Customer Ratings & Reviews

Good gaming pc and work computer also nice small form factor fits well on a desk

THIS… IS the Asus Tuf T500 equipped with an intel i5 13240H, 16gb of ram and a 5060. With decent specs, a small form factor, and only one case fan… lets take a look at the T500 and how it stacks up to the competition. Opening the box, this PC is not only a small form factor, but a decently light weight. At around 20-25 pounds, this pc is gaming console size while retaining a sleek gaming pc design which I really like. The case has an extension on the front bottom of the case that is not present in the rear, meaning that the T500 does tilt backwards. That being said, it is sort of a unique style that I don’t hate. There is also some well done customizable case RGB, with the front panel having a gamer / asus style rgb with an addressable RGB strip on the interior of the case. The lighting does a good job both illuminating the interior and exterior of the case while giving it a potent but not over the top gamer aesthetic. I think Asus has done a really good job balancing out the aesthetics and quality of the case, while still allowing the inside to look good enough to want to look at. Speaking of looking, looking in the glass window makes it instantly apparent that this gaming computer is an odd ball to say the least. Instead of a normal CPU cooler, there is a single large heat pipe that is attached to the CPU socket that runs to a radiator on the rear of the case. This is also where you will see the single 90mm exhaust case fan, the only fan that comes in this PC.. which raises a few issues. In my test, the T500’s 13250H regularly passed into the 90c territory, and would often idle in the high 80’s when gaming. While this design does keep the T500 whisper quiet, and I mean near silent, it does come with thermal throttling. Throttling was less notable in GPU heavy games at 1080p, though, when switching to CPU heavy games such as call of duty, fortnite or valorant told a different story. The longer I gamed, the worst my clock speeds got… and inevitably the worse my pc performed with a degradation in FPS. So gaming was good at best, though easily getting and maintaining over 100fps in most titles at 1080p with some settings adjustments. Asus made some choices that didn’t help out too much though…The single channel 16gb DDR5 ram is one example, as I would expect dual channel ram in a gaming focused PC. Speaking of ram, it's mobile (laptop) ram… but this is also a mobile (laptop) sku intel core i5. Asus has essentially created a hybrid PC with the specs being mostly laptop in a pc case with an actual discrete 5060. While that is not inherently a problem, laptops can really churn out fps, Asus didn’t do a lot to optimize this PC to this case. While the single 90mm case fan is one example, the CPU being soldered onto the motherboard is another example. Meaning that there is no upgrading this CPU… and if it dies, you need to replace it and the whole motherboard assembly. But with a 330w psu, I don’t think ASUS plans on you upgrading too much on this computer either. That being said, there is room for one.. Maybe two extra fans on the front of the case and two fan headers should you want to add some more case fans. There are several open spots for some ease of life upgrades such as extra M.2 slot, sata for SSD/HD, and you can always upgrade your ram, but you are restricted to one dim slot. Overall, this PC is unique and while it does have its downsides, it also has some nice features such as the platinum plus efficient PSU, several ports for storage upgrades and enough USB ports to do just about anything you'd want to do. I think that the T500 is easily the better choice over a console, and depending on the sale, is priced accordingly. That being said, this PC lives in a weird space where it can easily outdo consoles but… for just a little bit more money.. you could build or buy a full fledged PC. But I don’t hate this pc and aside from the need for a couple of case fans, I have had a lot of fun as it is a truly capable gaming PC. While I am not happy with the thermal performance, a few case fans can easily solve my only real issue with the T500… So it is hard not to recommend this PC as it stands knowing that its biggest flaw is easily solved. Until next time :)

purchased this as open box and i’ve had nothing but a seamless experience, highly recommend.

I appreciate the industrial design of this desktop -especially the front panel. The case comes in a mini tower form factor that takes a very small footprint. The glass display and subtle RGB lighting look nice but, in my opinion, also shows how basic the inside looks. While there is an attempt to make the appearance uniformly black, the stickers, green cable ties, color cables, and white connectors detract from it. It would have liked the SSD slots to have the same cover as the RAM, use black connectors, and sleeve the cables. Thankfully, the glass panel is removable, so some aesthetic customizations can be made (if you are like me). To my surprise, the included keyboard and mouse, while rather basic, feature full RGB lighting. There are plenty of I/O ports located on the back and front, including USB-A 2.0. USB-A 3.2, and strangely only one USB-C 3.2 in the front. There are also DisplayPort 1.4 and 2.1 as well as an HDMI 1.4 available for monitor hook-ups. The Wi-Fi 6 (why not 6E or 7?) is consistent and reasonably speedy without an external antenna and Bluetooth works as expected. This pre-build offers decent specs but has limited upgradability. This model comes with a single stick of 16GB of memory running at 5200MHz and can be expanded up to 64GB. I would have liked 2 sticks running in dual channel instead. A 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD is installed, and an empty slot is available as well. The motherboard features an i5-13420H CPU laptop-class (yes, laptop!!) processor which is soldered in and cannot be upgraded. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU can arguably be replaced, but the 330W power supply severely limits the options. Basically, this is an “as-is” PC, but I still think it has a decent lifespan. Now, I must say that I am rather impressed with the performance of this mini tower. The T-500 is marketed as a gaming desktop, so I am focusing on that. The entry-level RTX 5060 8GB VRAM graphics card, in conjunction with the 16GB RAM, works rather well with this laptop-class CPU. I did not notice any obvious bottlenecking while running synthetic graphic tests. I was pleased even more when I played graphic-intense AAA games. Sure, I had to curb my expectations, but playing at 1080p and 1440p at max settings yielded stable 60-120 frame rates (without raytracing) in most games. I had to play around with the settings and use frame-generation DLSS 4 if I wanted more performance or raytracing. 4K gaming is not even an option here -unless you’re into retro or simple games. The temperatures did reach a high of 92c (CPU) and 78c (GPU) during stress tests and intense gaming, but regularly stayed below 60c average. The CPU is cooled well enough by a single heat pipe and one exhaust fan. Overall, I would consider the T-500 an excellent and reliable mid-tier, entry-level 1080p/1440p gaming PC that does not take too much space or breaks the bank.

