The ROG Zephyrus G14 has consistently been one of the best 14-inch gaming laptops since ASUS launched the first iteration back in 2020. We are now getting a brand new 14-inch notebook under the company’s value-driven TUF series.
Showcased at this year’s Computex expo in Taiwan, the new TUF A14 (FA401) in a way replaces the TUF A15. The laptop is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and will also be offered with the newly announced Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor. It also features a fast QHD+ display, decent mid-range GPU options, and a reworked chassis that is slimmer and lighter compared to older TUF series laptops.
Here’s an early look at the upcoming gaming laptop.
Design and display
ASUS has fully reworked the aesthetics for the new TUF A14, which will also be visible on the larger 16-inch model, the TUF A16. While the chassis is mostly plastic, the top and bottom lids have been reinforced with metal along with military-grade MIL-STD-810H certification. The laptop also has a fairly sleek profile with a maximum thickness of 0.78-inches and a weight of 1.45kgs. That’s almost similar to this year’s Zephyrus G14, which now features a fully metal chassis.
In terms of I/O, the new TUF A14 has plenty to offer including a USB 4.0 Type-C port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader (UHS II) and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. Even the charging port has been upgraded to the company’s new square-type reverse connector. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
The display specifications are impressive too, featuring a 14-inch QHD+ IPS panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It boasts 165Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, 100 percent sRGB color coverage, and a peak brightness of 400 nits, promising vibrant and smooth visuals.
Hardware
As mentioned, the new TUF A14 will be offered with the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS ‘Hawk Point’ processor that features 8 cores, 16 threads and a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz. The chip offers a TDP range of 35-54W (depending on manufacturer’s configuration) and is built on TSMC’s 4nm FinFET node. Additionally, ASUS will be offering the laptop with the newly announced AMD’s ‘Strix Point’ Ryzen AI HX 370 processor. This is a more powerful chip featuring 12-cores, 24-threads, but a similar boost clock speed of 5.1GHz. Not only will this chip offer higher performance in computing tasks, the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) should be able to handle AI workloads in a faster and more efficient way.
For memory, there is 16GB of dual channel LPDDRX5 RAM clocked at 7500MHz as well as dual M.2 slots which can accommodate up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4.0 SSDs. For graphics, there will be an option of choosing between Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4050 or 4060 with a 100W TDP. ASUS says that the laptop will also feature a built-in MUX switch with support for Nvidia’s Advance Optimus.
Pricing and availability
Considering the TUF lineup is a budget-focused series, I was expecting the new TUF A14 to launch with a promising price tag. Unfortunately the starting price is $1,400 (Rs 1,17,000 approx) and that is for the last-gen Ryzen 7 8845HS processor option. Pre-orders have begun in certain regions, but ASUS is yet to confirm a launch period for the Indian market. We are also expecting the company to share pricing details of the TUF A14 with the newer Ryzen AI HX 370 processor in the coming weeks.
Final words
Having seen the device in person, I was quite impressed with the overall build quality and the amount of weight-shedding ASUS has managed to achieve. As much as I am excited about the new TUF A14, pricing for the new 14-inch gaming laptop is a bit on the higher side. While it isn’t as much as the newly launched ROG Zephyrus G14, a sub $1000 (Rs 80-90,000) model will be highly appreciated.
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