ASUS’s TUF F16 makes a stable impression with notable enhancements over final 12 months’s F15 mannequin. It’s a usually good selection for avid gamers, however there’s one draw back that holds it again.
Design and Construct High quality
The TUF F16 is obtainable in two colours: mecha grey (seen right here) and jaeger grey, the latter that includes an engraved lid emblem. Each variants have metallic lids, complemented by a black plastic inside and backside panel.
The construct high quality feels strong, with considerably lowered keyboard and lid flex in comparison with earlier TUF fashions. The lid extends out barely for straightforward opening, and the hinges really feel easy and dependable. Fingerprints are minimal except you might have particularly oily fingers, however a fast wipe with a microfiber fabric will preserve it wanting clear.
Although the F16 is a bit thicker than different 16-inch gaming laptops, it weighs a manageable 5 lbs (2.3 kg), rising to six.6 lbs (3 kg) with the 240-watt charger. It’s truly on the lighter facet for its dimension, particularly in comparison with rivals like Lenovo’s LOQ sequence.
Specs and Efficiency
My evaluate unit options:
| Specification | Particulars |
|---|---|
| Mannequin | ASUS TUF F16 (2024) |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-13650HX (14C/20T) |
| GPU | NVIDIA RTX 4060 8GB (98-130W) |
| RAM | 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR5-4800 |
| Display | 16″ 2560 x 1600 165Hz |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD |
| Community | Wi-Fi 6 + 1GbE |
| Battery | 90Wh |
The choice to stay with Intel’s thirteenth gen CPU for cost-saving causes appears justified, as ASUS reserves 14th gen processors for its higher-end fashions, given the restricted efficiency achieve.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The chiclet keyboard has single-zone RGB backlighting, with all keys illuminated, although some lighting is uneven. The keys have a 1.7mm journey distance and a barely smooth really feel that’s snug for typing. The clear WASD keys add a gaming aesthetic, and the big touchpad is easy and purposeful, with a satisfying click on anyplace on its floor.
Ports
The vast majority of ports are on the left facet, which could possibly be inconvenient for left-handed customers. Right here’s the breakdown:
- Left Aspect: Energy enter, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Kind-C), USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Kind-A), and a 3.5mm combo jack.
- Proper Aspect: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Kind-A) and Kensington lock.
The frontmost Kind-C port helps charging as much as 100 watts, whereas HDMI and one Kind-C port join on to the Nvidia GPU, excellent for VR. The Thunderbolt 4 port connects to the Intel built-in graphics no matter optimus mode.
Inner Format and Upgradeability
Accessing the internals requires unscrewing 12 Phillips head screws of various sizes. Inside, you’ll discover:
- Battery on the entrance
- Two RAM slots
- M.2 storage slots (one with an put in SSD, one spare)
- Wi-Fi 6 card (beneath SSD)
The F16 scores nicely on upgradeability with replaceable reminiscence, Wi-Fi, and storage parts.
Battery and Energy
With a 90Wh battery, the TUF F16 presents affordable life for an Intel-based system, lasting round 6 hours and 42 minutes in video playback assessments. ASUS consists of power-saving options, like panel energy saver to scale back the refresh charge on battery, battery care mode to restrict max cost, and an Eco mode to disable the Nvidia GPU when unneeded.
Thermals and Fan Noise
The F16 makes use of two followers and 5 copper warmth pipes, with ASUS Armoury Crate software program permitting adjustment between Silent, Efficiency, Turbo, and Guide modes. Turbo and Guide modes improve GPU overclocking, whereas Guide additionally allows fine-tuning of energy, temp, and fan settings. Turbo and Guide modes ship related efficiency, however max fan speeds are extraordinarily loud, although efficient in cooling.
Below load, the temperatures stay inside affordable limits, and utilizing a cooling pad drops CPU and GPU temperatures by 7°C and 9°C respectively.
Show
The F16 has a tall 16:10 display screen with two decision choices:
- 2560×1600 (165Hz) – Supplies good coloration and brightness.
- 1920×1200 (60Hz) – Restricted to 250 nits, far too dim for a $1300 laptop computer.
The 1080p panel’s low brightness is a big disadvantage and the primary motive I’m hesitant to advocate this mannequin with out a value discount.
Display Response and Gaming Efficiency
Display response is great with the high-end panel, with all transitions quicker than the 6.06ms refresh window required for a 165Hz show. It’s notably quicker than final 12 months’s TUF A15.
The F16 features a MUX change to allow/disable optimus, and adaptive sync is obtainable when optimus is on.
Gaming Benchmarks
In video games like Cyberpunk 2077, Crimson Lifeless Redemption 2, and Management, the TUF F16 delivers top-notch efficiency for an RTX 4060 laptop computer, holding up nicely even at greater 1440p settings with out upscaling. This ensures easy, gratifying gameplay throughout a variety of titles.
Conclusion
ASUS’s TUF F16 is a well-built gaming laptop computer with stable efficiency, good battery life for an Intel HX processor, and wonderful FPS consistency. Nevertheless, the 1920×1200 display screen choice’s poor brightness (250 nits) is disappointing for its value, making the higher-end show a should if obtainable. At $1300, different gaming laptops would possibly present higher worth.
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