Asus TUF FX504 review (FX504 GE – i7, GTX 1050Ti) – affordable and tough gaming laptop

84 Comments

  1. Duy

    May 3, 2018 at 8:49 am

    Strange, my fx504 with i5 and 1050 is also hot in that place (between o,m and enter key) which supposed there's no heat source here. Hope there will be more in depth review wich explain why.

    • Andrei Girbea

      May 3, 2018 at 10:27 am

      I'd reckon the heat from the GPU somehow spreads towards that area, but yes, it's a bit strange it doesn't heat up further up, where the GPU is actually placed. Taking out the motherboard to see exactly what's on the back under that area should perhaps offer a better reply, but I no longer have my review unit.

  2. sakaar

    May 14, 2018 at 2:14 am

    I heard that there is a fx504 model with gtx 1060 in it.(fx504GM).
    Would you please check if its available worldwide?
    Thanks

  3. LJ

    May 15, 2018 at 6:54 am

    Do you think it is suitable for a university student?
    Taking foundation in science this year and hopefully computer science after that.
    Seems like the ones sold in Malaysia are only 60hz screens.
    I'm considering either the i5,TN (RM3299)or i7,IPS (RM)3899 both with 1050 as the Ti is out of budget…any recommendations on this? Or any other laptops?

    • Andrei Girbea

      May 17, 2018 at 11:11 am

      Should be a goof options, but there are also alternatives, like the ones mentioned in the Cocnlusions section of the review

  4. ronin

    May 17, 2018 at 4:20 pm

    What we can expect from 6 core turbo boost in real world scenario? E.g. some optimized multicore game.
    6 x 3400Hz possible?

    • Andrei Girbea

      May 21, 2018 at 10:10 am

      HWinfo didn't work on this sample, so I don't have the usual logs. Should be higher though, with undervolting.

  5. Wayne Liu

    June 28, 2018 at 8:59 pm

    What a great, in depth review. This really helps and helped me make a decision.
    The i7 version is currently on sale for $799 on B&H so I went for it since I been shopping for a while. Thanks!

    • Yash Mehta

      July 29, 2018 at 10:38 pm

      Same here. bought this from b&h for $799.
      currenty facing fps drops while gpu reaches 100% usage very frequent.
      overall nice laptop. watch my comment down for undervolting.

  6. Yash Mehta

    July 29, 2018 at 8:34 pm

    -99.6mV on cpu and -94.7mV on cpu cache found to be sweet spot. tested with CPUz bench.

  7. plmoijn

    July 31, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    Avoid the FX504 series at all costs, this is the worst gaming laptop on the market right now. I own a FX504GE that comes with a core i7 8750H and a Nvidia 1050 Ti and it is underperforming too much, I cannot say if the core i5 will perform as bad, but, most likely it will. Either the core i5 or core i7 are 45 W parts, but, they are being limited to just 20 – 25 W meaning that you are paying extra for something that you can’t use. At its full potential
    For the model I own expect the CPU to power throttle when on high CPU loads as a result the clock speed will be limited to the base speed of 2.2 GHz and turbo boost will not kick in even if it is enabled. So, for video editing, rendering, CAT simulations, etc. it will not perform as expected. You might be saying “this is a gaming computer, it is for gaming” well, it is a failure at that too. For the same CPU power limitation and clock speeds bouncing all over the place you will constantly have to cope with framedrops and stuttering in any game. To kind of solve the issue you will have to underbolt the CPU and GPU.
    The worst part is that I contacted Asus on this regard and they have admitted there are some issues with the design and provided a ton of excuses on why it might be, but, are not willing to solve the problem. They suggest entering the PC to a service center for “fixing”, most likely they will change the motherboard or other components but most likely it will continue the same as there is no damage on the PC just a poor design. They will not provide a replacement computer either and if you bought the PC in other region you are screwed as their “international” warranty will not cover you on another region meaning you will have to ship the computer to wherever it was bought.

    Save your money and look elsewhere.

    • Andrei Girbea

      July 31, 2018 at 10:44 pm

      Wow, that's quite an experience. Did you try anything to fix the performance, like Undervolting? What are the CPU temperatures on your unit, throttling to 2.2 GHz is different than what I experienced on my sample.

