ASUS TUF A16 review

Trade in ASUS TUF A16

(Image credit: Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia)

The ASUS TUF A16 has prompted me to question the distinction between a ‘budget’ gaming laptop and a non-budget one – the kind that bears the branding of Lenovo Legion, Dell’s Alienware range, or even ASUS’ own ROG (Republic of Gamers) lineup. Regarding the internal technology, the ASUS TUF A16 boasts specifications that align with the gaming laptop powerhouses featuring top-notch CPUs and GPUs, all while maintaining a favorable price-to-performance ratio. However, it does miss out on some of ASUS’ more upscale features typically reserved for the ROG category, like an OLED display and an RGB keyboard layout.

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(Image credit: Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia)

Oh, I Understand, ‘Tough’

The model we assessed featured the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, priced at $2,299, although there’s a more potent alternative comprising a Ryzen 9 7940HS, available for $2,499. Both variations incorporate an AMD Radeon RX 7600S (AMD’s counterpart to Nvidia’s RTX 3060), paired with 16GB DDR5 RAM and 512GB M.2 storage (non-expandable). In Australia, both iterations feature a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 165hz display, while additional choices are offered overseas. The options include black and ‘sandstorm,’ although ‘sandstorm’ is exclusively accessible with the Ryzen 7 model.

And at these price points, it’s challenging to find fault. Although a mightier model, the A17, takes the crown, it does so at the $2,899 price mark. This is where the distinction between ‘TUF’ and ‘ROG’ starts to blur, a topic for another day, but it’s also a reason why the TUF A16 stands out as an exceptional laptop – and maybe the rest of the TUF lineup can join my enthusiasm, with units beginning at $1,299.

The TUF A16 fulfills all necessary criteria. Its performance aligns with its cost, offering the desired high-speed performance, and its design and appearance don’t lean aggressively towards the gamer aesthetic (unlike the ROG series).

(Image credit: Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia)

In the Geekbench assessment, the TUF A16 (Ryzen 7) achieved a single-core performance score of 2,106 and a multi-core performance score of 10,286. In the GPU benchmark, it secured a score of 67,251. Moving on to Cinebench, the laptop earned 713 points in the single-core test (ranking 17th) and 12,189 points in the multi-core test (ranking 7th).

In real-world testing, the TUF A16 demonstrated flawless performance. It maintained a steady 91FPS while running Forza Horizon 5 on the ‘Ultra’ preset and achieved 168FPS in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022).

Regarding battery life assessment, our test involved playing the entire Avengers: Endgame movie in a Google Chrome browser at full volume and brightness. During the first hour, the laptop’s battery level dropped to 81 percent, followed by 54 percent in the second hour, and 24 percent in the third. Recharging the device from 16 percent, the laptop reached 64 percent within 30 minutes and subsequently reached 92 percent in one hour. While watching the movie, the sound quality fell slightly short of my preferences, and the screen exhibited a dimmer appearance than desired, yet overall, it remained satisfactory.

(Image credit: Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia)

These outcomes are indeed highly favorable for a device priced at $2,299. Upon realizing that ASUS’ entry-level ROG laptop begins at $2,699, offering fairly comparable specifications and performance, it leads to questioning the rationale behind such a substantial price disparity.

Now, about those illuminations… The only aspect I find warranting criticism in the ASUS TUF A16 pertains to the placement of its activity lights. Positioned directly beneath the display, this location could arguably be the least ideal for these indicators. Personally, I’m inclined to think that these lights don’t hold a vital enough function to justify such prominent visibility, or perhaps any visibility at all. Interestingly, the ‘on’ indicator is duplicated, featuring an identical light on the power button.

(Image credit: Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia)

Among these illuminations, one remains continuously lit when the computer is powered on. Another blinks to indicate hard drive activity, a feature that remains constant during usage, albeit unnecessarily conspicuous. There’s a light that activates while the computer is charging, displaying orange for charging and white for full battery status when plugged in. Lastly, a light signals when the computer is in airplane mode.

The placement of these lights does contribute to a sense of inferior quality in the computer’s design. However, it’s uncertain what value they truly add. Simplifying their presence, perhaps by incorporating charging and ‘on’ indicators into the side or power button (a practice already in place), renders the traditional activity light layout somewhat superfluous in today’s context.

Interestingly, during gaming, these lights were not as bothersome as expected. Yet, for other activities like browsing, typing, scrolling, photo browsing, or setting up games, they proved to be excessively distracting. A potential solution could be the application of light-blocking tape. This adjustment wouldn’t likely diminish the device’s worth.

Performance for less

For those seeking a high-performance gaming laptop without exceeding a $2,500 budget, the ASUS TUF A16 presents an appealing option. While cost-effective in design, the TUF A16 effectively caters to modern gaming demands. Nonetheless, users might find themselves frustrated with the light placement, the display’s limited brightness, and the speakers’ subdued quality.