GamesRadar+ Verdict
The Asus TUF A14 is a wonderful step towards a portable and powerful future.
The TUF series just whisked the G14 off that throne.
The latest generation looks a little different, though.
It doesnt get much TUF-er than that in the gaming laptop world.
At 3.2lbs, the Asus TUF A14 is among the lightest gaming laptops on the market.
I still happily traipsed through the city with this thing on my back without noticing a thing.
Features
Things get real interesting under the hood.
The Asus TUF A14 packs AMDs AI-forward CPU, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.
This is the first machine Ive tested with this brain at the center and Strix Point is impressive.
Underneath the display youll find a well-spaced keyboard with a surprising amount of depth to each keystroke.
Thinner laptops like this usually keep their typing experiences fairly shallow, with between 1mm and 1.5mm travel distances.
The 1.7mm actuation here feels satisfying and tactile, proving both accurate and speedy during gameplay and typing.
Unlike the HP Omen Transcend 14, theres no Thunderbolt 4 support here.
It behaves a little more as I would expect when it comes to more demanding games.
The same pattern emerged between the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and the A14 in Returnal.
The Asus TUF A14 is performing far higher than I would expect from a slimline RTX 4060 configuration.
Thats noticeable in synthetic GPU benchmarks as well.
Thats some seriously impressive productivity performance, which easily translates to more versatile gameplay performance as well.
The best part about this processor might not even be its raw power, though.
It may just be the efficiency of that chip.
This is one of the first gaming laptops Ive been able to work all day using battery power alone.
Should you buy the Asus TUF A14?
There are two machines currently standing in the Asus TUF A14s way.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a better 14-inch gaming laptop if money is no object.
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is under threat from this impressive rig as well.
Before reviewing the A14, the Transcend was my favorite slimline machine on the market.
Thats just been turned on its head.
After all, its just as thin, slightly lighter, and offers a considerable boost in performance.
For more information onhow we test gaming laptops, check out the fullGamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.
