Asus TUF Gaming A16 overview

The ask this month was a easy one. Take a trio of mid-range(ish) laptops, the Asus TUF Gaming A16, the Lenovo Legion 5, and the MSI Katana 15 HX. Benchmark the crap out of them, run them as a each day driver for a spell, analysis the bejesus out of them, after which see which one croaks beneath the stress. A, dare I say, qualitative and quantitative group take a look at of types, cut up throughout three separate opinions. Akin to the previous printed tech magazine days of yore.

It has been enjoyable, inciteful, and irritating at instances, and as that is the final overview of the bunch, let me let you know, if this was Most PC or PC Format, it is right here that I would be waxing lyrical about how the winner of this month’s arduous journey, is, with out even a modicum of doubt, the Asus TUF Gaming A16.

Really, its implementation is a factor of magnificence. It is an expertly balanced laptop computer that satisfies not solely the wants of the skilled, however that of the gamer as nicely. Its mix of {hardware}, fashion and pricing has put the TUF on the best path to assert its very personal slot in our greatest gaming laptops shopping for information, and with good cause.

That is to not say it is good, I’ve my quibbles with it, do not get me flawed, however what Asus has managed to realize right here, on a finances is nigh spectacular. The shape issue, the design, the efficiency, the display screen, the ports, all of it hits the marks that matter, and clean over the wrinkles that the others introduce.

It is a factor of magnificence, once more all for a value that slides beneath what you’d count on Asus would cost for one thing like this. Should you’re after a brand new laptop computer and discover this factor on sale throughout Black Friday and the following few months, and it sits in your value bracket, I would extremely suggest it.

Asus TUF Gaming A16 – Options

Asus TUF Gaming A16 – Worth

The highest line specs right here do not precisely shout “premium” from the rooftops, I get that. RTX 5050 and an AMD Ryzen 7 260 are hardly floor breaking, however it’s how Asus has built-in the cooling and energy supply into this combination that actually breathes life into the factor. So many producers skimp out on that latter half, and depart customers with RTX 5070 and 5080s choked on low TGPs and it severely impacts market credibility. Asus has achieved the other right here, and permitting that RTX 5050 to run at full tilt beneath a 115 W TGP delivers some distinctive efficiency with out essentially breaking the financial institution.

The CPU ain’t half dangerous both. Though like many of the laptops we have now beneath overview presently, it is slightly lengthy within the tooth, AMD’s Ryzen 7 260, is an eight-core, 16-thread beastie, that produces some respectable numbers beneath load, all whereas conserving the warmth down within the course of.

It additionally comes with 16 GB (2x 8GB) of DDR5 at a snug 5,600 MT/s. Though it isn’t precisely insanely high-end by trendy requirements it does imply you possibly can swap that out at a later date with the next capability equipment with out a lot fear. And, for as soon as, we’re not taking a look at a single-channel reminiscence setup that some producers (ahem… Lenovo…) wish to proclaim as “shopper pleasant”.

The remainder of the spec checklist equally fails to disappoint. That RTX 5050’s been matched with a 1920×1200 “IPS-level” 16-inch show fluttering alongside at a clean 165 Hz, and it is a beaut too. Brightness is nice, the colors actually pop, and there is minimal ghosting or latency points right here as nicely. Is it as vibrant or as excessive refresh as an OLED mannequin? Nicely, no, however for these after a flexible display screen that will get the job achieved nicely, it is greater than ok. Pixel density too, is not half dangerous both, only a fraction above that of a 32-inch 4K desktop panel, and the diminished pixel rely considerably helps that RTX 5050 maintain its personal at native.

On the connectivity entrance, apart from WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, the TUF additionally comes 3x USB Sort-A, 2x USB Sort-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI out, and full ethernet as nicely, together with a devoted energy port too. Oh and there is a 1080p webcam, however that is pretty commonplace affair at this level.

The keyboard’s not precisely something to write down residence about, it is simply a normal chiclet RGB affair, however it’ll do, and the sizable trackpad lends itself nicely to gentle desktop work (I did as soon as know a man who used to raid in WoW Cataclysm with a trackpad, and it nonetheless makes me shudder to today).

All advised, it is a affordable spec. However in all honesty, whereas it’s a nicely put collectively system, that $1,500 price ticket is an excessive amount of, and it may want some hefty discounting to make it a genuinely budget-friendly machine.

