The ASUS TUF series of laptops focuses on durability as its unique selling point, but at the same time providing reliable gaming performance. The ASUS TUF Dash F15 (FX516) is one of the first gaming laptops to be equipped with the the Intel 11th Gen Core i7-11370H, which is a Tiger Lake-based H-series processor. Not only that, it also comes with NVIDIA’s newest RTX 30-Series mobile GPU – in the FX516 model it has the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti. The ASUS TUF Dash F15 (FX516) retails for S$2,198.
Build quality and design
The ASUS TUF Dash F15 is a 15.6-inch laptop that features a really sleek looking gunmetal-like matte finish. There is also a large but subtle ‘TUF’ branding on the left side of the panel. The gunmetal texture is apt given that the ASUS TUF Dash F15 has earned the MIL-STD-810H military grade durability test. Knocks, drops, or extreme weather shouldn’t be a problem for the Dash F15.
Build quality of the ASUS TUF Dash F15 is pretty good, there is little flex when pressing down on the keyboard deck, and even the display panel had resistance as well. Do note that despite the surface being matte, it still picks up fingerprints quite easily. I like how the ASUS TUF Dash F15 looks – it looks refined and clean without looking overly gamery on the exterior. The laptop is also 19.9mm thick, which makes it a pretty slim gaming laptop especially if portability is important for you.
Display
The ASUS TUF Dash F15 (FX516)‘s 15.6- inch matte IPS-panel is surrounded by a really thin bezel which at the same time omits a webcam. The display is a FHD (1080p) one that has an adaptive-sync functionality.
The screen supports 100% sRGB colour space, and produce vibrant colours. The display also supports 144Hz refresh rate which allows for FPS games like Valorant to feel super smooth especially when you have to do those quick 180 degrees flick.
Keyboard and trackpad
As for the keyboard, you’ll immediately notice the contrast on the WASD keys which have transparent keys. Typing on this keyboard offers a good amount of travel distance followed by a noticeable tactile bump.
The keyboard also features four quick access keys for volume, microphone mute, and a shortcut to launch ASUS Armoury Crate software. If you’re not familiar with ASUS Armoury Crate, it is software that allows you to view your laptop’s current performance, add customization and tweak settings for you laptop’s graphics. Trackpad is decently sized and generally feels smooth to navigate on.
Performance
Powering the ASUS TUF Dash F15 is NVIDIA’s entry-level mobile GPU, the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti. Do note this won’t be able to match up the performance like on the Zephyrus S15. Playing Valorant on max settings, the frames per second (fps) generally hovered around the 100-120fps range. Other games such as Apex Legends which is more graphics intensive, was giving me around 60-70 fps most of the time.
Thermals on the ASUS TUF Dash F15 is pretty good. Fans kicked in but it wasn’t to the volume where it kind of annoys you especially if you game without headphones. The laptop felt warm but is was at the temperature where it did not feel uncomfortable. One point to note is on the location of the fans on the ASUS TUF Dash F15 – there are two at the back, and two other either side. You may be able to feel the heat from the side of the laptop if you’re using your mouse too near to the fan.
Speakers and battery life
The speakers, thankfully, is not at the bottom of the keyboard. They are located above the keyboard and it offers a pretty well-rounded sound that has some bass response. As for battery, the ASUS TUF Dash F15 comes with a 76Whr battery that gave me about eight hours of typical use at 50% brightness, which is pretty good. Gaming with just the battery gave me just over an hour before needing me to plug it to power.
If you need to charge the ASUS TUF Dash F15 urgently but forgot to bring the default power adapter, you can opt to charge the laptop via USB-C charging. If you did bring the default power adapter, charging for 1 hour and 30 minutes will bring battery from 10% to full.
Ports selection
The ASUS TUF Dash F15 has a good selection of ports – you have a RJ-45 LAN port, full size HDMI, USB 3.2 Type-A x3, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack. There is also Wi-Fi 6 support for future proofing.
Conclusion
The ASUS TUF Dash F15 is an interesting device that is good in many aspects, making it a really well-rounded device. For a largely affordable price of S$2,198, you’re not going to have insanely powerful gaming performance, just good. If you’re in the market for a gaming laptop that has good gaming and productivity performance, portable enough, and has reliable battery life – then the ASUS TUF Dash F15 would be one on your consideration list.