      • Umesh

        September 8, 2018 at 5:53 am

        Soo is this software problem or hardware problem i mean can Asus Will fix it in updates? & can MSI gl63 -8rc i5 8th gen with gtx1050 & TN panel…. Better option than this..
        Thanks!

      • Andrei Girbea

        September 10, 2018 at 1:02 pm

        Hard to tell. I wouldn't hold my breath for any software fix

    • Pinch

      August 16, 2018 at 8:31 am

      Seconded. I bought this and noticed all the problems mentioned by plmoijn. Contacted asus less than 24hr after purchase to ask more, same result as stated above. No real help. My clockspeeds averaged ar 2.4, and tdp 25w under stress tests with .085v undervolting. Mine is a 1060 with i7 coffee lake.

    • Dominic

      December 31, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      Even after 6 months, your comments saved me … Thanks for the in depth explanation. Actually I was looking for a Gaming laptop supporting Video editing. Which one will be better? Please advise (That too with the same budget range) … Thanks and regards, Dominic

    • Ramani krutarth

      February 20, 2019 at 12:05 pm

      Hello, I am thinking to buy this product I want to develop games, what else should I buy under 75,000. Please advise. Thank you.

      • Duy

        February 22, 2019 at 7:13 pm

        too vague for a specific device. try to join r/suggestalaptop and fill a form or their discord, or this website forum.

  8. LJ

    August 1, 2018 at 10:07 am

    I am getting bas stuttering at the start of games usually… Idk why… Haven't got to monitoring the stats yet, what software do you recommend?
    I am running the i7 8750H, GTX1050 AND 4GB RAM

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 1, 2018 at 11:27 am

      HWInfo. At launch, choose Sensors only. Then look in the list of options for CPU frequency and GPU frequency, right click and select show graph. Then run your games for a while, and if you can get back to me with the print screens, maybe we can figure something out. Should look like this: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/perf-temps-gaming-mordor-standard.png (from a different laptop, as HWinfo did not start on my FX504 test unit)

      • LJ

        August 1, 2018 at 11:47 am

        Alright thanks, quite busy lately with tests and assignments, will try to run tests whenever I'm free. Weirdly enough i get stutter usually at the start of games and after a while it's usually smooth.

      • Andrei Girbea

        August 1, 2018 at 11:50 am

        Do you have an SSD? And how much RAM?

      • LJ

        August 1, 2018 at 3:30 pm

        No SSD, currently only 4gb RAM

      • Andrei Girbea

        August 1, 2018 at 3:43 pm

        Well, that explains plenty imo. An SSD makes a lot of a difference in any laptop, and 4 GB of RAM are just not nearly enough these days with Win 10 and most software. Consider upgrading to at least 8 GB of RAM and a 128 GB M.2 SSD for the OS and programs, it will make your laptop much faster.

  9. LJ

    August 1, 2018 at 4:10 pm

    Hmm so my device is performing accordingly? Not planning to get an SSD for now but will definitely get more ram. https://imgur.com/a/6LXIsxg after around 10 mins of OW

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 2, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      Hmmm, are you seeing any stuttering while playing games? I can see the GPU's clock going down intermittently, that could suggest some issues. The CPU runs fine.

      As for the upgrades, I would definitely recommend both the SSD and more RAM in time. Normally the SSD makes the most difference on a laptop, but in your case the extra RAM is going to help as well.

      • LJ

        August 2, 2018 at 4:06 pm

        Well yes as I have mentioned in previous comments.

      • Andrei Girbea

        August 2, 2018 at 4:55 pm

        Can't explain those. Did you try the latest drivers and maybe BIOS update to the latest version?

      • LJ

        August 2, 2018 at 5:56 pm

        Already updated all drivers pretty much, and the BIOS automatically updated few weeks ago. The thing ia my old Acer aspire 5 could run overwatch on lowest possible settings around constant 20+ fps no stutter….

