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ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025): Two-minute review
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is a gaming laptop that promises top-tier performance at an affordable price. It doesn’t exactly convey its power visually, looking rather muted compared to others in this class. However, it does exude a fair amount of elegance, which belies its budget price tag.
It’s surprisingly thin and free from bulk, although it’s still quite heavy. The lid hinges are pleasingly small, and the bezel around the screen is very minimal – in fact you’ll struggle to find a more slender frame on even the best gaming laptop fashions.
Build quality is also respectable, although the keyboard doesn’t look the most premium. Thankfully, the keys themselves feel great, offering sufficient dampening, travel, and feedback, which makes them a joy to use when gaming.
And, on that front, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) acquits itself very well. The RTX 5050 in my unit performed remarkably well, achieving very high frame rates with demanding graphics settings selected, although Cyberpunk 2077 labored considerably on the highest preset, with disruptive stutters, lag, and visual glitches. But dropping the settings down slightly improved the experience greatly, while maintaining plenty of visual fidelity.
Extra bothersome, nevertheless, was the noise the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) generated, which is distractingly loud and just about guidelines out taking part in with out headphones. Not less than the unit stays comparatively cool for probably the most half, with any warmth steering clear from any touchable floor.
The massive 16-inch, 1920 x 1200 show of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is definitely ok to characterize AAA video games faithfully, nevertheless it’s not one of the best at school, responsible of trying slightly washed out at instances. It additionally lacks the excessive brightness ranges of its rivals, and is slightly too reflective.
As talked about, the keys really feel nice to make use of when gaming, however the cramped format – owing to the inclusion of a quantity pad – could make typing awkward, a minimum of for somebody as ham-fisted as me.
This isn’t too huge a gripe, although, and for those who’re prepared to place up with the incessant noise and might accept gaming at close-to most settings, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is a good performer that received’t break the financial institution – a minimum of to not the extent different gaming laptops will.
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Price & Availability
- $1,449.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499
- Available now
- Well-priced for the spec
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) starts from $1,449.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499 and is available now. In the US, we couldn’t find a model equipped with an RTX 5050; the base model here appears to start with a 5060 instead.
This is a decent price for a 16-inch laptop with an RTX 5000 series GPU. There are few compromises, too, with the 1920 x 1200 resolution being the main concession. But the overall design and build quality of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) aren’t what you’d call cheap.
However, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is cheaper by a big quantity. This has a much less spectacular spec, although: the bottom Nitro 16 AMD will get an RTX 4050 GPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, and solely 512GB of storage. It’s additionally fairly cumbersome and doesn’t precisely look premium. We had been more than happy with its 1080p efficiency, although, and we additionally preferred its keyboard.
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Specs
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) Base Config |
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) Maximum Config |
|
Price |
$1,449.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499 |
$1,699.99 / £1,699.99 |
|
CPU |
AMD Ryzen 7 260 Processor 3.8GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.1 GHz, 8 cores, 16 Threads) |
AMD Ryzen 9 270 Processor 4.0GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.2GHz, 8 cores, 16 Threads) |
|
GPU |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, 8GB |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 8GB |
|
RAM |
8GB DDR5 |
32GB DDR5 |
|
Storage |
1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD |
1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD |
|
Display |
16-inch, FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1200, WUXGA), 165Hz, IPS, Anti-glare display, G-Sync |
16-inch, FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1200, WUXGA), 165Hz, IPS, Anti-glare display, G-Sync |
|
Ports and Connectivity |
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB-A (1x USB 2.0 and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2), 2x USB-C (1x USB 3.2 Gen2 and 1x USB 4), 1x RJ45, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB-A (1x USB 2.0 and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2), 2x USB-C (1x USB 3.2 Gen2 and 1x USB 4), 1x RJ45, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Battery |
90WHrs |
90WHrs |
|
Dimensions |
13.94 x 10.59 x 0.70 inches (354 x 269 x 17.9mm) |
13.94 x 10.59 x 0.70 inches (354 x 269 x 17.9mm) |
|
Weight |
4.85lbs (2.20kg) |
4.85lbs (2.20kg) |
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Design
- Surprisingly thin
- Very thin screen bezel
- Good-feeling keyboard
To my personal delight, ASUS hasn’t done much to gamify the appearance of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025). It has a minimal aesthetic and the whole unit looks surprisingly elegant for a gaming machine.
It isn’t saddled with the typical gaming laptop bulk, either. The chassis is pleasingly thin and the rear protrusion is comparatively small. While it’s still quite weighty, again it’s not as heavy as some of its rivals.
The lid hinges look rather smart, and are easy to operate yet provide plenty of stability, while the bezel around the display is very small, allowing almost all of the allotted space to be used.
There are a few missteps in the design, though: the corners of the base are a little too sharp, and the keyboard looks a little cheap. A number pad is also included, which unfortunately makes the whole layout a little more cramped than it otherwise would be. Still, I did appreciate the translucent WASD keys, which distinguishes them from the others.
Underneath the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) are four rubber feet and plastic strips that raise the unit from the surface by a fair amount, which helps to improve airflow.
