Asus’s new all-AMD gaming laptop, the TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition, presents an intriguing low-cost option for gamers. With a blend of decent gaming performance and impressive battery life, it stands out, though it faces stiff competition from similarly priced laptops featuring Nvidia’s RTX 4060 GPU.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Very nice 240Hz screen
- Excellent battery life
- Solid build quality
Cons:
- Merely adequate gaming performance
- Slightly unreliable AMD GPU management
- Not competitively priced enough
Price and Availability
The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (FA617XS) is priced at £949.99 in the UK and is available now. Other configurations are available in the US and Australia, priced around $1,000 and closer to $2,000 AUD, respectively. While the price is reasonable for the specifications, similar laptops with Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics are available for slightly more, such as the Acer Predator Helios 16 and HP Victus 16.
Specifications
- Price: £949.99
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS (8-core)
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 7600S 8GB
- RAM: 16GB DDR5-4800
- Screen: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 (IPS, 240Hz, 3ms, 100% DCI-P3)
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Ports: 1x USB4, 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x LAN, 1x 3.5mm audio
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
- Camera: 720p webcam
- Weight: 4.85 lbs (2.2kg)
- Dimensions: 35.5 x 25.2 x 2.68 cm (13.98 x 9.92 x 1.06 inches)
Design
The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition features a solid build with a mix of alloy and sturdy plastic. The screen lid is made from lush alloy, while the rest is crafted from durable plastic, including a tough textured bottom cover. The keyboard is smooth and tactile, though it has a slight flex above the keyboard bed. The trackpad is large and slick, providing a pleasant user experience. The laptop also boasts slim bezels, achieving a 90% screen-to-body ratio, which enhances portability.
Performance
In most games, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU in the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition performs just below an Nvidia RTX 4060 mobile GPU. However, enabling ray tracing significantly impacts frame rates compared to the RTX 4060. The laptop handles most games at 1080p max settings, achieving around 60fps for demanding titles. The 2,560 by 1,600 resolution screen is sharp, responsive, and bright, though it may be more than the AMD GPU can fully utilize.
Benchmark Results:
- 3DMark: Night Raid: 56,533; Fire Strike: 22,648; Time Spy: 9,354
- GeekBench 6: 2686 (single-core); 12281 (multi-core)
- Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 64 fps; (1080p, Low): 144 fps
- Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 53 fps; (1080p, Ultra RT): 11; (1080p, Low): 78 fps
- Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 75 fps; (1080p, Low): 150 fps
- Battery Life Test: 11h
Battery Life
The all-AMD hardware in the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition contributes to excellent battery life. Thanks to the AMD APU’s integrated graphics and Smart Access Graphics GPU-switching technology, the laptop can achieve over 10 hours of light use and media consumption, which is impressive for a gaming laptop.
Should You Buy It?
Buy it if:
- You want decent battery life: The all-AMD hardware provides over 10 hours, much better than the average gaming laptop.
- You appreciate a decent screen: The 1600p IPS panel running at 240Hz offers a lovely gaming experience.
Don’t buy it if:
- You want the best gaming features: Laptops with Nvidia’s RTX 4060 GPU offer better overall features, including superior upscaling and ray-tracing performance.
- You want future-proof performance: The AMD GPU may not be as future-proof as Nvidia’s offerings.