Enabled me to access my 3 year old Rf 9.5s simulator after the company shut it down and required me to go thru Steam Platform to access the program which steam required me to have a full blown Graphics card! Very happy to have my Simulator back!

Great gaming pc my son was happy it was his birthday gift

Great gaming computer for the price. Graphics and response timing are spot on

Excelent purchase, the service was perfect, i am very happy with BEST BUY

TLDR: Plenty of power, but held back by lack of VRAM CONNECTIONS USB-A 2.0 x 4 USB-C 3.2 x 1 USB-A 3.2 x 2 3.5mm Headphone x 1 DisplayPort x 1 - Integrated Graphics HDMI 1.4 x 1 - Integrated Graphics DisplayPort 2.1 x 3 - nVidia Graphics HDMI 2.1 x 1 - nVidia Graphics SPECS 8C / 12T (4P & 4E) 16GB DDR5 5200MT SO-DIMM x 1 1TB Gen 4 nVME SSD nVidia RTX 5060 Graphics w/ 8GB GDDR7 INITIAL THOUGHTS The T500 continues Asus' trend of placing low power laptop-grade processors into full sized PC cases. This computer is no different. This is basically a laptop, in a desktop case, with a desktop video card. I'm not sure how I feel about this new trend. In some ways it makes total sense, in some ways, it seems like a complete mismatch. It makes sense in that when you are not using the PC to game, it is an energy efficient, power sipping machine. The processor runs cool and quiet. There is so much room and airflow in the desktop-sized case that the processor fan runs minimally and when it does, it is nearly silent. However, this is also the Achilles heel of the T500. Because it has an energy efficient processor, it lacks the raw compute power that a full-on desktop processor can provide. There are less P-cores to draw on and even then, those P-cores are often throttled for energy efficiency by default. USE I have posted Passmark scores of all the major components inside the PC (CPU, RAM, SSD). The T500 hits mid-pack, at best, with performance. The processor scores on the low side of the spectrum, the RAM towards the top, being the latest DDR5, and the SSD scores right in line with any decent Gen 4 nVME drive. For day-to-day tasks, there isn't much to complain about with the T500. Like I stated above, the overall performance of the computer is great for daily workloads. Most importantly, it is extremely quiet. When I first started using the PC, I was almost certain there was an issue. The CPU fan did not turn on. Surely, there had to be an issue. After several hours, I had yet to see the fan spin up. Nope. No issues. As soon as I loaded up the Passmark tests the fan finally spun up to cool down the processor. Wow! Even under the heavy load of benchmarking the CPU fan was inaudible. This PC is much quieter than a comparable laptop. This goes with the laws of physics. It just has more room to breathe. GAMING Bottom line - Don't expect anything more than 1440p, at best. During testing, builders and buyers don't want a significantly mismatched system. If a computer has a low GPU utilization and high CPU utilization during gaming, it is considered to be CPU bound. Vice versa and it is considered to be GPU bound. This system is VRAM bound. This isn't necessarily a fault with Asus, it is a fundamental flaw with almost all 50-series nVidia GPU's. There isn't enough VRAM to take full advantage of the GPU or the latest and greatest graphics eye candy. Forza, Doom Dark Ages, Flight Simulator 2024, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Call of Duty, they are all held back by the limited amount of VRAM. Anything past 1440p with medium settings crush the available RAM and send FPS numbers plummeting. I was able to achieve the following framerates: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 / 1080p / High - 64fps Forza Motorsport 1920 x 1200 / High - 60fps Forza Motorsport 4k / Medium - 4fps Doom Dark Ages / 1440p / Medium - 60fps Doom Dark Ages / 1080p / High - 138fps Doom Dark Ages / 4k / Medium - 9fps Indiana Jones and the Great Circle / 1440p / Medium - 62fps Indiana Jones and the Great Circle / 1080p / High - 78fps Call of Duty / 1440p / High - 68fps These numbers were all achieved with DLSS enabled and set to Performance. Hoping (but knowing it wouldn't make any difference) to achieve higher framerates, I quickly swapped in 32GB of 5600MT/s Corsair DDR5 So-DIMM's. Unfortunately, the added system RAM did little to nothing to improve framerates but did give me considerably more overhead to work with multiple apps open and running. FINAL THOUGHTS The T500 makes a great everyday computer. The processor is energy efficient, and the computer barely makes a whisper. The nVidia card has more than enough performance to drive my 4k OLED monitor at 120Hz, just not during gaming. Queue up games though and you will quickly meet the limits of the available VRAM. If you game at 1080p or even 1440p, this PC will fill the bill nicely. But expect to utilize frame generation to get numbers you want to see for framerates. I was able to game at High and/or Ultra settings at 1080p, but that went down considerably at 1440p, with most games happiest at Medium settings. RECOMMENDED

