ASUS · 2021 · end of life
ASUS TUF Gaming A15
FA506, 2021
The budget refurb pick around 650 dollars used, with a Ryzen 7 5800H, a 90W RTX 3060 and a big 90 Wh battery for a TUF that lasts about 7 hours unplugged.
from $650 last seen 2026-05-22
Find remaining ASUS stockAs an Amazon Associate (US, NL, DE, UK programs), qualifying purchases via these affiliate links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Other markets not yet enrolled. How we make money. Verified 2026-05-22.
- Best for gaming study programming
- Linux: minor fixes
Scorecard
Mean of six category scores, 0 to 10. Compiled from public sources. How we rate.
Strongest on value and battery, with no category below average.
- Battery 7/10
- Display 5/10
- Build 6/10
- Keyboard 6/10
- Speed 6/10
- Value 8/10
Worth knowing
Stands out
- 144Hz screen, smoother motion
- RAM is user-upgradeable
Watch for
- Discontinued, sold from remaining stock
- NVIDIA needs the proprietary driver on Linux
- Dim 253-nit screen, weak in bright light
Linux
Excellent · Best on arch. Confidence: medium · How we score
Linux compatibility, per distro
- Arch Minor setup
- Wi-Fi : works
- Bluetooth : works
- Fingerprint : unknown
- Webcam : works
- Audio : works
- Suspend : needs tweak
org tooling covers the TUF line: asusctl drives fan curves, the keyboard and the throttle_thermal_policy power modes, and supergfxctl manages the NVIDIA dGPU through the proprietary driver in Optimus. Suspend with the dGPU wants the nvidia suspend services enabled.
ArchWiki: Laptop/ASUS →Show full report
rvices enabled. The cheaper Panda 144Hz panel here is dim at about 253 nits, the 240Hz Sharp panel is the one to look for. Two SO-DIMM slots and two M.2 slots make it easy to upgrade.
See the broader picture in the Linux compatibility hub, the full compatibility matrix, and the buying guides.
Specs
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H |
|---|---|
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop (90W with Dynamic Boost) |
| RAM | 16 GB (upgradeable) |
| Storage | 1 TB |
| Screen | 15.6" 1920x1080 @ 144Hz, 253 nitsbest kept indoors, smoother scrolling and motion |
| Weight | 2.3 kgheavy for daily carry |
| Battery | 90 Wh, around 7 h real-world |
Common questions
- Does the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (FA506, 2021) work with Linux?
- Mostly: it runs after one or two known fixes (checked on Arch). The asus-linux.org tooling covers the TUF line: asusctl drives fan curves, the keyboard and the throttle_thermal_policy power modes, and supergfxctl manages the NVIDIA dGPU through the proprietary driver in Optimus.
- What does the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (FA506, 2021) cost?
- Last seen around 650 USD (2026-05-22). It is discontinued, so prices vary with remaining stock.
- How heavy is the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (FA506, 2021)?
- 2.3 kg (5.07 lb). That's heavy for daily carry.
- What's the battery life like?
- A 90 Wh pack, around 7 hours real-world mixed use. We score battery 7/10.
- Can I upgrade the RAM or storage?
- RAM is on SODIMM slots, so you can swap it later. Storage starts at 1 TB on this configuration.
- Which operating systems are supported?
- Ships with Windows. It also runs Linux; see the Linux block above for per-distro detail.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (FA506, 2021) is discontinued
The price below is the last we saw, kept for reference. See the current alternatives further down.
from $650 last seen 2026-05-22
Find remaining ASUS stockAs an Amazon Associate (US, NL, DE, UK programs), qualifying purchases via these affiliate links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Other markets not yet enrolled. How we make money. Verified 2026-05-22.
