Asus is going all in on AMD with its entry-level TUF Gaming lineup announced today. The 15-inch FX505DY and 17-inch FX705DY use AMD's 2nd Gen Ryzen 5 3550H mobile APU, Radeon Vega discrete graphics for gaming and offers a MIL-SPEC 810G tested chassis for short drops.
Update: Feb. 14, 10:30 a.m. ET: The new TUF Gaming lineup appears to be available for a sort of pre-order on Amazon, where it is currently listed as "temporarily out of stock" but can be bought and shipped when it is delivered. It's unclear exactly when it will release.
Besides the size (both the body and the display), both laptops are otherwise quite similar. The big difference is that the 15-inch version offers a high-refresh option that goes to 120 Hz. Both screens use FreeSync technology to keep gaming smooth.
There are two different looks for the lineup: Red Matter, with a red backlight to match its trim, and Gold Steel, with RGB backlighting customizable in Asus' Armoury Crate program. Neither design is subtle—note the X design in the lid and the colored Asus logo—but in general I prefer the option to pick my own colors.