      • Andrei Girbea

        August 2, 2018 at 6:02 pm

        Yeah, I can't explain the stutter. I'd contact Asus about it, and if they don't offer a solution, perhaps you can ask for a replacement? I'd reckon you ran into some QC issues with that particular unit…

      • Ncd108

        September 26, 2018 at 11:51 am

        Hi there … I wanted to buy this laptop ( the fx504gm with the GTX 1060 and the 8th gen I7) but after reading these comments I am a bit confused…. Is this laptop a good buy?
        I will mostly use it for video editing (no 3d work , just for YouTube) on Adobe …. Making PowerPoints,Word,Excel,web browsing and occasional light gaming (pubg , fortnite , overwatch , bo4 blackout Cs:go ) so my question is….. Is this laptop good … Becos here in India most laptops are a bit expensive than in the US otherwise I would have gone for the predator 300 helios (but that'll break the bank ) …. I have an external fan / laptop cooler so will I get better results with that ? …… Overall is it a good buy for the things I have mentioned above ? I just need a good machine that will last me long and get the job done …. Also if there are any other laptops I should consider do let me know….
        Thx
        Do reply soon

      • Andrei Girbea

        September 26, 2018 at 12:14 pm

        Gaming is problematic, you're not going to get the best out of that GTX 1060 chip, but you can undervolt the CPU/GPU in order to get better performance than the system delivers out oft he box. Repasting is also an option, but will void warranty.

        Overall I wouldn't recommend the GTX 1060 versions of the FX504, but if there's no other alternative and you need the 1060, you could give it a go and see how it does for you.

      • Ncd108

        September 26, 2018 at 2:39 pm

        Ohh than in that case could you please tell me other good laptops in this price range that offer the GTX 1060 and the 8th gen I7 … And a good refresh rate screen like 120hz or above …. With good ram and other necessary specs that are required for my requirements that I mentioned in my previous comment. ( I don't want to do anything that will void the warranty plus I havent undervolted or Even opened up a laptop before so I am not at all experienced )
        BTW thx for the early reply….
        Thx

      • Andrei Girbea

        September 26, 2018 at 2:51 pm

        You can start your search from these two articles: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/21576-laptops-with-144-hz-screens/ and https://www.ultrabookreview.com/11702-laptops-nvidia-1060/ , but you might not find anything better priced than the FX504.

      • Ncd108

        September 26, 2018 at 3:32 pm

        Hmm…. I have decided to go with the Acer predator helios 300…..is it a good choice? It does have everything I need but the processor is the coffee lake 7th gen I7…. Does that still hold up in late 2018 ? Will it last me a few years ? Does it suffer from the stuttering problem that the TUF suffers from too?
        Thx again
        (Sorry if I am being annoying )

      • Andrei Girbea

        September 26, 2018 at 5:18 pm

        There should be no stuttering, but the 8750H is significantly faster than the 7700HQ, as it's six-core 12-thread.

      • Ncd108

        September 26, 2018 at 6:16 pm

        Thanks for all the great info Man .I have decided to buy the 2018 Acer predator helios 300 as it has everything I need from the GTX 1060 to the high refresh rate screen with the 8th gen I7
        And 16 gigs of RAM ….. Do you have a review of the 2018 model of this laptop (you do have the review of the old one but not this one could you be so kind as to send me a link with the review) …… You have greatly helped me in choosing the perfect laptop I thank you deeply
        Thanks alot man hope I didn't trouble you too much
        Goodbye

      • Andrei Girbea

        September 26, 2018 at 6:20 pm

        We do have a review: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/19445-acer-helios-300-coffee-lake-review/ . Glad I could help, let us know how this goes for you after you get it.

  10. LJ

    August 3, 2018 at 4:50 am

    Will ask the shop i got it from, thx.

  11. LJ

    August 3, 2018 at 3:55 pm

    This is when it actually stutters bad…
    https://imgur.com/hZ5BpNs

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 3, 2018 at 10:26 pm

      Oh my, that's awful performance. This unit doesn't work nowhere near how it should, get in touch with the store for a return/exchange.

  12. LJ

    August 5, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    https://imgur.com/a/Gsybr7r
    This is after changing Nvidia power management to "Prefer maximum performance" but I still get stutter, also tried a few different versions of the gpu drivers, no luck.

