Laptops were always considered slower than PCs due to their toned-downed components and thermal limitations. However, these fundamentals are being challenged by AMD’s new Ryzen 4000 series processors, based on a 7nm architecture. They are making a buzz since their debut. Some benchmarks suggest that AMD’s 4000 series CPUs are better than similarly priced desktop processors, at least for now. Gamers have been anticipating the launch of Ryzen 4000 series laptops and it looks like their wait is over.
The Asus TUF A15 appears to be the first gaming laptop in India to run the Ryzen 4000 series processors. The TUF series is offering gaming laptops at budget-friendly prices, with premium features such as 144Hz displays and customisable RGB keyboards. AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series processors coupled with NVIDIA’s 1660Ti graphics cards also seem to be a great combination. Let’s take a deeper look at the Asus TUF 15 Gaming laptop.
The Asus TUF 15 is designed futuristically, and it has lots of edgy lines. The laptop chassis is made of plastic while the front lid is finished in aluminium. The device is 35.9 cm wide and it weighs 2.3 kg. The TUF A15 meets MIL-STD-810H standards, so it should withstand accidental bumps and knocks. The TUF A15 sports a dual-hinge design that prevents the display from wobbling. Asus has also introduced a Honeycomb design at the bottom to efficiently dissipate heat. The laptops are available in Fortress Grey and Bonfire Black colours.
The Asus TUF A15 is one of the first mid-spec gaming laptops to sport a 144Hz display. The refresh rate determines the number of times a screen redraws an image. A higher refresh rate means less motion blur and smoother graphics rendition in games. The screen is NVIDIA G-Sync enabled, so it reduces input lag and it lets you connect G-Sync supported external monitors. The Asus TUF 15 has a 15-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Asus claims, the display has an IPS-class panel that provides wider viewing angles and outstanding colour accuracy. The screen features an anti-glare protection layer that makes the display legible, in brightly lit settings.
The Asus TUF 15 comes in three configurations. The entry-level model sports a 6-core Ryzen 5 4600H processor, which is rare at this price. In fact, the mid and higher-spec variants of the TUF 15 are the first gaming laptops to sport 8-core processors. More cores mean smoother multi-tasking and faster performance while using CPU-intensive software. The entry-level model comes with 8GB of RAM while the mid-spec variant sports 16GB of RAM. Both models sport 512GB SSD drives and 1TB hard drives. However, you can choose the higher-spec model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD storage.
All the Asus TUF 15 models sport a 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti graphics card. The graphics card is based on NVIDIA’s Turing architecture which is designed to offer full HD gaming at a budget. Asus claims the combination of newer AMD processors and NVIDIA’s GeForce 1660Ti graphics will result in a great gaming machine. This means, we can expect most high-end games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite and Apex Legends to run smoothly. The NVIDIA GeForce 1660Ti graphics card should also help with image and 3D modelling software such as Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Autodesk Maya.
The Asus TUF 15 comes with a full-size RGB keyboard. Asus is using a chicklet mechanism that offers 1.8 mm of key travel. The WASD keys are highlighted in semi-translucent colour, which leaves no doubt that this laptop is meant for gaming. The keyboard layout is the same as the high-end Asus ROG laptops, so all the keys are well-spaced for a comfortable gaming experience. The keyboard bay is also finished in brushed aluminium, which makes fingerprints less visible. This largely helps if you have sweaty hands and it makes your laptop look less dirty.
The Asus TUF 15 features a large trackpad with Windows 10 multitouch gesture support. The trackpad features dedicated click buttons that are useful while browsing the internet.
Laptop manufacturers skip on connectivity ports to make laptops slimmer but that’s not the case with the Asus TUF 15. It sports two USB 3.2 ports on the left and a single USB 2.1 port on the right. The laptop has a Type-C and a HDMI port for connecting external monitors. It also features a RJ-45 (LAN) port for lower latency in online games. For wireless gaming, the laptop has Wi-Fi 802.11ac along with Bluetooth 5.0 for connecting peripherals.
The Asus TUF 15 comes with a downward-facing stereo speaker setup. The new speakers support DTX:X surround sound and Asus claims it puts out more sound than previous generation TUF laptops. Asus also provides an in-built software that includes up to 8 preset modes for music, movies, and gaming. Gaming laptops deliver poor battery life but the Asus TUF 15’s energy-efficient Ryzen 4000 series processors clubbed with its large 48Wh lithium-polymer battery is expected to provide an exceptional battery life.
Asus also officially supports aftermarket upgrades. This means, you can upgrade it with faster RAM, a larger SSD, and HDD as needed. This makes the TUF series a versatile option for buyers looking for their first gaming laptop. The laptop has most of the bells-and-whistles of high-end gaming laptops and the combination of AMD’s 4000 series processor with NVIDIA’s GeForce 1660Ti makes the Asus TUF 15 a great gaming laptop.
