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Asus FX503VM (7700HQ, GTX 1060, FHD) Laptop Review

Plastic, pragmatic. The Asus FX503VM is a mid-tier gaming laptop at a budget-minded price. Although there are some cut corners, the overall package is capable, competent, and attractive.

We reviewed the FX502VM last March and found it to be a balanced system with a relatively low price tag. That machine was something of a more affordable ROG GL502VM with some small sacrifices. The Asus FX503VM is essentially the same machine wrapped in a different package. The FX503VM is a plastic thin-and-light that boasts mid-range specs at a budget price (currently USD $1180). In this review, we'll examine whether or not the FX503VM presents a good value for the money.

So what sets the FX503VM apart from its brother, the FX502VM? The case, for one. The FX503VM has an aggressive styling that reflects the higher-end GL503 line. However, the plastic build is the first cut made to bring the budget down. Otherwise, the FX503VM is a sensible update to last year's FX502VM and improves on the look and feel while retaining the same mid-tier internals. Other notebooks that compare to the FX503VM include the Acer Aspire VX15 and V15 Nitro, HP's Omen 15, the Dell Inspiron 15 7577, and the Lenovo Legion Y520. All of these machines have similar components and similar prices.

Asus sells three SKUs of the FX503VM, each of which differs only in its display. One version has a TN panel with similar color properties, while the other (more expensive) model has a 120 Hz IPS display with a wider color gamut. We'll be looking at the "middle-of-the-road" model with a 60 Hz IPS display. Let's dive in.

Asus FX503VM-EH73 (FX503 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile - 3 GB VRAM, Core: 1405 MHz, Memory: 1671 MHz, GDDR5, GeForce Game Ready Driver 382.90
Memory
16 GB 
, 1 x 16 GB, DDR4, 1200.5 MHz (DDR4-2400 / PC4-19200)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN06.1, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM175 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002, 128 GB 
, 128 GB SATA SSD + 1 TB 5400 RPM HDD, 1049 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Skylake PCH-H High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Combo audio/headset jack, Card Reader: SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 24 x 384 x 262 ( = 0.94 x 15.12 x 10.31 in)
Battery
64 Wh Lithium-Ion, 4S1P, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2 x 2 Watt, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, ASUS Splendid, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.199 kg ( = 77.57 oz / 4.85 pounds), Power Supply: 642 g ( = 22.65 oz / 1.42 pounds)
Price
1180 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Asus FX503VM is unapologetically plastic. To that end, the case has a faux-brushed metal finish to it that looks striking and works well to hide the plastic build from a distance. One thing it cannot hide, however, is fingerprints. Smudges can easily mar the matte black color but can be wiped away easily with a cloth. The lid has two small 45°-angled bevels pointing into the upper left and right corners that give the device a subtle bit of flair and are highly reminiscent of the ROG Zephyrus. The interior continues this design language with changes in the direction of the brushed finish and a sunken keyboard deck. The overall effect looks nice without being too overblown; the FX503VM is subtle, yet attractive.

Owing to plastic shell, the case itself is somewhat pliable. There is some minor flex across the keyboard deck that occurs under direct pressure and isn't present while typing. The bottom of the case likewise will only bend under intentional strain. The display lid, however, is thin and can easily be twisted and warped. On the plus side, the hinges are well-tuned: one-handed opening is possible, and the screen stays in place while typing. The lid can be opened to about 135°.Seams around the chassis are even, save for the area around the power and Ethernet connections. The display bezels are also not entirely flush with the panel, especially in the middle of the bottom side.

At 24 mm thick, the FX503VM can easily be considered a thin-and-light notebook. Our review machine also has a smaller footprint than most competing devices and is one of the lightest laptops in this category. The final result attempts to bridge the gap between price and portability and mostly succeeds. However, as we will see later in the review, the thin profile comes at the cost of increased heat and fan noise.

389 mm / 15.3 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.5 kg5.51 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 26.75 mm / 1.053 inch 2.7 kg5.95 lbs389 mm / 15.3 inch 276 mm / 10.9 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.6 kg5.78 lbs389 mm / 15.3 inch 274.7 mm / 10.8 inch 24.95 mm / 0.982 inch 2.7 kg6.05 lbs391 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 2.5 kg5.55 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.6 kg5.67 lbs384 mm / 15.1 inch 262 mm / 10.3 inch 24 mm / 0.945 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 265 mm / 10.4 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.5 kg5.56 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port selection is standard. Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a combo audio in/out port sit on the left side. On the right sits a single USB 3.0 Type-A port and the SD card reader. USB Type-C is sadly absent, and with it, Thunderbolt 3. Most modern gaming laptops now include at least a single USB Type-C port. However, the basics are here, and users should find I/O adequate.

