This is our second review of a 2020 Asus TUF Gaming A15 FA506 notebook, this time in a lower-tier FA506IU configuration, after carefully analyzing the top-tier FA506IV model in a previous article .
This FA506IU variant is more affordable than the IV model, as it’s powered by an Nvidia GTX 1660Ti graphics chip, with various options for CPUs, storage, RAM and screens. At the same time, it also runs cooler and slightly quieter, while somewhat sacrificing the multi-threaded and gaming performance compared to the Ryzen 7/RTX 2060 FA506IV version. Nonetheless, this is still a capable multitasker and FHD gamer, and with a cheaper starting price of around $1000 or less at the time of this post.
Our test unit runs on the mid-tier Ryzen 5 4600H 6/C/12T processor, an excellent budget alternative for the i7-9750H available in most other gaming laptops, complemented by 32 GB of RAM, dual storage and a 60 Hz IPS-like screen. However, Asus offers this laptop primarily with a 144 Hz screen, the same one available on the IV configuration, and the one you should definitely get on a gaming laptop.
We’ve gathered our impressions of the TUF Gaming A15 FA506IU down below, with the positives and the quirks you should be aware of if you plan to get one of these for yourselves.
Specs as reviewed – ASUS TUF Gaming A15 FA506IU
ASUS TUF Gaming A15 FA506IU
Display 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 px IPS 60 Hz, 16:9, non-touch, matte, LG LP156WFC-SPD1 panel (144 Hz screen option available)
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, 6C/12T
Video AMD Radeon Vega 6 + Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti 80W OC 6GB GDDR6 (with Nvidia 442.23)
Memory 32 GB DDR4 3200 MHz (2x DIMMs)
Storage 2x M.2 PCI x4 slots (512 GB Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB SSD) + 2.5″ HDD bay on this 48Wh battery version
Connectivity Gigabit LAN (Realtek RTL8168/8111), Wireless 5 (Realtek 8822CE) 2×2, Bluetooth 5.0
Ports 2x USB-A 3.2, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C gen 2 with DP and data, HDMI 2.0b, LAN, headphone/mic, Kensington Lock
Battery 48 Wh, 180 W power adapter
Size 360 mm or 14.17” (w) x 256 mm or 10.079” (d) x 24.9 mm or .98” (h)
Weight 2.21 kg (4.9 lbs), .60 kg (1.32 lbs) power brick and cables, EU version
Extras single-zone RGB backlit keyboard, webcam, stereo speakers
This is a mid-specced configuration of the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 FA506, in the FA506IU variant that comes with Nvidia GTX 1660Ti graphics and a Ryzen 5 4600H processor. Asus offers the series in a few different versions, with various amounts of RAM and storage, a well as either Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 processors, or GTX 1650 Ti to RTX 2060 graphics.
If you’re interested in other variants, we’ve also reviewed the Ryzen 7 4800H/RTX 2060 OC variant here , as well as the Ryzen 7/GTX 1650 Ti model over here, in the larger 17-inch TUF A17.
Design and construction We’ve already covered this part in our previous A15 FA506IV review, so I’ll link to that article for our in-depth impressions .
In just a few words, the A15 series improves over the previous FX505 models in a couple of ways. The interior is still plastic and MIL-STD-810H compliant, but feels slightly sturdier and nicer made than on the previous FX505s.
The exterior is available in a premium metallic Fortress Gray version, or a more basic Bonfire Black plastic variant, reserved for the lower tier configurations, and the one we have on this sample. If possible, go with the Gray model, it feels and looks better and does a way better job at hiding smudges and fingerprints. I purposely haven’t cleaned this Black version before taking pictures, and here’s how the lid looks after using it for the last week.
As far as practicality goes, larger rubber feet keep this laptop well anchored on a desk, there are no sharp edges or corners, and the screen can be easily opened and adjusted with a single hand. The status LEDs are still placed beneath the screen, though, and the screen only goes back to about 145 degrees, and not all the way flat.
The IO is mostly placed on the left side, but there’s also a USB-A slot on the left side on this generation. The novelty is the addition of a USB-C port, but there are still no card-reader, Thunderbolt 3 or biometrics, features reserved for higher-class notebooks.
Keyboard and trackpad The keyboard hasn’t changed much between generations, except for the redesigned arrows, which are now smaller, but also better spaced from all the keys around. The layout still includes a NumPad, with narrower keys than the main deck, but otherwise, the design is practical and simple.
