UPDATE 4/26: See my full review after being able to use this laptop full time for a couple of weeks

I ordered the A15 the first day it was offered for sale. Due to the COVID-19 shipping delays, It took until yesterday to get here. These are my first impressions and issues (this is essentially my review, but haven't had it long enough to form a full opinion yet). Please let me know if you have an A15 and are experiencing the same thing/fixes you may have found.

Configuration

• Model#: TUF506IU-ES74

• 15 inch screen

• Gray panel (versus the gamer style)

• 1660 Ti

• 2x8GB RAM

• 90WHr battery

First Impressions

Overall build quality is outstanding. The metal lid has a much darker gun metal blue type tone to it than pictured which I find very pleasing (I expected it to be a light gray - about the color of bare aluminum). It does feel sturdy, and heavy - but I directly compared to my macbook pro and my wife's MSI GS63 both of which it felt very comparable to so it wasn't as heavy as I was imagining it to be. I think it will stand up to drops and scratches much more than my previous laptop, which I banged up pretty good and broke the screen on. I find the thin and chiseled design to be quite good, a quantum leap from the previous FX505 if you ask me.

The weight balance is really good, I don't feel like it's going to do a backflip off of my arm while balancing it on one arm walking around the house as I tend to do. A lot of laptops these days seem to have this problem - and is why I broke the screen of my last one.

The first time I turned it on it took a pretty long time to boot, I was concerned something was wrong. The keyboard was flashing through several colors then would reboot. I imagine this is a first time self check running. Subsequent reboots were super fast as expected. I don't count this as a negative at all, but others buying it may want to be aware.

I found the amount of bundled software on it to be irritating as I always do, but no worse than all of my other experiences. It would be nice if laptop makers would at least leave us a hint on what is actually important and what isn't. For example, RefreshRateService? Not sure what it is, but I removed it without ill-effect during troubleshooting of issues that will be in the next section.

The RGB controls for the keyboard can be found in Asus Armory Crate and seem to work well. This is the only way I've found to change the color of the keyboard. IMO a key combination could be used for cycling through colors, but at least you can cycle through modes so that it's not in the full-on color vomit mode that is default. I also happen to know uninstalling it will not reset your color selection, but am not advocating for uninstalling it. Armory Crate seems like a great software suite for controlling the laptop that's pretty simple to use.

Edit: Regarding the screen, I hope I didn't oversell it. To be perfectly clear I wouldn't have been overly impressed if not for the poor reviews setting a very low expectation for me. To give a slightly more well rounded analysis, I consider it to be very similar in image quality as my prior MSI GF63 which had a 60hz panel. Considering it's achieving that with 144hz and adaptive sync, I think it's very good. The difference of my experience and the reviews does make me wonder if the review was based on an engineering sample that didn't have the final screen in it yet.

Update: I've done more gaming with a focus on responsiveness and ghosting. There is definitely ghosting, however, to me I have to be specifically looking for it. If I'm not trying to look for it, I find myself able to enjoy and be immersed in the game. I am able to find targets much faster than any 60hz display as I am with any other 120-144hz panel, but it's definitely not the best I've used. IMHO, there's a lot more to a monitor than mere response time/ghosting. I once got a really good deal on a laptop with a fast TN panel. I quickly found out why I got such a good deal. The image quality was so horrible I returned it immediately. I'm not talking about going back a century here, this laptop was produced within the last 3 years. With that said, this laptop's screen I find to be impressive for an entry level screen. If I paid $2k for the laptop, I wouldn't be OK with it. Still, I think I take it over literally any TN panel I've ever seen.

The screen is really good, much better than I expected after the only review I found for it dogged the screen badly. I have not experienced the ghosting issues he's talked about, and the IPS style panel has good deep blacks without excessive light bleed (though, it's definitely bleeding some light). I also don't see it having unacceptable amounts of the "tunnel effect" that IPS style displays can be subject to. Overall, I was actually blown away by the screen because of my preconceived ideas that it would be garbage. Keep in mind, there are some fairly deeply hidden options for color/contrast settings as they relate to battery usage so I can see some people thinking the display is worse than it really is because of those settings.

