CES 2021: ASUS Updates TUF Gaming A15 & A17, Adds Ryzen 5000 & GeForce RTX 30 Series Hardware
by Gavin Bonshor on January 14, 2021 5:00 PM EST
Among several of their laptop lines receiving updates at this year's CES are ASUS's TUF Gaming A15 and A17 family of laptops. Intended as a midrange portable gaming option – a step below ASUS's ROG parts, but still plenty capable – the 2021 edition of the laptop is getting upgraded to the latest and greatest processors from AMD and NVIDIA.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and A17 have been updated for 2021 with AMD's latest Ryzen 7 5800H mobile processor and include options for either NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 3070 or RTX 3060 mobile graphics. Both models also allow for up to 32 GB of DDR4-3200 and up to 1 TB of NVMe M.2 storage.
Being that these are gaming laptops, a big focus is on the displays, and fittingly ASUS is only using fast panels here. The top A15 SKUs come with a quick 240 Hz 1080p 15-inch display, while the other models use a 144 Hz panel. Meanwhile, the A17 comes with a 144 Hz 1080p 17-inch display, and all variants support VESA Adaptive-Sync in order to eliminate frame tearing.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 gaming laptop
Other notable features of the TUF A15/A17 include orange backlighting on the keyboard, with ASUS opting for a similar to a desktop keyboard with highlighted WASD keys. ASUS also includes an integrated 720p webcam on the top bezel, with a built in mic-array which offers noise cancellation properties. Some of the connectivity on offer includes one USB 3.2 G2 Type-C with support for DisplayPort alt mode, an HDMI 2.1 video output, and two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A ports. Wi-Fi 6 connectivity is included with a Kensington lock for extra security. The A15 weighs in at 2.3 kg, with a medium-sized frame measuring in at 359.8 x 256 x 24.9 mm, and is available in metal or plastic.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 gaming laptop
The A17 is essentially a 17-inch variant and shares the same core hardware specifications. It is larger than the A15 with dimensions of 399.2 x 268.9 x 22.1/24.8mm: the depth of the A17 is dependant on the plastic or metal version. It is also slightly heavier than the A15, with a weight of 2.6 kg.
Both the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and A17 come with a 90 Wh battery, preinstalled with ASUS's Armory Crate software with drivers, with both including support for Dolby DTS: X Ultra audio. Both models also use Wi-Fi 6 interfaces for connecting to a network, with additional support for BT 5.2 devices.
ASUS hasn't provided any information about availability or pricing.
Interested in more of the latest industry news? Check out our CES 2021 trade show landing page!
Source: ASUS
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Operandi - Thursday, January 14, 2021 - link
Whats "TUF" about it? Also they spelt it wrong....evernessince - Friday, January 15, 2021 - link
Nothing. TUF used to be one of ASUS's high end brands. The older Intel TUF board's were beasts. The new TUF branding is mostly one step about value.Spunjji - Friday, January 15, 2021 - link
Yes, they used to be amusingly-armoured motherboards with solid caps and all that jazz. The shift to being a bargain-basement brand took me by surprise; now I associate it with insufficient cooling and shitty displays.sonny73n - Saturday, January 16, 2021 - link
Spot on! +1StevoLincolnite - Sunday, January 17, 2021 - link
I have an Asus Sabertooth x79 TUF motherboard in an old clunker rig with a crappy 6-core chip and it's been rock solid for over a decade... But that was a premium board back in the day.Wouldn't touch these...
chrnochime - Monday, January 18, 2021 - link
Try to trademark the name "tough" and see if that'll fly.antonkochubey - Thursday, January 14, 2021 - link
2020 generation had really shit displays, I really hope they've improved on at least that.Spunjji - Friday, January 15, 2021 - link
They don't mention gamut so I'd wager not