This is still RGB backlit. The illumination is single-zone and only offers a handful of effects, unlike the higher-tier ROG models.
As far as the typing experience goes, that also hasn’t changed much from the older TUFs.
The keys are smooth to the touch and travel roughly 1.8 mm into the frame, but they also feel a little spongy and shallow, so the feedback takes some time to get used to. Overall, this felt a little slow and imprecise, but several thousands of words later, I was able to get along fine with it. Overall, I feel this is a fair keyboard for this segment and one that most of you should find good enough, even if there are definitely nicer typers out there.
For mouse, Asus went with an immovable plastic touchpad and dedicated click buttons, instead of the clunky clickpad of the past. It’s rather small for this day and age and it’s an Elan implementation with Precision drivers, which I found fine for everyday use, taps, and gestures. The click buttons are very nice, smooth and quiet, but the surface still rattles when tapped firmer. Not as loudly as on the FX505s, though.
As for biometrics, there are still none on this laptop.
Screen Asus offers two screen variants for the TUF FA506 lineup, either 60 Hz IPS-like FHD or 144 HZ IPS-like FHD. We have the former on this test unit, the 60 Hz option that will make its way into some of the base-level configurations in the series.
However, if you’re interested in the 144 Hz panel option, you can read all about it in our review of the TUF A15 FA506 configuration .
Back to our 60 Hz panel, it’s the mediocre LG LGD0563 that we’ve seen implemented in base-level configurations of other notebooks in the past, such as the Acer Nitro 5 and Asus VivoBook S532 . It doesn’t offer much in terms of brightness or colors, but it’s still an IPS-like panel with decent contrast, uniformity and viewing angles.
Here’s what we got in our tests, with a X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor :
Panel Hardware ID: LG Philips LGD0563 (LP156WFC-SPD1);
Coverage: 56% sRGB, 38.7% AdobeRGB, 39.8% DCI P3;
Measured gamma: 2.21;
Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 249 cd/m2 on power;
Contrast at max brightness: 891:1;
White point: 6900 K;
Black on max brightness: 0.27 cd/m2;
PWM: No;
Response time: ~42 GTG.
Calibration addresses the Gamma and White Point skews, but also further drops the overall brightness. The panel is otherwise fairly uniform and doesn’t suffer from noticeable light-bleeding or color shifting.
However, on top of all these aspects mentioned earlier, this is also not a great choice for gaming, due to its slow response times and refresh rate.
In conclusion, I’d stay away from this screen choice if possible, especially if you’re planning to run games on your notebook. Most of the TUF A15 configuration seem to get the 144 Hz screen instead, which is not significantly richer or brighter, but is still an overall upgrade across the board. And if a TUF A15 base-level model with this 60Hz panel in the only one you can squeeze within your budget, I still wouldn’t go this route and rather look at a previous generation laptop with a better screen. There should be plenty of those on sale.
Hardware and performance Our test model is the mid-specced Asus TUF Gaming FA506IU configuration in the FA506 lineup, with the Ryzen 5 4600H processor, 32 GB of RAM in dual-channel, an M.2 PCIe x4 SSD and a 2.5″ HDD for storage, as well dual graphics, with the overclocked 80W version of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti 6GB chip, alongside the updated Radeon Vega 6 iGPU within the AMD APU.
This is a pre-production model with the software available as of early-April 2020 (BIOS 302, Armoury Crate 2.6.10, GeForce 442.23 drivers – more recent versions were not supported), thus certain aspects might change with future software updates. Nonetheless, our results are in line with the provided AMD/ASUS guidelines, so they should be mostly what you’ll get with retail models, perhaps with some slight changes in thermal behavior and battery efficiency. We’ll update if necessary once/if we get to test a final variant.
The Ryzen 5 4600 processor is the big selling point of this configuration, an affordable 6C/12T alternative for the Ryzen 7 4800H and a solid competitor for the 6C/12T Intel options out there. It’s backed up by dual-channel DDR 3200 MHz RAM on this notebook, as well as support for SSD and HDD storage. Our unit comes with a Kingston PCIe x4 SSD that returned middling performance numbers in our tests. However, we ran into the same issue with it getting hot that we also noticed on the previous A15 review unit, and from what I can tell, that’s due to the fact that this SSD is placed right next to one of the internal GPU heatpipes, and when that gets hot it causes the SSD to run hot as well. This impacts the performance, and might also take a toll on the drive’s long-term reliability.
