ASUS TUF A14 gaming laptop review: More bang for your buck

I have to admit that I have always been the type of player that loves to keep work and gaming separate, using specialized technologies for each activity. This is something that I have always done. As a matter of fact, my ideal gaming setup may be described as a certain place within my room that enables me to play for extended periods of time without being interrupted. As a result, the idea of transporting a hefty laptop for gaming purposes in order to play Counter-Strike in a location such as a cafe or an airport is not something that I consider to be very significant. On the other hand, I do take pleasure in going to the occasional gaming party that is hosted by my friends. Given all of this, I have been looking for one major priority to get a portable gaming device.

When I was given the opportunity to review the very first TUF gaming laptop ASUS ever made, the excitement that coursed through my veins was intense. The selling price of this product is Rs 1,69,990, and it has a chassis that is 14 inches in overall dimensions. The fact that a device that appeared to be so little yet nonetheless make the claim that it could pack a big punch was something that piqued my interest. I used the TUF A14 for a period of two weeks, and during that time I came to the following realisations:

Design and Aesthetics

I fell in love with the TUF A14’s elegant and utilitarian appearance the moment I removed it from its box. I was immediately impressed by its design. Not only does it have a cover made of aluminium that has a minimalist finish, but the design of the product as a whole is also simple. In spite of the fact that the neutral style is not likely to draw attention to itself when you bring it out of your purse, it is probable that this is the reason why it is so appealing. As soon as I removed it from its packing, I saw that the top panel had some greasy smudges on it, despite the claim that it had a coating that prevented fingerprints from being left behind. On the other hand, it seemed that the perfect answer would be to wipe it down with a cloth made of microfiber.

Compared with some of the chunkier ROG laptops I’ve met in my travels, the TUF A14-weighing 1.46 kilogrammes and a thickness of 16.9 millimetres-feels much lighter. The thickness is 16.9 millimetres. I didn’t have problems carrying it around in my middle-sized rucksack either, and the geometrical shape of the back panel ensured that its main components were getting enough ventilation. I was able to carry it without any issue.

In order to make use of the keyboard and trackpad, those of you who want to position it beneath your external monitors will appreciate the fact that the TUF A14 comes with a hinge that can be twisted through 180 degrees, making it easy to lay it down in a flat position. Above the back vents is where the mechanism that hinges at an angle of 180 degrees is positioned. This is done to guarantee that the airflow is not interfered with in any way. Despite the fact that it is certified to satisfy military-grade specifications (MIL-STD-810H), the all-terrain chassis is only available in JAEGAR Grey. That is all the color options you get.

A portable powerhouse

Besides that, the high performance of computations and flexibility of the TUF A14 are what really impressed me. The elite AMD RyzenTM AI 9 HX 370 central processing unit comes with an in-die on-chip Radeon 890M integrated graphics processing unit which is self-driven at speeds of up to 2.9 GHz. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU equips four Zen5 cores along with eight Zen5C cores. This configuration allows the CPU to handle working in the background while offering excellent power efficiency when it becomes necessary.

You may also link it with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, which has a maximum thermal design power (TGP) of 110W while it is working in Manual mode. This will allow you to boost the performance of your gaming experience.

While I was experimenting with the TUF A14 and testing its performance, I recalled how I used to set up games on my desktop computer that did not have a distinct graphics processing unit (GPU), and the machine would crash and burn as soon as I started the game. I remember this experience because I was trying to check out the TUF A14. Today, one can play AAA games with respectable frame rates on the same integrated GPU, even when settings are relatively low. That is big news. I must say I was somewhat shocked to hear that chip manufacturers like AMD have made huge strides in integrated graphics processing units.

In addition, AMD has incorporated fifty topmost NPU (Neural Processing Unit) in place of the artificial intelligence applications that will be offered in the future. The Copilot+PC software for gaming laptops, which is related to the capabilities of the TUF A14 in terms of artificial intelligence, has not yet received any updates from Microsoft. It is predicted that once it does, artificial intelligence features such as hand gesture detection and eye gaze correction, as well as Copilot tools such as Recall, Cocreator, email summarisation, live captions, studio effects, and so on, would be implemented into the device at the kernel level. This is something that will happen once it is released.

The gaming experience

It was my discovery that the processing capability of the TUF A14 was capable of effortlessly handling competitive online multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike and Valorant games. This was due to the fact that the TUF A14 had an average frame rate of more than sixty frames per second in medium settings and a resolution of ten thousand pixels.

Among the features that make it an immersive gaming experience, one of those DLSS super-resolution traits uses artificial intelligence by reconstructing earlier frames with a low resolution into frames with higher resolution. This Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 also uses artificial intelligence to enhance the quality of images with increased numbers of frames and pixels.

The TUF A14 has a 14-inch display with the resolution of 2.5K and at 165Hz. With a colour gamut coverage of one hundred percent sRGB and a brightness that can reach into the range of 400 nits, this display is able to demonstrate the ability to produce images that are clear and distinct. On the other hand, after being left on charge for a couple of hours, there was a time when the underside of the laptop began to release a significant amount of additional heat. Its cooling system had been redesigned and comprised two fans working on 5V and exhaust vents, which were full width, making it completely silent when its workload was at full capacity.

In addition, the speaker’s performance did not completely meet my expectations because it does not have a bass tone that is very strong. There was an attempt made by me to view a movie by placing the laptop on the bed; however, the sound was muffled due to the placement of the speakers within the laptop.

In terms of the keyboard, it is designed in a manner that is comparable to that of a conventional desktop computer, which makes it much easier to transfer it from one personal computer to another. When I found out that there is no RGB lighting feature, the gamer in me was a little bit disappointed. This is despite the fact that the keys provide a fantastic feedback. On the other hand, there is a certain CoPilot key that, when pushed, immediately brings up the chat interface. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions to the artificial intelligence bot. The 16:10 glass touchpad has an awkward mushiness to it, while still offering a generous size with a smooth surface for swiping.

The battery in this device is 73 watt hours, which will run out quite quickly during a three-hour gaming session, but seize the opportunity to employ that 100-watt Type-C fast-charging and the thing can be refilled up to 100 percent within half an hour.

The verdict

Considering how much this laptop can accomplish, the ASUS TUF A14 is one amazing gaming laptop. It is, at once, suitable for gamers, content creators, students, and working professionals. After all, it is a multi-functional device that fulfills many needs. The Taiwanese technology giant has, with great success managed to put the processing capabilities of the Zephyrus range into a slightly more affordable 14-inch laptop. This reason has ensured that the company maintains its mobility while still fulfilling the expectations in terms of performance. By the time the developers actually roll out updated AI versions, the TUF A14 will be ready to receive the updates.