Left: DC in, Gigabit LAN, HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, combo audio, speaker
Left: DC in, Gigabit LAN, HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, combo audio, speaker
Right: Speaker, SD card reader (along bottom), USB 3.0 Type-A, Kensington lock
Right: Speaker, SD card reader (along bottom), USB 3.0 Type-A, Kensington lock

SD Card Reader

The performance of the SD card reader matches that of the older FX502VM and is about average for a mid-tier gaming notebook. In our JPG copy test, the Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II averaged about 77 MB/s, which should be adequate for most users. The slot is full-sized, allowing for complete insertion, and there is a spring mechanism for easy extrication.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +28%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
78.8 MB/s +3%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77 MB/s +1%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76.5 MB/s
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.95 MB/s -65%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
 
23.2 MB/s -70%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
 
22.7 MB/s -70%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +41%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s 0%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.9 MB/s 0%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.9 MB/s
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.44 MB/s -66%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
 
27.6 MB/s -68%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
 
27.2 MB/s -69%

Communication

Wireless speeds echo those of the SD card reader: average but adequate. Transmit and receive speeds are in line with most devices at this price point. Most users will find no complaint with the wireless performance of the FX503VM, and the inclusion of a Gigabit Ethernet jack is a good bonus for those that may need faster speeds. Wireless signals were reliable during our testing period with no dropped connections or other unwarranted hiccups.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +135%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
653 MBit/s +43%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
618 MBit/s +35%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
Qualcomm QCA6174
600 MBit/s +31%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
522 MBit/s +14%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
513 MBit/s +12%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
458 MBit/s
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
426 MBit/s -7%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +155%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
701 MBit/s +37%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
654 MBit/s +27%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
Qualcomm QCA6174
603 MBit/s +18%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
541 MBit/s +5%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
541 MBit/s +5%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
533 MBit/s +4%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
513 MBit/s

Maintenance & Warranty

The FX503VM takes several design cues from Asus's higher-end GL503, and this extends to maintenance options as well. There is a dedicated access hatch held on by a single screw that can be easily pried off. Once inside, users can swap out the 2.5-inch drive, m.2 SSD, and one of the two RAM DIMMs. The rest of the bottom panel can come off after removing nine more screws and unfastening several tight plastic clips. This process will test patience and isn't worth the effort; once inside, there's not much more that can be reached.

The FX503VM comes with a one-year limited warranty from Asus, which is standard at this price range.

A single screw and some clips...
A single screw and some clips...
...are all that holds the panel on.
...are all that holds the panel on.
The drive bays are easily accessible.
The drive bays are easily accessible.
There is a tamper seal on the M.2 drive.
There is a tamper seal on the M.2 drive.

Input Devices

Keyboard

One of the FX503VM's stronger points is its keyboard. Once again, the device is reminiscent of the GL503 line. Travel is good at 1.8 mm and key presses are responsive. Feedback is a tad on the spongy side but not enough so to ruin the overall typing experience. The keycaps are quiet and create virtually no clatter, save for the space bar which emits a small squeak from time to time, mostly if it is hit off-center. Compared to MSI laptops, which are often lauded for their excellent keyboards, the FX503VM falls short. The keyboards of the GS63VR and GF62VR are notable examples of firm feedback that lends to a desirable typing experience, and this Asus device just can't keep up.

The FX503VM's red keyboard backlight is similar to those of older ROG laptops (prior to the "RGB revolution"). There are three levels of brightness that can be controlled via the Fn key and either the up or down arrows. The keyboard has the usual smattering of special keys, including volume and screen brightness controls, but the lack of dedicated macro keys is a sore spot. The power button is intentionally offset from the rest of the keyboard, which resolves a complaint we had with previous Asus FX laptops.

Touchpad

The touchpad (103 mm x 73 mm) is typical notebook fare. While the surface is smooth with an easy glide and the pad itself is responsive, the clicking mechanism (using the bottom half of the pad) is a bit spongy. The click is hollow and feels cheap, and the pad easily bends under further pressure. Tracking is possible over the button markings. The matte finish is also a magnet for oils and dust and will need to be cleaned regularly.

Display

Subpixel Matrix
Subpixel Matrix

The 1920x1080 AU Optronics display is passable, if uninspiring. Response times are acceptable for an IPS panel, and PWM is completely absent. The panel's biggest weakness is brightness, which is lackluster at about 235 nits. This is low even for a budget gaming laptop; the screens Legion Y520, Omen 15, and V15 Nitro each hover just below 300 nits. On the plus side, brightness distribution is good, as is contrast (~1400:1).

Anecdotally, the screen is decent but does nothing to stand out. Overall, the display tries to be a jack of all trades and, subsequently, is a master of none. Asus advertises a model with a 120 Hz refresh rate display, but this model may be difficult to find on the market. The higher refresh rate could be a boon for competitive gamers or players of League of Legends or other popular multiplayer games. Our review unit only has a 60 Hz refresh rate.