It is possible to move the SSD to the second drive location, and it won’t reach the same kind of temperatures, but I’m not seeing any impact on the readings. I also confirm that both M.2 slots are running on separate PCIe x4 connections, and not a shared one as I was initially assuming.
As far as the GPU goes, it’s the same overclocked 80W version of the GTX 1660Ti 6GB chip previously reviewed in the TUF Gaming FX505DU . It does way better in benchmarks and games though on this new Ryzen platform, as you’ll see down below. However, single-channel memory takes a toll on the gaming results on recent Windows 10 versions, so make sure you’re always getting dual-channel RAM (two DIMMs, one in each slot) with this laptop.
But let’s take things one at a time. First off, Asus offers three power profiles for the FA506IU:
Silent – prioritizes lower fan-noise and reduces CPU/GPU speeds and power;
Performance – balanced profile with stock CPU/GPU settings;
Turbo – High-Performance profile with increased CPU power allocation and overclocked GPU.
Turbo is only available while the laptop is plugged-in, and is meant for gaming and other demanding loads. Performance is a jack-of-all-trade and what I’d recommend for daily multitasking, while Silent is great for video and light-use on battery, but makes the laptop choppy with multitasking.
With that in mind, here’s what to expect from this laptop with daily use on Silent (Youtube, Netflix, Typing) and Performance (Browsing).
On to more demanding tasks, we’ll start by testing the CPU’s performance in taxing loads, and we do that by running Cinebench R15 for 10+ times in a loop, with 2-3 seconds delay between each run, with the laptop on Turbo. There’s no way to undervolt or tweak this CPU, so the Turbo Stock profile is the best you’re going to get here.
The Ryzen 5 4600H processor settles for clock speeds of 3.8+ GHz, temperatures of around 85-86 degrees Celsius and scores of around 1400 points, with a TDP that fluctuates between 40 and 58W.
Switching over to Performance drops the power to around 35W in sustained loads after a couple of runs, with fluctuations between 35-55W, as well as a decrease in scores, temperatures, and noise levels. Further switching to Silent lowers the TDP even more, to as low as 20W, after hitting 28W during the first runs. Finally, on battery, the power is limited at only 12W in the Performance mode (Turbo is disabled in this case). Details below.
That aside, due to how fast this APU finishes the R15 stress test, we’ve also run the longer R20 in a loop to verify our findings.
Next, we ran some of our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook. 3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time, and this unit barely passed it with a 97% score. Luxmark 3.1, on the other hand, fully loads both the CPU and GPU at the same time. The GPU constantly runs at 80W, however, the CPU is not properly recognized by this test. Finally, Prime95 fully loads to CPU; the Ryzen 5 4600H kicks in hard at around 54W for the first minutes, and then fluctuates between 40 and 50W.
Next, we ran the entire suite of tests and benchmarks, first of all on the Performance profile in Armoury Crate.
3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 13172 (Graphics – 14699, Physics – 17562);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 5658 (Graphics – 5548, CPU – 6380);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 3187;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 10739;Handbrake 1.3.1 (4K to 1080p encode): 39.32 average fps;GeekBench 4.4.2 64-bit: Single-Core: 4890, Multi-core: 25703;GeekBench 5.0.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 1112, Multi-core: 6552;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 1446 cb, CPU Single Core 177 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 3228 cb, CPU Single Core 449 cb; ;x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 208.86 fps, Pass 2 – 81.83 fps;x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 43.48 s.
Then we reran them on the Turbo profile.
3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 13817 (Graphics – 15387 Physics – 18378);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 5919 (Graphics – 5788, CPU – 6792);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 3076;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 11179;Handbrake 1.3.1 (4K to 1080p encode): 40.18 average fps;PassMark: Rating: 5249, CPU mark: 17170, 3D Graphics Mark: 8819;PCMark 10: 5198 (Essentials – 9286 , Productivity – 6999 , Digital Content Creation – 5866);GeekBench 4.4.2 64-bit: Single-Core: 4914, Multi-core: 25955;GeekBench 5.0.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 1117, Multi-core: 6763;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 1467 cb, CPU Single Core 178 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 3245 cb, CPU Single Core 449 cb;x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 208.33 fps, Pass 2 – 82.65 fps;x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 41.02 s.
