TAIPEI—Asus’ TUF line of gaming laptops has made hearty strides in the last year, so following the positive reception to the TUF A14, the Taiwanese PC maker showed off the TUF A18 at Computex.
I just went hands on with the 18-inch midranger on the show floor at Asus’ booth, where it stood out among more iterative silicon refreshes. The 18-inch screen is a first for the TUF line, and the $1,599 (Costco-exclusive) starting price is, while not “cheap” in general, a fine entry point for this size. (Most 18-inch gaming laptops start at $2,500 or more.)
Multiple display type options and Nvidia RTX 50-series graphics are available inside the laptop. Read on for more details and a look at its internals, and check out the video to see the TUF A18 in action.
Built TUF, Now at 18 Inches
This edition of Computex was not laptop-heavy, with a lack of new mobile processors from both AMD and Intel. In the last year, vendors launched lots of systems with updated silicon, primarily Intel Lunar Lake, Arrow Lake H, and AMD Ryzen AI chips.
The A18 was wholly new at the show, which alone separates it from a lot of the others. As mentioned, this is the first 18-inch screen in the TUF line, which is more budget-conscious than Asus ROG alternatives like the Zephyrus brand.
(Credit: Matthew Buzzi)
This 18-inch screen comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio, but gamers can choose between an FHD+ (1,920 by 1,200) resolution panel with a 144Hz refresh rate or a 2.5K (2,560 by 1,600) screen with a 240Hz refresh rate. While 1200p will keep the price down, 18 inches is where you’ll likely want a sharper resolution. Between that and the increased refresh rate on the 2.5K screen, I imagine many gamers will opt for that. Part of the TUF’s draw is lower pricing, however, so the 1200p screen may suffice.
It’s also not all that heavy or thick for an 18-inch laptop. I wouldn’t call it light at 5.73 pounds, granted, but I could lift it with one hand. For a maximum screen size laptop with gaming components, that’s not too bad, and it measures just over an inch thick at its thickest point.
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The touchpad is roomy and tracks smoothly, and the keyboard feels comfortable (though I hardly typed a novel on it at the booth). The A18 also includes a 1080p webcam for video calls or broadcasting and Wi-Fi 6E for wireless connectivity.
Another design win happens inside: dual SSD and memory slots. You can install up to 32GB of memory per slot and up to a 2TB SSD per slot. In addition to its larger screen, this adds to the longevity and usefulness of this system as a desktop replacement.
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Ready for Steady Gaming: Hawk Point Meets RTX 50 Series
I mentioned a range of silicon in laptop refreshes at this show, and with many to choose from, Asus opted for Zen 4-based Ryzen 200 Series “Hawk Point” chips. The A18 contains the Ryzen 7 260 processor, alongside either Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 graphics.
(Credit: Matthew Buzzi)
Asus also designed a new thermal solution for this machine, which I could see laid out alongside the laptop. Two second-generation arc flow fans, large rear exhaust vents, and meaty heatpipes should keep the system running without throttling during gaming sessions.
While I don’t expect it to break any speed records, this is a fine choice of silicon for this laptop class. It shouldn’t hold the system back for gaming, particularly with an RTX 5070 graphics ceiling, and it will provide enough computing muscle for general use, notable if this will end up as your primary or only PC.
Depending on the configuration, this firmly upper entry-level to midrange system should easily handle 1080p gaming. However, I would like to test the system with RTX 5070 graphics before I am confident it can smoothly power 1600p play. I look forward to doing just that when units become available for testing. Expect the new Asus TUF A18 in Costco stores starting in August for that $1,599 starting price with the RTX 5060, while Newegg will begin carrying a $1,799 RTX 5070 variant starting in July.
About Matthew Buzzi
Lead Analyst, Hardware
