Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition review

The highly effective but comparatively inexpensive Ryzen 7000 CPUs are an ideal selection for reasonable gaming laptops such because the A16. Certainly, it’s one in every of solely a handful of gadgets to be included in AMD’s ‘Benefit’ class, which recognises “best-in-class gaming” throughout desktops and laptops.

However in fact, there’s extra to an ideal gaming laptop computer than pure efficiency. The A16 additionally boasts glorious battery life and a stunning 16in, 16:10 show.

Alongside a strong chassis and loads of different premium options, this can be a actual gem for 1080p avid gamers. Right here’s our full overview.

Design, construct & ports

• Understated however very robust design
• Engaging matte end
• Plenty of ports

The A16’s design displays its comparatively inexpensive worth, however nonetheless seems to be good within the course of. There aren’t any luxurious extras akin to flashy RGB lighting or curves that resemble samurai swords. It focuses on the fundamentals as an alternative, which is a sensible transfer.

Its sturdy plastic chassis and inflexible metallic lid have US army grade certification for toughness, which could be very reassuring. Even for those who’re not significantly cautious together with your laptop computer, the A16 ought to keep away from critical injury. I used to be additionally impressed with the lid, which stays put at quite a lot of angles.

The design of the system additionally makes it very versatile. Whereas many gaming laptops are too massive and heavy to snug use on the go, the A16 stays transportable sufficient to take most locations with you. It measures 13.88 x 9.92 x 0.87 inches and weighs 4.85lb (2.2kg), which is comparatively light-weight for a gaming laptop computer.

Asus

The show is the principle factor of any laptop computer, however that feels very true right here. Extremely-slim bezels body the display screen fantastically, whereas a intelligent hinge pops it as much as a extra pure angle, that means you’ll be able to comfortably take within the full panel.

One other factor I beloved in regards to the A16’s design is its modest aesthetic. It’s very understated for a gaming laptop computer, with only a TUF emblem on the lid and crest within the top-right of the trackpad. The upside of that is that it received’t entice any undesirable consideration within the workplace – it’s geared in the direction of work simply as a lot as play.

On the 2023 version, the same old black mannequin is joined by a brand new ‘Sandstorm’ color. Each fashions function a matte end on the lids, serving to to cut back the visibility of fingerprint smudges and different dust. Nonetheless, any that you just do see might be troublesome to take away.

The A16 locates most of its ports on the left facet. This frees up loads of house to your mouse hand for those who’re right-handed, however isn’t so nice for lefties.

Thunderbolt 4 is an Intel expertise, so that you received’t discover it on this AMD-powered laptop computer. However you do get two USB-C, two USB-A and an HDMI 2.1, alongside gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm audio jack and even a Kensington lock connection. Each USB-C ports function DisplayPort 1.4 for connecting to exterior shows, whereas one helps 100W Energy Supply quick charging.

As anticipated, there’s no Thunderbolt 4 ports, however the inclusion of a number of USB-A and USB-C ports and one HDMI 2.1 port means there are nonetheless loads of nice choices to your gadgets. Conveniently each USB-C ports function DisplayPort 1.4. Moreover, one of many USB-C ports options 100W Energy Supply so you’ll be able to cost gadgets rapidly on the fly.

Keyboard & trackpad

• Full-size keyboard
• Loads of journey, however not essentially the most responsive
• Spectacular trackpad

The A16’s keyboard is giant and spacious, with every key providing a beneficiant 1.7mm of journey. There’s additionally ample room to relaxation your palms both facet of the trackpad, so nothing feels cramped.

Though there’s not one of the RGB lights we’ve come to anticipate of gaming laptops, the white backlighting is engaging and straightforward to see. The keys really feel low-set and comfortable, which makes typing fast, though they’ll change into fatiguing throughout lengthy gaming or typing classes. Personally, I’d have most popular them to be somewhat bouncier and extra responsive.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

That mentioned, the keyboard format could be very beneficiant. You get a full-sized quantity pad, all of the perform keys and a set of handy audio controls on the very prime. Under the keyboard, a decent-sized trackpad feels neither too slippery nor too grippy, making it very best for gaming.

Show, webcam & audio

• Wonderful 165Hz 16in show
• Webcam solely 720p
• First rate twin audio system

I’ve tried my fair proportion of laptops with 4K shows, and a few of them have a decision that’s just too excessive for a really seamless expertise.

By comparability, the A16 drops all the way down to a Full HD+ (1920×1200) decision, that means it nonetheless seems to be good however feels extra slick and polished. Its colors actually pop, with full sRGB color gamut protection means content material seems to be wealthy and different.

Regardless of having a comparatively low peak brightness of 250 nits, there’s additionally a stunning depth to the blacks and greys. That’s one thing OLED screens are inclined to do higher than the IPS panel right here.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

However the show’s greatest function is undoubtedly its fluid gameplay or video playback. A 165Hz refresh charge helps it tick over with out even a touch of stutter or glitching. I by no means as soon as noticed it skip a beat, one thing I’d a lot desire over a high-end 4K show that struggles to maintain up.

Above the show is a 720p webcam. It does a good job in lots of eventualities, however like lots of gaming laptops, can’t compete with sensors which might be 1080p or increased. That’s significantly obvious in low-light situations, the place footage tends to look grainy.

The A16’s twin audio system sound clear and balanced, though the shortage of bass is noticeable – it tends change into fairly flat towards the decrease finish. You do get help for hi-res audio and Dolby Atmos, although, which considerably boosts sound high quality on content material that helps it.

