ASUS TUF Gaming A14
Priced at around Rs 1,70,000, we could actually say that the TUF Gaming A14 is a great alternative to pricier 14-inch gaming laptop options on the market. As weird as that sounds, it’s true. While it may lack some premium features like a metal deck and RGB lighting, it compensates with a solid port selection, comfortable keyboard, lightweight design, and good performance. If you’re looking for a compact yet capable machine, the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 is certainly worth checking out.
The landscape of 14-inch gaming laptops has changed significantly over the past few years, with more options emerging. One of the latest entrants is the Asus TUF Gaming A14 FA401WV, equipped with AMD’s Zen 5 CPUs. Unlike the flagship ROG Zephyrus G14, the TUF Gaming A14 is aimed at budget-conscious gamers, offering a balanced mix of performance without the high-end GPU or display options that drive up prices. Of course, priced at Rs 1,69,990, it’s “tough” to consider the TUF Gaming A14 as a budget gaming laptop (see what we did there?). But when you take into account what high-end 14-inch gaming laptops usually go for, the price seems a lot more palatable.
As the first 14-inch addition to the TUF Gaming lineup, it complements its larger siblings—the 15.6-inch A15, the 16-inch A16, and the 17.3-inch A17. Our review unit comes with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, a 100 W GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, and a 14-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600p), 165 Hz IPS display. A lower-tier Ryzen 7 8845HS configuration is also available, but the GPU, display, and 16 GB of soldered RAM remain consistent across all models.
The TUF Gaming A14 features a hybrid chassis, combining plastic for the keyboard deck and palm rests with an aluminium bottom plate and lid. While this design may not exude the same luxury as the more premium Zephyrus G14, the build quality remains commendable, with no noticeable creaking and only minor flexing. However, the hinges could be sturdier; they exhibit some creaking during adjustments, raising concerns about long-term durability. Unlike the Zephyrus, the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 is able to be opened up to 180-degrees, a feature that is missed on the new Zephyrus laptops.
Notably, Asus has relocated the four LED indicators to the rear of the laptop, which is less intuitive as they are only visible from behind. Despite being slightly thicker than the pricier ROG Zephyrus G14, the TUF Gaming A14 maintains a comparable weight, making it one of the lighter 14-inch gaming laptops available at just 1.46 kg. Its MIL-STD-810H certification and CNC machined corners add to its rugged appeal, although it is a fingerprint magnet.
The keyboard on the A14 offers a comfortable typing experience, with 1.7 mm key travel and satisfying feedback, especially from the Space and Enter keys. The single-zone white backlighting is a basic feature, lacking the per-key RGB customisation which we usually see in gaming laptops. A non-issue for us, but at this price they might as well have thrown it in.
The glass clickpad, while slightly smaller than that of the ROG Zephyrus G14, provides smooth tracking and satisfying click feedback. We didn’t use it for too long however, before swapping out to a mouse.
The port selection on the device closely follows the layout of the 2024 Zephyrus G14, offering a well-rounded mix of connectivity options. It includes a useful MicroSD card reader, which is a thoughtful addition for content creators who often need to transfer media quickly. On the right, you get a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port (10 Gbps) with DisplayPort support and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port. On the left, the laptop comes equipped with an AC adapter port, HDMI 2.1, a high-speed USB-C 4 port (40 Gbps) with Power Delivery, another USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. This selection ensures that users have ample options for both high-speed data transfer and media output, making it a solid choice for power users.
The 14-inch BOE NE140QDM-NX7 IPS panel delivers a solid gaming experience with its 165 Hz refresh rate. During our testing, we got a peak average brightness of 455 nits. sRGB and DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage tested 95.6 and 66.4 percent respectively. While there is a lack of HDR support, the display will still more than suffice for gaming and even entry-level editing needs. G-Sync is available, but Windows Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) isn’t supported, limiting power-saving options.
Our review unit came equipped with AMD’s latest Zen5 CPU, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 which is paired with a 100 W GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. This already puts the A14 a cut above the rest in the 14-inch gaming arena which usually feature lower GPUs with lower TGPs.
The TUF Gaming A14 genuinely impressed us with its performance. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 consistently outperforms many competitors, especially in sustained tasks. We were surprised at how little the machine throttled even after hours of use. This is especially impressive if you consider the laptop’s smaller form factor which is usually a reason for laptops to throttle in the first place. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 performs just as well as if not better than the Intel Core Ultra 9.
Gaming performance on the A14 is also surprisingly good. Easily better than most other 14-inch gaming laptops in the market right now.
Of course, the 100 W RTX 4060 does not compare to full sized gaming laptops with 140 W RTX 4060s in them, but you can still game pretty comfortably on the TUF Gaming A14. You could hit over 60 FPS in most modern AAA titles even at 1440p and comfortably game at over 100 FPS at 1080p. You most likely won’t hit that 165 FPS mark on most intensive games unless you bump the settings further down, however.
A natural consequence of a smaller form factor is increased heat. This holds true for the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 as well with hot spots hitting close to 45 degrees Celsius during intensive use. The rest of the laptop’s surface averaged at around 34 degrees Celsius. During our CPU and GPU stress tests, they hit 86 and 76 degrees Celsius respectively, which are well within a comfortable range.
Priced at around Rs 1,70,000, we could actually say that the TUF Gaming A14 is a great alternative to pricier 14-inch gaming laptop options on the market. As weird as that sounds, it’s true. While it may lack some premium features like a metal deck and RGB lighting, it compensates with a solid port selection, comfortable keyboard, lightweight design, and good performance. If you’re looking for a compact yet capable machine, the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 is certainly worth checking out.