248.4
cd/m²
232.3
cd/m²
239.2
cd/m²
237.4
cd/m²
235.9
cd/m²
230.3
cd/m²
229.8
cd/m²
240
cd/m²
226.1
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156HAN06.1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 248.4 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 235.5 cd/m² Minimum: 12.88 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 235.9 cd/m²
Contrast: 874:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.81 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
56% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38.72% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.48% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.31
Asus FX503VM-EH73
AU Optronics B156HAN06.1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus FX502VM-AS73
TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
ID: LG Philips LGD053F, Name: 156WF6, Dell P/N: 4XK13, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
AUO42ED, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
LG Display LP156WF6-SPP1, AH-IPS, Normally Black, Transmissive, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPK6, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
LG Philips LGD0550 / LP156WF6-SPK4, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
2%
-1%
70%
63%
11%
4%
Display P3 Coverage
37.48
38.28
2%
37.07
-1%
65.8
76%
65.8
76%
41.7
11%
38.88
4%
sRGB Coverage
56.3
56.9
1%
55.6
-1%
90.9
61%
85.1
51%
62.2
10%
58.2
3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
38.72
39.47
2%
38.32
-1%
66.5
72%
62.2
61%
43.17
11%
40.2
4%
Response Times
26%
8%
-8%
-10%
18%
34%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
36.8 ?(19.6, 17.2)
28.4 ?(11.2, 17.2)
23%
35.6 ?(20, 15.6)
3%
43.2 ?(21.2, 22)
-17%
41 ?(21, 20)
-11%
35 ?(16, 19)
5%
22 ?(10, 12)
40%
Response Time Black / White *
31.6 ?(18.4, 13.2)
22.4 ?(6, 16.4)
29%
27.6 ?(15.6, 12)
13%
31.2 ?(16.4, 14.8)
1%
34 ?(21, 13)
-8%
22 ?(12, 10)
30%
23 ?(13, 10)
27%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-19%
-4%
33%
22%
3%
1%
Brightness middle
235.9
209.5
-11%
235.4
0%
304
29%
322
36%
276
17%
281
19%
Brightness
235
205
-13%
223
-5%
289
23%
297
26%
265
13%
257
9%
Brightness Distribution
91
92
1%
91
0%
86
-5%
86
-5%
91
0%
85
-7%
Black Level *
0.27
0.69
-156%
0.28
-4%
0.26
4%
0.31
-15%
0.25
7%
0.32
-19%
Contrast
874
304
-65%
841
-4%
1169
34%
1039
19%
1104
26%
878
0%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.81
4.7
2%
5.6
-16%
3.46
28%
4.73
2%
5.06
-5%
5.16
-7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
21.55
19.7
9%
20.3
6%
7.72
64%
12.37
43%
10.13
53%
9.09
58%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.1
1.8
42%
3.6
-16%
2.46
21%
2.99
4%
6.25
-102%
4.57
-47%
Gamma
2.31 95%
2.23 99%
2.23 99%
2.38 92%
2.32 95%
1.76 125%
2.59 85%
CCT
6984 93%
6975 93%
7214 90%
6915 94%
6905 94%
6873 95%
6931 94%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
36
36.2
1%
35.2
-2%
59
64%
56
56%
40
11%
37
3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
56
56.6
1%
55.4
-1%
91
63%
85
52%
62
11%
58
4%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
3% / -9%
1% / -2%
32% / 35%
25% / 26%
11% / 7%
13% / 6%

* ... smaller is better

Colors are a weak spot for the FX503VM. Out of the box, the average DeltaE2000 for colors is 4.81. This metric by itself is average for a mid-tier gaming notebook, but the maximum DeltaE2000 swings widely up to 21.55. The end result is a wide variance in color reproduction with some colors (particularly blues) sitting far from the "true" color. For example, a "pure" blue comes across as indigo with a slight violet hue. During normal use and gameplay, this doesn't present much of a problem and isn't detrimental to the overall experience. However, professional color workers will notice this difference; as such, this notebook should be passed over by those that rely on a color-accurate display for their work. Calibration doesn't improve the situation much. Grays and blacks, on the other hand, are fairly good: the DeltaE for grayscale sits just over 3 (a common professional threshold for accuracy). With calibration, this number drops to 1.7. Gamma and color temperature are also on the better side of average and level out with calibration, although a pink hue remains on white backgrounds.

The biggest point of contention is the limited color space coverage. The FX503VM's panel covers a mere 56% of the sRGB gamut and a paltry 36% of the AdobeRGB gamut. These are lackluster numbers for an IPS panel. The HP Omen 15 and Acer V15 Nitro's displays cover a significantly larger amount of these color spaces. As is the case with color accuracy, this doesn't negatively impact gaming or daily use, but video and photo editors will be left wanting.

ColorChecker
ColorChecker
Colorchecker (Calibrated)
Colorchecker (Calibrated)
Grayscale
Grayscale
Grayscale (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
vs sRGB: 56%
vs sRGB: 56%
vs. AdobeRGB: 36%
vs. AdobeRGB: 36%

The IPS panel has excellent viewing angles (as is expected). Images, colors, and text remain stable and clear at angles past 45°, but the screen dims a bit at these offsets. Backlight bleed is a problem as well; it seems that the display bezel isn't flush against the panel, allowing the backlight to shine through along the bottom and top.

The matte finish across the display works well to counteract reflections. Unfortunately, the screen is too dim for easy outdoor use. If shade is available, working outside is possible, but direct sunlight will kill all productivity.

Some backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges.
Some backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges.
Display under overcast skies, late afternoon.
Display under overcast skies, late afternoon.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
31.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.4 ms rise
↘ 13.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 83 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.6 ms rise
↘ 17.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 46 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

The combination of Intel's Core i7-7700HQ and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1060 is perhaps the most popular method of powering gaming laptops. While these components are common among gaming notebooks, they have proved their worth time after time. The FX503VM is a bit different than most mid-tier gaming devices in that it uses the 3 GB model of the GTX 1060 rather than the more prolific 6 GB variant. Does this reduction in VRAM have a negative impact on games? Let's take a look.