The GPU is already overclocked on the Turbo profile (+100 MHz Core/+30 MHz Memory) and runs fairly hot in most games and titles, so we didn’t push it any further with MSI Afterburner in this case. There might be some gains there though, since the thermals aren’t as high as on the RTX 2060 90W variant, so this might be worth pursuing.
Furthermore, we also ran some Workstation related loads, on the default Performance and Turbo profiles:
Blender 2.82 – BMW Car scene- CPU Compute: 4m 22s (Performance), 4m 18s (Turbo);Blender 2.82 – BMW Car scene- GPU Compute: 1m 28s (CUDA);Blender 2.82 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 14m 32s (Performance), 13m 16s (Turbo);Blender 2.82 – Classroom scene – GPU Compute: 5m 14s (CUDA);Luxmark 3.1 – Luxball HDR – OpenCL CPUs + GPUs score: CPU Not Supported;SPECviewerf 13 – 3DSMax: 129.13 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – Catia: 90.91 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – Creo: 117.51 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – Energy: 11.05 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – Maya: 154.42 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – Medical: 39.98 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – Showcase: 73.68 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – SNX: 14.8 (Turbo);SPECviewerf 13 – SW: 68.03 (Turbo).
Once more, these are some excellent results, mostly within 10-15% of the full-power Ryzen 7 4800H processor and way ahead of many of the existing Intel mainstream competition in Blender and the CPU intensive parts of Specviepwerf. However, Intel laptops win overall in combined CPU/GPU loads due to the fact that they get higher tier graphics. Furthermore, 8Core Intel i7s are also an option now with Comet Lake H , and that will be implemented in most of the premium ultraportables with latest-gen Nvidia Super graphics , the kind you’re not getting with AMD configurations anytime soon.
With these out of the way, let’s look at some games. We ran a couple of DX11, DX12 and Vulkan titles on the default Turbo/Silent modes, on FHD and QHD resolutions. We’ve also added our gaming results on a 16GB RAM variant of this laptop running in single-channel, so you’ll better understand how that impacts the gaming experience and why you should get dual-RAM on this laptop. Here’s what we got:
FHD Turbo FHD Turbo Single FHD Silent
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, Ray-Tracing OFF) 78-90 fps
76-90 fps
56-62 fps
Far Cry 5 (DX 11, Ultra Preset, SMAA) 83 fps
76 fps
47 fps
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (DX 11, Ultra Preset) 140 fps
103 fps
83 fps
Red Dead Redemption 2 (DX 12, Ultra Optimized, TAA) 59 fps
56 fps
47 fps
Rise of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Very High Preset, FXAA) 85 fps
66 fps
63 fps
Shadow of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Highest Preset, TAA) 73 fps
71 fps
54 fps
Strange Brigade (Vulkan, Ultra Preset) 106 fps
70 fps
96 fps
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (DX 11, Ultra Preset, Hairworks On 4) 58-82 fps
56-78 fps
32-56 fps
Battlefield V, The Witcher 3 – recorded with Fraps/in-game FPS counter in campaign mode;
Far Cry 5, Middle Earth, Strange Brigade, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tomb Raider games – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities;
Red Dead Redemption 2 Optimized profile based on these settings .
The HWinfo logs below show the CPU and GPU speeds and temperatures in Farcry 5, Shadow of Mordor and Witcher 3 on the stock Turbo profile, which ramps up the fans to about 49-50 dB at head level on our review unit (47 dB displayed in Armour Crate).
Slightly raising the laptop from the desk to improve air-intake underneath has a slight impact on the CPU/GPU temperatures.
Gaming on the Performance profile tames down the fans to about 45-46 dB at head level (44 dB in Armoury Crate), but the CPU and GPU frequencies take a small dip, due to higher thermals. While the gaming experience is not significantly impacted on Performance, I recommend gaming on Turbo (with a pair of headphones) for the best fps and CPU/GPU thermals.
Gaming on Silent further quiets down the fans to barely audible levels of about 34-35 dB at head-level (33 dB in Armory Crate), but also limits the performance of both the CPU (limited to 9W) and the GPU (limited to 45W). The GPU drops to 45W within seconds of switching over to the Silent profile. Most games are still running OK, but at reduced framerates. CPU heavy titles take a bigger hit than others.
Finally, gaming on battery (on Performance) is only possible with older titles or at reduced details. In this case, the CPU was limited at around 6W, and the GPU fluctuates between 30-45W.
