while providing cutting-edge hardware, enormous customizability, and naturally some design features specifically for gamers. This series also emphasizes physical toughness, as its name suggests. However, as we’ve frequently observed, powerful laptops can entice users besides gamers, such as students and creative workers. We’ll examine what Asus has accomplished and determine whether the hardware and features are strong enough to suggest this. There are really two versions that will be marketed under the TUF Gaming A15 brand: the FA566 (Fortress Grey) and FA506 (Bonfire Black). Asus devised the new A15 designation to streamline its alphanumeric naming method. Each will have slightly varied configuration possibilities, and some will be available largely offline while others may be geared toward internet buyers. Fortress Grey is more subdued with a metal finish and can blend in better, while Bonfire Black has a more classic “gamer” aesthetic in textured plastic with strong lines and red highlights. you can check our article on Asus TUF Gaming A15 review.
Design
The large emblem on the TUF Gaming A15’s lid is divisive, unless you’re an angel, a biker, or a Hells Angels biker. The Asus TUF Gaming A15’s stamp will be incompatible with the stuffy office environment if you bring it to work. However, the logo is as easily readable as possible thanks to the lid’s normally subdued colour scheme. Gaming laptops have a reputation for being enormous, thick, and heavy machines. The TUF Gaming A15 is the same size as similarly priced 15-inch gaming clamshells as the Dell G5 15 SE (14.4 x 10 x 0.9 inches) and XPG Xenia 15 (14.5 x 10.1 x 1). (14.03 x 9.2 x 0.79 inches). The Dell and our evaluation machine both weigh the same (5.1 and 5.5 pounds, respectively), but the Xenia 15 is slimmer (4.2 pounds). Still, the Asus TUF Gaming A15 has a more refined appearance than either of those devices. Incorporating a larger battery while reducing the size of the TUF Gaming A15’s predecessor, Asus devoted close attention to design (for longer claimed battery life). The pattern features several angles. The top of the laptop is not completely covered by the lid, leaving room for the TUF Gaming emblem from the deck to be seen, which is encircled by ornamental textures. Beginning at the laptop’s spine, vertical lines spiral around to its bottom before erupting into a grip-aid honeycomb design. A pleasant splash of colour emerges from the spine’s vents as copper-orange bursts. The AC adapter, Ethernet jack, HDMI 2.0b output, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and a USB-C port are all located on the left side of the TUF Gaming A15’s deck. That port party is good, yet one could feel excluded: With the exception of a USB 2.0 port, the left deck is empty. On the one hand, this makes it simple to recall the locations of the fastest ports. However, the layout is imbalanced, and when all ports are used, the right side is more cluttered. The screen on the TUF Gaming A15 practically appears to float when the lid is open. The Asus logo, which is large but somewhat incorporated into the dark bezel, is on a broad border with a brushed finish. Between the top of the deck and the function row, there is a lot of empty space, but diagonal lines and a power button that reminds me of a spaceship prevent it from appearing to be vacant. Speaking of intriguing input, the spacebar is shaped differently than other keys to make it simpler for your thumb to locate. Along with the bolder typeface, it also livens up the design. Additionally providing resistance to prevent our wrists from slipping, the deck’s brushed finish.
Keyboard and touchpad
By redesigning the arrangement, adding an additional set of media keys at the top-left that were previously only accessible on ROG laptops, and adding a larger click pad, Asus has slightly changed the inputs on this 2022 TUF Gaming series. Even with a NumPad area, they still chose a full layout, and almost everything is positioned correctly. The arrow keys are broader than before, but shorter and more crowded inside the rest of the keyboard, while the NumPad keys are narrower than the main deck of keys. But overall, this is a decent layout. The response is firmer than on prior TUFs, but it still takes some getting used to because the keys are still fairly smudgy and silky to the touch. We like the ROG Strix models’ more immediate response, but we can see ourselves adjusting to this implementation no problem. With the exception of the Space key, we also noticed that the actuations were quiet. The Armory Crate app’s AURA software allows for single-zone control of the RGB lighted keys. At its highest setting, the illumination is even and sufficiently bright. However, some light can be seen peeking out from behind the keycaps, especially since they are made with translucent sides that are intended to let light shine through. also you will learn our article on Asus TUF Gaming A15 review. Asus also included a distinct Caps-Lock indicator and provided the option to restart the illumination when it has timed out by swiping over the clickpad. On this TUF version, they replaced the fixed touchpad with dedicated buttons with a 25% larger clickpad-style surface for the mouse. This clickpad resembles those on higher-end Asus products in terms of feel, although it is made of smooth plastic rather than glass, and during our time using the laptop, we found it to be responsive and reliable. The implementation itself is solid and doesn’t squeak when touched, however the actual clicks in the corners are somewhat clumsy and loud.
