Asus TUF Gaming A14 review: Great performance, just not for gaming

Best Prices Today: Asus TUF Gaming A14

A casual glance at the Asus TUF Gaming A14 might have you think it’s a mid-range gaming laptop built for gamers on a budget. That’s not quite right. In fact, the laptop doesn’t even have Nvidia discrete graphics and instead relies on AMD’s Radeon 8060S, a powerful IGP provided by AMD’s APU. These design choices have consequences for its performance, which may look more or less alluring depending on your needs.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Specs and features as-tested

The Asus TUF Gaming A14 is powered by AMD’s new Ryzen AI Max+ 392. It cuts the core count back to 12 CPU cores (the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 16), but retains other chip features including the integrated AMD Radeon 8060S GPU and the XDNA NPU.

• Model number: FA401EA-DS96
• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x-8000
• Graphics/GPU: Integrated AMD Radeon 8060S
• NPU: AMD XDNA NPU up to 50 TOPS
• Display: 14-inch 2560×1600 IPS 165Hz refresh rate
• Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 solid-state drive
• Webcam and microphone: 1080p webcam with IR camera
• Connectivity: 1x USB-C 4 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x microSD card reader, 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition
• Battery capacity: 73 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.24 x 8.94 x 0.78 inches
• Weight: 3.26 pounds
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Price: $2,199.99 current retail (similar configuration)

The laptop otherwise seems to keep the feature set basic to deliver the new chip at the lowest price point Asus could manage. It has a 1600p IPS display and sticks to Wi-Fi 6E. It also lacks Thunderbolt, which is common for AMD systems. 

Speaking of price, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 that I tested rings up at $2,199.99 MSRP and, because the laptop is new, it has yet to see a discount. That makes judging the laptop a bit difficult, as prior variants of this laptop are currently less expensive (around $1,500 to $1,800) and have Nvidia RTX 4060 or 5060 graphics. However, those prior models also tend to have just 16GB of RAM, which is fine for gaming but less appealing for work.

The Asus TUF Gaming A14 is a laptop with an identity crisis.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Design and build quality

While the new Asus TUF Gaming A14 has a new AMD chip inside, the machine retains a basic design that’s extremely similar to previous versions of the laptop. The exterior is mostly plastic; the lid has a metallic gunmetal finish while the interior is matte black. Material quality is robust but not luxurious. Most touch points lack a notable texture that might set the laptop apart from the crowd. It is, on the whole, an extremely dull laptop to look at.

The laptop’s build quality is also mundane, though fine. Moving the display lid reveals a bit of flex across the display panel, but nothing that’s excessive or unusual. The lower chassis also allows a bit of movement when picking the laptop up from one corner. On the plus side, though, the laptop didn’t emit any creaks or groans during handling, and the keyboard didn’t flex while typing.

As its name implies, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 is a 14-inch laptop, so shoppers may consider it for travel. The laptop measures a little over 12 inches wide, almost nine inches deep, and about eight-tenths of an inch thick at its thickest point (including the rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop). It also weighs about 3.25 pounds. Ultraportables like the Dell XPS 14 and Asus Zenbook 14 will feel noticeably smaller, but the TUF Gaming A14’s dimensions are similar to other powerful 14-inch machines, such as the Acer Swift X 14 AI.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Keyboard, touchpad

The Asus TUF Gaming A14’s keyboard is a mixed bag. I’m not a fan of the layout. Asus provides a lot of space between keys, but that also means the keys feel a bit small, and the spacebar is truncated to fit a rather large Copilot button as well as the arrow keys. However, key feel is decent with good travel and a taut bottoming action, and I had no problem typing at my usual cadence.

Keyboard backlighting is included, but only in white. The laptop completely lacks RGB-LED customization. That’s disappointing given the laptop’s price point and potential to be used as a gaming machine. Those who want such customization will need to step up to the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

The touchpad is fine. It measures about five inches wide and three inches deep, which is a bit small for a touchpad on a modern 14-inch laptop. The surface usually feels large enough but can seem a bit cramped when scrolling through web pages with a two-finger swipe-to-scroll gesture. The touchpad is otherwise responsive and didn’t have issues with unintended inputs.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Display, audio

Asus equips the TUF Gaming A14 with an IPS display. It has 2560×1600 resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz.

The display is definitely a downside. It’s reasonably bright, looks sharp, has an anti-glare finish, and provides decent color performance. All of this makes for a passable experience. 

However, the display lacks the rich contrast and sense of depth an OLED display can provide. That’s an increasingly troublesome issue for IPS displays in modern laptops. After all, OLED displays are not expensive—in fact they’re found in laptops sold under $1,000. 

What this ultimately means is that the TUF Gaming A14 looks better in bright, vivid games, but struggles with more atmospheric titles.

