ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) review – Gaming Power, Portable Package
We saw a lot of small yet potent gaming devices in 2024. Now it’s time to check how good the TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) is compared to the competition, including the HP OMEN Transcend 14, Nitro 14 (AN14-41), or the Predator Helios Neo 14 (PHN14-51). The ASUS creation has a lot of tricks up in its sleeve but the most notable one should be its top CPU option which is the Zen 5 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with a 50 TOPS NPU. When this chip is well-cooled, it offers fast performance and efficiency at the same time.
Speaking of which, this small fella has a pretty capable thermal system with three heat pipes fitted into its compact chassis. We bought a laptop with the most powerful GPU for this ASUS series which is the 100W RTX 4060.
The machine is light and thin. That’s why the lack of SODIMM slots doesn’t surprise us. On the other hand, the storage upgradability isn’t limited. The same applies to the port selection with its four USB connectors two of which are Type-Cs.
This is a full-blown gaming laptop and that’s why NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, MUX, and G-SYNC are standard features for all notebooks. This reminds us that there is just one display option but this 1600p 165Hz unit is very good.
The rest is more or less normal for such a machine – Dolby Atmos speakers, a backlit keyboard, a decently big battery, and Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3 for connectivity.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/asus-tuf-gaming-a14-fa401/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
- HDD/SSD
- up to 8000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 + 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x2 See photo
- RAM
- up to 32GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro, No OS
- Battery
- 73Wh
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 311 x 227 x 16.9 - 19.9 mm (12.24" x 8.94" x 0.67")
- Weight
- 1.46 kg (3.2 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort, Sleep and Charge
- 1x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 2.1
- Card reader
- microSD (microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC)
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ax
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- FHD IR
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Array Microphone with AI Noise Cancelling, support for Microsoft Cortana near field/Far Field
- Speakers
- 2x Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
All ASUS TUF Gaming A14 FA401 configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-gaming/tuf-gaming/asus-tuf-gaming-a14-2024/helpdesk_knowledge/
What’s in the box?
Inside the small but sturdy box, we found a bit of manuals, a 200W charger, and a TUF backpack. The P309 TUF GAMING M3 mouse and the 100W Type-C AC Adapter are optional accessories.
Design and construction
Despite being a gaming laptop, the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) looks clean and stealthy. The lid and the bottom plate are made of metal while the upper part of the main body is plastic. The CNC-machined corners of the lid and the hinges look stylish.
The overall rigidity is great. You can twist the lid but only just and the base is built like a tank! The lid opens smoothly with a single hand. The notebook weighs just 1.46 kilos and the profile height is 16.9 – 19.9 cm.
The bottom bezel that houses the ASUS logo is thick but the other three are as thin as possible.
The display can lay flat because of the 180-degree hinge design.
The Armoury Crate software controls the keyboard’s backlight.
This Mini-LED keyboard has exceeded our expectations. It features well-spaced keycaps with long travel and clicky feedback which is a true achievement for a compact laptop. Just like most new machines, you also get a Coplit shortcut. There is a separate row of hotkeys for multimedia control and for quick access to the ASUS app. Also, the fans draw air through the keyboard deck which is a clever trick to lower the external chassis temperatures.
The huge 16:10 glass touchpad is a masterpiece. It is mindblowing smooth, fast, and accurate.
The bottom side of the notebook houses a huge ventilation grill, numerous rubber feet, and two speaker cutouts. The hot air is being exhausted via two vents on the back plus a trio of vents that point towards the desk.
Ports
On the left, we can spot a power plug, HDMI 2.1 FRL, a 40 Gbps USB4 port with DisplayPort 2.1 and PowerDelivery 3.0 functionality, followed by a 10Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 2) port and an Audio Combo jack. On the right, you get another 10 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 2) port, a 10 Gbps USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port that supports DisplayPort 1.4 and G-SYNC, and a microSD card reader.
Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) | NE140QDM-NX7 (BOE0AC4) |
Diagonal | 14.0 inches (35.6 cm) |
Panel Type | IPS |
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 pixels |
Max Refresh Rate | 165 Hz |
Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
Pixel Density | 216 PPI |
‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 41 cm |
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401): the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 99% of the sRGB color gamut and 81% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) covers 99% of the sRGB gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 445 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 436 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 6%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6000K.
The contrast ratio is 1700:1.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 182 nits (Windows slider = 62%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401). We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Before our calibration of the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401), the Average color accuracy was 1.9 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 1.0 dE (Fig. 3).
Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Gaming profile aims to deliver:
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Visibility in dark scenes
Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.
The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Design and Gaming profile activated.
On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.
You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 7.6 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The light from the backlight of the ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.
Health Impact: Blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.