The Asus TUF T500 Gaming PC is an excellent gaming machine for the money. You get an excellent entry/mid level GPU with the RTX 5060 that fits into a much smaller than normal form factor. First off the T500 tower is small, very small. But it looks amazing. The TUF orange lighting is the default, and looks well, tough, lol, but can be changed via the Armoury Crate software. So you're not stuck with orange. You can pick any color you want, and there are preset patterns and effects. The i5 13420H is okay for gaming, but is the weakest link in this system. While it does get the job done, it is noticeably slower compared to many of the current gaming laptops and desktops available today. Also, just looking at the CPU installed on the motherboard, it appears to me to soldered to the board. This means that you will not be able to upgrade this. I'm very curious why Asus chose to use a laptop CPU in a desktop application. Especially for a gaming desktop. Another thing to note is that this CPU was released over two years ago, Q2 of 2023. It also comes with 16GB, single stick of DDR5 5600 RAM, but it only runs at 5200 speed for some reason. Keep in mind that it is laptop RAM, and fortunately the ram is removable, and can be upgraded. The RTX 5060 is the highlight of this Gaming PC. It looks enormous in this case, even though it's a smaller GPU in general. You will easily be able to play just about any game at max settings at 1080p. I've been running this PC on a 1440p monitor and most games run fine at high settings, but Monster Hunter Wilds needs a mix of medium and high settings to get it to both run great and look great. The 1TB m.2 SSD drive is very fast. You get plenty of storage and fast loading times, which is ideal in a gaming rig. There is also an open m.2 spot to expand the storage. The Included keyboard and mouse are actually decent, and are both RGB. You can actually adjust the RGB through the keyboard, but the mouse is set on spectrum, and as far as I can tell, it can not be adjusted. The mouse also has a couple DPI presets you can get to by hitting the DPI button, but also can not be adjusted. You will definitely want to get a different mouse, but the keyboard is actually very usable. This is a good entry level gaming PC with a small form factor that will definitely get the job done, but you have a limited upgrade ability.