  13. LJ

    August 6, 2018 at 2:36 pm

    One more thing, only happened a couple times so far, but when playing, the audio goes zzzzzzzzzz loudly as well…

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 6, 2018 at 9:13 pm

      I'd reckon that happens when the performance stutters? The computer freezes and that causes the noise. I'd reckon that extra RAM and an SSD should help with all your issues, but I cannot guarantee.

      • LJ

        August 7, 2018 at 4:58 pm

        Does a slow harddisk and insufficient RAM cause a GPU to behave like that?
        Sorry if I'm being annoying, quite disappointed by the performance and quite worried, buying this was not cheap for me :/

      • Andrei Girbea

        August 7, 2018 at 5:59 pm

        Hard to tell. Normally no, but based on that latter log with the GPU set on High Performance, the GPU drops don't seem as dramatic as with the earlier logs you've sent and shouldn't cause so noticeable hiccups. That's why I'm inclined to say the SSD and RAM will help, but I can't tell for sure if they'll completely smooth things out for you.

        Bottom point, my advice would be to claim this laptop doesn't work properly and ask for replacement or just return it to the shop, if possible in your country.

      • LJ

        August 7, 2018 at 6:15 pm

        Even though the drop isnt much, but the stutter is still very much visible. Thank you for your advice and time. :)

  14. Craig

    August 9, 2018 at 4:10 am

    Thats a damn good review. Super in-depth. All the stuff I needed to know. Also I love the extent of the screen color testing and even the color profile you provided. Will be back in the future. I think I'm gonna go with the FX504 with the 1060 and 8750H

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 9, 2018 at 11:23 am

      How much is that? I've seen people complaining about some performance issues in this FX. I didn't run into them with the review unit, but something to keep in mind.

      • LJ

        August 11, 2018 at 12:36 am

        By drop I mean straight up stutter… it's the worst at the start of the game… it says 5 fps but more like 1 frame per 3 seconds… after a while it's smoother but still stutter/drops from 60+ to 20+
        Oh boy can't wait for sem break to go back to the store and complain…
        Really disappointed by Asus QC… First time using Asus products and I have to deal with this…

  15. Pramod Saxena

    August 18, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    Is this a right choice for photo editing?

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 20, 2018 at 2:11 pm

      I'd rather get something with a nicer IPS screen. Colors and contrast are pretty poor on this kind of TN panels.

  16. Joshua Dave

    August 20, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    What's a better purchase between this (i5 8300H; 4gb RAM)and an ROG GL503VD (i5 7300HQ; 8gb RAM)? Both would boast a 1TB SSHD and GTX 1050.

    Or do I just save the dough and buy Acer Nitro 5 with an i5?

    • Andrei Girbea

      August 21, 2018 at 11:46 am

      The 8300H is quad-core with HT, so faster in multi-threaded applications than the older i5. If those are the same price, I'd get the 8300H model, but I'd also add more RAM. 4 GB are definitely not enough today.

      However, if the 7300HQ config is cheaper, I'd rather get that and use the difference to add an SSD for the OS, it would greatly improve the experience with that laptop.

  17. Alessandro

    September 1, 2018 at 9:20 pm

    as you set your monitor to 120Hz?? i have the asus fx504ge-dm185t… if i go to control pannel Nvidia i dont find to change the Hz. And in the moniotr propriety the first video card is the integrated of i7 8750h…HELP ME PLS..( sorry for my english)

  18. Alessandro

    September 3, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    no the only option is 60 Hz

    • Andrei Girbea

      September 3, 2018 at 1:30 pm

      Then perhaps your version only gets a 60 Hz screen. Can you check for the Panel's HWIf in Device manager and see what panel you have on your unit?

  19. aaron

    September 10, 2018 at 4:37 pm

    Could you teach me how to undervolt my asusfx504ge?

  20. JeetB

    September 14, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    Hi, Is this same configuration of this laptop capable to handle 4k/30fps video editing and rendering in Adobe Premiere Pro and some basic use of Adobe After Effects and Adobe Illustrator, not necessarily all 3 software used at the same time though. For this purpose, I also use a 32-inch 4k monitor, not at all depend on the Laptop screen though.

    Despite all shortcoming, Is this machine serve my purpose? Please reply.

    Thanks in advance.