Drawing the line on this TUF A15 FA506IV configuration, I feel it’s still an excellent performer and maybe even better value for your money than the A15 FA506IV configuration we’re reviewed a few days ago . Yes, the Ryzen 7 is going to score higher in multi-threaded CPU benchmarks and loads, but when it comes to real-life loads and gaming, this 1660Ti variant is within 10-15% of the RTX 2060 90W model in the titles we’ve tested. However, it also runs at slightly lower internal temperatures, and while the differences are within 3-5 degrees Celsius for both the CPU and GPU, these actually make a big difference at these high levels.
In other words, while the FA506IU averages around 85-90 C (CPU) and 73-78 C (GPU) in demanding titles, the FA506IV averaged around 90-95 C (CPU) and 75-82 C (GPU), both at similar fans speeds and noise levels of around 49-50 dB, on the Turbo modes. We’ll further compare these two variants of the TUF A15 in a separate article, and we’ll also pitch them against the Intel-based i7 + GTX 1660Ti/RTX 2060 configuration.
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others The TUF Gaming FA506IV gets the same fairly complex thermal module also implemented in the FA506IV, with two fans and an array of several heatpipes covering the CPU/GPU and VRMs.
As mentioned earlier, the CPU still runs hot and at high TDP on this notebook, averaging 85-90 degrees on Turbo in the more demanding titles. The GPU averaged 73-78 degrees on Turbo in the various titles we’ve tested, which are fairly OK temperatures for an overclocked GTX 1660Ti. Nonetheless, many of the available Intel/Nvidia models with similar specs run cooler in complex CPU/GPU loads.
As far as fan-noise goes, I already mentioned our findings above, but I’ll reiterate here:
Turbo – 49-50 dB with games (47 dB in Armoury Crate), 49-50 dB with Cinebench loop test;
Performance – 45-46 dB with games (44 dB in Armoury Crate), 42-43 dB with Cinebench loop test;
Silent – 34-35 dB with games (33 dB in Armoury Crate), – dB with Cinebench loop test.
The internal temperatures hardly spread onto the outer shell on this configuration. The underbelly and interior only reach low to mid-40s with games, and even switching over to Silent doesn’t push these readings much higher, due to the TDP limitations.
*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Silent Profile, fans at 30-35 dB (26 dB in Armoury Crate) *Gaming – Turbo– playing Far Cry 5 for 30 minutes, Turbo Profile, fans at 49-50 dB (47 dB in Armoury Crate) *Gaming – Silent– playing Far Cry 5 for 30 minutes, Silent Profile, fans at 34-35 dB (33 dB in Armoury Crate)
For connectivity, there’s Gigabit Lan and Wireless AC through Realtek chips on this unit. We’ve used our sample on wireless, and it performed well both near the router and at 30+ feet away with obstacles in between, without drops or other issues. For what is worth, though, upper-tier WiFi 6 notebooks were able to reach higher speeds with our setup.
The speakers are an upgraded version of what Asus used on the previous TUF series. The documentation mention 1.8x louder and 2.6x deeper bass. Based on this sample with the existing software, I can attest to the slightly richer sound with improved bass, lows being noticeable from around 100 Hz in our tests. However, the volume still topped at around 75-77 dB, which is indeed slightly louder than before, but still not very loud or punchy.
Nonetheless, given the noisy fans on Turbo, you’ll most likely want to hook up a pair of headphones when playing games anyway.
Finally, the camera is placed at the top of the screen, flanked by microphones. It’s OK for occasional calls, but laggy and grainy.
Battery life There’s a 48Wh battery inside this TUF Gaming FA506 version. Asus offers the series with either a 48 Wh (and HDD cage) or a 90 Wh battery, and we got the former on this variant. Still, if possible, I’d recommend opting for the latter, which we reviewed on the FA506IV variant.
Here’s what we got in terms of battery life on our review unit, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~80 brightness).
9.5 W (~5 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Silent Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;8.7 W (~5 h 30 min of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;8 W (~6 h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;16 W (~3h of use) – browsing in Edge, Performance Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;50 W (~1- h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Performance Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON, no fps limit.
This ran more efficiently than the Ryzen 7/RTX 2060 configuration previously reviewed.
This TUF FA506IU configuration also comes with a 180W power-brick, slightly smaller than the 230W one on the IV variant. The battery fills up in about 2 hours and USB-C charging is not supported.