The ASUS TUF T500 mini-tower comes with a 13th Gen Intel i5 and Nvidia 5060 GPU packed into a sleek case. The T500 is my second prebuilt ASUS, but my first mini-tower based system. I have been building/modding my own PC’s for the last 10-15years, and have built several systems for friends and family. Prebuilts definitely fill a need, and in today’s current market they may be a more budget friendly alternative. Specs: CPU: Intel i5 13420H 8 core 12 thread processor with Iris Xe 80EU onboard graphics – 4 “Performance” cores at 2.1Ghz (boost to 4.5GHz) with Hyperthreading to 8 threads, and 4 “Efficient” cores at 1.5MHz (boost to 3.4GHz) GPU: Asus Dual 5060 (DUAL-RTX5060-8G) 2 slot card – Nvidia 5060 with 8GB GDDR7 VRAM with 3 DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x HDMI 2.1 ports Motherboard: Custom made for the T500 – laptop style board in a desktop PC RAM: SODIMM 16GB (1x16GB) Nanya DDR5-5600 (no heat spreader) CL22 (42-42-42-82-2T) with 1xR8 modules Storage: 1TB Samsung MZVMX1T0HCLD-00B00 PCIe Gen4 NVME TLC NAND PSU: LiteOn SFF 330W PSU 80+ Platinum Cooling: 90mm rear exhaust fan mounted to CPU Heatsink radiator Networking: RJ-45 10/100/1000 port, WiFi 6 (Intel WiFi 6 AX Dual Band 2x2), Bluetooth 5.4 Ports: Front (top) IO – 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5mm TRRS combo port for headset Rear IO – 4x USB 2.0 Type-A, RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet, 3x 3.5mm audio jacks, PS2, 1x HDMI (for onboard graphics), and DisplayPort 1.4 (for onboard graphics) Initial Thoughts and Unboxing Deciding to go with a prebuilt has some positives and negatives. Right now, the current state of the PC component market makes prebuilts more appealing. RAM and NVMe SSD prices will likely remain high for some time, so a prebuilt may be the only way to avoid some of those price shocks. I currently run a prebuilt ASUS CH16 tower from a few years ago and it has hummed along great for me. I got it at a time when there were still some supply/pricing constraints due to supply chain issues. I recently built a PC earlier this year for my stepson, but that only made sense because component pricing and availability was not as volatile. The biggest drawback to prebuilts is the lack of choice in components. You don’t get to specify the fastest RAM or NVMe drive, and the aesthetics are out of your control. However, I do believe the positives really outweigh the negatives. Having dealt with component issues over 2 decades of PC building, it is nice to have a single point of contact if a part has problems. Chasing down your RAM, PSU, GPU, etc maker can be a pain, whereas for this I only need to reach out to ASUS for any problem. Initial unboxing of the tower was pretty smooth. My first thought was, “Wow, its small.” I knew it was a compact PC, but unless you have a SFF or Micro-ATX based computer, it seemed little. The PC was well packaged inside the box. The box held up well to shipping and did its job protecting the PC. Also inside the box is a set of RGB wired keyboard and mouse. Design My initial impression of the T500 was postive, if not a little surpised. The size and weight of the whole system is compact. The front panel has a cool look to it – the Mecha design. I certainly see where they are going with that. The side panel has a tempered glass viewing window integrated into the removable metal panel. This side panel design makes it easier to handle the tempered glass without as much risk of breakage. Overall it’s a sharp looking little case. Once powered on you get the added glow of the front LED’s and an internal LED strip at the top of the case. The lighting is customizable inside the Amoury Crate application, which is preinstalled on the machine. It initially starts as an orange/amber glow, but these are full RGB LED’s, which I promptly set to a rainbow wave to match the rest of my peripherals. Inside the case you will see the custom cooling block that uses heat pipes and routed to an air cooled radiator on the back of the case. A single 90mm fan is mounted to the radiator, and is the only means of airflow in the case. Component wise this is kind of an oddball setup. Its close to being a laptop stuffed inside a tower PC’s body. The motherboard appears to be a smaller, non-standard size (not Micro ATX or Mini ITX). The processor is a 13th gen mobile processor that’s already a few years old (Q1 ’23 release). Owing to the mobile processor origins the motherboard also uses SODIMM RAM. The RAM slots in the MOBO support up to 64GB, but currently only one slot is populated with a single 16GB (DDR5-5600) stick. The GPU is an ASUS Dual 5060 with 8GB of VRAM. There are 2 M.2 slots for system storage. One slot comes populated with a1TB Gen 4 NVMe drive. Powering the whole system is a LiteOn 330W 80+ Platinum PSU. This is not a modular unit and it appears to be fairly customized with its 6+4 mobo power supply connection. There is space in the front of the tower where you could mount an additional fan for increased intake airflow. Otherwise there’s not much you can do to modify the case. In my larger CH16 I was able to drill holes and add additional drive banks for 2.5” and 3.5” drives – with the T500 I don’t really see that as an option. Smaller form factor PC’s will always be space limited, but there are some aspects of the case that I feel could have been adjusted to allow for some additional drive mounting. Performance While I do feel the components aren’t going to set any records, I have to admit everything does work pretty well. Make sure to pair this tower with an appropriate monitor, and game settings. I was able to play games and perform productivity tasks without any issue. I have dual monitors setup right now with a 24” FHD 144Hz panel (not HDR), and a 45” ultrawide 3440x1440 240Hz (HDR) panel. The 45 is connected via DisplayPort and the 24 is connected via HDMI. I played through a couple of my games and did some photoshop editing. I will note that under full load this system is pretty quiet, and is dead silent under light to medium loads. The fan noise is greatly attenuated by its mounting position, and the fans on the GPU really don’t ramp up until a decent load is put on the card. Compared to my other machine with a 3070 and i7 13700KF (16 core) the performance is lower across the board. A 5060 performs slightly below a 3070 at 1440p (~10% drop), but it stays fairly close at 1080p. The processor becomes the bottleneck at 1080p, and thermal throttling does come in to play if you push things enough. I mainly play FPS games like Halo Infinite and MCC, along with a few racing games. My stepson played Minecraft and Geometry Dash – all done at 1440p and 1080p. I used unlocked frame rates to start to see where the limit was. At 1080p on Halo Infinite with High settings I was getting around 100-110 FPS with peaks into the 120s. After a couple of rounds in some Big Team matches I did notice my average FPS dip into the upper 90s, which I believe is the result of some thermal throttling of the CPU. Switching over to 1440p I had to drop to medium settings to keep an average in the 90’s. The GPU fans spun up high to keep up with the load - this is the only time I could really hear any noise from the tower. For the most part these games looked and played just fine – not as maxed out as my other system, but certainly in the playable range for the vast majority of people. The highest FPS I saw was in Geometry Dash at 1080p, which ran around 180 FPS. My stepson is an avid gamer and he didn’t have any issues with this tower. His personal tower has a decent amount more power, but he didn’t really notice much of dip in visuals and performance over his system. If you are aiming to play the latest and greatest AAA games at 1440p you will be limited to medium-high settings, but your framerate should hold above 60fps. 1080p will fare much better, and will certainly pump out a decent framerate at all quality settings. I would not recommend this system if you want 4K performance. It just doesn’t have the power – Minecraft with a few mod packs was in the 20’s on a 4K monitor. Unless you are ok with really leaning on DLSS 3 and frame gen, I would cap this system at 1440p. Upgradeability Upgradeability on a prebuilt machine is certainly something to look for when weighing your options. My other ASUS tower was limited to the usual – RAM upgrade, populate second M.2 slot, and a slot for a 3.5” drive. The T500 is limited to just RAM and populating the second M.2 slot. The power supply appears to be custom for this unit - laptop based MOBO has a 6+4 pinout instead of the standard 24pin. Even something like upgrading the GPU may be out of bounds due to power restrictions, and difficulty swapping PSU’s. The CPU is a laptop based CPU, so you would only be able to upgrade to a limited number of CPU’s from that same socket family, and you would have to stay within the TDP range for the custom cooler. Overall, upgradeability is really limited on this tower due to the usage of such a custom MOBO+PSU, and the usage of laptop based components. This is a solid performing system and a decent option if you need a PC with a small footprint. The limited options for upgradeability are a knock against it, and the usage of such custom components may present an issue in the future. I really do like the design of the case and the overall look. I’m a fan of the smaller size – it really makes my desk feel a lot bigger. I would definitely consider a machine like this for any college bound gamer. Small footprint, easy to transport, and good performance.

