Asus TUF Gaming A15 review: For the last couple of years, Asus has been aggressively targeting the Indian laptop market, while taking a backseat in the smartphone category. Last month, the company launched its new and first gaming laptop powered by the new Ryzen 4000 H series processors in India. The company refreshed its affordable TUF lineup with AMD's new 7nm mobile processors coupled with Nvidia's GTX 16 series GPUs. 

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The entry-level gaming laptop has been priced Rs 60,990 onwards and comes in three different options. I have been using this for about 10 days and here is a quick look at everything that’s on offer.  

Asus TUF Gaming A15 price in India and models

The Asus TUG Gaming A15 has been launched in two colour options - Fortress Gray and Bonfire Black, both flaunting a honeycomb pattern around the base. The Asus TUF Gaming A15 variant price in India starts at Rs 60,990 for the Bonfire Black model. It comes with AMD Ryzen 5 4600H CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, a 256GB SSD, and a 60Hz full-HD screen.

The top-end model, which we had for review purposes, comes with Ryzen 9 4900H CPU, GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, a 144Hz full-HD screen, and a 1TB SSD plus a hard drive. There is a third model too which comes with AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Processor. All the variants pack a 48Wh battery. 

Asus TUF Gaming A15 review: Design and Build Quality 

The Asus TUF Gaming A15 is built like a mini tank (if there’s a thing like that). It looks rock solid and comes with a metal finish on top giving the laptop a premium finish. It also adds to the durability of the device. The first thing you are likely to notice after taking out the laptop from the box is the big TUF logo at the centre which draws your attention. It was still subtle on the Bonfire Black variant I have but draws more attention on the Fortress Gray model. 

As the name also suggests, the laptop is designed as a tough machine that could survive drops, extreme temperatures, and high humidity. It apparently comes with military grade standards. Since I have been home lately, there was a chance to test this.

What I like though is that Asus hasn’t gone overboard with the idea of designing a gaming laptop and has left enough space for this device to blend into casual environments. While Asus has kept the laptop compact as compared to other gaming machines, the TUF Gaming A15 is on the heavier side, weighing around 2.3 kg. 

Another noticeable feature is that the chassis can be opened with a screwdriver, allowing gamers to upgrade the machine as per their requirements. It allows them to change components such as RAM and SSD by themselves. 

For connectivity, you get several ports around the machine. These include HDMI, USB 3.2 type A and USB type-C and LAN ports. The Type-C USB port here not only allows you to charge the machine but also establish connection with another screen to enhance productivity.

The Asus TUF Gaming A15 laptop comes with a large RGB backlit keyboard with a full-sized number pad and transparent WASD keys. I liked spacing between the keys which ensures that you are not cramped while gaming or typing on the laptop. There are also physical trackpad buttons which will be appreciated by some users. 

You have the option to customise the keyboard lighting. There are only four basic effects plus three levels of brightness. All of this can be done from Asus’ Armoury Crate utility which gives you enough options to customise the experience. 

Asus TUF Gaming A15 review: Gaming and Performance 

The TUF A15 features a 15.6-inch Full HD (1080p) IPS panel. As mentioned above, you can choose between 60Hz and 144Hz screen refresh rates for the 15-inch mode. We had the latter which is ideal for gaming. Personally, I want to see better screen-to-body ratio on laptops but Asus TUF Gaming A15 is as good as we get on a gaming laptop right now. 

The display is absolutely amazing for playing games. It is smooth and makes a difference to your gaming experience. But, this is not the most well-lit screen I have seen on a laptop. The darks are particularly visible while streaming content. 

The laptop ships with Windows 10 Home. The Asus Armoury Crate tool comes real handy and helps you switch between Performance, Silent, and Turbo modes. You can decide the fan speed, check hardware usage and manage RGB effects. 

The fan is relatively silent otherwise but you can clearly hear it running while gaming. This can be distracting for some. 

I ran Fry Cry 5 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to test the performance of the machine. I played both the games on Ultra graphics present and high post-processing levels. With Fry Cry, I got an average of 80 fps while the Witcher largely ran on 54 fps, both of which were highly impressive. 

The cooling system does well to ensure that the machine doesn’t heat up even during long hours of gaming. 

Battery is one area where the Asus TUF Gaming A15 fails to impress. The laptop only lasted for around 5 hours even during normal usage. While gaming, the maximum you can expect is about two hours of battery life. Also, it takes about 120 to 150 minutes to fully charge the device. 

So, this is not the most ideal unit if you travel a lot. 

Asus TUF Gaming A15 review: Should You Buy?

The Asus TUF Gaming A15 is essentially a desktop-bound entry level laptop due to the limited battery life. It is positioned right below the ROG line up of the company. The series starts at Rs 60,990 and is not the most affordable option in the market. But, those looking for a gaming machine would be prepared to spend a decent amount anyway.

There are a lot of thing Asus has got right with this machine including the new Ryzen chip which delivers a more powerful experience. You get a well-constructed machine, good keyboard and decent audio output. What the TUF Gaming A15 lacks are a bright display and long lasting battery life.