 

Processor

The Intel Core i7-7700HQ is a very capable quad-core hyperthreaded CPU that we've seen dozens (if not hundreds) of times over the past year. Rated at 45 Watts, the 7700HQ is clocked at 2.8 GHz with a 3.8 GHz boost. During our Cinebench testing, the 7700HQ in our FX503VM performed as expected. This CPU is about 40-45% faster than other gaming notebooks that opt for the Intel Core i5-7300HQ in multi-threaded tests, which is due to the latter's lack of hyperthreading.

Over long-term testing, the 7700HQ hovers around 710 CB. This is about 97% of its single-pass performance, so longer workloads won't have a major impact on performance. On battery, the FX503VM can manage about 90-95% of its processor performance when plugged in.

Cinebench R10 (32-bit)
Cinebench R10 (32-bit)
Cinebench R11.5 (64-bit)
Cinebench R11.5 (64-bit)
Cinebench R15 (64-bit)
Cinebench R15 (64-bit)
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +70%
Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD
Intel Core i7-8550U
171 Points +10%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
162 Points +4%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
160 Points +3%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
156 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (120 - 162, n=110)
155.4 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-509A
Intel Core i5-8250U
145 Points -7%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
140 Points -10%
Alienware 13 R3 (i5-7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti)
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
136 Points -13%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
131 Points -16%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2988 Points +308%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
770 Points +5%
Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD
Intel Core i7-8550U
761 Points +4%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
740 Points +1%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
733 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (603 - 747, n=111)
727 Points -1%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
725 Points -1%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-509A
Intel Core i5-8250U
518 Points -29%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
514 Points -30%
Alienware 13 R3 (i5-7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti)
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
512 Points -30%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.21 Points +75%
Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.95 Points +7%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.84 Points +1%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.83 Points 0%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.83 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (1.36 - 1.84, n=80)
1.766 Points -3%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.67 Points -9%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-509A
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.65 Points -10%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
1.52 Points -17%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35.7 Points +337%
Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD
Intel Core i7-8550U
8.56 Points +5%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
8.47 Points +4%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.18 Points 0%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.17 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (6.67 - 8.23, n=81)
8 Points -2%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.99 Points -2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5.92 Points -28%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-509A
Intel Core i5-8250U
5.69 Points -30%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (35806 - 112749, n=24, last 2 years)
59061 Points +169%
Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD
Intel Core i7-8550U
24180 Points +10%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
23052 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (19409 - 29209, n=51)
22507 Points +2%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
22228 Points +1%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21978 Points
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21376 Points -3%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-509A
Intel Core i5-8250U
20995 Points -4%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
17971 Points -18%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 15819, n=24, last 2 years)
9035 Points +52%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-509A
Intel Core i5-8250U
7209 Points +21%
Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD
Intel Core i7-8550U
6506 Points +10%
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
6062 Points +2%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5945 Points 0%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5939 Points
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (5426 - 7647, n=50)
5918 Points 0%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5660 Points -5%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5433 Points -9%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Average of class Gaming
  (116.8 - 1021, n=13, last 2 years)
333 s * -44%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
331.1 s * -43%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-509A
Intel Core i5-8250U
322.4 s * -39%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (210 - 379, n=48)
257 s * -11%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
231.7 s *
HP Omen X 17-ap0xx
Intel Core i7-7820HK
215.4 s * +7%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
214.3 s * +8%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6835
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
21978
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5939
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
8.17 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
66.7 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.83 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
156 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
90.7 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
733 Points
Help

System Performance

Overall system performance causes no complaint. PCMark 8 scores lead the pack in our roundup and are a bit higher than expected. Subjectively, everyday workloads are buttery smooth. Programs open quickly. Overall, the FX503VM should be quick enough for most users but lags a small bit behind the blinding speed of higher-tiered notebooks that use NVMe drives.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +6%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
4940 Points
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4858 Points -2%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4765 Points -4%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
4177 Points -15%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (3038 - 5085, n=29)
4138 Points -16%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3759 Points -24%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
3565 Points -28%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +17%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5348 Points +3%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
5174 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
5096 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (2722 - 5447, n=27)
4877 Points -6%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4856 Points -6%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
4442 Points -14%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
2722 Points -47%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (5206 - 10574, n=16, last 2 years)
7408 Points +2%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
7238 Points
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
7220 Points 0%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (5002 - 7505, n=16)
5945 Points -18%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
5291 Points -27%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4723 Points -35%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4940 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
7238 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5174 points
PCMark 10 Score
4856 points
Help

Storage Devices

The FX503VM uses a SATA SSD (M.2 form factor) for the OS and a mechanical HDD for mass storage. This is a common configuration, but the SSD leaves a lot of room for improvement. In CrystalDiskMark, the SSD only manages 545 MB/s and 337 MB/s read and write speeds, respectively. This is at the lower range of SATA SSD drives and may be a point of frustration for some users that frequently move large files around. Smaller reads and writes (as measured by the 4K scores in CDM 5 and AS SSD) are also below average and may cause some small hiccups in load times. Devices equipped with the Samsung PM961, like the Dell Inspiron 15 7577, can more than double these speeds.

