Asus announces narrow-bezel TUF FX505/FX705 as cheaper alternatives to the ROG GL504/GL704
Narrow bezel gaming laptops are finally starting to drop in price. The new Asus TUF FX505 is smaller than the outgoing thick-bezel FX504 but otherwise very similar in weight and thickness. The system is now shipping with GTX 1050 Ti graphics and a 1 TB primary HDD for $1100 USD.
Advanced features often start out at the top before trickling down to more affordable models. Asus' first narrow-bezel gaming laptops were the 15.6-inch ROG GL504 and 17.3-inch ROG GL704 launched earlier this year for quite the high starting price of around $1600 USD. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the OEM to announce more wallet-friendly alternatives.
Called the TUF FX505 and TUF FX705, these entry-level gaming laptops will directly replace the FX504 while introducing a new 17.3-inch model for the TUF series. The two models share a brand new chassis design with the most notable features being the narrow bezels and angled front corners.
As for the internals, the FX505 and FX705 each carry the same CPU and GPU options with identical ports, storage options, and keyboard and trackpad. The CPU, GPU, and display can be configured up to the Core i7-8750H, GTX 1060, and 1080p 144 Hz, respectively.
The Asus TUF FX505 will compete directly with the budget-oriented MSI GF63 and HP Pavilion Gaming 15 series. No other major manufacturer has released a 17.3-inch gaming laptop with narrow bezels as of this writing and so the FX705 will be in a category of its own at launch. The FX505 is now shipping for a starting price of $1100 USD.
See our full review on the TUF FX705 for more information.
SPECIFICATIONS
ASUS TUF Gaming FX505/FX705
CPU
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8550 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8300
Display
15.6" FHD NanoEdge wide-view display up to 144Hz and 100% sRGB 17.3" FHD NanoEdge wide-view display up to 144Hz and 100% sRGB
Fremont, California (October 29, 2018) — ASUS today announced the new TUF Gaming FX505 and FX705 laptops. These durability-enhanced laptops have been carefully engineered to deliver all the essentials needed for high-end gaming experiences at affordable prices. They feature up to an Intel Core i7-8750H processor and up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics, complimented by up to an immersive 144Hz high-refresh rate NanoEdge display, both Gigabit Ethernet and WiFi, and DTS audio. The TUF Gaming FX505 and FX705 laptops are also built to last over the long haul, with independent heatsinks and fans cooling the CPU and GPU separately, long-life keyboard switches, and clever patented dust tunnels that provide long-term cooling and computing performance.
Primed for performance
The TUF Gaming FX505 and FX705 laptops employ up to an 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750H, a next-gen workhorse with 6 cores and 12 threads, not only capable of providing best-in-class gaming experiences, but also able to chew through multi-threaded workloads much faster than the previous generation. Both the FX505 and FX705 feature up to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, supremely capable of high-framerate gaming at Full HD. Up to 16GB of DDR4 2666MHz RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, and a 1TB FireCuda SSHD ensure snappy Microsoft Windows performance and fast game load times.
Loaded with gaming essentials
The TUF Gaming FX505 and FX705 both feature Full HD IPS-level displays with refresh rates up to 144Hz, delivering ultra-smooth and clear gameplay that avoids blurring. The matte non-reflective displays cover the entire sRGB gamut and produce vivid colors even at wide viewing angles. The FX505 and FX705 also have NanoEdge displays, significantly reducing the size of the side bezels compared to traditional laptops, providing an immersive experience and reducing the footprint of the laptop.
The keyboard switches have an ample 1.8mm of key travel and ASUS exclusive Overstroke technology raises the actuation point higher in the stroke to improve responsiveness, giving gamers an edge and making for a more comfortable typing experience at the same time. Inspired by desktop keyboards, the key caps are curved, the arrow keys are isolated, and defined gaps make the function keys easier to find. Backlighting comes in customizable RGB or a red glow matching the chassis accents.
Audio also plays an important role in delivering quality and immersive gaming experiences. DTS Headphone: X technology is integrated into the FX505 and FX705 so that over headphones or speakers, preset profiles for games, movies, music, and sports can produce tailored experiences for every situation.
Ensuring a stable internet connection with low latency is at the top of any serious gamer’s list of must-haves. The TUF Gaming FX505 and FX705 both feature gigabit Ethernet jacks for the no-compromise gamers as well as Intel’s latest 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wave 2 WiFi, capable of making connections of up to 1.73Gbps to compatible routers. Both laptops have HDMI ports for connecting additional displays and two USB 3.1 and one USB 2.0 ports for peripherals.
TUF and built to last
The TUF Gaming FX505 and FX705 are built to withstand everyday abuse. We put them through rigorous quality and durability test that exceed industry standards to pass MIL-STD-810G tests for short drops extreme temperatures, humidity, and altitude. The Hyperstrike keyboards on both models use switches rated for 20 million key presses. The reinforced chassis and hexagonal design on the bottom add structural rigidity to make the laptop even sturdier.
Superior and long-lasting cooling
Proper cooling is critical to getting the most out of a gaming laptop. For this reason, the TUF Gaming FX505 and FX705 laptops have HyperCool systems, featuring independent fans and heatsinks to cool the CPU and GPU separately. The design also has the fans placed directly underneath the keyboard to help remove heat to keep the keyboard cool and comfortable during extended gameplay sessions. The patented trapezoid-cut lid allows for more air to eject out the back, improving cooling performance by up to 25% over other designs. Cooling performance can degrade over time with dust and particle build-up impeding airflow through thermal fins. ASUS’ patented dust tunnels help to guide dust and particles off to a separate chamber to be ejected from the system, keeping the thermal fins clear and cooling performance stable over the long term.
Allen Ngo - Lead Editor U.S. - 5183 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2011
After graduating with a B.S. in environmental hydrodynamics from the University of California, I studied reactor physics to become licensed by the U.S. NRC to operate nuclear reactors. There's a striking level of appreciation you gain for everyday consumer electronics after working with modern nuclear reactivity systems astonishingly powered by computers from the 80s. When I'm not managing day-to-day activities and US review articles on Notebookcheck, you can catch me following the eSports scene and the latest gaming news.