Price and availability The TUF Gaming A15 FA506 is not yet widely available at the time of this article, and we’ll update the section once that changes.
Some versions are listed around the world, though, with a Ryzen 7 4800H / GTX 1660Ti configuration starting at $999 at the time of this update in the US, while the higher-tier RTX 2060 model starts at $1199, both with the 144Hz display. I’m also seeing the same 4800H/GTX 1660Ti variant listed at 1199 GBP in the UK and 1099 EUR in Europe.
Follow this link for the latest updated prices and configurations available in your region.
Final thoughts I said it in the conclusion of the A15 FA506IV review and I’m going to say it again: Asus did very well with this TUF Gaming A15 Series and I’m confident it’s going to be highly popular throughout 2020.
Furthermore, this mid-range FA506IU version, with the GTX 1660Ti GPU and the smaller 48 Wh battery + HDD cage for 200 USD/GBP less than the top version with the RTX 2060/90Wh battery, might be the one many of you will prefer. Its performance in games is within 10-15% of the top-tier variant, based on our findings on this Ryzen 5 configuration, with slightly lower CPU/GPU temperatures. Yes, this looses some of the multi-threaded performance, but you can always opt for a Ryzen 7 model of that’s a requirement.
Personally, I’m having a hard time letting that 90W battery go, and I think that’s the main reason to upgrade to the higher-tier version here. Also, make sure to stay away from the 60 Hz screen, it’s really bad and I wouldn’t even consider it an option of the low-tier FA505II models with GTX 1650TI graphics. Just go with an older product with a better screen instead if you’re on that kind of a budget.
On the other hand, hot internal components seem to be a common ground for the entire A15 series. The FA506IV runs at 85+ for the CPU and 73+ for the GPU, and that’s 2-7 degrees lower than on the RTX 2060 model, which matter at this level. Nonetheless, Intel-based options with similar specs run cooler, and allow for undervolting, which Ryzen models do not at this time. However, you might have a hard time finding a similar configuration with an Intel i7, and this Ryzen 5 platform demolishes the i5 across the board.
In conclusion, there’s definitely good value in this TUF Gaming A15 FA506IU at around $1000, and I’d have it one my shortlist in this segment, but not without disregarding other options such as the Acer Nitros or the Lenovo Legion Y540 /Y550 s.
Review by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com . I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.
Desmond
April 11, 2020 at 6:37 am
I'm curious if the FA506IV version (with RTX 2060) has the Bonfire Black design? I like the black design better than the silver with screws, but I also would like to have the RTX 2060 option too. Thanks in advance
Andrei Girbea
April 11, 2020 at 6:22 pm
I don't think so. the Bonfire is plastic and cheaper, so I'd reckon will only make it into the lower tier models.
Sujay
April 27, 2020 at 1:38 pm
Can you tell when this laptop will be available in India?
Andrei George
April 17, 2020 at 2:58 pm
Please help me with the right choice. What model to buy ASUS TUF A15 FX506II with Geforce GTX 1650 TI that doesn't have the heatpipe next to SDD or this model ASUS TUF A 15 FA506IU with Geforce GTX 1660 TI ?
Andrei Girbea
April 17, 2020 at 3:33 pm
the II is more affordable and should run a little cooler, but is also a significantly poorer gamer. See our A15 vs A17 comparison for reference.
Manny
April 25, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Thanks for the reply, actually I have the chance to get the MSI GS75 Stealth Rtx 2060 17.3 inch 16gb DDR4-2666 Ram 512GB SSD, wouldnt this be an better option than the 2 I mentioned?
Andrei Girbea
April 25, 2020 at 3:03 pm
up to you, each have their pros and cons and each are overall good products in their classes.
Manny
April 25, 2020 at 3:33 pm
Oh forgot to mention that I would get the MSI at 1200$ new.
shahmir
April 28, 2020 at 11:14 pm
hi , after changing the ssd from slot 1 to slot 2 in "IU, IV" version , does the laptop started running cooler like in " II " version , or it is still running hot ?
Andrei Girbea
April 29, 2020 at 10:20 am
SSD temperatures drop if you move the SSD to the second slot.
owen
May 25, 2020 at 2:27 pm
does a 4TB hdd fit in this laptop? i think 4TB hdd is a bit thicker, correct?
Andrei Girbea
May 25, 2020 at 2:58 pm
Depends on the model. If it's the 7mm in height version, it should fit just fine