The mechanical HDD operates within expectation with no jarring spikes in access times.

CrystalDiskMark 5 (SSD)
CrystalDiskMark 5 (SSD)
AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 5 (HDD)
CrystalDiskMark 5 (HDD)
HD Tune
HD Tune
Asus FX503VM-EH73
SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
Asus FX502VM-AS73
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
ADATA SX7000NP 256 GB
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
AS SSD
-9%
199%
60%
41%
Copy Game MB/s
155.3
382.5
708
Copy Program MB/s
120.7
274.8
225.8
Copy ISO MB/s
202.2
814
1076
Score Total
798
822
3%
2405
201%
898
13%
984
23%
Score Write
178
200
12%
594
234%
291
63%
344
93%
Score Read
411
418
2%
1241
202%
409
0%
446
9%
Access Time Write *
0.09
0.266
-196%
0.037
59%
0.033
63%
0.231
-157%
Access Time Read *
0.17
0.104
39%
0.058
66%
0.069
59%
0.129
24%
4K-64 Write
95.5
123.8
30%
375.8
294%
100.7
5%
217.1
127%
4K-64 Read
343.4
342.3
0%
929
171%
255.9
-25%
278
-19%
4K Write
46.48
63.6
37%
100.2
116%
110.6
138%
75
61%
4K Read
20.44
26.01
27%
46.95
130%
30.9
51%
27.86
36%
Seq Write
328.4
130
-60%
1181
260%
795
142%
521
59%
Seq Read
476.3
492.6
3%
2652
457%
1221
156%
1404
195%

* ... smaller is better

SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 545 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 337.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 279.3 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 208.1 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 458.3 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 313.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 24.82 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 51.2 MB/s

GPU Performance

One of the defining factors in the Asus FX503VM  is its Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060. While the GPU is common, this particular flavor is not. The FX503VM's GPU has 3 GB of VRAM onboard, which is half that of most other 1060-specced notebooks. Otherwise, everything else is similar to other laptops. Clock speeds, bus width, and the number of CUDA cores remains the same.

To that end, the limited VRAM should only present a problem at higher resolutions (1440p or higher) and some settings in certain games. This is indeed the case. In 3DMark's Fire Strike, the FX503VM lands just above average. However, scores for Fire Strike Extreme (which is rendered at 2560x1440) are below the average for other GTX 1060 laptops. The deficit is not terribly significant, and repeating testing sees the gap sit between 1-4%. Most games will run smoothly at high or ultra settings, but some more intensive settings that require more dedicated VRAM (like volumetric smoke) may be entirely unavailable. G-Sync is also not supported by any variant of the FX503VM.

Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Time Spy
Time Spy
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years)
39642 Points +172%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
23246 Points +60%
Aorus X5 v7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK
22241 Points +53%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
18689 Points +28%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
14942 Points +3%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
14732 Points +1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (12620 - 15607, n=77)
14692 Points +1%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
14550 Points
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
13388 Points -8%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
13279 Points -9%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
13075 Points -10%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
9768 Points -33%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
9450 Points -35%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
9357 Points -36%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
6744 Points -54%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Gaming
  (1251 - 26759, n=243, last 2 years)
19642 Points +155%
Aorus X5 v7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK
10574 Points +37%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
9152 Points +19%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8967 Points +17%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8937 Points +16%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
8762 Points +14%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8562 Points +11%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8447 Points +10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (5655 - 12930, n=76)
8458 Points +10%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7957 Points +3%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7696 Points
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
6361 Points -17%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
6264 Points -19%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
6212 Points -19%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
5312 Points -31%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=155, last 2 years)
134902 Points +67%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
110219 Points +37%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
101163 Points +26%
Aorus X5 v7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK
97489 Points +21%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
80542 Points
Asus FX502VM-AS73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
80496 Points 0%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
73603 Points -9%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
73391 Points -9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (26770 - 86193, n=68)
71237 Points -12%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
66973 Points -17%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
57208 Points -29%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
50713 Points -37%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
50196 Points -38%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
46362 Points -42%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
35788 Points -56%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +153%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
17793 Points +55%
Aorus X5 v7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK
16349 Points +42%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
14607 Points +27%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11633 Points +1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (10708 - 12298, n=77)
11547 Points +1%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11494 Points 0%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11483 Points
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
10349 Points -10%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
10338 Points -10%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
10263 Points -11%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7791 Points -32%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7683 Points -33%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7666 Points -33%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
5373 Points -53%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (46258 - 613731, n=20, last 2 years)
323443 Points +54%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
215087 Points +3%
Asus FX502VM-AS73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
214139 Points +2%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
209408 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
193203 Points -8%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
156285 Points -25%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (33205 - 257260, n=33)
152262 Points -27%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ
71289 Points -66%
3DMark 11 Performance
11823 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
132724 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
25238 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
9739 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
5094 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
3621 points
Help