This Asus TUF desktop is an interesting little computer with some unique features I haven’t run into before. First off, this machine feels more like a gaming console than a traditional gaming PC. I don’t mean that as a bad thing, it’s just not as modular as you usually expect a desktop to be. The whole system is built around an i5 mobile processor, which means it uses a custom proprietary motherboard and laptop-sized RAM (SO-DIMM). You can see in my photo that the RAM sits under a DDR5 housing. The memory can still be swapped out if needed, but you’ll always be limited to laptop RAM. Performance-wise, this computer is impressively fast and remarkably quiet, and the chassis is very small and compact. It’s a desktop that can actually sit on your desk without feeling like a tower is taking over your whole setup. In my case, I’ve had it sitting in a window sill most of the time, although I would not recommend doing that if you have cats, because we almost had a disaster. Upgradability - This is the make-or-break question for most people. How upgradable is it? The answer is, only slightly. You can’t upgrade the processor since it’s soldered in. The RAM is limited to SO-DIMM laptop sticks. The motherboard only has one PCI-E slot, and it’s already occupied by the graphics card. The GPU can be swapped out later, but you’re still limited by the case size and the power supply for any replacement card. Who is this for? - This is the question I kept asking myself all week, and the answer turned out to be right under my roof, my 10-year-old son. The more I think about it, the more this kind of computer makes sense for a kid who plays Roblox, Minecraft, and similar games. It operates like a gaming console, clean, quiet, efficient, and great at what it’s meant to do. It also sits at a price point that won’t break the bank. Since Asus manufactures both the motherboard and the GPU, everything feels cohesive and intentionally designed to work together. Problems - The only real issue I ran into was audio. Occasionally there’s a popping noise when switching between apps. That could be a driver issue, something with the Realtek audio setup, or potentially the motherboard’s sound output. I wasn’t able to resolve it, but I also didn’t spend a ton of time chasing it down since I usually keep sound off unless I’m gaming. All in all, for the right person, this could be a total win. The right person being someone who wants a desktop that is truly plug and play, wants low to mid-level gaming performance, a very small footprint, and virtually no noise or heat.