If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the ASUS screen is 50.5 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Get our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) configurations with NE140QDM-NX7 (BOE0AC4), 2560 х 1600, IPS panel.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount
Sound
The speakers of the ASUS TUF Gaming produce high-quality sound. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear without any significant deviations.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Turbo” profile activated in the Armoury Crate app. Also, the “Ultimate” mode (dGPU-only) is turned on and the AC fan mode is set to “Turbo”. The “Best performance” preset is applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu.
CPU options
This device can be found with AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS or Ryzen AI 9 HX 370,
Our machine has a Ryzen AI 9 chip.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU options
You can choose from two 100W GPUs – GeForce RTX 4050 or RTX 4060.
The notebook that we bought has a 4060.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
Metro Exodus | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Extreme (Check settings) |
---|---|---|---|
Average FPS | 207 fps | 92 fps | 31 fps |
Borderlands 3 | Full HD, V.Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Badass (Check settings) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Average FPS | 188 fps | 153 fps | 111 fps | 86 fps |
Far Cry 6 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
---|---|---|---|
Average FPS | 153 fps | 122 fps | 109 fps |
Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Average FPS | 211 fps | 164 fps | 148 fps | 123 fps |
Storage performance
Our notebook has a 1TB WD PC SN5000S SDEQNSJ-1T00-1002. This is a fast Gen 4 NVMe that is also well-cooled.
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Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (28W TDP) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
---|---|---|---|
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) | 4.56 GHz @ 3.16 GHz @ 78°C @ 77W | 4.58 GHz @ 3.31 GHz @ 96°C @ 78W | 4.35 GHz @ 3.23 GHz @ 97°C @ 72W |
ASUS ProArt P16 (H7606) | 4.45 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 79°C @ 80W | 4.41 GHz @ 3.30 GHz @ 91°C @ 80W | 4.19 GHz @ 3.25 GHz @ 95°C @ 77W |
ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | 3.00 GHz @ 2.03 GHz @ 69°C @ 33W | 2.96 GHz @ 2.01 GHz @ 78°C @ 33W | 2.68 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 83°C @ 28W |
Despite its smaller form factor, the TUF Gaming A14 delivers impressive CPU performance, making it a formidable competitor to the bigger ProArt P16 (when it comes to CPU clocks). Here, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 can sustain impressively high frequencies at the expense of ~97°C in longer stress.
Real-life gaming
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min) | GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min) |
---|---|---|
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) | 2473 MHz @ 79°C @ 98W | 2443 MHz @ 83°C @ 99W |
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″) | 2640 MHz @ 72°C @ 112W | 2640 MHz @ 71°C @ 111W |
Acer Nitro 14 (AN14-41) | 2632 MHz @ 80°C @ 110W | 2603 MHz @ 84°C @ 110W |
HP OMEN Transcend 14 (14-fb0000) | 2148 MHz @ 66°C @ 65W | 2160 MHz @ 65°C @ 65W |
Dell XPS 16 9640 | 1726 MHz @ 70°C @ 50W | 1739 MHz @ 68°C @ 50W |
ASUS TUF Gaming F16 FX607 (2024) | 2533 MHz @ 76°C @ 105W | 2545 MHz @ 75°C @ 105W |
MSI Cyborg 15 A13V | 1520 MHz @ 62°C @ 45W | 1507 MHz @ 65°C @ 45W |
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 FA607 (2024) | 2610 MHz @ 76°C @ 111W | 2610 MHz @ 80°C @ 113W |
HP OMEN Transcend 16 (u1000) | 2625 MHz @ 75°C @ 113W | 2625 MHz @ 76°C @ 114W |
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (N6506) “Full-speed fan mode” | 2540 MHz @ 84°C @ 109W | 2564 MHz @ 82°C @ 108W |
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (N6506) “Performance fan mode” | 2247 MHz @ 76°C @ 85W | 2306 MHz @ 76°C @ 89W |
Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9) | 2715 MHz @ 73°C @ 111W | 2715 MHz @ 71°C @ 110W |
Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-41) | 2580 MHz @ 68°C @ 102W | 2595 MHz @ 66°C @ 102W |
Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-51) “Turbo” preset | 2520 MHz @ 78°C @ 112W | 2520 MHz @ 81°C @ 111W |
Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-51) “Performance” preset | 2490 MHz @ 73°C @ 108W | 2490 MHz @ 73°C @ 108W |
ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (FA507, 2023) | 2520 MHz @ 78°C @ 112W | 2520 MHz @ 81°C @ 111W |
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 | 2475 MHz @ 76°C @ 107W | 2475 MHz @ 77°C @ 108W |
HP Victus 16 (16-r0000) | 2520 MHz @ 77°C @ 107W | 2520 MHz @ 76°C @ 107W |
All looks good in the GPU department. You get a stable ~100W TGP during gaming.
