Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC laptop review: 1440p, 165 Hz, And Full P3 Colors For Under $1000

Unlike the flagship Asus ROG series, the Asus TUF series is home to midrange gaming laptops that typically omit luxurious features like RGB lights or Asus Keystone in favor of more affordable prices. The TUF Dash F15 FX517 series in particular can be configured with a budget GeForce RTX 3050 option (FX517ZC) all the way to the RTX 3070 (FX517ZR). This review focuses on the RTX 3050 option.
We recommend checking out our existing review on the RTX 3070 configuration as it shares the same 1440p 165 Hz display, Core i7-12650H CPU, and essentially the same physical features as the RTX 3050 configuration. Competitors in this space include other affordable gaming laptops retailing for $1000 USD or less like the Dell G15 5510, MSI Bravo 15, Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15, or the Gigabyte G5.
More Asus reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
84.9 % | 08/2022 | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC i7-12650H, GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU | 1.9 kg | 20.7 mm | 15.60" | 2560x1440 | |
85.8 % | 07/2022 | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR i7-12650H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2 kg | 20.7 mm | 15.60" | 2560x1440 | |
81 % | 06/2022 | Dell G15 5510 i5-10500H, GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 23 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
78.2 % | 04/2022 | MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US R5 5600H, Radeon RX 5500M | 2.3 kg | 24.95 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
79.7 % | 03/2022 | Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE i5-11300H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU | 2 kg | 24.2 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
81.7 % | 11/2021 | Gigabyte G5 GD i5-11400H, GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU | 2.1 kg | 31.6 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
Case
Connectivity
It's important to note that while there are two USB-C ports, only the one closest to the front edge supports USB-C charging. Both are otherwise capable of DisplayPort-over-USB.
Communication
The model ships without Wi-Fi 6E support likely to save on costs. Performance is nonetheless sufficient and stable enough for the target audience of budget gamers.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC |
Webcam
The integrated webcam is the standard 1 MP with no privacy shutter or IR features.

Maintenance
The bottom panel can be removed very easily with just a Philips screwdriver to reveal 2x M.2 storage bays, 2x SODIMM slots, and the WLAN module tucked underneath the primary M.2 SSD. When compared to the FX517ZR, our FX517ZC utilizes fewer copper heat pipes over the GPU as shown below for a slightly lighter weight.
Display
|
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 354.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 1107:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.06 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 6.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
85.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC BOE CQ NE156QHM-NY1, IPS, 2560x1440, 15.60 | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR BOE CQ NE156QHM-NY1, IPS, 2560x1440, 15.60 | Dell G15 5510 YMHWH_156HRA (CMN1522), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US Chi Mei N156HRA-EA1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE LEN156FHD, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Gigabyte G5 GD Chi Mei N156HRA-EA1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 1% | -48% | -47% | -50% | -48% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 95.8 | 98.4 3% | 41.6 -57% | 42.1 -56% | 39.7 -59% | 41.8 -56% |
sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 99.9 0% | 62.2 -38% | 62.8 -37% | 59.6 -40% | 62.3 -38% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 85.1 | 85.9 1% | 43 -49% | 43.6 -49% | 41.1 -52% | 43.2 -49% |
Response Times | 22% | -198% | -162% | -345% | -217% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 8.4 ? | 5.6 ? 33% | 33.3 ? -296% | 25.6 ? -205% | 46.4 ? -452% | 34.4 ? -310% |
Response Time Black / White * | 10.4 ? | 9.4 ? 10% | 20.7 ? -99% | 22.8 ? -119% | 35.2 ? -238% | 23.2 ? -123% |
PWM Frequency | ||||||
Screen | 17% | -5% | -25% | -15% | -5% | |
Brightness middle | 354.2 | 286 -19% | 288 -19% | 265.1 -25% | 307 -13% | 261 -26% |
Brightness | 330 | 266 -19% | 264 -20% | 245 -26% | 292 -12% | 246 -25% |
Brightness Distribution | 88 | 87 -1% | 88 0% | 87 -1% | 88 0% | 87 -1% |
Black Level * | 0.32 | 0.25 22% | 0.24 25% | 0.35 -9% | 0.21 34% | 0.19 41% |
Contrast | 1107 | 1144 3% | 1200 8% | 757 -32% | 1462 32% | 1374 24% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.06 | 2.14 47% | 3.67 10% | 4.68 -15% | 5.9 -45% | 3.9 4% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.81 | 5.22 41% | 18.12 -106% | 19.96 -127% | 21.6 -145% | 19.26 -119% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.7 | 2.8 58% | 2.6 61% | 4.5 33% | 4.9 27% | 2.7 60% |
Gamma | 2.12 104% | 2.23 99% | 2.187 101% | 2.22 99% | 2.26 97% | 2.248 98% |
CCT | 6731 97% | 7092 92% | 6971 93% | 6632 98% | 6504 100% | 6828 95% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.67 | 3.22 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 3.24 | |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 13% /
14% | -84% /
-45% | -78% /
-51% | -137% /
-74% | -90% /
-48% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
10.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6.4 ms rise | |
↘ 4 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 21 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
8.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4.4 ms rise | |
↘ 4 ms fall | ||
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 15 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.6 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18998 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set our unit to Turbo and discrete GPU modes prior to running any performance benchmarks below. The system utilizes MSHybrid/MUX for graphics switching which users can toggle via the Armoury Crate software. It's highly recommended that owners become familiar with Armoury Crate as it serves as the command center for the system. The model even has a handy dedicated key on the keyboard for launching the app.
Processor
Overall CPU performance is most similar to the Core i7-11800H in multi-threaded applications while being about 15 to 20 percent faster in single-threaded applications.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H (5422 - 15620, n=10) | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H (3096 - 8448, n=10) | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H (25500 - 37023, n=10) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
System Performance
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
CrossMark / Overall | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
PCMark 10 Score | 6908 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H (46010 - 56679, n=10) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H (49621 - 65535, n=10) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H (46881 - 59130, n=10) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE | |
Average Intel Core i7-12650H (71.6 - 98.6, n=10) | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Gigabyte G5 GD |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices — Supports Up To 2x M.2 SSDs
Our test unit ships with a midrange Intel 670p SSD for a sustained sequential read rate of about 2300 MB/s. The system can support up to two internal M.2 2280 SSDs simultaneously.
Drive Performance Rating - Percent | |
Gigabyte G5 GD | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Dell G15 5510 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZC | |
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15IHU-82K1002RGE | |
MSI Bravo 15 B5DD-010US |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Our 75 W GeForce RTX 3050 is performing roughly 40 percent slower than the 105 W GeForce RTX 3070 in the FX517ZR. The difference becomes more pronounced when running GPU-heavy titles like Cyberpunk 2077 where our RTX 3050 can be almost 50 percent behind. Laptop gamers still running on the older RTX 2060 aren't missing much as the Turing GPU is faster than the RTX 3050 by about 25 percent.