Review: Asus TUF Gaming T500 PC

Because it’s so easy to build a gaming desktop at home, companies making prebuilt machines need to offer either a great value or something unique. That’s why the Asus TUF T500 isn't technically a desktop PC, at least in the classic sense. Instead, it leverages a smaller motherboard and laptop CPU, reducing the overall footprint but dropping the ability to upgrade or repair some of the individual parts.

Most notably, the T500 is sporting a full-size desktop GPU, which is the biggest determining factor when it comes to gaming performance, and also the part that gets replaced the most often. That should give this desktop a much longer lifetime than gaming laptops that are similarly-equipped, at least on paper. This version came with an RTX 5060 Ti installed, a card that generally hits 60 to 90 frames per second at 1080p, a good match for a living room console replacement.

I’m pleasantly surprised with the execution, and the T500 offers a solid value and a unique upgrade path, with some expected compromises around cooling and ports. It’s a solid choice for the tech-averse or television-bound gamer looking to move from consoles to PC, but I think more savvy users will still want to build their own.

A Unique Appeal

Photograph: Brad Bourque

The upside to Asus’s approach is that the T500 is a relatively compact machine, around six inches wide and twelve inches deep, or just a little bigger than two Xbox Series X consoles sitting side by side. With gaming handhelds increasingly capable even for newer titles, I imagine the people who have room for a desktop and monitor, but only just barely, aren't a huge audience. Asus specifically calls out college students, but I'd think a gaming laptop would get you through at least four years, and you could take it to class with you. At this size, it seems more likely you’d find one tucked into an entertainment stand in a living room or home theater.

I appreciate that you aren’t asked to pay a big premium for the smaller form factor, which is something you’re likely to see with other compact systems. A similar machine, built from parts in a full-sized ATX case, would only be $200-300 less than the Asus TUF T500. While the Asus comes out of the box already working and ready to game, the other system needs to be set up and configured first. I love to spend an afternoon with a stack of components, but if that sounds intimidating for you, know that you aren’t paying too much to have Asus take care of it for you. Swapping a GPU down the line is light work for anyone who can turn a screwdriver.

One compromise you don’t have to make is performance. While it falls slightly behind my benchmark system with the RTX 5060 Ti installed, which is admittedly much more powerful, the difference is no more than 6-8% depending on the game. Importantly, the Asus manages to break 60 FPS in Helldivers 2 and 90 FPS in Marvel Rivals at 1440p, which should feel great for users playing on a TV or older monitor. As a gaming PC, you won’t have any issues with day-to-day tasks, media streaming, and even multiple browser windows, which isn't surprising given its relatively powerful components.

There Are Limits

Photograph: Brad Bourque

Shrinking this much has consequences: You don't get nearly as robust an I/O selection as you do with most desktops, although it's certainly more than a comparable gaming laptop. All four ports around back are Type-A, and only support USB 2.0, which is basically just useful for your keyboard and mouse. You only get three proper USB 3.2 ports up front, and only one is USB-C. The desktop GPU means you get a full suite of proper video connections, but you may end up looking for a USB hub as soon as you outgrow a keyboard, mouse, and controller.

There’s also limited cooling, with a single 90-mm fan at the back of the case working overtime to both pull hot air from the system and over the CPU’s copper heat pipes. It doesn’t help that the case doesn’t have a lot of air intake, thanks to the large window covering one side and the aggressive styling up front. While the system stayed nice and quiet, even under load, it definitely got a bit on the warm side, and upgrading to a higher-end GPU might make the issue worse.

Unfortunately, this machine does come preloaded with some bloatware, which is to be expected of most brand-made desktops. You’ll have to forgive me for being a little sensitive about it with Asus specifically, as a now-resolved vulnerability was found in Armoury Crate earlier this year. McAfee security is also installed, which is largely unnecessary. If you do buy this system, I’d recommend starting off with a fresh Windows installation before you do anything else, like I do with all new PCs.

Photograph: Brad Bourque

My biggest concern is mostly the potential waste involved in a computer like this. While it’s awesome that the most important bit for gaming can be upgraded, the CPU being locked in basically forever is slightly concerning; while I didn’t try to dismantle it, I think you’d have trouble transplanting the system into a different case either, given the custom cooling and motherboard layout.

Given how easy it is to build a modern gaming PC from parts, a small form factor build is both engaging and rewarding. If you’re at all curious about that world, or any of the limitations above are deal-breakers, I’d encourage you to at least consider building your own. That said, if the very idea of dealing with cables and power supply rating scares you and you want something well-made from a known brand, you'll probably be happy with the T500.