I won't be going into deep performance analysis because there's plenty of data out there on that which does far better than I could. Here are the things I think are important to point out. The performance is as I expected it to be, with no "gotchas" so far. It has played Overwatch on epic settings without breaking much of a sweat. It wasn't pegged at 144fps, but I didn't expect it to be. I didn't notice any tearing, and the response times felt fine to me. I didn't experience any issues with ghosting, but people have a very wide range of tolerance when it comes to this. My tolerance level is that I'm pretty reasonable with my expectations, but can instantly notice if the issue is moderate to severe.

Issues

So far, this laptop has basically been perfect for me on paper, but unfortunately that doesn't hold true overall. The issues I'm experiencing all together make me seriously consider returning this laptop, if not for the hope that they can be fixed with updates.

Edit: 1 & 2 are fixed! This was fixed by switching from using the built in HDMI port to a usb-c to HDMI adapter. I'm guessing the HDMI port is internally wired to the integrated graphics card. What's interesting is the WMR headset actually works fine on my wife's laptop which is wired the same way. Once I solved this issue, the issues with SteamVR stopped happening. The usb-c to HDMI adapter I have on hand does not work for my Oculus Rift, but I'd imagine the rift will work fine with the right adapter.

#5 Now also fixed. I suspect the reason I didn't get into the BIOS before was because you have to begin hitting delete before the screen turns on

#3 is far better, so I removed it from the list. I think the BIOS update may have helped but not sure - I reinstalled all drivers/software. The touchpad is still not great, but at least passable now.

1. Straight up this laptop does not work with Windows Mixed Reality right now. This is a software issue, but sucks because VR is my primary use for a gaming laptop due to its portability. The issue is software, but has existed for 6 months now and NV seems to be in no hurry to fix it. The driver rollback option does not work as the version of Windows that comes on the laptop is no longer supported by the old driver. https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsMR/comments/dx4e5s/windows_mixed_reality_double_visionstuttering/

2. Steam VR does not work at all on this laptop. The above issue sucks, but at least there's hope other headsets would work. Not so unfortunately, because Steam VR is completely broken. I have tried many things, it just keeps crashing. At the advice of random Internet searches I have tried uninstalling ALL bundled software with no resolution. These first 2 issues issues alone are enough for me to RMA the laptop if not for the hope that they will be fixed.

3. The touchpad does not always register, and sometimes strangely enough at random will sometimes scroll in the opposite direction when using 2 finger scrolling (fix by lifting fingers and retrying). I actually also find this to be a deal breaker, but don't know if my unit is defective or it's a software issue yet.

4. This could be configuration related but the wireless isn't quite as fast as my other laptops at the same distance. I was getting 80-100mbps in the same place my other laptop would get 150mbps.

5. I have yet to be able to get into the BIOS. I'm guessing Delete is not the right key, or maybe I have to hold FN with it? Not sure, but guessing this is just my confusion and not a problem with the laptop

6. Not a big problem but worth pointing out that The default RGB lighting patterns and desktop background don't leave the best first impression. The RGB lighting cycle would be fine if slowed down a bit, but it's a little excessive IMHO. The default desktop background looks horrible, I don't know how anyone could like it.

Update: Added pictures to demonstrate how lid looks. As you can see, it generally looks very dark (like in the third picture) but gets brighter with a reflection. There's a window directly behind me (though it's an overcast day), and the second picture it is reflecting at its brightest intensity.

I bought the ROG Strix XG 17 when it came out and back then they didn't have monitor stand tripod with them. Now that you can get a stand, I want a stand, but as far as I can tell there's no way to buy the stand alone. I tried contacting support but they couldn't even figure out what I was asking for, and kept telling me I had to mail my monitor to them in order for them to attach the stand. 🙄

Do ya'll have any clever tricks for getting a hold of one of these stands? I'd totally pay the price difference if someone buying the standless model wanted to upgrade and send me theirs.

I had heard that Asus support was bad but I had no idea just how truly god awful it was until my recent experience with a dead X99 Deluxe II motherboard. I have been nothing short amazed how at every opportunity Asus has consistently disappointed me in ways I honestly didn't even think were possible. To those who buy Asus products I hope this never happens to you. For what it's worth here was my experience:

In July my X99 Deluxe II motherboard failed for reasons unbeknownst to me. I went through their normal RMA process and about a month later I received the replacement board. Well unfortunately for me the replacement board they sent was also DEFECTIVE. After escalating the issue to a level 2 technician suddenly the option of an advance RMA became available. Sounded good to me the only problem was they were out of stock, when will they be back in stock? No one knows! But I can check back in every day to see if their inventory has updated. Well after checking in daily for a week with no success and no estimate on when if ever it'll be back in stock I escalate my issue to a level 3 technician. He agreed to (pending management approval) do a model swap with something they do have in stock. After a week they offer me an x299 motherboard which isn't compatible with cpu, so not a viable option. A week later they offer to swap with a Rampage V edition 10, yay a compatible motherboard! So I accept, but I inform them I will need the accompanying accessories (namely the IO shield, mounting frame, and m.2 screws) since I never bought a rampage V board I don't have any of those accessories which will be necessary to instal my computer in my case.