You’ll find the usual selection of ports on the TUF Gaming A16 (2025), with most of them located on the left side. They’re sensibly ordered, too; I particularly appreciated the headset jack being at the front and the power port at the back.
Along with an ethernet port and an HDMI port, you’ll also find two USB-C ports on the left – one is 3.2 Gen 2 and the other 4, but both support external display connections. On the right are two USB-A ports, which are again logically located, since it makes them amenable to connecting peripherals such as mice.
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Performance
- Impressive AAA performance
- Quite loud
- Display not the most vibrant
I was impressed by the overall performance of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025). When I played Cyberpunk 2077 on the Ray Tracing: Low preset – which the game selected by default – I was getting roughly between 175-200fps, depending on the in-game environment.
Turning the preset to Ray Tracing: Ultra naturally resulted in a decrease, but I was still in the respectable region of 115-150fps. Ray Tracing: Overdrive caused a further dip, down to 70-100fps, but with the added bane of significant stuttering and input lag, as well as some strange visual artefacts and pop-in effects. Suffice to say this isn’t a setting I can recommend playing on.
Nonetheless, the above demonstrates a laudable effort on the part of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025). However, the price is paid in noise – a loud one. Under load it’s a veritable cacophony, as the fans whir away with considerable force. Needless to say this can be quite disruptive, requiring one of the best PC gaming headsets with sturdy noise cancellation to drown it out.
Not less than the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) stays comparatively cool. Any warmth generated is confined to affordable temperatures, and concentrated primarily on the very again of the unit – though this may unfold to the underside, so if you’re utilizing the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) in your lap, your legs may get slightly toasty. Mercifully, although, the warmth doesn’t encroach on the keyboard or the edges of the chassis, so there’s no likelihood of scorching your fingers.
The 1920 x 1200 show on my unit offered adequate sharpness, even at 16 inches, and proved to be very bit as easy and responsive as you’d count on from its 165Hz refresh fee. Colours seem vibrant sufficient, however they’ll look slightly washed out at instances. What’s extra, the utmost brightness stage isn’t that top, and reflections can rear their ugly heads underneath sure lighting situations.
The keys are tactile and properly damped, and have extra journey and resistance than these in your typical laptop computer, which makes them straightforward and satisfying to make use of when gaming. I additionally appreciated the outstanding nub on the W key, making it straightforward to find.
Whereas the keys additionally really feel good to sort on, the aforementioned cramped format can hamper the A16’s productiveness credentials. I by no means totally obtained used to it, and what’s extra the massive trackpad does encroach in your hand placement, so it’s essential take care in not urgent down too laborious.
The trackpad is easy and makes for easy swipes and gestures, however it may be inconsistent in registering faucets, generally requiring a tougher hit than regular. This could be a moot level for a lot of players, although, since they’ll possible be pairing the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) with one of many best gaming mice.
Typical of many Asus merchandise, there are a number of annoying pop-ups from Armory Crate, in addition to some weird notifications from Nvidia about show mode modifications, which often seem when booting up a recreation; for some unknown purpose the system continuously thought two shows had been linked.
Fortunately, this didn’t appear to have an effect on efficiency in any approach, and Home windows a minimum of makes it straightforward to alter projection settings with the Win+P shortcut. Apart from these niggles, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) gives a reasonably seamless expertise total, as you may count on given the facility on faucet.
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Battery Life
The battery life of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is pretty impressive. It managed to last two hours and ten minutes in the PCMark gaming battery test, which is close to the time achieved by the Acer Nitro 16 AMD.
In our movie playback test, where we ran a short film on a continuous loop, it lasted an impressive 12 hours and 18 minutes. What’s more, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is also quick to charge, taking just under two hours to fully replenish.
Should I buy the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025)?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
The TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is priced very competitively considering the spec. The relatively low resolution is about the only sacrifice. |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
It’s surprisingly thin and elegant for a gaming laptop, and it also appears built to a high standard |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The TUF Gaming A16 (2025) delivers high frame rates in AAA titles with demanding settings, although it won’t handle max presets all that well, and the noise is bothersome. |
4 / 5 |
|
Battery Life |
It performed well in our series of battery benchmarks, and it’s fast to charge, too. |
4 / 5 |
|
Total |
The TUF Gaming A16 (2025) seems to have achieved its aim of delivering high performance at a relatively low price point, which makes it a tempting proposition for those on a budget – if they can put up with the noise. |
4 / 5 |
Buy the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) if…
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ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Also Consider
How I tested the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025)
- Tested for a few days
- Used for gaming and everyday tasks
- Plentiful PC gaming hardware experience
I tested the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) for a couple of days, during which time I used it for gaming and everyday tasks such as typing and browsing.
I played various games, including Cyberpunk 2077, which is a demanding test for systems and remains a cutting-edge AAA experience. I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to assess the gaming, creative, and productivity credentials of PCs, as well as storage speeds and battery life.
I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and during that time I’ve experienced plenty of systems and hardware. I’ve also reviewed a number of laptops, from gaming machines to those designed for productivity and general use.