The Asus TUF T500MVC is, by definition, a gaming computer. Over the past week, I’ve spent considerable time playing games on it. However, it stands apart from any other PC I’ve encountered—it’s a true mobile/desktop hybrid, featuring a desktop-grade graphics card paired with a laptop’s processor, memory, and motherboard. It’s a unique device, one of those rare curiosities I felt compelled to test for myself. On the positive side, the T500MVC is notably smaller and lighter than typical gaming PCs, and its included power supply unit is energy-efficient. Thanks largely to its NVIDIA 5060 GPU, it can handle 1080p gaming with most settings enabled. Honestly, the mobile processor didn’t pose any major issues for me by itself; it’s not the fastest, but it’s “fine.” My main concern with this model is its cooling system. The machine runs hot, and I encountered thermal throttling a few times. Setup: Asus includes the PC, a keyboard, and a mouse along with some documentation. Out of the box, there were quite a few updates. Windows alone takes thirty minutes or so to update before you can even get into the operating system. Experience: For my testing, I attached the ASUS TUF T500MVC to a 1080p gaming monitor with GSYNC. I put the PC through a couple of tests including benchmarking and hours of game testing. I assessed Helldivers 2, Warhammer Space Marine 2, Doom Eternal, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Endless Legend 2. I got decent framerates in 1080p with most of the bells and whistles turned on. In Helldivers 2 I averaged around 70 to 80 fps which is not terrible. However, it was in Helldivers 2 where I experienced my first case of thermal throttling which brought the experience down to a stutter. The CPU is a mobile processor that can get up around 90c before it begins throttling to keep it from burning up. Normally, I do not experience this on other gaming PCs or laptops. Laptops can get hot, too, but usually there are cooling options like cooling pads and other tips to keep the heat from affecting performance. Plus, most laptops come equipped with more fans than this desktop. The TUF T500 only has two fans: the heat pipe with exhaust fan for the CPU and the fan on the graphics card itself. That is it. Most desktop users will have elaborate water cooling or advanced coolers for the CPU and will have intake and exhaust fans on the case itself. The T500 does not have those or even have the option to install them. The PSU is extremely limited. It is tiny and barely the size of a laptop charger. I did not see any way of adding to the cooling options despite a small place at the front of the case where I assume you could mount a very tiny fan if you could find one that fits and find a way to power it. This cooling option is just not enough to keep this machine going. Which leads me into the next topic: upgradability. Most desktop PCs you can swap out parts or upgrade the experience. This machine would be exceedingly difficult to upgrade. In theory, you could get a new PSU from ASUS to power an upgraded GPU. But I am not sure how plausible that is with the limited power connections on the board for the GPU. You can upgrade RAM. Because this machine uses laptop board, you will need SODIMM memory. These modules are DDR5 SODIMM. The laptop caps at 5200 but comes with one stick of a 16GB DDR5 at 5600. In theory you could add another module to the second slot. I just swapped out the existing module with a new kit to get the machine up to 32GB or RAM, but if you could find a compatible module you could just add to the configuration ASUS has set up. Unfortunately, memory prices are sky high now, but I really think this machine benefits from having 32GB of RAM. The Wi-Fi module could be replaced. It is a smaller M.2 and it could be swapped for a stronger card. I should note that the card that comes equipped with the machine is a WiFI6, not 6E or 7. There is no 6G connectivity with this machine if that is important to you. There is also another M.2 2280 slot for an additional NVME hard drive. But please note you will need to supply your own M.2 screw if you wish to add on to the storage that comes with the machine. Solutions: I have spent the last couple of days trying to produce some solutions to cool down this machine. I came up with one solution that helps a bit: a laptop thermal pad. With gaming laptops, it is common to place a thermal pad underneath the laptop that has fans built-in to it to cool the laptop from the bottom up. I found an older thermal pad that I had and because the T500 pulls air from the bottom and front of the case, having the thermal pad blow air up into the case and its vents seemed to help if only a tiny bit. Adding RAM seemed to help with load times. Also, there is a firmware update from Asus that I would recommend you install. It is important to use a GSYNC compatible monitor and make sure that the NVIDIA App does not set games to upscale into 4K. Conclusion: This is an exceedingly difficult machine to recommend. If you got it for the right price and have a strong interest in a gaming PC that has less power draw, then this could be a fit. It does play most games. Because of the thermals, I do not think I would attempt VR gaming with it. But most games run well enough at 1080p. I am extremely disappointed in the cooling solution that Asus supplies. A gaming computer should not be throttling out of the box. Upgrading the PSU and including more cooling options in the case would have helped make a better argument for the machine. Most gaming PCs are easily serviceable; a part fails and you can hot swap in a new one. When this processor or its fan goes, you are probably stuck. This machine is a curiosity, but not a compelling recommendation. I cannot say it is a bad pickup if you are aware of its shortcoming, but a PC with standard hardware is far easier to recommend.

Well this is a interesting PC. I have mixed feelings about this one. I absolutely love the size of this computer. I like matx and itx form factors. I tend to have a small space and I don't like leaving my PC on the floor. Packed pretty good to protect the components. Keyboard and mouse are decent for a pre-built rig. Not a huge fan of RGB so I liked the minimal use of it in this computer. Nice clean case design. Only gripe about the case is that it should have come with an intake fan. I ordered a 92MM to put in the front of the case. Hoping it will add a bit of cooling seeming as though the only fan in the system is on the CPU cooler which is kind of quite under load but I want it quieter, seeming as though it is on my desk next to me. The laptop CPU doesn't seem it slow this down. 16GB of ram and a 5060 with only 8GB of VRAM in this system is kind of shocking that it runs the way it does. Ran Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Wildlands and had a ball. Thought it would be loud but it was decent sound levels. Headphone on and I didn't hear a thing. The case is easy to open and the screws stay attached to the case so you can't loose them. The front pop's off with a slight tug from the bottom. This was definitely a surprise seeming as though it has a laptop CPU in it and only 8GB of VRAM. So if you ask me I would definitely recommend picking up one of these.

