The TUF line has long been Asus’s go-to budget gaming solution, putting portability and value first. That doesn’t mean TUF laptops aren’t without power, but they tend to come thinner and lighter than the rest of Asus’ gaming line-up. Today, at CES 2021, Asus announced that it’s pushing that even further with a brand new TUF model, the TUF Dash F15, which will be the smallest TUF to date.
Asus TUF Dash F15
(Image credit: Asus)
The Dash F15 introduced today aims to further the TUF line’s portability while still maintaining above average performance.
It weighs 4.4 pounds and is 14.2 x 9.9 x 0.8 inches, making it the thinnest and lightest TUF laptop. As such, it’ll only support a mobile RTX 3070 graphics card with 8GB of VRAM. But combine that with its Tiger Lake CPU options and IPS display configs ranging from 1080p resolution at 60 Hz to 240 Hz, and its identity as a gaming machine is secured.
The TUF Dash F15 also has DDR4-3200 RAM, with options ranging from 8GB to 32GB, plus M.2 SSD choices up to 1TB. Tiger Lake means Thunderbolt 4 ports as well. And while USB-C charging won’t hold up to the pressures of gaming, the Dash F15 also supports it for emergencies and casual use, emphasizing its portable nature. A 76Whr battery also means you might see up to 16.6 hours of battery life, at least going by Asus’ internal claims.
Despite its size, the Dash F15 also has four 12V fans with 83 blades a piece, plus 5 copper pipes for cooling.
(Image credit: Asus)
A new laptop also means a new chassis, which the Dash F15 has in both gray and white options. The aesthetic here makes the laptop look like it just came off the assembly line, with the TUF name printed along the side in a utilitarian font and the TUF logo decorating an upper corner. It’s enough to make the Dash F15 stand out without being overwhelming.
Asus TUF A15 and A17
(Image credit: Asus)
At the same time, Asus announced at CES 2021 refreshes of the TUF A15 and TUF A17, which are slightly larger and heavier than the Dash 15 but also more powerful. They should also appeal to AMD fans, as they’ll both pack next-gen AMD Ryzen and Renoir CPUs alongside next-gen Nvidia RTX GPUs. Memory options range from 8-32GB of DDR4-3200 MHz RAM, while storage capacities can reach up to 1TB. Display options are all FHD, with refresh rate configs ranging from 60 - 240 Hz.
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The A15 seems to have a new chassis that’s similar to the Dash F15’s, though it has more detailing around its upper fan vents, plus decals on the lid’s corners that look like rivet holes.
The A17, meanwhile, goes with a more traditional TUF look. To emphasize their slightly more premium nature, both the A15 and A17 will have plastic and metal case options.
Asus has yet to announce pricing info on any of its newest laptops, but has confirmed that the TUF Dash F15 will be available in North America starting in Q1 of 2021.
Michelle Ehrhardt is an editor at Tom's Hardware. She's been following tech since her family got a Gateway running Windows 95, and is now on her third custom-built system. Her work has been published in publications like Paste, The Atlantic, and Kill Screen, just to name a few. She also holds a master's degree in game design from NYU.
