Summary
- The Asus ROG Ally X gets significant upgrades like a 24GB DDR5 RAM boost, bigger battery, and improved thermals.
- The new motherboard supports full 2280 SSDs, offering more options at a lower cost compared to smaller 2230 SSDs.
- The refined controls include durable joysticks, a new macro button, and a Thunderbolt-compatible USB Type-C port for external GPU support.
After tons of leaks and rumors, Asus is unveiling the ROG Ally X at Computex. The company isn't considering it a sequel to the original model, mostly because it still has the same Z1 Extreme processor under the hood. Everything else seems to have been improved though, making one of the best gaming handhelds even better.
Asus ROG Ally review: Windows makes this difficult to recommend
Plagued by Windows-related problems and quality control issues, the ROG Ally is a fantastic device that's hard to recommend currently.
Specifications
- Dimensions
- 11.02 x 4.37 x 1.45 inches (280mm x 111mm x 36.9mm)
- Weight
- 1.49 pounds (678 grams)
- Chipset
- AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor (8 cores/16 threads, up to 5.10 GHz boost)
- RAM
- 24GB LPDDR5 7500 MHz
- Storage
- 1 TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe G4x4 SSD
- Display
- 7-inch 1920x1080 IPS touchscreen, 120 Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium
- Graphics
- AMD RDNA 3 Radeon Graphics
- Ports
- 1x USB-C (with DisplayPort 1.4), 1x USB4, 3.5mm audio combo jack, microSD card reader
- Battery
- 80Wh
- Speakers
- Dual speakers with smart amplifier and Dolby Atmos
- Price
- $800
It has a new motherboard
Say goodbye to 2230 SSDs
While the processor is the same, it does have a new motherboard, which will support full 2280 SSDs. That means you'll have a wider variety of replacement parts to choose from, since the smaller 2230 SSDs have a more limited selection, and they tend to be more expensive. You might not even want to replace it though, as it now comes with a 1TB SSD.
RAM is boosted to 24GB, and it's DDR5-7500 now. 8GB of that goes towards the Z1 Extreme's GPU.
The battery is doubled in size to 80mAh, and Asus has improved the thermals so you'll get more out of the Z1 Extreme. It has bigger heat pipes, along with better and quieter fans. Those better thermals allow for an increased TDP, so performance mode is boosted to 17W and silent mode is boosted to 13W.
A new chassis and controls
It's not just about a spec bump
The Asus ROG Ally X comes in all black, and the controls have been improved. It has a refined D pad, redesigned joysticks, and a smaller macro button on the back that's meant to be out of your way, but still work for you no matter how you're holding the device.
Those new joysticks are meant to be more durable, using premium materials, and they're rated for five million cycles. Asus says that the Steam Deck is still rated for two million.
One other thing that's changed is that the XGM port is gone, and it's replaced by a second USB Type-C port. One of the USB ports is Thunderbolt compatible, so you'll actually be able to hook up an external GPU if you want to.
Finally, the display panel is the same as it was on the original ROG Ally. It seems like there isn't a supplier for what Asus would want to do with it (VRR and FreeSync Premium), so we'll probably have to wait for a proper ROG Ally 2.
Asus ROG Ally X
- Dimensions
- 11.02 x 4.37 x 1.45 inches (280mm x 111mm x 36.9mm)
- Weight
- 1.49 pounds (678 grams)
- Chipset
- AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor (8 cores/16 threads, up to 5.10 GHz boost)
- RAM
- 24GB LPDDR5 7500 MHz
- Storage
- 1 TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe G4x4 SSD
- Wireless Connectivity
- Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.2
The upgraded Asus ROG Ally X brings some welcome improvements to the original PC gaming handheld. It features a sleek redesigned chassis, faster RAM, more base storage, a much bigger battery, and improved joysticks over the first-gen ROG Ally. It also has a nice 120Hz 1080p display with AMD FreeSync Premium for smooth gaming.