Motion clarity and fluidity are good, though, thanks to the display’s 165Hz refresh rate. The display also supports adaptive sync and AMD FreeSync, which is an often overlooked perk. FreeSync support means the display can change its refresh rate to match the frame rate of a title you’re playing, which provides much better motion fluidity and eliminates unsightly screen tearing.

The TUF Gaming A14 has a dual-speaker sound system with downward-firing speakers. They provide good volume but quickly sound harsh and awkward as the volume increases. The speakers are fine for ambient music at low volume or games and entertainment where audio quality is less of a focus, but you’ll want external headphones or speakers for any serious listening.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

A 1080p webcam is stuffed in the Asus TUF Gaming A14’s top bezel. It provides good sharpness so long as enough light is provided. However, the image can look a bit washed out in terms of color. Even so, the webcam is good enough for Zoom calls, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and other video conference platforms.

The webcam is joined with a dual microphone array. It picked up my voice with great volume and clarity, but I also noticed that it let some background noise creep into the audio. In particular, a space heater I often have turned on was audible.

Biometric login is available through Windows Hello facial recognition, which uses the webcam’s IR camera. The facial recognition is generally quick and accurate, and it works even in low light conditions.

The laptop doesn’t have presence detection. This is a feature that can automatically turn off the display or put the laptop to sleep when you step away from it. It’s increasingly common among ultraportable and business laptops, though less so among gaming machines.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Connectivity

Most of the TUF Gaming A14’s connectivity is focused on USB. It has two USB-C ports; one is USB 4 with 40Gbps of data, DisplayPort, and Power Delivery, while the other provides USB 3.2 Gen 2 with 10Gbps of data and DisplayPort. 

While the USB-C 4 port is very capable, the USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port is less so—and you’ll need to pay attention to which you use, because the specifications of the ports are quite different. If you’re connecting a USB hub, for example, you definitely want to use the USB-C 4 port. The ports are labeled, at least.

The laptop also provides two USB-A ports with USB 3.2 Gen 2, which puts them at 10Gbps of data. I like that two ports are included, as it means you can connect a wired keyboard and mouse without a USB-C hub.

Video connectivity is provided by HDMI 2.1, which is typical for a modern laptop. Other connectivity includes a microSD card reader and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

Wireless connectivity is disappointing, as the TUF Gaming A14 only supports Wi-Fi 6E. That’s mostly okay for now, as most people don’t yet have a Wi-Fi 7 router. Still, at this price, I really expect to see a laptop provide the latest Wi-Fi version. Bluetooth 5.2 is also a bit behind the curve, though that’s less important than the Wi-Fi.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Performance

The Asus TUF Gaming A14 is an interesting machine from a performance perspective. Although billed as a gaming laptop, it doesn’t have discrete graphics. Instead it relies on the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392, pairing 12 CPU cores with integrated AMD Radeon 8060S graphics, which includes 40 compute units. 

The laptop also has 32GB of RAM, which is an upgrade from just 16GB of RAM in prior TUF Gaming A14 models. The doubled RAM is surprising given the state of RAM pricing right now, and it suggests to me that Asus really wants to position this laptop as not only a gaming laptop but also a budget workstation for creative and AI workloads.

PCMark 10 is a holistic system benchmark that stresses most elements of a laptop’s hardware. It tends to reward well-balanced designs with a lot of performance across multiple areas, instead of laptops that stand out in just one area.

It’s no surprise, then, that the Asus TUF Gaming A14 does well in this benchmark with a score of 9,688. That is an extremely high score. It doesn’t just defeat similar laptops that PC World has recently tested. It also thrashes every single gaming laptop PC World has ever tested. Even the older Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, which had an Intel Core i9-13980 and Nvidia RTX 4090, scored a bit lower at 9,479.

So, yeah, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 is off to a good start here.

Now we move on to Cinebench 2024, a heavily multi-threaded CPU benchmark. Here, too, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 performs extremely well with a score of 1,149. While this isn’t the record-setting performance we saw in PCMark 10, it once again is clearly ahead of similar 14-inch laptops that are currently available. The new AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 may drop four cores compared to the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, but that really doesn’t come across as a disadvantage here.

Next up is Handbrake, a video encoding test which is heavy on CPU multi-threaded performance. And the Asus TUF Gaming A14 does extremely well here, clearly outperforming similarly priced 14-inch laptops that PC World has recently tested.

On the whole, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 is clearly a heavy-hitter when it comes to CPU performance. It scores extremely well for a 14-inch machine. To be clear, you can still find much better CPU performance in a laptop—but to do so you usually need to upgrade to a much larger machine, like the Maingear Super 16. The Asus TUF Gaming A14’s overall CPU performance is great for a machine in its price bracket and size category.

