the new Asus TUF FX504GD succeeds the ROG FX503 with a new design but also making cuts visible, especially in terms of connectivity, screen and storage. Its strengths lie in its attractive price, scalable storage and reliable processor.
Here are the technical Specs of the tested model:
| Screen | 15.6 ” Full HD LED (1920×1080, matte / anti-glare) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8300H Coffee Lake (2.5 GHz, 4 cores) |
| RAM installed (max) | 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4 2666 MHz (32 GB), 2 slots (1 free) |
| Storage space | 1 TB at 5400 rpm 1 free M.2 slot |
| Graphic card | NVIDIA Pascal GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5 Dedicated, Intel UHD 630 and Optimus |
| Optical reader | – |
| Audio system | 2 SonicMaster ICEPower speakers |
| webcam | 480p with microphone |
| Network | Wi-Fi ac Gigabit Ethernet |
| Bluetooth | Yes, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Card reader | – |
| Video output (s) | HDMI 1.4 |
| Fingerprint reader | – |
| Entries exits) | Headphone / Mic Combo |
| USB | 1 USB 2.0 2 USB 3.1 |
| Operating system | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Drums | Li-ion 3 cells 48 Whr |
| Autonomy announced | – |
| Dimensions (mm) | 384 x 262 x 225 |
| Weight | 2.3 Kg |
| Guarantee | 2 years |
| Other | Backlit chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad, multi-touch touchpad |
| software | Asus applications |
Chassis / Aesthetics
Asus seeks to register its TUF FX504GD in a new aesthetic dynamic to stand out from the ROG family. For this, it relies solely on the decorative details since most of the chassis is taken from the FX503. On the outside, red accents emphasize the reliefs and the corners of the hull have been shaved and slightly rounded for a cleaner finish. The overall robustness is satisfactory even if the tester would have preferred more resistance to the back of the lid. Note that the FX504GD is now made of one piece under the base while its predecessor had a maintenance hatch. It is regrettable.
Connectors
It would be a little too presumptuous to wait for the Thunderbolt 3 given the limited budget of this PC. Nevertheless, there are absences that the tester has a hard time forgiving like USB Type-C or SD card reader, especially on a PC of this thickness. Moreover, there are no ports on the right side of the machine, which can potentially be a disadvantage for users.
Maintenance
As mentioned above, Asus has slightly complicated the maintenance of its FX504GD by removing the access door. To access the inside of the PC, it will be necessary to unscrew the lower part of the base, which involves tearing the stickers to indicate an alteration on the part of the user (more valid guarantee). Inside, there are two RAM DDR4 slots and two storage bays. Intel Optane technology is supported.
Keyboard / Touchpad
The input devices are similar to those of the FX503 if you set aside some aesthetic changes. Overall, their quality is satisfactory. Keyboard typing is reactive with a 1.8mm stroke and the slightly spongy feedback does not interfere with comfort. In addition, the keys are discrete except for the space bar that produces an audible snap at times. The keyboard is backlit in one red hue and three levels of intensity. As for the touchpad, its surface is wide and slides well under the fingers with good support for multi-touch gestures. On the other hand, the integrated mouse buttons are a little spongy with a hollow click.
Screen
Three screens are available in option on this Asus TUF FX504GD, all of definition Full HD (1920 x 1080 px). They are distinguished by their type (TN or IPS), their refresh rate (60 Hz or 120 Hz) and by their color coverage (45% or 94% NTSC). The model under test is equipped with the entry-level option 60 Hz TN and its rendering did not inspire the testers. The contrast (473: 1) and brightness (260 cd / m²) are poor and the colors appear as washed. What is more, the matte slab imposes a somewhat grainy effect and the texts are less clear than on a glossy slab.
performances
Built around a Quad Core i5 Coffee Lake, 8 GB of RAM and a hard drive of 1 TB, the model test takes advantage of a welcome update in terms of power. Indeed, the Quad Core i5-8300H supplants the Quad Core i5-7300HQ in terms of performance thanks to the inclusion of hyper-threading on 8 threads simultaneously. This allows it to reach the level of a Quad Core i7-7700HQ Kaby Lake, enough to ensure versatile full use with video editing missions or 3D modeling. The RAM in place does the job to ensure a good level of multitasking but the hard drive visibly plummets the system. The tester strongly recommends adding an SSD to the free PCIe NVMe M.2 bay to provide responsiveness.
The GeForce GTX 1050 Pascal is responsible for graphic processing. Nothing new under the sun so knowing that the new CPU brings almost no gain at this level. Overall, the game in Full HD (High) is comfortable on the majority of titles of the moment but the game in Ultra is not always accessible and most recent opus will require for some to further lower the level of detail to preserve the FPS.
Temperatures / Noise
Both fans are in operation permanently but remain discreet in light use. The noise tends to climb significantly as the use climbs a little. Players should face a sound of 40 to 44 dB in play, which is quite reasonable, especially since the fans are quite stable and do not pulse. Temperatures remain reasonable but the right part of the keyboard heats up noticeable material during heavy loads.
Autonomy
Autonomy is around 4 hours in web browsing with active WiFi and less than 1 hour in game. It is in the low average.
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