Gaming Performance

As mentioned, games run well at FHD/Ultra settings. Most modern AAA titles manage to hit or exceed 60 fps, but more demanding titles will need to be played at High settings or lower to reach this threshold. Lighter titles (like Rocket League or League of Legends) can easily be played at higher framerates (in excess of 120 fps); the 120 Hz display option may be enticing to competitive gamers.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
37 fps
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
35.2 fps -5%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, ADATA SX7000NP 256 GB
35.1 fps -5%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
34.6 fps -6%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
38.3 fps +4%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
24.2 fps -35%
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
25.2 (19min) fps -32%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
62.2 fps +68%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
52.4 fps +42%
Aorus X5 v7
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
61.1 fps +65%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (24 - 42.3, n=60)
38.6 fps +4%
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years)
114.3 fps +209%
Fallout 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
73 fps
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
73.7 fps +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
61.3 fps -16%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (57.1 - 77, n=17)
68.5 fps -6%
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
57 fps
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
61.3 fps +8%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
55.4 fps -3%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
51.1 fps -10%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
60.7 fps +6%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
102.5 fps +80%
Aorus X5 v7
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
96.9 fps +70%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
30 (28min - 34max) fps -47%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (51 - 68.8, n=37)
61.3 fps +8%
Average of class Gaming
  (95.9 - 95.9, n=2, last 2 years)
95.9 fps +68%
Hitman 2016 - 1920x1080 Ultra / On AA:SM AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
61 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (46 - 61, n=7)
52.4 fps -14%
Doom - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:SM (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
92 fps
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
95.1 fps +3%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
86.2 fps -6%
Aorus X5 v7
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
139.4 fps +52%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (66 - 103.3, n=17)
90.5 fps -2%
Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:2xMS AF:8x (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
39 fps
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
26.7 fps -32%
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
29.4 fps -25%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
45.6 fps +17%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (26.9 - 39, n=11)
29.9 fps -23%
Average of class Gaming
  (65 - 169, n=2, last 2 years)
117 fps +200%
Civilization VI - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4xMS (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
71 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (42.8 - 71, n=5)
53.9 fps -24%
Average of class Gaming
  (last 2 years)
131 fps +85%
Prey - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:2TX SM AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
97 fps
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
97.1 fps 0%
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
84.7 fps -13%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
66.8 fps -31%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (97 - 110.3, n=7)
101.8 fps +5%
Rocket League - 1920x1080 High Quality AA:High FX (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
145 fps
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
134 fps -8%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
111.3 fps -23%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (136 - 181, n=7)
163.6 fps +13%
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) - 1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
61 fps
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
51.5 fps -16%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (61 - 69.4, n=4)
65.9 fps +8%
Middle-earth: Shadow of War - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
52 fps
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
48 fps -8%
Gigabyte Aero 15X
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
69 fps +33%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (52 - 54, n=5)
52.6 fps +1%
Kingdom Come: Deliverance - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset (sort by value)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
38 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
  (36 - 45.2, n=5)
41.2 fps +8%
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 37
Fallout 4 (2015) 73
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 57
Hitman 2016 (2016) 61
Doom (2016) 92
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 39
Civilization VI (2016) 71
Prey (2017) 97
Rocket League (2017) 145
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) 61
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 52
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 38

Stress Test

The FX503VM performs well under stress, but synthetic tests push the laptop to its limits. Under Prime95 alone, the CPU manages an average clock of 3.2 GHz and intermittently boosts to 3.6 GHz across all four cores. Temperatures remain borderline reasonable (for a gaming laptop) at 86° C. FurMark by itself presents little problem for the machine as well; the GPU manages to maintain a 1250 MHz clock at 75° C. Running both stress tests concurrently, however, is problematic for the CPU in particular. The 7700HQ is able to boost to 3.6 GHz on all cores but is forced to throttle down to 2.6 GHz due to high temperatures (average of 95° C). Keep in mind that these tests are designed to fully stress every part of the CPU and GPU; users are unlikely to encounter such heavy workloads.

Gaming stress is well-managed. During an hour-long session of The Witcher 3, the CPU bursts when needed to 3.8 GHz and otherwise hangs back at a lower clock. The result is a comparatively cool core temperature, which averages about 73° C. The GPU also performs admirably, hitting about 1600 MHz while keeping fairly cool at 77° C.

Prime95
Prime95
FurMark
FurMark
Prime95 and FurMark
Prime95 and FurMark
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.2 - 86 -
FurMark Stress 3.5 73 1251 75
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.6 95 1250 80
Witcher 3 Stress 1.6 73 1596 77
0123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise profile
Fan noise profile

While the fans do a good job of dumping waste heat when under load, they do so at the cost of noise. During gameplay sessions, the fans ramp up to about 50 dB(A) in under 5 minutes. This is louder than competitors, which typically average 40-45 dB(A). However, it should be noted that the chassis of the FX503VM is a fair bit thinner than these other devices. As such, airflow is more restricted and will generate more force (and noise) when exhausted. The fans' high pitch doesn't do the device any favors, either. Headphones are highly recommended when gaming. During normal use (word processing, web browsing), the fans spin slowly and are near silent.

