Asus TUF A15: The Best Budget Gaming Laptop?

by Vaibhav Bhati
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asus tuf a15
Pic Source: Amazon

Inside Asus TUF A15

Asus Tuf comes with AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS Mobile Processor with cloak speed of  3.1GHz (20MB Cache, up to 4.5 GHz, 8 cores, 16 Threads

For Gaming TUF A15 is equipped with 4GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU with Up to 1675MHz at 60W(TGP)(75W with Dynamic Boost)

asus tuf A15

The Display of A15 is about 39.62 cms (15.6) FHD (1920 x 1080) with an Anti-glare screen having a 16:09 Aspect Ratio and a Refresh rate of 144Hz and up to 250nits Brightness for enhanced view.

The Memory section of Asus Tuf A15 is absolutely amazing for a sub-60k laptop with 16GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM RAM expandable up to 32GB using 2x SO-DIMM slots (There are restrictions of RAM frequency even though the RAM equipped is of higher frequency it doesn’t support so its working frequency is lower than the mentioned).

It also contains 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD with a good read and write speed after testing and checking it up internally it’s almost a Samsung SSD but specially made for Asus by Samsung (This data can be accessed within the laptop).

The Asus Tuf has the latest network card with Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 and 1x HDMI 2.1 for seamless connectivity to other devices if you want to.

The battery of the TUF is typical with 48WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion with fast charging (30min for 50% advertised) ø6.0, 180W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 9A, 180W, Input: 100~240V AC, 50/60Hz universal.

The keyboard is Backlit Chiclet Keyboard 1-Zone RGB with customization available via inbuilt app and the lights can also be controlled by the keyboard or Turned off.

Audio and Speakers of A15 include a 2-speaker system with AI noise-canceling technology, DTS software, and Hi-Res certification (for headphones).

I/O ports of A15 have traditional 1x RJ45 LAN port, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 with Type-C support DisplayPort has 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A.

Expansion Slots are also provided by Asus that include 2x PCIe Gen 4 of which one is pre-occupied and  2x DDR5 SO-DIMM slots of which again one is pre-occupied.

asus tuf a15

What Does Asus Offer?

The Asus TUF A15’s lid is made of metal, while the rest of the casing is plastic. The base remains relatively sturdy, though you can press down on the keyboard’s center without much resistance. Fortunately, the device doesn’t creak when bent or twisted. However, the lid’s thinness isn’t ideal, as pressing it causes slight screen distortions, and the maximum screen opening angle is around 135 degrees. The TUF Gaming A15 has the most compact design, weighing just over 2.1 kg among similar-sized competitors. It’s portable enough to fit most bags, and the power supply adds another 735 grams.

Let’s go inside

CPU

The Asus TUF A15 is equipped with AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS as the processor for this laptop, essentially an upgraded version of the Ryzen 7 6800HS, with a 50 MHz increase in maximum clock speed. Built on the Zen3+ architecture, it features 8 cores and supports 16 threads simultaneously. The TUF Gaming A15 has power limits of 80/65 watts, enabling solid multi-core performance. The 7735HS performs similarly to the Ryzen 7 6800H in the Schenker XMG Core 15. For a budget gaming laptop, this processor offers reasonable power.

GPU

The laptop’s 4GB VRAM RTX 3050 GPU, a standout option at this price point, delivers exceptional performance for gaming at 1080p. Rigorously tested with popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, GTA V, Call of Duty Warzone, Black Ops, PUBG, CS GO 2, and Valorant, the laptop demonstrated seamless gameplay with DLSS and ray tracing enabled.

Even demanding titles like CS GO 2, Valorant, and Black Ops ran smoothly at 4K with DLSS and ray tracing, though 1080p remains the optimal resolution for maximizing performance, battery life, and thermal efficiency given the RTX 3050’s capabilities. The impressive frame rates achieved by this sub-60K laptop, equipped with a 3050 and 4GB VRAM, solidify its position as a compelling choice for gamers seeking high-quality visuals and responsive gameplay.

asus tuf a15

SSD: A Needy Upgrade But Why

The Asus TUF A15 comes equipped with a PCIe 4.0 SSD. The M.2 2280 drive offers 512 GB of storage, with approximately 420 GB accessible after initial setup. The QLC-SSD can achieve transfer speeds up to 4,000 MB/s, which aligns with the results seen in benchmark tests. Overall, the drive delivers solid and consistent performance, even during extended usage. The software used is CrystalDiskMark. 

Unfortunately, for any serious gamer, the 512GB SSD provided by Asus falls short. Asus has cut costs in this area, and a 512GB SSD simply isn’t sufficient for most gaming needs. You should expect to factor in the additional cost of purchasing an extra SSD, either internal or external, with at least 512GB or 1TB capacity. Depending on the quality, this will set you back around 6-9k.

To put this into perspective for new gamers, GTA V alone takes up around 100GB, and when played regularly, it can grow to about 150 GB. Similarly, games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, Warzone, or Modern Warfare each require about 100GB initially, with storage needs eventually ballooning to 200GB per game. So, the 512GB SSD provided, of which only about 400GB is available after the operating system, is far too small. An upgrade in storage is necessary for any gamer.

For reference, I personally used a Western Digital WD Black SN770 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, which offers 5150 MB/s transfer speeds. In practice, I achieved around 3500 MB/s read and write speeds, and the loading time for Valorant was around 12-15 seconds—quite good for a gaming SSD.

asus tuf a15
Credit: Forbes.com

Why Should You Buy?

The Asus TUF A15 comes with a 3050GPU with 4GB VRAM, presenting exceptional value for budget-conscious gamers. The performance is impressive among many high-end games without a drop in fps, lag, or jitter. The RTX 4050 delivers a powerful action-packed potential with an upgrade but comes with a 10 thousand increase in the budget Making many new users reluctant and the increase is not justified for the Performance it offers.

The 4GB VRAM may look insufficient on paper but it does not create a huge impact on the Performance of the laptop. Priced at INR 60k on Amazon with discounts bringing it down to 54 thousand it has the best price-to-performance ratio in this segment.

Although the battery life of the TUF A15 is usual for gaming laptops, requiring frequent charging during extended gaming sessions, it aligns with the expectations of this category. The laptop’s 144Hz display is impressive and amazing. In conclusion, the ASUS TUF A15 is a highly recommended choice for new gamers or professionals seeking a capable gaming machine within a constrained budget. Although if you have a flexible budget might consider options with RTX 4050 and higher VRAM, the TUF A15 offers exceptional value and performance for its price point.

asus tuf a15

Conclusion

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