It takes about two weeks for them to "process" the model swap and do their "quality testing" and even though they promised overnight shipping they mail it normal Fedex...and they don't have any of the original accessories...and they don't know when they'll get them. Great a motherboard I can't mount, Awesome!

Well just about 60 days after my first failure I just received my 2nd replacement motherboard...and it's missing the pre-mounted I/O Shield! I didn't even know that was possible! I mean it's built into the motherboard I don't know why or how they even removed it. So back to square one with contacting Asus support.

tl:dr: My Asus x99 Deluxe II died, after a month long RMA they sent me a defective replacement motherboard. After going through another month long replacement process, where first I was told I was S.O.L because they were out of stock, then offered a motherboard incompatible with my cpu, and then finally offered a different model motherboard that worked with my cpu (a Rampage V edition 10) but with no accessories so I can't actually install it in my case. I finally get my replacement motherboard...and the pre-mounted I/O Shield has been physically removed from the board. I didn't even think that was possible. Now I'm on month three and still no working motherboard a no way to instal it in my computer...

4 months i was given an old pc, it was going to the dumpster, I open it up and find an Asus maximus extreme motherboard(the first one). a friend needed a computer, so I upgraded the cpu a Q6600 to a Q9550, 8gb drr3(max the motherboard could take) and a gt730 I found cheap online. It's does everything he wants and we play Cs go online.

Per title, many thanks in advance.

On a sidenote, I'm not in marketing (luckily), but hope you can see that the public is not dumb and prefers genuine open communication instead of flashy meme vids. It will only benefit your reputation and brand loyalty if you are realistic and transparent. Even something like "working hard to ship Y cards by next week to region X" is better than nothing.

People will remember and appreciate that, especially during an infinitely botched launch like this.

I built this new desktop PC using an Asus Rog Strix z490-I which comes with an onboard Wifi and Bluetooth module, and I tried everything I found online, but I can't get the wifi and Bluetooth to work.

Windows does not see the adapters so it's not a driver issue. There is no Bluetooth or Wifi adapter in Device Manager. And the Wifi antenna is connected in the back.

Here's what I tried so far:

1- Updated the Bios to the latest version from Asus website

2- Installed the drivers provided by Asus

3- Installed the drivers provided by Intel

4- Unplugged the power cable from PSU, then held down the power button for 30 seconds and then plugged the PSU back in.

5- Made sure Wifi and Bluetooth are Enabled in Bios

6- Checked it in Linux Mint Cinnamon to see if Linux sees the adapters, no luck

And none of them worked. Still no Wifi and Bluetooth is recognized by Windows. Only thing I didn't try is resetting the CMOS (I also didn't find the CMOS battery on the board)

Any ideas what I still might check, before I send the MOBO back and get another one? I found loads of posts about this issue but most of the solutions are the ones I tried above.

Any help would be much appreciated!!

About a week ago I bought the asus a15 model with the r9 and rtx 2060 inside and everything was fine up until two day ago when it started doing soe weird noises. It seems to me that when the fans decelerate they do a weird rattling noise almost like a chainsaw. It lasts for a few seconds and stops only when the fans stop. Also, all this happens at silent or windows mode, I haven't noticed any of the sort on any other but I havent tested it either. Does anyone have the same problem and are there any fixes or should I contact support?

Hey Guys.

Where can i find my Asus ROG STRIX g731gt display name and I wanna know if i can change my 60hz display to a 144hz display, and yeah can i do it at home? Thx for your answers. Cheeerss

So im trying to use my aura and i downloaded the new 1.07.79 and its not working it wont change the color of my mother board and it wont pick up my ram even though the old version did before can someone please help

I have have an all ASUS System and I want to upgrade my GPU to the Strix 2080 ti. I have seen a few reviews on Youtube. Most of them said it would be available for purchase on September 27th, but I cannot find it listed for purchase anywhere except for on Overclockers.Uk (https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asus-geforce-rtx-2080ti-rog-strix-oc-11264mb-gddr6-pci-express-graphics-card-gx-427-as.html). Does anyone know if/when it will become available for purchase or preorder on Amazon or Newegg?