    • Andrei Girbea

      September 17, 2018 at 12:21 pm

      What's the base version? I'd get at least the i5 and 16 GB of RAM for such tasks, but preferably go for the i7 if possible.

      • JeetB

        September 17, 2018 at 12:46 pm

        Thank You for replying, I like to pick the version which is i7-8750H/ 8GB RAM/ 128 GB M.2 SSD/ 1050 Ti 4GB Graphics for the all the above mentioned Adobe CC works with a 32-inch 4k monitor connected via HDMI port. I will upgrade RAM and SSD later.
        My main requirements for 4k Video editing and rendering… Hope the configuration handle the tasks decently.

      • Andrei Girbea

        September 17, 2018 at 2:25 pm

        The thing is, the 8750H runs at high-temperatures inside this laptop. That aside, while we were not able to run all our performance tests on our sample, based on the benchmarks and other reviews, you should know that you'll run into performance issues with demanding loads like the ones you're primarily interested in.

        With that in mind, I would rather look at a similar configuration of the Lenovo Legion Y530 or Acer Nitro 5 /Predator 300 if these are within your budget in your country. You'll find reviews here on the site. I'd also consider undervolting the CPU in order to get the best performance out of it.

  21. LJ

    September 27, 2018 at 7:52 am

    Update:
    I added a stick of 8gb DDR4 2666mHz, the stuttering is gone and I can play Overwatch on Ultra at 60fps (Most of the time I think, always forget to look at the fps counter during chaotic fights). Thermals still not too good, the CPU clock rate drops from 3.9 to 2.2 when gaming still (It's due to the bad cooling system ASUS used on this unit.

    And ASUS now has a FX505 series like really?! Would you mind reviewing that as well and the Lenovo Legion Y530 and Y730?

    • Andrei Girbea

      September 27, 2018 at 10:53 am

      Check the reviews section, I already reviewed the fx505 and y530.

      Did you undervolt the CPU? Should help keep those frequencies a bit higher, but even if it clocks down to 2.2 GHz, that should only have a minimal to no noticeable effect on the gaming performance.

      • LJ

        September 27, 2018 at 12:10 pm

        Oh OK thanks, haven't checked around in a while
        Nope.
        Yea IK.

  22. Deepa Kukrety

    September 27, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    Hi there do you have a review of the msi gp63 8re-442in
    Thx

    • Andrei Girbea

      September 27, 2018 at 2:37 pm

      No, but there's a very good one here: notebookcheck.net/MSI-GP63-Leopard-8RE-i7-8750H-GTX-1060-FHD-Xotic-PC-Edition-Laptop-Review.307690.0.html

  23. Deepa Kukrety

    September 28, 2018 at 10:32 am

    Hi there… I saw the review and the Msi leopard is a good laptop too but the question still remains… Which would you prefer the 2018 predator helios or the 2018 msi leopard? Both have pretty much the same specs and I like them both ….. But the helios exceeds my budget so I wanted to get the Msi . I have a few questions about it …. Will it have any trouble handling my usual tasks ? (Gaming:fortnite,pubg, overwatch, Witcher 3, blackout, assassin's Creed origins . Alot of Video editing and PowerPoint presentation creation and some casual browsing and music ) does it throttle? Is it a good choice for gaming ?
    Is it a good buy in late 2018 ? Does it have any unexpected errors (like the Asus TUF) ?
    Do let me know
    Thanks
    Bye

    • Andrei Girbea

      September 28, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      Haven't reviewed the MSI, so can't comment on it.

  24. Sayle

    January 25, 2019 at 12:22 am

    Heyyy. bought this laptop and see that it might need more RAM. Mine came with 12GB of RAM and a 1Tb SSD drive. should i upgrade RAM for gaming

    • Andrei Girbea

      January 25, 2019 at 11:15 am

      Not necessarily. I'd rather invest in an SSD for the OS

  25. Jack Yan

    May 16, 2019 at 10:40 am

    Great review. I bought mine in January 2019, with similar specs to your review unit. My experience largely gels with yours. I knew the battery would be an issue, but I can live with everything else. Processor speed is great, the rendering of type is excellent, and it’s a solid laptop that should last me a good many years. (I do design work, not gaming.)

