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[Review] ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51: Gaming Beast

The ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 is a gaming laptop that offers a balance of performance and durability. With its powerful components and rugged construction, it aims to deliver an excellent gaming experience while being able to withstand the demands of everyday use.

In this review, we will dive deep into its design, display, keyboard, performance, graphics capabilities, user feedback, connectivity options, and special features to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what this laptop has to offer. Will this be the laptop you've been looking for? Will its compelling price seduce you? That's what we're here to find out!


Who is it for?

The ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 is a gaming laptop that caters to a specific audience seeking a balance between performance, durability, and affordability. It is designed for gamers and power users who require a portable system capable of handling demanding tasks and modern games without breaking the bank.

Who should skip it?

Users who prioritize extensive portability and long battery life, require professional-grade graphics performance, need a higher-resolution display, or have budget constraints for basic tasks may find alternative laptop options that better suit their specific needs. While the ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 offers strong performance and durability, it's important to consider individual requirements before making a purchasing decision.

Design, Display, and Keyboard

The ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 sports a sleek and sturdy design that showcases its gaming prowess. The laptop features a Graphite Black color that exudes a professional and premium look. Built to MIL-STD-810H military standards, it is designed to withstand accidental bumps and knocks, ensuring its durability.

The 17.3-inch Full HD IPS-Type display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels offers vibrant and crisp visuals. The 144Hz refresh rate provides smooth gameplay and reduces motion blur, enhancing the overall gaming experience. The screen also exhibits minimal backlight seepage and no dead pixels, ensuring high-quality visuals, as many users can attest to

The keyboard on the ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 is backlit with RGB lighting, allowing you to customize the colors and effects to match your gaming style. The keys offer solid feedback with a satisfying click and a comfortable travel distance, simulating the experience of a desktop keyboard. The touchpad, although not oversized, provides a smooth surface and a quality feel, making navigation a breeze.

Performance

The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5-11400H processor, which is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU. With a base clock speed of 2.7 GHz and the ability to boost up to 4.5 GHz, this processor offers excellent performance for both gaming and demanding tasks. The combination of high core count and clock speeds allows for smooth multitasking, quick application launches, and responsive performance across a wide range of applications.

The Core i5-11400H is designed to handle modern games, productivity software, and multimedia editing with ease. It provides ample power for tasks such as video rendering, 3D modeling, and content creation. The laptop's CPU is well-suited for gamers and content creators who require a balance between performance and affordability.

In terms of memory, the ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 comes with 8GB of DDR4 3200MHz RAM. While 8GB is sufficient for most tasks, power users and gamers may benefit from upgrading the RAM to take full advantage of the CPU's capabilities. Upgrading to 16GB or even 32GB of RAM can provide smoother multitasking, faster data access, and improved overall system responsiveness.

For storage, the laptop is equipped with a 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. This solid-state drive offers fast read and write speeds, allowing for quick boot times and snappy application launches. The 512GB capacity provides ample storage space for games, multimedia files, and applications. However, if you require additional storage, the easy upgrade design of the laptop allows for easy installation or replacement of the SSD, allowing you to expand your storage capacity.

When it comes to gaming, the ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card. The RTX 3050 is based on NVIDIA's advanced Ampere architecture and features 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM. It delivers excellent gaming performance, allowing you to play modern games at medium to high settings with smooth frame rates.

The RTX 3050's real-time ray tracing capabilities and AI-powered DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology enhance the visual fidelity of games, providing more realistic lighting, reflections, and overall graphics quality. The laptop's graphics card operates at a base clock speed of up to 1600MHz and can further boost performance with Dynamic Boost 2.0. This allows for smooth gameplay and immersive visuals.

In summary, much like the Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614JV-AS73) the ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 offers strong performance for gaming and demanding tasks. The Intel Core i5-11400H processor, along with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, provides a balance between power and affordability. The laptop's 8GB of RAM and 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD contribute to fast and responsive system performance. Overall, it is a capable gaming laptop that can handle a wide range of applications with ease.

What Are Users Saying?

Users who have purchased the ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 have expressed satisfaction with its build quality and performance. One user highlights the laptop's military-grade construction, easy upgrade options, and robust thermal solution, emphasizing its durability and potential for future upgrades. The keyboard and touchpad are also praised for their quality and comfortable usage.

In terms of the display, users appreciate the high-quality screen with minimal backlight issues and a smooth 144Hz refresh rate. However, some users note that the 1920x1080 resolution might be considered subpar compared to higher-resolution desktop setups.

The performance of the laptop, including the CPU and GPU, has received positive feedback. Users mention smooth multitasking, fast boot times, and the ability to run games at respectable settings. The laptop's value for the price is also highlighted, with users praising its competitive pricing and performance in comparison to other options on the market.

Connectivity Options:

The ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 offers a range of connectivity options to suit your needs. It features Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.2, providing fast and reliable wireless connections. The inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 ensures faster internet speeds and better performance in crowded network environments.

In terms of physical connectivity, the laptop offers three USB 3.0 ports, providing ample options for connecting external devices such as gaming peripherals, storage drives, and displays. It also includes an HDMI port, allowing you to connect the laptop to an external monitor or TV for a larger viewing experience. The presence of a Thunderbolt 4 port is an added surprise, as it provides faster data transfer speeds and the ability to connect to Thunderbolt-compatible devices. Of course, there's also an ethernet port.

There's also a webcam and an audio jack. The webcam is alright but don't expect it to go above and beyond.

Special Features

The ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 incorporates several special features that enhance the overall user experience. The laptop employs self-cleaning dual fans with anti-dust technology, ensuring optimal cooling and system longevity. The anti-dust tunnels catch incoming dust particles and channel them out of the chassis, minimizing the risk of clogged vents and overheating.

The laptop also utilizes multiple heat pipes for efficient heat redistribution, preventing thermal throttling and maintaining high performance during extended gaming sessions or demanding tasks. The 83-blade LCP fans, along with carefully shaped intake shrouds, draw in more air, aiding in heat dissipation.

The ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 also features scenario profiles that automatically adjust operating modes to optimize performance and acoustics for different usage scenarios. This allows for a personalized experience tailored to gaming, productivity, or other specific tasks.

Wrapping Things Up: Should You Buy It?

The ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 reviewed today is a gaming laptop that offers a compelling combination of performance, durability, and value for money. Its rugged construction, easy upgrade options, and robust thermal solution ensure long-term reliability and future-proofing. The 17.3-inch Full HD IPS-Type display with a 144Hz refresh rate provides immersive visuals, while the backlit keyboard offers a satisfying typing experience.

The Intel Core i5-11400H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card deliver impressive performance for gaming and demanding tasks. The laptop's connectivity options and special features, such as self-cleaning fans and multiple heat pipes, further enhance the overall user experience.

Positive user feedback further validates the laptop's build quality, performance, and value. Customers appreciate its durability, smooth multitasking, and competitive pricing.

Overall, the ASUS TUF F17 FX706HCB-ES51 is a reliable gaming laptop that combines solid performance, durability, and a range of features, making it a compelling choice for gamers and power users alike. Therefore, our verdict in this case is a very clear "Buy".