The Asus TUF T500 gaming desktop is a neat little compact desktop, with a severe identity crisis. The 2.5 year old mid tier laptop CPU really holds this cool little box back, and makes the value seem off. Chassis/PSU - Solid little chassis, neat RGB top lighting, good looking plus solid build/feel. Power supply is only 300w, just enough for the included hardware, but is platinum rated for good efficiency. (I believe its the TFX size/type) Can’t tell if the case can take a standard mATX or ITX size motherboard. CPU/motherboard/memory - The Core i5 13420H is not a terrible chip, good for entry gaming laptops, but in this value class, it's very slow vs similarly priced desktops in late 2025 (a mid tier laptop chip from early 2023). Not helping matters is that Asus has it running at 90w for a short time (PL2), but the weird heatsink system causes thermal throttling at that level in Cinebench R23, then after a bit it drops to 45w, which the heatsink can handle, keeping the CPU in the mid to high 60s C. The only system fan on this thing is on a heatsink at the back, that is attached to the CPU via a long heatpipe. A cheap tower cooler would have easily handled the job at 90w. (they could have left it at 90w PL1 to get more consistent CPU performance) Memory is technically upgradable, includes a single 16GB 5200mt/s DDR5 SODIMM (laptop memory), and an open slot, but memory costs are terrible right now. (also the motherboard is proprietary, so I’m not sure if an mATX or ITX motherboard will mount) There is a single Samsung 1TB OEM drive installed that pulls lower tier PCIE 4.0 NVME speeds, but the system does have another M.2 2280 slot open. Geekbench 6 - 2255 single core 8814 multi core Cinebench R23 - 7963 multi (10 minute loop) GPU - The best part of this system is the RTX 5060. (a legit Asus "Dual" model with a P/Q BIOS switch) Not a very high end GPU by any means, but as long as you’re not running into VRAM limitations, it handles most games at 1080p high settings, or 1440p medium. It even handles Battlefield 6 at 3440x1440 on my ultrawide, but you’ll need to run some DLSS at medium settings to keep the FPS around 70-100fps. DLSS multi frame gen is great in Cyberpunk 2077, even at 1080p high settings with Quality DLSS and no frame gen, this system can pull 95fps. So most AAA games will run 1080p high, maybe with a touch of DLSS for higher FPS. I/O ports - I usually do not worry about the I/O as much, unless it's good enough to praise, or bad enough to warn. Unfortunately it's the latter. There are enough ports, but zero fast I/O. Kinda crazy for a 2025 system. Not even a single 10G USB port. There are 2x 5G USB-A ports on the front, 1x 5G USB-C, and 4x USB 2.0 ports on the back. At this level there should be at least a 1x 10G port (USB3.2 Gen2), maybe even a 20G port (USB3.2 Gen2x2). Overall it’s hard to see who this system is for. This isn’t a good option for “buy it now, and upgrade down the line” because only the RAM and SSD’s are really upgradeable. (The GPU technically is, but the 300w PSU is at its peak already, plus the motherboard uses nonstandard power connections) The value just isn’t that good for a “top of the low end” tier gaming PC. It does excel in efficiency, being compact, and acceptable/good 1080p gaming performance. *BUT* If you search, you can find better values in similarly priced systems that are also way more upgradeable.

This is a solid PC from Asus with expected performance out of an RTX 5060 GPU when playing recent AAA games. The small form factor brings both benefit and disadvantages. The obvious benefit is that the PC is easily transportable. This PC is notably lightweight, attributable both to its compact design and its low power requirements. The inclusion of a laptop-class processor eliminates the necessity for a large and heavy power supply. On the other hand, the low power draw of 330 watts makes it power efficient. Also, in terms of space management, the small PC can sit easily under a desk. The disadvantage of the small PC form factor is that it’s not ideal for upgrading the GPU in the future. The design is very attractive looking, geared toward gamers. There are ports on the front and back side of the PC, and the fan seems to be powerful enough to draw heat out of the internals. Interestingly, the PC passes multiple US military tests, according to Asus. The star of the show is of course the RTX 5060 GPU. Performance is as expected out of an RTX 5060 machine, which is a beast for Full HD resolution gaming. I played Hell Divers 2 and have been having great time. Framerates are smooth even at Ultra setting. I’m getting a consistent 60-70ish FPS. This is a great PC for those who just want to have good time playing games straight out of the box and do not need to upgrade to a more powerful full-size GPU in the future.