Comfort during full load
The Armoury Crate app offers three power presets alongside a manual mode for the CPU and the GPU plus four GPU presets – “Ultimate”, “Standard”, “Optimized” and “Eco”.
ASUS states that the fans are turned off during light tasks in “Silent” mode but we observed the same behavior even in “Performance” mode which is great.
Under full CPU loads, the fan speed in “Turbo” mode is ~6300 / 6000 RPM and 4600 / 4000 RPM in “Performance”. The latter offers less noise thanks to the lowered frequencies which are still high enough for acceptable performance (3.80 GHz / 3.30 GHz P and E-core clock).
The 100W GPU TGP is tied with the “Turbo” preset. The power limit is around 70W when the “Performance” mode is applied.
When the internals are heavily stressed, the hotspot on the keyboard is on the top row of keys and it reaches 52°C. The temperature is lower in the middle of the board and the WASD section is way cooler.
Battery
Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. This laptop’s 73Wh battery lasts for around 12 hours of video playback. To achieve that, you have to select the “Performance” preset in the Armoury Crate app and set the DC fan operation mode to “Windows” mode.
The “Best Power Efficiency” preset is applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To have a sneak peek at the internals of this small gaming beast, you have to undo 11 Philips-head screws. The one in the lower right corner is captive and it will lift the panel up in this section. Start prying the front from there and then pop the sides and the back.
On the inside, the bottom panel has dust filters for the fans as well as many rubber elements for greater internal structural support.
The laptop has a 73Wh battery. To take it out, unplug the connector from the mainboard and undo the 4 Philips head screws that fix the unit to the base. The capacity is enough for around 12 hours of video playback.
The memory is soldered. You can order this laptop with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-7500MHz RAM in dual-channel mode.
Storage-wise, you get two M.2 slots compatible with 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. Both have plastic shields on top. The one on the left offers twice as many PCIe lanes (PCIe 4.0 x4) compared to the other one (PCIe 4.0 x2).
The preinstalled SSD is covered in foil and we found a small thermal pad on the bottom of it.
The Wi-Fi card is placed close to the right NVMe slot.
The cooling looks promising. It has two large fans, three heat pipes shared between the CPU and the GPU, two top-mounted heat sinks, and five heat spreaders of various shapes and sizes.
Verdict
The ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) is a well-engineered machine. It has solid build quality and great input devices. The comfort under load depends on the applied power preset. In idle, when the “Silent” preset is activated, the fans are completely turned off during light tasks. While gaming, the WASD zone is pleasantly cool and the other sections feel warm to the touch, not hot as hell. The “Performance” mode is the way to go if you prefer tamed fans at the expense of lowered CPU and GPU clocks. Turning on the “Turbo” mode unleashed the full potential of the laptop – a 100W GPU TGP and impressively high processor clocks. In this case, the fans are noisy but not too much.
The 1600p IPS display (NE140QDM-NX7 (BOE0AC4)) is great for gaming or even content creation. The 165Hz model has 99% sRGB coverage, a 1700:1 contrast ratio, and a 445 nit max brightness. The color accuracy reaches an average dE value of just 1.0 thanks to our Design and Gaming profile.
No complaints regarding the port selection – four USBs plus an HDMI 2.1. Now, the memory is soldered but on the flip side, there are two M.2 slots for Gen 4 NVMe drives.
The TUF Gaming A14 is a precisely crafted gaming device that offers long battery life, a color-accurate PWM-free IPS display, powerful hardware, and a superb keyboard.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/asus-tuf-gaming-a14-fa401/
Pros
- 2x M.2 slots
- Great overall performance
- Compact and light
- Zen 5 CPU option
- High CPU clocks and power limits during heavy stress (4.35 GHz / 3.23 GHz P and E-core clock + 72W)
- The RTX 4060 can maintain ~ 100W during gaming
- MUX switch + NVIDIA Advanced Optimus + G-SYNC
- Four USBs + Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3
- PWM-free (BOE0AC4)
- Snappy panel (7.6 ms) + 165Hz refresh rate (BOE0AC4)
- 99% sRGB coverage + accurate color thanks to our “Design and Gaming” profile (BOE0AC4)
- 1700:1 contrast ratio a 445 nit max brightness (BOE0AC4)
- The Armoury crate app offers tons of customization options
- Comfortable backlit keyboard + precise touchpad
- Long battery life
- The fans don’t spin during light loads in “Silent” mode
- Solid build quality
- Fast and well-cooled SSD ( 1TB WD PC SN5000S SDEQNSJ-1T00-1002)
Cons
- Soldered RAM
- Pricey
- High CPU temperature in medium and long loads