ASUS ROG Ally is an unbelievable handheld gaming PC, however after spending a stable period of time with each ROG Ally Z1 Extreme 512GB and ROG Ally X 1TB, I can confidently say the improve was value it. Both fashions ship implausible efficiency, however the Ally X’s improved battery life, extra USB-C port, and elevated RAM make an actual distinction in day by day use. If you’re attempting to determine between them, you’ll be able to’t go fallacious with both, however for those who’re going for lengthy gaming classes or want extra expandability, the Ally X is the one to get.
ROG Ally Z1 Extreme vs. ROG Ally X – Which One Did I Prefer?
The Ally X’s higher battery, additional port, and upgraded RAM make it a transparent winner for me, however each fashions are implausible handhelds. Obviously ROG Ally X is the costliest, however the white ROG Ally is a cracking handheld for the cash.
512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
40WHrs, 4-cell Li-ion
RAM
16GB LPDDR5 (6400MT/s)
Ports
USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2) + XG Mobile
Glass Protection
Gorilla Glass DXC + Victus
ASUS ROG Ally X 1TB Specifications
Storage
1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Battery
80WHrs, 4-cell Li-ion
RAM
24GB LPDDR5 (7500MT/s)
Ports
USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2) + USB 4 (Thunderbolt 4)
Glass Protection
Gorilla Glass Victus
The Ally X’s larger battery means I truly get correct moveable gaming, and the additional USB-C port has made docking rather a lot simpler.
Optimisation Guide – How to Make the ROG Ally Even Better
The very first thing I did after establishing each fashions was examine for updates. ASUS offers BIOS, firmware, and GPU driver updates proper out of the field. Using Armoury Crate SE and MyASUS, I made certain every part was absolutely updated. The distinction was noticeable—higher energy administration and smoother efficiency throughout the board.
Lossless Scaling (Steam App)
Lossless Scaling (Steam App)
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Lossless Scaling is a game-changer. AMD’s FSR 3 has an excessive amount of movement blur, however Lossless Scaling provides crisper visuals and method higher efficiency. Running video games at a decrease decision in windowed frameless mode, then scaling them up, has doubled my FPS in some circumstances. There are occasional visible artifacts, however for single-player video games, it’s completely value it.
Little Apps
Little Apps
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Windows 11 is stuffed with pointless background apps that eat up system sources. Little Apps Suite took care of registry cleansing, disk cleanup, and privateness safety. Boot occasions acquired sooner, RAM utilization dropped, and the entire system simply felt snappier.
Winaero Tweaker
Winaero Tweaker
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A tick field home windows de-bloater program
WinAero Tweaker helped me disable all of the bloat, together with telemetry and copilot. It’s all in a tickbox format with descriptions on all of the options, so you are not going to deactivate one thing that you just want. As at all times, for those who’re undecided, do not contact it and do your analysis.
Avast
Avast
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The good all-in-one safety suite.
The ROG Ally remains to be a Windows PC, that means it is simply as susceptible to ransomware, phishing, and malware. Avast Premium Security is what I exploit—it has real-time malware safety, a built-in VPN, and anti-phishing instruments. It’s light-weight, doesn’t impression gaming efficiency, and offers much better safety than Windows Defender.
Best Micro SD Cards for ROG Ally
Storage growth is important for handheld gaming, and I’ve examined a bunch of microSD playing cards to see which of them are value shopping for.
| SanDisk Extreme | 1TB | 190MB/s | £86.98 (Was £101.05) | Fastest speeds for giant recreation libraries |
| NY PRO Elite | 1TB | 100MB/s | £109.99 | Reliable storage for 4K content material and gaming |
| Samsung PRO Plus | 512GB | 180MB/s | £49.99 (Was £73.99) | Best steadiness of pace and value |
| PNY XLR8 Gaming | 512GB | 100MB/s | £44.99 | Budget-friendly gaming possibility |
| PNY PRO Elite | 256GB | 100MB/s | £24.99 | Cheapest dependable possibility |
The SanDisk Extreme 1TB has been one of the best performer, with quick load occasions and dependable efficiency. The Samsung PRO Plus 512GB is nice for pace with out breaking the financial institution.
Best Power Banks for ROG Ally
A 65W USB-C energy financial institution is a must have, and these are those I’ve examined.
| sharge SHARGEEK 170 | 24,000mAh | 170W | £136.99 (Was £166.99) | Best high-end selection |
| UGREEN Nexode | 25,000mAh | 200W | £74.99 (Was £98.99) | Best mixture of energy and affordability |
| INIU 100W | 25,000mAh | 100W | £50.99 (Was £79.99) | Budget-friendly quick charging |
| Anker Prime 250W | 27,650mAh | 250W | £189.99 (Was £229.99) | Ultimate efficiency for heavy customers |
I exploit the sharge SHARGEEK 170 probably the most—it prices quick and has a cool show. The UGREEN Nexode 200W is a good mid-range possibility with quick charging.
Best Docks for ROG Ally
Docks are important for turning the ROG Ally right into a full gaming setup. Here’s what I like to recommend.
| JSAUX 6-in-1 Dock | HDMI, Ethernet, USB-A | £27.99 (Was £39.99) | Budget selection |
| Asus 65W Dock Charger | USB-C, DisplayPort | £59 | Official ASUS possibility |
| UGREEN 6-in-1 Dock | 4K HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet | £24.69 (Was £39.99) | Best worth for cash |
| UGREEN 9-in-1 Dock | 4K HDMI, USB-C 10Gbps | £39.99 (Was £59.99) | Best all-in-one dock |
The UGREEN 9-in-1 Dock is what I exploit for docking to an exterior monitor. The Asus 65W Dock Charger is nice for quick charging whereas docked.
Do you already know one thing I do not? Maybe a greater Windows de-bloater or body era software program for Window’s AMD handhelds? Let me know within the feedback!
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN overlaying every part collectable and offers. Christian has over 7 years of expertise within the Gaming and Tech trade with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian additionally makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian can also be the creator of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