Asus TUF Gaming A16 – Sound

Let’s discuss audio fast earlier than we get onto the good things (efficiency), as a result of for as soon as, I am truly excited to speak about laptop computer audio system. As a result of these items completely slap.

At max quantity there’s minimal distortion, and a wholesome chunking of bass reverberating alongside beneath. Watching Sung Jin-woo slap the metaphorical crud out of Beru in Solo Levelling, as Howl performs within the background is as epic as it could possibly ever be. Treble’s clean, mids are there too in abundance, and truthfully I used to be genuinely impressed. In heavier bass moments in sure music genres there’s fractional disturbance and vibration, however the moments are fleeting.

Fan noise then again is chonky. Not fairly as potent because the Lenovo Legion 5, however notably sitting in between it and the MSI Katana (which is arguably too quiet, and hamstringing its personal cooling consequently).

Asus TUF Gaming A16 – Efficiency

Okay, on to the good things, and there is an attention-grabbing story right here with efficiency. I’ve already alluded to it closely with the MSI Katana 15 HX overview, however its a story of the plucky little RTX 5050 that would, that is what I am going to say.

Let’s simply evaluate the top-line actual fast. As a result of between this and the MSI, it is an actual showcase as to what good cooling in laptops can do. So, Asus: RTX 5050, 115 W TGP. MSI: RTX 5060, 115 W TGP. Common GPU temp for Asus: 60; common GPU temp for MSI: 77. Common clock velocity for Asus: 2,680 MHz at 75 W; MSI: 2,305 MHz at 68W.

The explanation that issues is that in each single benchmark I ran these two laptops at, each operating at 1080p on Extremely, the Asus was both shut, or considerably beat its pink dragon formed counterpart. It misplaced out in Metro Exodus by 6 fps, F1 by 6 fps, Cyberpunk by 1 fps, however beat it in Baldur’s Gate 3 by 13 fps, and Black Fantasy Wukong by 2 fps.

CPU efficiency too demolished the Katana in multi-threaded Cinebench scoring 920 versus 832, and solely coming second because of the Lenovo Legion 5’s spectacular 956 determine on that entrance. That additional tells us that no matter MSI’s doing in its cooling profile, it isn’t sufficient and its inflicting each its CPU and GPU to throttle. Simply goes to point out of us, you possibly can have a shiny chip on paper that is theoretically higher than the competitors, but when it ain’t cooled proper, it is only a title.

Total, in isolation, the TUF does nicely throughout the board. Significantly when benefiting from DLSS and frame-gen. 82 fps in Cyberpunk at Native, 66 fps in BG3, 68 in Black Fantasy Wukong, 116 in F1. All comfy numbers after which some. Dial the settings in a bit extra and you may doubtless hit that candy 165 fps spot too with a little bit of effort.

Asus TUF Gaming A16 – Aesthetics

From a visible perspective, the TUF A16 is positively uninteresting. Nevertheless it’s factor. It is crisp, clear, squared off. There are not any odd shapes, or bizarre bevels, or obscene logos and RGB littering every little thing. It is subdued, understated, a real sleeper machine. The one inkling it’d even be barely “gamery” comes within the type of the TUF emblem and protect etched into the lid, and even then you possibly can’t actually see it except the sunshine hits it excellent.

The bezels are skinny, and it simply seems to be and feels nice, with a soft-touch satin end. Like all of those laptops I’ve examined lately, it’s kind of of a fingerprint magnet, however apart from that, there’s little to complain about. Maybe the keyboard could possibly be a bit extra mature, however it’s nowhere close to the Katana’s stage of “belief me bro, I am a gamer”.

Asus TUF Gaming A16 – Software program

Armoury crate… eugh… I nonetheless do not prefer it. It is there, you should use it. It has profiles, for further efficiency, or battery saving (all our outcomes are based mostly on the high-performance mode, which does add a big efficiency increase to the general figures), however it’s clunky to put in, and cargo, and about the one draw back to this lovely machine.

As with all of those three laptops, there’s pre-installed Mal… I imply aftermarket antivirus. Extremely suggest you uninstall that pronto, and dodge the free trial expiry that comes together with it. Home windows Defender will comfortably deal with your entire AV wants.

Asus TUF Gaming A16 – Battery life

As for the battery life it is among the best I’ve seen at this value. 112 minutes places the opposite two to disgrace, practically doubling what the Lenovo Legion 5 managed. However then that is to be anticipated actually, significantly given it is bought a 90 WHr battery beneath the hood, and it expenses quickly too, with an included 240 W battery financial institution.