Inside ASUS TUF Dash F15 (FX516) – disassembly and upgrade options
Apparently, this laptop is a ROG Zephyrus M GU502 clone, and we saw pretty much what we expected on the inside.
Check out all ASUS TUF Dash F15 (FX516) prices and configurations in our Specs System or read more in our In-Depth review.
1. Remove the bottom plate
To get inside of this laptop, you have to undo 15 Phillips head screws. Keep in mind that one of them is captive and will remain attached to the bottom panel, thus lifting it ever so slightly, so you can start the prying process from there.
2. Battery
A huge improvement over last year’s TUF A15 is the battery. Our unit came equipped with a 76Wh package.
3. Memory and storage
As you can see, there is only one SODIMM slot for memory upgrades. Depending on the configuration, you get either 8GB or 16GB of soldered RAM, which can be expanded up to 32GB via the aforementioned slot. Storage-wise, there are two M.2 PCIe x4 slots.
4. Cooling system
After you remove the panel, you’ll see the cooling solution. It comprises five heat pipes – two common for the processor and the graphics card, and one more for each of them. Then, there is the last one, which cools the VRMs and the graphics memory.
Check out all ASUS TUF Dash F15 (FX516) prices and configurations in our Specs System or read more in our In-Depth review.
ASUS TUF Dash F15 (FX516) in-depth review
Last year, ASUS was one of the first manufacturers (if not the first) to trust AMD and their Ryzen 4000 processors. And it turned out to be a success. You could have snatched a rather affordable unit with supreme computational performance, which was something unseen to this day. And as they continue to do that in 2021, with AMD's even more powerful Ryzen 5000H CPUs, they did a slight detour.This is how the TUF Dash F15 (FX516) was born. Instead of the extremely powerful AMD processors, it includes something bold from Intel - the Core i7-11370H - the first quad-core high-performance Core i[...]
Pros
- Good keyboard with decent travel, clicky feedback, and an RGB backlight
- Interesting and efficient CPU/GPU combo
- 3200 MHz memory in dual-channel, RAID support via dual M.2 PCIe x4 slots, and Thunderbolt 4 + Wi-Fi 6 support
- The display doesn't flicker at any brightness level (LM156LF-2F03)
- Has a good contrast ratio and comfortable viewing angles (LM156LF-2F03)
- Can be purchased with a 165Hz 1440p panel
Cons
- Lacks an SD card reader
- It gets pretty loud and hot on the outside when gaming
- Covers only half of sRGB and has slow response times (despite the fast refresh rate) (LM156LF-2F03)
- Lacks a Web camera
This laptop is terrible for a 2021 model that even has “Gaming” in the ad. Companies need to stop soldering everything to the board. This limits every single user out there. Because you have to match what is soldered on. You can’t just remove the single soldered-on ram stick and buy a matched set. Everything we do today involves camera use. Whoever is at Asus should be fired. They have been doing this stupid stuff for far too long now. And people still defend themselves about it. I bought one and had no problems. You see they are fixing all… Read more »
Wah wah, then don’t buy it
I bought 2 skill ripjaws 16gb*2 today. I could only install one. On it’s official website it says that it has 2 slot. I feel kinda scammed.