  26. Nigel

    July 21, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    Hi, i just waiting to recieve mine with this specs i5 8300H GTX 1050ti 4gb ddr4/ 8gb RAM/256GB SSD and i want to know if there are any issues related on power throttling to this model or just the problem is for the i7 model, thanks and very good review.

  27. Duy

    July 22, 2019 at 4:18 pm

    It's accross all models. As i and others comments already said: avoid it at all cost (unless you get it for 400
    buck)

    • Moussa

      August 6, 2019 at 4:02 pm

      Is it good for 3D modeling

  28. Jean-Paul

    October 6, 2019 at 12:48 am

    It's the worst laptop I've bought in my entire life.
    The specs on the paper are deceitful.
    The display is bad, really really bad. The colors are bland and it's a TN display.
    I can't use more than 60hz on my 144hz monitor, even after trying uninstall and reinstall the drivers.
    After I reset and reinstall my PC, I couldn't find the right drivers because they aren't accessible.
    the laptop is doing some electrical noise when I plug it.
    I can't use wifi and bluetooth on the same time without having issues using wireless headphones.
    windows is working slowly compared to other laptops with the same price, even if the hard disk in it is an ssd.
    I've asked Asus support to help me, but they couldn't do anything.
    I would have preferred to pay $ 400 more and buy an hp omen, at least the build-quality and the software are way much better than this piece of trash.
    this laptop is a customer trap. Don't buy it.

  29. alexis

    January 13, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    hi there how to on cooling air fan after reseting
    before that its simply press Fn & F5 but after doing reseting it cant on

  30. Juicy Nipple

    October 27, 2020 at 9:50 am

    The Case in this laptop is utter shit.. I have been using this laptop for 2 years and have had to replace my case twice. The fan is loud which works as a secondary heater which is cheaper then running a oil heater which pumps out a similar heat (power savings cost). I've left this thing running constantly with no software or hardware faults other then the fan being loud and doing it's own thing (but I have noise cancelling headphones which minimizes this issue for me). The case cracks even when never moved. The hinge for the screen has broken in the same place twice and the bottom case has cracked twice (never dropped, or tossed around, so unless it's someone trying to break my shit when I'm not around then I guess this has something to do with heat). The corners where the screws are on the bottom plate crack/spilt also. would have been worth spending a few extra dollars and going for an aluminum casing instead of this plastic shit. Also the battery has shit itself, it use to last hours under workload for around 12-15 months but now it lasts 20 minutes without any work load. the battery thing isn't to much of an issue I have had this problem with every laptop I've ever owned. You would have thought they would have put bigger battery's in these devices even my cell phone has a bigger battery and it's smaller then the battery in this laptop

  31. LJ

    October 28, 2020 at 4:17 am

    Yea, mine went into a infinite BSOD/Black screen loop after a bit over 2 years… right in the middle of my finals week last semester… tried whatever fix I could, failed, sent to the shop and they said the motherboard was damaged beyond repair (although I can still get into the bios, but that's about it)… Could be back luck but still :(

    • John

      August 23, 2021 at 6:03 pm

      I can get this one for about €500,- the i7 with 16gb and 1050ti. Is it worth my money? Or should I pass?

      • LJ

        August 24, 2021 at 12:17 pm

        I'd say no, I'm not sure what went wrong with my unit, either it was bad and got past QC, or I installed wrong drivers and fried it or I pushed it too hard despite the bad cooling solution of the model (it was fine when I left it running brute force decryption for days in a row, which was months before it died). Died shortly after the warrantee ended, started BSOD loop as I left it on desktop with no apps running after a short Overwatch session.

        Hoping to get a new laptop soon…

        Maybe you could look into the acer ryzen nitro 5 and lenovo legion 5.

        Good luck.

  32. Anuj Kaul

    October 21, 2021 at 10:56 am

    Really bad laptop.
    First my charger stopped working. When I bought a new one (original), the battery was damaged. Then after repeated shutdowns, overheating other issues, the motherboard is damaged.

    And this started exactly after 12 months warranty period was over. Looks like they had calibrated the hardware so that it stops working after a year.
    Very disappointed with the quality, and service thereafter. NEVER BUY THIS LAPTOP!!

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