Specs & efficiency

• AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and RX 7600S GPU
• Spectacular common efficiency
• Highly effective sufficient for 1080p gaming

The A16 mannequin reviewed options AMD’s Ryzen 7735HS CPU, which options eight cores and 16 threads and makes use of the corporate’s Zen 3+ structure. It’s an upgraded model of Ryzen 7 6800HS, and mixed with 16GB of DDR5 RAM right here.

To check the laptop computer’s CPU efficiency, I pitted it towards quite a lot of gaming laptops. Most have related mid-range CPUs, and all carried out properly in evaluations.

First up was the Cinebench R20 Single-Threaded benchmark, which exams a single core of a laptop computer’s CPU. Its efficiency right here isn’t implausible, however the A16 will nonetheless haven’t any bother operating light-weight apps.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Within the Cinebench R20 Multi-Threaded benchmark, the CPU as a complete fared considerably higher, proving its suitability for AAA video games and CPU-demanding duties like video modifying and encoding. It’s value noting that it outperformed the MSI Katana GF76, which options an Intel Twelfth-gen Core i7-12700H CPU.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Subsequent, we ran a bespoke check created particularly for the free HandBrake utility. This gave us a sign of how properly our laptop computer might maintain processing a CPU-intensive job earlier than it bought too sizzling and wanted to throttle efficiency. The end result? The A16 did an honest job staying cool and powering on, ending the check in a good time of 1,072 seconds.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Underneath the hood, my A16 overview unit is provided a mid-range AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU. These newer graphics playing cards use the RDNA 3 structure, which allows quicker, extra environment friendly efficiency.

The outcomes from 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark give a common overview of the GPU’s efficiency for each gaming and different graphics-based duties. As you’ll be able to see beneath, the A16 seems in the course of our comparability subject, shut behind the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 15.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Transferring to our gaming benchmarks and for Rise of the Tomb Raider the outcomes are extra promising. Right here, you’ll be able to see the laptop computer produced quicker framerates than most opponents.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

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Within the Shadow of the Tomb Raider recreation benchmark, the A16 additionally carried out very properly, outpacing most rivals. The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 carried out barely higher, but it surely has extra premium graphics {hardware}.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

What do these outcomes inform us? They affirm that the A16’s GPU delivers mid-range graphics efficiency, but in addition show that it’s highly effective sufficient for respectable gaming at a Full HD+ decision.

That’s what I noticed from real-world testing – you’ll be able to anticipate persistently excessive framerates and clean, seamless movement from the show.

Battery life

• 90Wh battery
• Spectacular, all-day battery life
• Lasts longer than nearly all rivals

The A16 has quite a few vitality effectivity benefits over 2022 Benefit Version fashions, together with the AMD SmartShift applied sciences talked about above. These have clearly made a distinction to the laptop computer’s battery life.

You get a beneficiant 90Wh capability right here, however I actually wasn’t anticipating all-day battery life – it’s nearly exceptional for a gaming laptop computer.

I started operating our battery check at 6.35am one morning, and once I arrived dwelling from the workplace at 7pm, a lot to my astonishment, it was nonetheless going. In complete, it ran for a whopping 11 and a half hours that day.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Admittedly, the battery check is kind of light-weight, however these outcomes nonetheless recommend it can see you thru roughly seven hours of gaming away from an influence supply. When you’re solely operating gentle productiveness apps, you’ll probably get greater than a full day’s use, which is kind of extraordinary for a gaming laptop computer.

Worth & availability

Contemplating every little thing you’re getting, the A16 is competitively priced. The Ryzen 7 model prices $1,099.99/£1,199.99 at full worth, though there are sometimes reductions out there.

It’s also possible to purchase a Ryzen 9 model for £1,399 within the UK from Currys, however no retailer is at present promoting it within the US.

Even so, that entry mannequin is inexpensive sufficient to be thought-about an inexpensive gaming laptop computer. There are just a few different funds choices, together with Asus’ personal TUF Gaming A15 and the MSI Status 15, however the A16 ticks lots of containers.

Verdict

The A16 makes a superb case towards shopping for dearer laptops, particularly for those who’re into 1080p gaming. Regardless of being inexpensive, it doesn’t skimp on efficiency or a strong chassis.

Nonetheless, the most important issue that units it aside from rivals is its unimaginable battery life. It’s extraordinarily uncommon to see to see a gaming laptop computer final so lengthy on a single cost.

In my e book, that makes the A16 a really excellent gaming laptop computer. It’s a superb inexpensive choice.

Specs

The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Benefit Version is offered with both AMD Rembrandt Zen3+ (Ryzen 7 7735HS) or AMD Phoenix (Ryzen 9 7940HS) CPUs. Two show choices can be found additionally – a FHD+ with 165 Hz refresh charge or QHD+ with 240 Hz refresh charge. The specification of our overview mannequin are as follows:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
• RAM: 16GB DDR5 / 4800MHz
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7600S
• Show: 16-inch FHD+ (1920 x1200) IPS-level, 165Hz refresh charge, 100% sRGB, 7ms response, FreeSync Premium
• Storage: 1TB SSD PCIe 4
• Ports: 2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Each with Show Port 1.4 one with 100W PD), 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1 port, 3.5 mm audio port, 1G Lan port, Kensington lock
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
• Weight: 4.85lbs (2.2kg)
• Dimensions: 13.88 x 9.92 x 0.87 inches
• Battery capability: 90Whr