ASUS S501MER-DS704 2024, Core i7-14700, 16GB, 1TB SSD, Black

The Intel Core i7-14700 is the real deal, landing in the 82nd percentile with 20 cores and a 5.2GHz boost. But the integrated Intel UHD Graphics drags the gaming score down to a dismal 12.4 out of 100. It's a solid office PC with a great CPU and fast storage, just don't expect to play anything more demanding than solitaire.

The i7-14700 is the star here, and it's a legitimately impressive chip. With 20 cores and a 5.2GHz boost clock, it's in the 82nd percentile of all desktops we've tested. That means it's well above average, and for tasks like video editing, multitasking, or running heavy productivity software, it'll chew through workloads without breaking a sweat. The 1TB NVMe SSD is also solid, landing in the 75th percentile, so boot times and app launches will feel quick.

But then there's the GPU situation. Intel UHD Graphics with 12GB of shared VRAM is not a gaming solution, and our 12.4 out of 100 gaming score is one of the weakest we've seen in this category. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM is middle of the pack at the 48th percentile, which is fine for most office work but might feel tight if you're running multiple virtual machines or editing large media files. The cooling system ASUS mentions is fine for this config, but there's no dedicated GPU to really stress it.

Stacked against the Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 or the HP OMEN GT16-0364, the S501 looks like it wandered into the wrong fight. Those machines come with dedicated GPUs and are built for gaming and creative work, while the S501's 12.4 gaming score is a non-starter. The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max is in a completely different league for content creation, though it costs significantly more. The Dell Tower ECT1250 and Acer Nitro N60-180-UB33 are closer in spirit, but both typically offer better GPU options at similar price points. The S501's one advantage is that i7-14700, which outclasses many CPUs in this price range for pure processing power.

At $895 USD, the S501 is priced like a budget-friendly productivity machine, and for that money you're getting a genuinely strong CPU and a fast SSD. The problem is that the integrated graphics and middling reliability score make it feel like you're paying for the processor and not much else. The CAD price of $1,471 and GBP price of £1,047 are harder to swallow, especially when competitors in that range often include a dedicated GPU. If you can find this on sale in the US, it's a reasonable deal for an office workhorse. At full price elsewhere, it's a tougher sell.

The ASUS S501 S501MER-DS704 is a bit of a mixed bag, but the CPU is the headline act. That Intel Core i7-14700 with its 20 cores and 5.2GHz boost lands in the 82nd percentile of our database, which is genuinely strong for a prebuilt tower. It's paired with 16GB of DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe SSD, so everyday tasks and content production should feel snappy. But the integrated Intel UHD Graphics is where this thing stumbles hard. It sits in the 38th percentile, and our gaming score of 12.4 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know about its gaming ambitions.

At 8.05kg, this is a proper desktop, not a portable workstation. The port selection is actually a highlight, with 7 USB-A ports, a USB-C, HDMI 2.1b, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 6E. That's an 82nd percentile port score, which means you won't be hunting for dongles. But the reliability score of 36th percentile and a 3.9-star rating from just 5 reviews give us pause. This is a machine that looks great on paper for office work but has some real question marks when it comes to long-term dependability.

If you're looking for a gaming PC, a creative workstation, or anything that needs real GPU power, skip this entirely. The 12.4 gaming score and 38th percentile GPU ranking make it a poor fit for those tasks. You should also be cautious if reliability is a top priority, as the 36th percentile reliability score and limited customer feedback don't inspire confidence. And if you're outside the US, the CAD and GBP pricing feels steep for what you're getting, especially without a dedicated graphics card.

The ASUS S501 S501MER-DS704 is a capable office and productivity machine with a genuinely excellent CPU, but it's hamstrung by integrated graphics and below-average reliability scores. If your workload is spreadsheets, documents, web browsing, and light content creation, the i7-14700 will serve you well. But if you have any gaming or GPU-intensive ambitions, look elsewhere. The 12.4 gaming score is a dealbreaker for that use case. For $895 USD, it's a reasonable buy for the right person. For anyone else, there are better-rounded options in this price range.