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I've been using the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2021) for the last couple of weeks now and I have to say, it is an impressive machine. ASUS has been smart with its decision making, offering users a well-balanced experience – there are no glaring weaknesses, and instead small compromises have been made here and there to hit the £1599.99 price point.
Starting with the positives though, it won't come as a surprise to hear that the combination of 8-core Ryzen CPU and RTX 3070 Laptop GPU delivers the goods when it comes to gaming. This is a gaming laptop first and foremost, and you will be hitting 60FPS – or pretty close to it – at ultra settings in any game you can think of. If you're primarily an esports gamer, then rest easy as you will be making the most of the A15's 240Hz display.
The Ryzen 7 5800H is capable of some pretty serious work, too, as demonstrated by our Blender and Handbrake benchmarks earlier in the review. The display is even colour accurate enough that you could get away with some video work on the go with the A15, while thermals are kept safely in check. Throw in a decent keyboard, very solid battery life and the relatively understated design, and you can see why this laptop makes a good overall impression.
As for the downsides then, like I mentioned, these are pretty minor. The SSD is one, as it is ‘only' PCIe 3.0, when PCIe 4.0 drives are available. I'd also liked to have seen better discrete buttons on the trackpad as they are definitely on the spongey side. Lastly, the screen isn't quite perfect, with slightly aberrant gamma and colour temperature results.
All of those issues could be easily looked past however, so I'd actually say the biggest reason not to get the A15 would be because the Strix G15 Advantage is currently so keenly priced. For just £1699 at Currys right now, you could get a machine offering a Ryzen 5900HX and Radeon RX 6800M, a combination which proved faster than the TUF Gaming A15 in every game we tested. We're not sure if this a permanent price, but with very competitive pricing on the G15 Advantage overall, it is definitely something to consider if you can stretch to it.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2021) model, as reviewed, is listed at £1599.99 from ASUS UK HERE.
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Pros
- Ryzen 7 5800H and RTX 3070 Laptop deliver the goods for gaming.
- Fast and generally high-quality display.
- Very good battery life.
- Thermals are not an issue.
- Decent keyboard.
Cons
- A PCIe 4.0 SSD would've been a good inclusion.
- The screen would be even better with small tweaks to the white balance and gamma.
- ASUS' own Strix G15 Advantage is a compelling reason to spend a little more.
KitGuru says: It's a very solid gaming laptop that has no significant weaknesses. It is in a fight against ASUS' own Strix G15 Advantage however, as that laptop is very compelling at its current price-point.
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