Asus TUF Gaming A15 review: Display
The display is a crucial part of gaming computers, so Asus makes an effort to meet as many requirements as it can. We receive a full HD IPS-level monitor with adaptive sync and a refresh rate of 144Hz. This is fantastic on paper, but in reality, things work a little differently. On the Blur Busters UFO test, the monitor does achieve its promised refresh rate of 144Hz, however we noted that the response time wasn’t the fastest for the screen. While it wasn’t a problem in the story modes of any of the games we reviewed, some players could find it to be an issue when playing competitively online. The display is neither very bright nor able to reproduce all of the colors found in the sRGB color space, so content creators won’t be very delighted either. Using our lux metre, we recorded a peak brightness of 294 lux, with good edge uniformity. Although the color reproduction is not the best, IPS screens are known for their wide viewing angles. The display shouldn’t be an issue if your editing doesn’t require color-sensitive work, but if you’re doing color grading, it will be a complete deal-breaker. The 15.6-inch IPS display has a 2560 x 1440 resolution and a respectable 165Hz refresh rate, both of which are improvements over the notebook from the previous year. The display’s 1283:1 contrast ratio is sufficient and high enough to deliver satisfactory levels of depth and punch, and colors are true to color. The color temperature of 6,450K, delta E of 0.7, and screen rendering of 95.7% of the sRGB gamut are all great. The peak brightness level of 308 nits is the only problem in this situation. That is suitable for use inside, but it is insufficient for use outside. Additionally, if you’re a serious lover of eSports, you’ll want a laptop with a 240Hz or 360Hz display because this device’s 165Hz rate is only adequate for mainstream competition. The speakers’ volume and bass are quite large, but their top end is very thin. If you have no other options, they’re barely tolerable, but a headset is far more preferable.
Asus TUF Gaming A15 review: Audio
The speakers on the left and right sides of the deck produce precise and clear audio. Battlefield V’s audio was clear and accurate when we pushed up the volume, but bullets weren’t as thunderous or ominous-sounding as they were on other gaming laptops. The sounds of grenade explosions had the right crescendoing impact, but lacked the robust volume or bass to truly immerse us. Although the bundled DTS:X Ultra software contains an EQ and 7 predefined profiles, we attempted switching to the Shooter audio profile mode, but there weren’t any noticeable improvements. We both experienced music in a similar way. Despite the fact that we were in a small flat, Joyner Lucas’ “Lotto” sounded clear and accurate but wasn’t nearly loud enough for partying. The instruments in the background music sounded more complex and layered when we switched to external speakers. Thanks to DTS:X technology, the laptop also enables 7.1 simulated surround sound via a stereo headset. However, many of the top gaming headsets include virtual surround sound, so it might not be the greatest approach to improve audio on a cheap pair of cans.
Graphic and gaming
The TUF Gaming A15 by Asus features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070. Although the real performance is heavily dependent on the chosen TGP, this graphics card is currently one of the most potent models available for laptops. This has a maximum output of 125 watts but is only 90 watts in the A15. This results in 3DMark benchmark ratings that are in the middle of our test field, which speaks well for performance in this price range. The integrated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 is excellent for gaming. The most recent games are seamlessly rendered at Full HD resolution, high detail settings, and fast frame rates. Only games with extremely demanding graphics settings, like Cyberpunk 2077, can have frame rates below 60 fps. The Witcher 3’s Ultra graphics settings were used for the endurance test, which revealed that while performance does drop off slightly over time, the system is also able to bounce back. Therefore, even during extended gaming sessions, performance decreases are not to be anticipated.
