram channel @overclockers_news — these are convenient ways to follow new materials on the site. With pictures, extended descriptions and no ads. nine0027
ASUS TUF Gaming F17 laptop review
ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is a 17-inch analog in the updated line of gaming laptops from a well-known Taiwanese manufacturer. Earlier we prepared an article about a model with a reduced display. Today our attention is drawn to the older specification.
In general, this is a productive and fairly reliable system that allows you to count on running not only all the latest games, but also performing other tasks. As before, you can read about all the nuances that will help create an impression about the novelty of a potential buyer in the review of TUF Gaming F17, prepared by specialists from the Beltexno.
by online store. nine0027
Standing gaming platform
First of all, we should note the significantly improved hardware. The updated processor, graphics card and other important components contribute to the highest performance. In profile benchmarks, the device occupies a very high position in the top list of similar devices. The system runs on Windows 10 Pro. In addition to performance, there are many points that determine the high ergonomics and quality of the device. In particular, the TUF Gaming F17 laptop meets the standard of military reliability. Stable operation is provided thanks to the strong case, reliable accessories. nine0027
The laptop has been subjected to drop, shock, heat, cold, and humidity tests during manufacturer testing. All these tests were successfully passed. There is no reason to doubt the confirmation of the operability of the device in such critical conditions. With thrifty handling of the average user, no problems will arise. In addition to high-quality assembly, we will focus on a high-quality image.
The 17-inch display is based on an IPS matrix FullHD format (1920 x 1080 pixels). Depending on the configuration, a potential buyer can choose a different refresh rate: 60 or 120 Hz.
If necessary, a larger external screen can be connected to the TUF Gaming F17, including supporting 4K resolution. This is a multi-monitor configuration that anyone will appreciate. For convenient use, a membrane keyboard optimized for games with a separate numeric keypad is proposed. There is a full-fledged backlight (including a dedicated popular WSAD combination), a technology for accelerated key response. The buttons themselves can withstand, according to the information on the official website, up to 20 million clicks. nine0027
The touchpad is very responsive and comfortable in size. Not only high performance, but also an efficient cooling system is of key importance for a gamer. Those who decide to buy ASUS TUF Gaming F17 are offered an original technology that ensures long-term operation of key components of the computer.
During testing, the temperature did not exceed the «red» indicators. Including thanks to two large radiators located inside the case, two wide-blade fans, and heat pipes. nine0027
The present self-cleaning technology allows less dust to accumulate inside, and the thermal paste does not need to be changed for a long period of operation. Another feature of the cooling system is the ability for the user to manually determine which mode to select for a particular task. So, during the period of maximum workload, when launching a new resource-demanding game, you can use the appropriate option. The modes differ from each other not only in performance, but also in the emitted noise level. In general, we can state that the laptop is not particularly noisy. nine0027
Characteristics TUF Gaming F17
The processor and video card are the central links of the hardware stuffing for a gamer. If you purchase this laptop, you can count on two options for the tenth generation processor: Intel Core i5 10300H or Intel Core i7 10750H.
Multitasking is provided thanks to twelve computing threads. Despite the fact that there is no relevant information on the official website, a model with AMD Ryzen 7 can also be found on sale. This option, for example, is suitable for supporters of an alternative manufacturer of the corresponding components. nine0027
For graphics processing, a discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4 GB of GDDR6 video memory or a more powerful version of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with 4 GB of video memory of the same standard is used. The appropriate configuration has a positive effect on the overall performance of the system. Moreover, regardless of the specific task: games, surfing, graphics processing, calculations, etc. What is important: such characteristics are enough to operate a 17-inch display (IPS format) with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. nine0027
Given the present RAM (up to a maximum of 32 GB) format DDR4 2933 MHz, you can count on trouble-free streaming.
An excellent help for speed and instant loading, including a solid-state drive SSD with a capacity of up to 1 TB (PCIe format). Data storage can also be done on a hybrid system including an HDD (similar to the maximum capacity). If necessary, depending on the configuration data at the time of purchase, the user can subsequently perform the required upgrade. nine0027
So, for example, you can install an additional RAM bar or file drive. For long-term operation, the system provides an energy-intensive battery (90 W / h). Among the interfaces and inputs, all current connectors are available. For example, three USBs (two Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, one Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 that supports connecting an external monitor, one Type-A USB 2.0), combo 3.5mm audio jack, network RJ-45 LAN , full size HDMI version 2.0b. For wireless communication, there is a module consisting of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax (2×2)) and Bluetooth 5.0. nine0027
TUF Gaming F17: reviews
Gamers are a rather demanding audience in terms of requests for technical and other features of laptops.
There are not many really optimized systems. If we take into account the good display parameters, spatial sound, high standard of reliability, ergonomics and attractive appearance, the interest of the potential target audience becomes clear. For our part, we highlight the following key advantages of the device:
- quality assembly;
- increased body strength and wear resistance;
- detailed display;
- high performance;
- convenient input and control;
- adjustable cooling system;
- upgradeable;
- quality audio system;
Should I buy this gaming laptop? nine0378
You can get the current price of ASUS TUF Gaming F17 with a suitable configuration from our managers. Including requesting information on a comparative characteristic. If the task is: to buy a mobile computer for computer games, this is one of the best options for today.