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Lately, screens with 16:10 aspect ratios are replacing the traditional 16:9 screens, especially in the PC gaming category. With that, laptops with 16-inch or larger displays like the Asus TUF Gaming F16 are getting more popular and practical to use for both productivity and play. Our review unit is the Asus FX607VU-SS53 that uses Nvidia’s entry-level RTX 4050 alongside an Intel Core 5 210H processor, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 512GB SSD storage.
While some laptops have a higher-tier RTX 5060 with lower TDPs, the TUF Gaming F16 is packing a previous-gen GPU but with the latest processor, which helps to level the playing ground for budget gaming on a budget. The TUF FX607VU-SS53 is an imposing laptop thanks to its 16-inch frame, and it manages to include a generous assortment of ports, a backlit keyboard, a numberpad, and a 144Hz IPS display. Given its tested MSRP, the Asus TUF Gaming F16 offers decent performance, but that comes with a couple of caveats.
Asus TUF Gaming F16 Specs
- CPU: Intel Core 5 210H
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Screen: 16-inch 1200p IPS, 144Hz
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Weight: 4.9 pounds
- Size: 13.94 x 0.87 x 9.88 inches
Design & Features
The Asus TUF Gaming F16 has an all-familiar design that we’ve seen on other TUFs – a dark grey exterior without bling on the body. This is an intentional approach from Asus, meant to create a laptop that blends into any professional or casual environment, and it succeeds. Some of Asus’ gaming laptops, like the Asus TUF Gaming A15, scream ‘gamer’ from a distance, but with the TUF Gaming F16, everything is muted to a simple enclosure with a TUF shield at the center.
Measuring 13.94 x 0.87 x 9.88 inches and weighing 4.9 pounds, the FX607VU-SS53 is heavier and bigger than most 15-inch gaming laptops, but it’s on the lighter side of 16-inch gaming laptops. Compared: the Acer Nitro 17 measures 15.76 x 1.1 x 11.55 inches and weighs 6.6 pounds, while the MSI Katana GF76 measures 15.67 x 10.75 x 0.99 inches and weighs 5.07 pounds.
When you lift the lid open, there’s a notch on the top bezel that houses the 720p webcam, which was missing in its predecessor from last year. The left side of the laptop holds a power adaptor, an Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, a 3.5mm jack, one USB 3.2 Type-C port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. On the right side, there’s only a single USB 3.2 Type-A port.
Display, Keyboard & Touchpad
The screen on the TUF Gaming F16 spans 16 inches and offers a 144Hz refresh rate with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. From the moment you switch it on, images look fantastic; videos, pictures, and games all shine. However, viewing the screen from the wrong side will quickly mute the vibrant colors with earthy tones. It covers 45% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and fires up to 284 nits of brightness.
With the large chassis footprint, you have enough room for a full-size keyboard that looks sleek, and the keys are responsive, albeit quiet without a tactile response. It doesn’t have dedicated media keys, and most of the alternate functions can be accessed with the help of an FN key. All keys are illuminated with RGB LEDs – particularly the WASD keys with clear keycaps.
The touchpad measures 4.2 inches x 2.4 inches. It responds well to two-finger scrolling and zooming, but you’ll want to use a dedicated mouse for gaming. One feature we like is the use of left/right buttons. Instead of using one piece for both touchpads and buttons, there are three separate components used here to make clearly defined buttons.
Gaming & Graphics Performance
The Asus FX607VU-SS53 is an entry-level, inexpensive gaming laptop and cuts a few corners to achieve this price. Intel’s Core 5 210H processor is a good example – simply an eight-core processor with four performance cores, and a max Turbo Boost of 4.8GHz. Most gaming laptops above the TUF Gaming F16 use the more powerful Intel Core 7 7 240H or higher. Acer also equips it with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD).
The Asus TUF Gaming F16’s processor performance is fine, arguably at par with most other entry-level machines. Gaming is what matters. Nvidia’s RTX 4050 6GB is the showstopper at this price and offers maximum graphics power of 115W with Nvidia Advanced Optimus.
Running Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra graphics settings at 1080p results in an average frame rate of 51 frames per second (fps). When ray tracing and DLSS are turned off, Cyberpunk 2077 improves, hovering around 63 FPS when playing mostly high settings.
The Asus TUF Gaming F16 has huge expectations to live up to.
Aside from Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is yet another game that’s unforgiving to graphics cards. With settings set to high, the game plays at an average of 70 FPS. When playing older titles like Metro Exodus Enhanced and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Asus FX607VU-SS53 averages 60 FPS on high settings and 73 FPS on medium settings, respectively.
The TUF Gaming F17’s battery life isn’t particularly disappointing, since expectations are always low for big-screen gaming laptops, but the four-and-a-half-hour runtime isn’t impressive either. We’ve seen worse, but you should plan on using this laptop for a long time without your charger close, especially if you play games on battery power.
Should you buy the Asus TUF Gaming F16?
Yes, for the price, the Asus TUF Gaming F16 is a solid gaming laptop even though the competition offers better, especially for anyone looking for a gaming and work machine with the latest tech.
The TUF Gaming F16 in this review isn’t the most powerful gaming laptop in this price range, and it isn’t the most stylish, but it does what it’s set out to do fine. If you can buy it on sale, you’ll squeeze a lot of value out of this sleek, adaptable package – and even at its current price, it offers peppy performance with features normally reserved for top-tier models.
Again, the few things holding the Asus FX607VU-SS53 from being the absolute gaming beast don’t affect gaming. Its mediocre base screen and uninspired audio can be remedied by a pair of gaming headphones, and the screen isn’t completely gross.
However, if you need the best performance possible in a 16-inch laptop with a 16:10 aspect ratio, the Asus ROG Strix G16 (2025) and Gigabyte Aero X16 are better alternatives. Both machines arrive with the latest tech from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, making them future-proof and ideal for high-end gaming and productivity.
That said, if your budget dictates that you can only spend $1,500 or less on a gaming laptop, the Asus TUF Gaming F16 is a good choice and offers decent performance and features across the board. It’s notably far better than its predecessor, and with the RTX 4050 GPU, it offers a unique combination of power, ergonomics, and flexibility that is not easy to nail at this price point.
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