Performance
As we noted at the beginning of our review, the Asus TUF A15’s selection of parts, which includes some of the most recent hardware from both AMD and Nvidia, really got us excited. The new AMD Ryzen 7 4800H serves as the CPU for the Asus TUF A15. The Asus TUF A15 isn’t quite AMD’s flagship mobile processor (that will be the Ryzen 9 4900HS), but it also doesn’t intend to be a flagship laptop. It aims to be a computer that delivers a balance of performance and value, which is why we approve of Asus’ selection of the 4800H. The Asus TUF A15 is a perfect illustration of how AMD’s Ryzen 4000 mobile processors could alter gaming laptops. With eight cores and 16 threads, it offers a level of power we’d expect to see in much more costly laptops. The GPU for this is an Nvidia RTX 2060. Although it isn’t a flagship GPU, it performs brilliantly at 1080p, making it a terrific option for this type of gaming laptop. you read our article on Asus TUF Gaming A15 review. It is one of Nvidia’s more reasonably priced GPUs while still providing excellent performance, including support for contemporary ray tracing. With 6GB of GDDR6 memory, it is a wise choice for a laptop when expenses need to be kept low. The graphically demanding Metro Exodus performs at 45fps (frames per second) at Ultra, as you can see from our benchmarks. It can play at speeds above the magical 60 frames per second while still looking fantastic with a little bit of tinkering. You can truly benefit from the 144Hz screen for quick and responsive gameplay with less demanding games, like Fortnite or CS:Go. This means that while it lacks the most cutting-edge technology, the gaming laptop nevertheless performs admirably with current games at a price that is significantly lower than that of high-end gaming laptops. In our book, this is a victory. However, the volume the laptop reached when playing games bothered us. The fans on this item have a loud kick-in when they turn on. We’re used to loud gaming laptops because they need to be kept cool in some way, but the Asus TUF A15’s fans are especially annoying.
Asus TUF Gaming A15 review: Battery life
The Asus TUF A15 does admirably here, with the PCMark 10 battery life benchmark, which simulates moderate use, taking five and a half hours to empty the battery. Still, we’ve learned not to expect too much from a gaming laptop in terms of battery life. That’s not too awful for a gaming laptop, and it’s in part because to the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H’s energy efficiency, which uses less power than the more power-hungry Intel CPUs we frequently see in these laptops and doesn’t drain the battery as quickly. The enormous 90Wh battery in this laptop is much larger than the ones you typically find in gaming laptops (and not far from the largest size you’re permitted to bring onboard a plane), which also explains the fantastic uptime of 11 hours, 44 minutes we recorded in our looped 1080p video benchmark. Even while playing a repeated movie isn’t the most difficult endeavor, the TUF A15’s endurance is nonetheless remarkable. However, depending on the game you’re playing, the uptime lowers to about two hours when you’re playing online. Although it’s still not horrible and could get you through a brief train ride, you’ll want to plug this in while you play, just like with other gaming laptops.
Heat
When used moderately, the Asus TUF Gaming A15 maintains a comfortable temperature, but might become slightly warm when overworked. The keyboard, especially the enter key, became considerably heated after playing Battlefield V at ultra level with ray tracing for roughly 30 minutes. The temperature of the touchpad on our TUF Gaming A15 reached 85.5 degrees Fahrenheit after 15 minutes of watching YouTube movies (29.7 degrees Celsius). The spot between the G and H reached 93.5 degrees, and the bottom centre reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit (33.5 degrees Celsius) (34.2 degrees Celsius). For a gaming laptop, where these measures might easily exceed the 100-degree threshold, this is all quite great. Three heatsinks and numerous heat pipes make up Asus’ cooling system. The business also asserts that the improved air vent placement made possible by the revised chassis architecture improves airflow. For longer lifespan, the cooling system also has a self-cleaning feature. How does that function? Dust collection tunnels are located at the margins of the fans. These particles exit the laptop’s chassis at the back after travelling through the tunnels. you can check this article on Asus TUF Gaming A15 review.
Configuration options
The Asus TUF A15 is what we would refer to as an affordable gaming laptop because it is neither as expensive nor as expensive as high-end gaming laptops targeted towards enthusiasts. But when it comes to gaming laptops, “cheap” still means paying a considerable sum of money, and the Asus TUF A15 starts at $1,300 (£1,300, or almost $2,000). That is undoubtedly expensive, but compared to some gaming laptops, like the Alienware m15, it gives much better value for the money. As a result, the pricing of the Asus TUF A15 is comparable to that of the HP Omen 15 and Dell G3 15, two excellent 15-inch gaming laptops, although they don’t offer quite as modern components as the Asus TUF A15 at the time of writing.
Conclusion
The Asus TUF Gaming A15 strikes a good balance between cost and a high-end gaming laptop. With AMD performance inside and a battery life of at least 6-7 hours, you can begin gaming at 60Hz. It performs remarkably well, looks fantastic, and cools fantastically. The pop-up screw at the base of the TUF A15 puts an end to the durability debate. Replace your SSD and RAM, and you’re good to go. Long-term working or gaming sessions are not tiresome, nor is carrying it around. The Dell G3 and MSI GL65 may be in direct rivalry with one another in terms of performance, specifications, and cost. In the end, AMD CPUs buffered by competitive pricing were a very welcome shift. We applaud Asus for taking these chances.