Now we move on to GPU performance. As mentioned, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 has Radeon 8060S graphics. This is integrated graphics, but an extremely powerful version of integrated graphics with 40 CUs. For comparison, that’s as many CUs as the Radeon RX 6700 XT.

3DMark Time Spy places the Radeon 8060S directly between the Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics found in recent Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips and Nvidia’s RTX 5060 discrete graphics. 

The Radeon 8060S is about 30 percent quicker than the Intel Arc B390, and the RTX 5060 is about 20 percent quicker than the Radeon 8060S—though the specifics of performance will vary between different laptops with the same hardware.

Before we move on, a quick note. I swapped out some of the comparison laptops to provide a more complete set of test results. PCWorld typically only runs laptops meant for gaming through real-world gaming tests. I’ve added in the Acer Nitro V16 AI to represent the Nvidia RTX 5050 and the Dell G15 to represent the Nvidia RTX 4060.

That said, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 doesn’t reach the most alluring result in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It averaged 106 frames per second at 1080p and Highest detail with no ray tracing in use. Of course, this is a smooth and playable experience, but it’s outclassed by entry-level Nvidia discrete graphics.

Metro Exodus, which we test at 1080p resolution and the Extreme preset without ray tracing in use, produces interesting results. This is about as challenging as games get without flipping RT on, and the AMD Radeon 8060S actually manages to trade blows with the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050.

Coming around to Cyberpunk 2077, however, the narrative swings wildly in the other direction. Here we see the AMD Radeon 8060S at a clear disadvantage at 1080p and the Ultra preset. The Asus TUF Gaming A14 only averaged 46 frames per second, while the competitors all averaged over 60 frames per second.

Turning RT on makes matters worse, and the AMD Radeon 8060S falls way behind the competition. None of these laptops are playable at 1080p with the Overdrive preset turned on, but the Nvidia GPUs have a big lead.

Overall, the AMD Radeon 8060S performs well for an integrated GPU, but it’s still not a match for discrete GPUs like the Nvidia RTX 5050, RTX 4060, and RTX 5060. Indeed, the TUF Gaming A14 is arguably among the least capable gaming laptops you’ll see carrying that badge. To be fair, you can play a lot of games on this laptop at enjoyable frame rates, from Civilization VI to Counter-Strike 2. But if you want to play the latest, most graphically demanding titles at high settings, the TUF Gaming A14 isn’t a good choice.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Battery life and portability

The Asus TUF Gaming A14 is an interesting case when it comes to battery life. The laptop has a 73 watt-hour battery, which isn’t large at all for a machine that might be used for gaming. However, the TUF Gaming A14 has integrated rather than discrete graphics. So, how does this all work out?

Not so hot.

I recorded about nine and a half hours of battery life in our standard battery test, which loops a 4K trailer of the short film Tears of Steel at roughly 250 nits of brightness. As the graph shows, that’s disappointing result.

My real-world experience was highly variable. At times it seemed as if the laptop might endure for 12 hours or more. On the other hand, an early battery test drained the battery flat in just under four hours. I suspect that was due to iCloud Drive, which was installed at that time and in my experience is a notorious battery hog (I removed it for later tests). Still, it shows how the battery can discharge with speed if an app revs up the powerful CPU.

The laptop ships with a 240-watt power adapter which connects to the laptop over a proprietary power connection. I’m surprised by the size of the power adapter, which is larger than I expected given the laptop’s capabilities.

With that said, you can also power the laptop over the USB-C 4 port. This may not allow for maximum performance in high-load situations, but it will allow you to skip bringing the heavy power adapter when you travel.

Asus TUF Gaming A14: Conclusion

The Asus TUF Gaming A14 is a laptop with an identity crisis. It bills itself as a gaming laptop, but if that label is taken at face value, the TUF Gaming A14 fails. At an MSRP of $2,199.99, the TUF Gaming A14 is priced in league with many laptops with RTX 5070 and RTX 5080 graphics that will blow it out of the water. Heck, even the Razer Blade 14 with RTX 5060 retails for only $100 more than the Asus TUF Gaming A14 (though, to be fair, the Razer has just 16GB of RAM).

On the other hand, the Asus TUF Gaming A14 benefits from an extremely capable APU that includes 12 fast processor cores. That, alongside 32GB of RAM and reasonably quick yet efficient AMD Radeon 8060S graphics, makes for a laptop that could work well as a portable workstation for 3D rendering, video editing, and similar tasks.

Still, it’s hard to argue in favor of the TUF Gaming A14 when it’s sold at MSRP. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times as RAM pricing is causing laptop manufacturers to eye higher MSRPs for laptops. At the moment you can find better overall game performance at a low price—not only from competitors but also from prior variants of the Asus TUF Gaming A14.

Best Prices Today: Asus TUF Gaming A14