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
Load
37.3 / 53.7 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 27.8 dB(A)
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
Asus FX502VM-AS73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, ADATA SX7000NP 256 GB
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Noise
-6%
10%
-4%
-5%
-1%
-0%
-1%
off / environment *
27.8
28.7
-3%
28
-1%
30
-8%
30.4
-9%
30.6
-10%
30.4
-9%
Idle Minimum *
29.6
30.6
-3%
28
5%
30.5
-3%
30
-1%
30.9
-4%
30.6
-3%
31.4
-6%
Idle Average *
29.6
30.6
-3%
28
5%
33
-11%
33
-11%
30.9
-4%
30.7
-4%
31.4
-6%
Idle Maximum *
29.6
31
-5%
28
5%
36.1
-22%
37
-25%
31.5
-6%
30.7
-4%
31.4
-6%
Load Average *
37.3
46.2
-24%
30.3
19%
39.4
-6%
41
-10%
40.7
-9%
43
-15%
36.8
1%
Witcher 3 ultra *
49.8
39.5
21%
42
16%
45.5
9%
39.7
20%
Load Maximum *
53.7
52.3
3%
46.5
13%
41.5
23%
50
7%
43.9
18%
45.8
15%
41.3
23%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Asus has done a good job in managing the flow of heat. The rear vents get hot to the touch (about 50-52° C), but the keyboard remains cool. There is a vent directly above the middle of the function row that feels warm when the device is under load, but users' hands shouldn't regularly touch this section. The middle of the keyboard is the warmest section but doesn't get uncomfortable.

Idle, keyboard
Idle, keyboard
Idle, underside
Idle, underside
Load, keyboard
Load, keyboard
Load, underside
Load, underside
The Witcher 3, keyboard
The Witcher 3, keyboard
The Witcher 3, underside
The Witcher 3, underside
Max. Load
 42 °C
108 F
59.6 °C
139 F
42.6 °C
109 F
 
 30 °C
86 F
48.8 °C
120 F
33.6 °C
92 F
 
 24.4 °C
76 F
23.6 °C
74 F
23.4 °C
74 F
 
Maximum: 59.6 °C = 139 F
Average: 36.4 °C = 98 F
54.8 °C
131 F
50 °C
122 F
56 °C
133 F
30.8 °C
87 F
38.8 °C
102 F
30.2 °C
86 F
24.6 °C
76 F
24.2 °C
76 F
26.8 °C
80 F
Maximum: 56 °C = 133 F
Average: 37.4 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  43 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.4 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 59.6 °C / 139 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 56 °C / 133 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.3 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.5 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 25.2 °C / 77.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+3.7 °C / 6.6 F).

Speakers

Speaker sound profile
Speaker sound profile

The stereo speakers fall short of excellence. Peak volume is just shy of 70 dB, which is about average for laptop speakers. Mids and highs are well balanced. Bass, while present, is low; the result is more akin to a slap than a full-bodied thump. The addition of a subwoofer would go a long way in making the overall aural experience spectacular. As it stands, the speakers are thin and not suitable for most music. Asus includes an AudioWizard sound program that allows users to select one of five different sound profiles.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.935.32537.134.23134.232.3403333.85031.533.36332.232.98030.73110030.131.412528.639.51602850.520027.659.225026.56431526.66440025.362.250024.760.263024.860.880025.166.5100024.465.4125023.560.8160023.562.4200023.459.825002365.7315023.267.3400022.968.2500022.965.7630022.861.3800022.759.31000022.756.81250022.750.41600022.640.7SPL35.876.4N2.539.7median 23.5median 60.8Delta1.37.436.734.935.632.132.835.630.632.533.632.831.931.230.430.63130.531.730.728.230.527.236.826.148.625.35125.35225.149.324.454.125.360.124.357.223.95324.154.723.352.123.154.923.155.72357.22358.823.158.623.251.423.243.323.142.323.238.335.967.82.623median 24.1median 5217.735.14135.540.236.139.836.839.533.340.333.240.732.741.631.343.1314630.550.429.653.128.356.12757.926.657.626.260.325.664.824.865.824.362.124.365.623.966.623.566.623.465.923.262.722.968.122.974.122.876.822.880.922.873.522.864.122.960.936.184.12.754.8median 24.3median 64.12.15.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus FX503VM-EH73Asus FX502VM-AS73Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Asus FX503VM-EH73 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus FX502VM-AS73 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (67.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (29.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 94% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 3% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 86% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 59% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Power consumption during Prime95
Power consumption during Prime95

Power consumption is average. Compared to similarly-specced notebooks, power draw under load is low at 78 Watts, but gaming loads are within expectations. Users can expect the device to pull about 110 Watts from the wall when playing games. Power draw should also be steady, as evidenced by the device's behavior when running Prime95.

