The ASUS TUF A16 has me questioning what the distinction is between a ‘budget’ gaming laptop computer, and… Well, a non-budget gaming laptop computer – one which carries the branding of, say, Lenovo Legion, Dell’s Alienware vary, and even ASUS’ personal ROG (Republic of Gamers) vary. As far as the interior tech goes, the ASUS TUF A16 has specs to sustain with the gaming laptop computer heavy hitters with the best CPUs and GPUs, with a comfy price-to-performance ratio, but the omittance of a few of ASUS’ extra premium options that it reserves for the ROG class (akin to an OLED show and an RGB keyboard structure).
If I’m being trustworthy, I believe I’d decide the TUF A16 over many different gaming laptop computer producers, together with these with the ROG badge.
Oh, I get it, ‘Tough’
The mannequin we reviewed included the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, priced at $2,299, although there may be a extra highly effective choice, which incorporates a Ryzen 9 7940HS, priced at $2,499. Both units embody an AMD Radeon RX 7600S (AMD’s reply to the Nvidia RTX 3060), with 16GB DDR5 RAM and 512GB M.2 cupboard space (non-upgradeable). In Australia, each fashions embody a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 165hz display, although there are extra choices abroad. Two colors can be found, black and ‘sandstorm’, although sandstorm is barely obtainable on the Ryzen 7 mannequin.
And at these costs, it’s laborious to fault. While a extra highly effective mannequin, the A17, has the crown, it does so on the $2,899 worth level. It’s at this level the place the strains between ‘TUF’ and ‘ROG’ start to blur, which is an article for one more day, but in addition represents to me why the TUF A16 is such a good dang laptop computer – and maybe the remainder of the TUF vary can share my celebration, with items beginning at $1,299.
The TUF A16 does every little thing it wants to do. Its efficiency is on par with its worth, it’s as quick as you need a high-spec machine to be, and its form and aesthetic isn’t aggressively gamer-y (which I can’t say for the ROG vary).
In Geekbench, the TUF A16 (Ryzen 7) scored 2,106 for single-core efficiency and 10,286 for multi-core efficiency. In the GPU check, it scored 67,251. Meanwhile, in Cinebench, the laptop computer scored 713 factors on the single-core check (seventeenth place), and 12,189 on the multi-core check (seventh place).
In sensible testing, the TUF A16 carried out completely, reaching a constant 91FPS in Forza Horizon 5 on the ‘Ultra’ preset, and 168FPS in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022).
In testing the battery life, the place we run the laptop computer in opposition to everything of Avengers: Endgame in a Google Chrome browser, with full quantity and brightness, the laptop computer dropped to 81 per cent within the first hour, 54 within the second, and 24 within the third. Recharging the system from 16 per cent, the laptop computer was up to 64 per cent in half-hour, after which 92 per cent in a single hour. Watching the film, the sound high quality was decrease than I’d have preferred it to be, and the display was darker than I’d have preferred, however total it was nice.
These are very welcome outcomes for a $2,299 system. When you realise that the most cost effective ROG-name laptop computer from ASUS begins at $2,699, for total fairly related specs and efficiency, you start to query what you’re really spending all that cash on.
Wait, what’s the cope with these lights?
The solely factor that I believe I can actually critique the ASUS TUF A16 on is its exercise mild placement. It’s situated proper below the show, which is probably the worst location you possibly can have these lights. I don’t suppose these lights serve an essential sufficient objective to have so prominently displayed, if displayed in any respect – the ‘on’ mild is definitely doubled up, with an equivalent mild on the ability button.
One of those lights stays persistently on (when the pc is powered on), one in all these lights flashes when the laborious drive is being accessed (it flashes continually throughout use, which is by design, and why it’s foolish to have front-and-centre), one in all these lights activates when the pc is plugged in and charging; orange when charging, white when full battery and plugged in, and one activates when the pc is in airplane mode.
The placement of those lights positively makes the pc really feel low-cost and low high quality, however I don’t know what you’d lose by merely… Not having them. Perhaps having a charging and ‘on’ mild on the aspect or energy button (which is already accomplished), however the traditional exercise mild structure is redundant today.
Personally, it really didn’t annoy me as a lot as I believed it will once I was gaming, nonetheless, once I was doing actually the rest (searching, typing, scrolling, going by means of pictures, setting video games up, and many others), it was exceptionally annoying. My answer could be to put a piece of light-blocking tape over it. You actually wouldn’t lose any worth.
Performance for much less
If you need a high-performance gaming laptop computer with out spending greater than $2,500, then it is best to think about the ASUS TUF A16. Budget by design, the TUF A16 is ideal for contemporary video games, nonetheless, customers may be aggravated by the position of the exercise lights, its missing brightness, and mushy audio system.
Where to purchase the ASUS TUF A16
ASUS TUF A16 Ryzen 7 mannequin
PCCaseGear ($1,899) | JW ($2,199) | ASUS ($2,299)
ASUS TUF A16 Ryzen 9 mannequin
JW ($2,388) | Centre Com ($2,499) | ASUS ($2,499)
…. to be continued
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