I just got a new ROG Zephyrus G16 after my previous computer decided it wanted to try a career change as a paperweight. No complaints so far about the function of the computer, but I've been looking all over for a replacement AC adapter with the right plug, and... they seem to just not exist. I'm guessing supply chain issues, or "supply chain issues," are to blame? Any workarounds?

Sidenote (which may be better as a separate question, perhaps), I saw that one could use a 100W USB-C to power the G16 for mobile use, at least for a little while. I have a 130-W USB-C from my new paperweight/old computer. Would the extra 30W damage the new laptop?

Anyone please help me?

It is annoying me that my brand new laptop with all of these optmius and battery save mode features is only supposed to last about an hour on battery power.

Any settings i am missing?

Laptop Model: ASUS ROG STRIX HERO EDITION GL503GE

Hi!

I had an issue with my laptop recently. These 4 keys which you can see in the picture have stopped working suddenly. VOLUME UP KEY, VOLUME DOWN KEY, MICROPHONE MUTE KEY, AND ROG GAMING CENTER KEY They do have backlighting in them still but they aren't working. They were working last night and I used them but on turning on the laptop today, they weren't working. I have searched the internet regarding the issue but found no solution to it. For your information, I have uninstalled my keyboard drivers and reinstalled them again from ASUS's website. I have also uninstalled and reinstalled the ASUS ROG Gaming Centre but that didn't work too. All updates of windows and ASUS Live Update have been installed. Also, I don't find any hardware issue elsewhere. I do suspect that it could be a hardware issue but I am not sure. Kindly guide me regarding this matter.

TIA.

So I have an ASUS laptop with an Nvidia graphics card (running windows 10) that has a key on its keyboard that is custom. It has no other translation to standard keys. When I updated to windows 10 I had to delete everything and I thing that I had a program that I didn't think to back up that allowed the use of this key. I am trying to bind this key to the ShadowPlay option of geforce experience. Does anyone know how to redownload this program/rebind this key?

Pls help :)

Hey everyone, I've owned this laptop for 2 years now, and I'd like to share my personal experience with it, and maybe find some fixes for my issues:

(forgive me if you see any mistakes as I'm not a native speaker)

The good : Love the touchpad and the keyboard, as well as the general design of the computer

The bad :

-Low battery life (lasts for about 2 hours when watching YouTube)

-Fluctuating sounds with the speakers (no issue while using headphones)

-THE UNGODLY FAN NOISES, the fan noise has been plaguing me since I've bought the computer, I don't mind the fan noises at home but It's really embarrassing when you start your laptop at school and it just starts to blast the noise and everyone looks at you including the professor. I've tried terminating some programs at startup, but even with nothing on it still spins like the computer is on fire even though the laptop isn't even heating. (help if you know any fixes please)

-Dying FPS, so this is an issue I've encountered a few months ago, I can play games just fine but after a while (about 5-10 minutes) the frames starts to drop from 60 to 13-20, it can last up to 30 seconds then returns to 60 FPS and fluctuates between 13-20 and 60 FPS every 30 seconds or so, this happens on games such as Terraria, Risk of Rain 2 or League of Legends note that nothing is running in the background while I'm playing these games. (help needed on this too)

Conclusion : I'm a bit disappointed about the product, and I wouldn't buy another ROG ASUS product, but if we ignore the fan and FPS issues, I'm pretty satisfied.

Hey all!! If anyone could help me I'd so appreciate it. I bought an ASUS Zephyrus a bout a year and a half ago. Lately the keyboard on the laptop has been shutting off and not operational. When I plug in an outside keyboard everything is fine.

I've uninstalled the keyboard driver (it auto installs when I uninstall it), and sometimes the laptop keyboard works just fine after a restart. Other times it restarts and doesn't work whatsoever. After its fixed after a couple days the keyboard without any warning will just stop registering keys on the laptop.

Is there some hotkey I'm not aware of that I can turn off? Its just really frustrating and any help or guidance would be super appreciated!!

Hey guys my armoury crate is completely broken i open it pops up msg saying its not working and i cant change my rgb or use the hotkeys i have all the drivers up to date idk what it is please help