6.5 Score
We have seen pre-built PC from brands before and while many would argue, building a new PC is more worth it than getting pre-builds – there are consumers out there who love an easy-to-set-up PC. The ASUS TUF Gaming T500 is that but what’s peculiar is how it’s a PC without true PC Parts – well kind of.
ASUS TUF Gaming T500 Review
The PC and Build
The ASUS TUF Gaming T500 is a relatively small PC, and you could put it side by side with an SFF, and you’ll realise – this has the same, if not similar, make and build as one. However, given that this is a Pre-built PC, you have the TUF branding all around, which I feel gives it a nice look. On the front, when you turn on – the amber-yellow lighting is very subtle and well done, and the glow inside the case completes the lighting very well.
Speaking of the insides, the side panel of the PC has a glass panel, which helps with looking into the ASUS TUF Gaming T500’s components – which is something you find in a good high-end casing. Overall, it’s well put-together and doesn’t take too much space on desks or even under desks. This helps with the setup because as versatile it is, this can work into the smallest spaces very well.
The Peculiar Part: It’s a PC with Mobile Processor
As for the specification, this is where you will notice a lot of peculiarity with this ASUS TUF Gaming T500. It comes with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, 1TB SSD and here’s where it gets interesting: you are looking at 16GB DDR5 RAM but in SODIMM configuration and the processor, it’s an Intel Core i7-13620H – and yes, that’s a mobile processor. It is essentially a laptop hardware mashed with desktop hardware. But this means one thing, could the performance actually be better?
Performance
When you see a laptop hardware, in its rightful habitat, that is inside a laptop, it has a lot of obstacles to overcome: thermals, consistent performance and even endurance as it runs on battery. When you setup the same hardware but in a PC form, you best believe there are some interesting improvements worth noting. The thermals should be better, performance should be slightly better and since it’s a PC – you get access to the full performance all the time.
Based on our benchmark scores, which you can take a look at, it proves that this PC is no slouch. Obviously you cannot expect it to be on the same level as a prim and proper desktop, but for the specification that it offers and when you pair it with a decent 1080p gaming monitor, you are looking at a capable PC afterall. Upgradability is applicable for the RAM and storage – whereas GPU and Processor is not upgradable, due to BIOS limitation. We did game a little bit, Indiana Jones, Doom Eternal and for the most part, it is a good 1080p gaming machine.
And then port selection it comes with, I do wish we had more USB-C which is misses out and you will only find one on the front, capped to 5Gbps speeds. With a desktop like this, you get 3 years of on-site warranty. Ther isn’t much to say or rave about this PC but to specifically point out that this is for those users who doesn’t want a complicated setup and just want something who could set it up on a desk and just use with no frills.
Conclusion
Alas, the ASUS TUF Gaming T500 does not come cheap as it’s priced at RM 6,999 – at least for the variant we reviewed here. I wouldn’t outright recommend this PC, not without a bunch of disclaimers. If you want a idiot-proof PC for someone who isn’t going to get all technical, say for kids or a certain age group of adults – then maybe you can look into this or opt for their more affordable RM 3,899 T500 with i5-13420H, RTX 3050 and 512GB SSD instead.
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