The 180 W power adapter is similar to those of other Asus laptops and should supply more than enough to the laptop. At its peak, the FX503VM requires 144 Watts, which is about 80% of the capacity of the power adapter.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 0.67 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 12.8 / 15.4 / 15.9 Watt
Load midlight 78 / 143.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Asus FX503VM-EH73
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus FX502VM-AS73
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBM 80YY001APB
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, ADATA SX7000NP 256 GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035, AH-IPS, Normally Black, Transmissive, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Toshiba MQ01ABD100, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
-10%
34%
21%
-31%
8%
28%
20%
Idle Minimum *
12.8
14.9
-16%
7.1
45%
3.9
70%
18
-41%
7.2
44%
4.1
68%
7
45%
Idle Average *
15.4
15.1
2%
7.6
51%
10.7
31%
23
-49%
10.5
32%
6.9
55%
10.2
34%
Idle Maximum *
15.9
15.2
4%
8.6
46%
11.2
30%
30
-89%
16
-1%
9.5
40%
14
12%
Load Average *
78
105.8
-36%
59.5
24%
111.5
-43%
85
-9%
82
-5%
83
-6%
78
-0%
Witcher 3 ultra *
107.3
89
17%
96
11%
124
-16%
108
-1%
Load Maximum *
143.4
148.8
-4%
112.8
21%
115.5
19%
158
-10%
155
-8%
126
12%
127
11%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The 64 Wh battery is unchanged from the older FX502VM, and battery life is subsequently similar. The lack of Nvidia's Optimus technology is another unfortunate holdover from the older machine. WiFi surfing times suffer accordingly; the FX503VM only manages four and a half hours of web browsing while on battery. Optimus plays a huge role in longer battery life, as evidenced by the Acer Nitro 5; despite it's much smaller battery (45 W), it is able to last over 50% longer in our WiFi battery test. Users will need to pack the power adapter with them.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 40min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 07min
WiFi Websurfing
4h 36min
Asus FX503VM-EH73
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 64 Wh
Asus FX502VM-AS73
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 64 Wh
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, 56 Wh
HP Omen 15-ce002ng
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Acer Aspire VN7-593G-73HP V15 Nitro BE
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 69 Wh
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-51-788E
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 48 Wh
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-75C4 VX15
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Battery Runtime
1%
63%
-11%
64%
67%
8%
Reader / Idle
340
363
7%
659
94%
256
-25%
501
47%
893
163%
322
-5%
WiFi v1.3
276
277
0%
416
51%
198
-28%
357
29%
400
45%
302
9%
Load
67
64
-4%
96
43%
80
19%
144
115%
63
-6%
81
21%

Pros

+ striking design
+ good overall performance
+ easy maintenance - one screw to upgrade storage and RAM
+ good keyboard with quiet keys
+ thin and light compared to similarly-priced laptops
+ options for 120 Hz display

Cons

- GTX 1060 has 3 GB of VRAM rather than 6 GB
- some settings in some games are unavailable due to limited VRAM
- loud, high-pitched fans
- vents get very hot
- flimsy clicking mechanism
- no USB Type-C
- lid is thin and easily warps
- lackluster battery life

Verdict

In review: Asus ROG FX503VM. Review unit courtesy of Computer Upgrade King. Use code NBC10 for $10 off
In review: Asus ROG FX503VM. Review unit courtesy of Computer Upgrade King. Use code NBC10 for $10 off

The FX503VM tries to mix the style of a high-end gaming notebook with the price of a mid-tier laptop and, for the most part, succeeds. There are several things to like about the FX503VM, including its good keyboard, excellent system performance, and subtle (yet striking) design. However, there are some sacrifices to endure as well, like the flimsy touchpad and cheap-feeling case. The absence of G-Sync support (even on the high-refresh rate version) stings as well.

Compared to other mid-tier gaming notebooks, the FX503VM excels at some points while faltering on others. Compared to the GL503 that it imitates, though, the FX503VM offers similar performance and upgrade options with a fairly close look at a much lower price. For about $500 less, the FX503VM maintains the same thin profile and performance while sacrificing the more premium build. The optional 120 Hz display is just icing on the cake. Gamers in search of an attractive but pragmatic gaming notebook will find a lot to like in the FX503VM. The machine is beginning to grow in scarcity at retailers. If it can be found on sale, it's a heck of a deal.

All said, the FX503VM brings excellent gaming performance at a reasonable price and wraps in an attractive package. The machine is subjectively miles ahead in design than other similarly-priced gaming notebooks without sacrificing much in the way of gaming performance. What the FX503VM does sacrifice, however, should be considered. The display lid is flimsy, the 3 GB of VRAM limits some game settings and resolutions compared to other notebooks with 6 GB, and the color inaccuracies can be distracting. Fan noise is also rather high, even for a gaming notebook.

Most gaming notebooks in this price point look cheap and plastic. The FX503VM manages something they miss: it brings a sense of style to lower-priced mid-tier gaming notebooks. If you're looking for a thin-and-light gaming notebook on a tighter budget, this is the machine to hunt.

Asus FX503VM-EH73 - 03/24/2018 v6(old)
Sam Medley

Chassis
79 / 98 → 81%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
51 / 81 → 63%
Weight
62 / 10-66 → 92%
Battery
79%
Display
83%
Games Performance
92%
Application Performance
88%
Temperature
82 / 95 → 87%
Noise
81 / 90 → 90%
Audio
60%
Camera
50 / 85 → 59%
Average
75%
82%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus FX503VM (7700HQ, GTX 1060, FHD) Laptop Review
Sam Medley, 2018-03-26 (Update: 2018-03-26)