Gather round as we unravel the captivating story of the ASUS TUF T500 desktop – a compact gaming machine... In the rapidly changing landscape of desktop computing, the ASUS TUF T500 emerges as a remarkable contender, challenging the conventional notions of what a gaming desktop can be. Dressed in an elegant "Eclipse Gray" and yellow color scheme (which is the same for most Asus TUF devices), this sleek and sophisticated marvel immediately captures the attention of discerning technology enthusiasts (aka me and obviously, you). Navigating the Design Landscape Beneath the TUF T500's unassuming exterior lies a carefully orchestrated symphony of innovative engineering. The proprietary motherboard, seemingly repurposed from a laptop design, showcases ASUS's remarkable adaptability, enabling a more streamlined and space-efficient build. However, this strategic decision does come with inherent limitations, as the laptop-inspired motherboard may pose some challenges for those seeking extensive upgradability. You can add or replace storage and memory but you can't really replace the graphics card for example nor the CPU. Storage and Expandability: A Delicate Balance The storage configuration of the TUF T500 is another fascinating aspect of this desktop. ASUS has struck a delicate balance, providing a versatile solution that caters to the needs of most users. The pre-installed 1TB SSD delivers exceptional performance, while the two 3.5" HDD drivebays offer ample opportunity for added capacity. However, potential buyers should carefully consider their long-term storage requirements, as the limited options might necessitate future upgrades. Performance Dynamics: Processing Power and Graphics Capabilities At the heart of the ASUS TUF T500 lies the Intel Core i5 13420H processor, a relatively old chip that demonstrates commendable performance characteristics. Complementing the capable processor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 8GB graphics card, a true performance champion that delivers smooth and immersive gaming experiences across a wide range of titles. While not the latest and greatest, the overall performance is remarkably satisfying, striking a balance between visual fidelity and smooth framerates. Thermal Management and Acoustic Considerations One of the intriguing aspects of the TUF T500's design is its approach to thermal management. Despite the compact nature of the chassis, the cooling solution effectively dissipates the heat generated by the processor and graphics card, maintaining optimal performance without sacrificing the user's acoustic comfort. Peripheral Ecosystem: Keyboard and Mouse Insights The ASUS TUF T500 includes a set of peripherals – an ARGB keyboard and mouse – that aim to complement the overall desktop experience. However, this aspect of the package presents a somewhat mixed narrative. The keyboard's membrane-based mechanics may polarize users, while the included mouse appears to be worse, suggesting potential upgrade might be required. But at least, you have something to start with which is commendable. Memory and Expansion Considerations The TUF T500 arrives with a solid 16GB of SODIMM laptop-style memory, offering decent performance for contemporary computing demands. The ability to accommodate two memory modules provides some degree of upgradability, though the laptop-style configuration represents both a space-saving strategy and a potential limitation. Aesthetic and Build Quality: Eclipse Gray Elegance The elegant Eclipse Gray color scheme and the integrated RGB lighting transform the TUF T500 into a visually engaging centerpiece. ASUS has masterfully merged functional design with aesthetic appeal, creating a desktop that not only performs admirably but also serves as a stunning addition to any workspace or gaming setup. The build quality of the TUF T500 is equally impressive, exuding a sense of durability and attention to detail. Concluding Thoughts: A Compelling Compact Contender The ASUS TUF T500 is a remarkable contender in the evolving world of gaming and productivity systems. While it may not be the absolute top-tier performer in every metric, the TUF T500 offers an impressive combination of performance, space-saving design, and value. Potential buyers should carefully evaluate their specific requirements, understanding that the TUF T500 excels in certain scenarios while presenting modest constraints in others. For the majority of users, the ASUS TUF T500 strikes a remarkable balance, delivering a captivating gaming experience, robust productivity performance, and a visually striking design – all within a compact and space-efficient footprint. It's a testament to ASUS's engineering prowess, showcasing their ability to seamlessly blend cutting-edge technology, innovative design, and uncompromising performance. So, fellow tech enthusiasts, let's raise a virtual glass to the ASUS TUF T500 – a compact gaming rig that's poised to ignite the geeky passion within us all. Recommended!

The ASUS TUF T500 Gaming Desktop Intel Core i5 13420H is a good little Windows (11) machine with this model having an Intel core i5 13420H processor, 16gb DDR5 RAM which isn't a lot, but is sufficient for me and is capable of being expanded to 64gb, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 which provides 8gb of graphics memory and 1 TB SSD PCIe Gen 4 storage. It has many available ports including 6 USB-A (4-USB-A 2.0, 2 x USB-A 3.2), and surprisingly only 1 USB-C 3.2 port. Also 2 HDMI ports (1.4, 2.1) and 4 display ports (3-2.1, 1-1.4). There is also a mic/headset jack. It does come with a wired mouse and keyboard, but not a display. And it only weighs about 13.5 pounds. The box is smaller than one might expect for a gaming desktop but ASUS claims it meets MIL-STD-810H durability. It has been tested for vibrations, temperature and drops. One side panel is transparent and shows the cool looking yellow RGB lighting. There's nothing exciting to see inside, but it is nice to be able to see inside and look at its guts. It adds a sort of industrial type look. The keyboard and mouse (both USB-A) are also RGB and cycle through the colors which looks really nice. I did find that I can adjust the keyboard RGB by holding down the FN key and pressing the up/down arrows to brighten and lessen the light down to off, and by holding down the Fn key and pressing the left/right arrows I can slow/speed up the cycling of the colors. As for the computer itself, I find that it is more than capable of handling whatever I am choosing to do - it is both fast and quite responsive. I want a computer than allows me to multi-task, and this one does just that. I had to update the driver for the NVIDIA graphics card to play Call of Duty and then I could really play - like I have never played before. Not being an elite gamer, this is a fantastic setup for me. And it is so quiet! That 90mm cooling fan works great. This ASUS TUF T500 Gaming Desktop Intel Core i5 13420H is a wonderful computer for everything I'm doing - gaming, watching movies or doing any of my daily stuff - emails, spread sheets, etc. It just works very, very well and I don't have to wait for it to catch up with me. It has ports galore - except it could use more than one USB-C! There is room for expansion with this, but know that your RAM can't go above 64gb. And they include 3 months of PC Game Pass to get you going with your gaming. This PC has everything I need right now and I love it. I would recommend this for sure.

Everything has been going great, no issues whatsoever. I appreciate the smaller footprint of the tower, it takes up minimal space on my desk. Everything runs well, and the frame rate and visual quality of games has been wonderful thus far. No real notes.

Good pc, great value. Decent performance. I've been told that this processor could be a little better, and there is limited expansion potential because of the proprietary build, but overall I have very little complaints.