Asus ROG Ally X vs ROG Ally: Practical with a new, improved handheld

Asus recently announced the ROG Ally X – an update to last year’s Ally. It’s been criticized for not offering any kind of performance boost, but based on my experience testing a number of Windows handhelds, I believe it’s a solid upgrade in many ways. Going from 16GB to 24GB of memory solves problems with a small but growing number of new games, while doubling the battery size will go a long way toward solving the number one problem that affects every Windows handheld: terrible battery life.

It’s true that the Asus ROG Ally X uses the same Z1 Extreme processor as the non-X model. The Zen 4 octa-core CPU setup paired with a 12 CU RDNA 3 GPU remains as is, running at the same clocks. However, there is a small performance improvement, thanks to the fact that Ally X not only increases memory capacity, but also bandwidth. 16GB 6400MT/s LPDDR5 is replaced by 24GB 7500MT/s LPDDRX. These processors thrive on bandwidth, as we’ve seen with the Steam Deck OLED, where I’ve seen anywhere from a two percent to a nine percent increase in gaming performance thanks to the faster RAM — without going into details at the preview stage, you should expect roughly the same transition from Ally to Ally X.

There are also scenarios where more memory offers a gigantic improvement in gaming performance – I refer you to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which is a mess on the original Asus ROG Ally, but almost stutter-free on the Ally X. This is because the game requires a decent amount of system memory as well as video RAM, and although this can be configured in the Asus Armory Crate software, neither option offers an acceptable gaming experience. The Ally X just runs perfectly as it is in its default setting, which splits the 24GB of RAM into 16GB of system memory and 8GB of VRAM.

Another example is Alan Wake 2 by Remedy. It can run on the original Ally, but memory checks at startup indicate that the game requires 12GB of system RAM and 6GB of VRAM – a total of 18GB not available on the older model. You can ignore the prompts and plow on, but it’s not ideal. This might seem a bit odd in a world where Ally has the same amount of memory as the Xbox Series X and PS5 (actually more, given that consoles reserve RAM for system tasks), but the split memory pool setup on PC is a limiting factor – something the Ally X powers thanks to excess capacity.

There are other improvements besides the memory, and I’d say that aside from the inclusion of an OLED display or a massive 8.8-inch screen like the Lenovo Legion Go, these changes put the Ally X where the best handhelds are. .

First, let’s talk about battery life. For me, this is by far the weakest component of the original Ally with its 40Wh battery. The point is that for maximum use of the Z1 Extreme, 25W consumption on the APU is the sweet spot. Add in other system components and you’re looking at power consumption north of 40 watts. It’s very, very easy to see the original Ally’s battery life used up within an hour – or less. While doubling the battery size won’t give you Steam Deck OLED-like life, around two hours of triple-A gaming (or slightly less) with the 25W APU setting isn’t too bad. It worked for me.

The larger battery allows Asus to change the design of the pocket PC’s internals. The change from white jacket to black is obvious, but the weight is most noticeable in the hand. At 678g it’s bulkier than the original Ally’s very modest 608g – but that’s a price I’d easily pay for such a massive battery. Otherwise, the basic shape of the machine remains mostly unchanged – and that’s actually a bit of a miracle. For example, the AyaNeo Kun has a slightly smaller battery than the Ally X, but it’s clearly a much larger unit and weighs a whopping 900g – 222g more.

Inside the case, it can be seen that, thanks to the new battery, Asus is significantly remodeling the insides. The fans are smaller – which usually means louder – and yet the new Ally has a claimed increase in airflow of up to 24 percent, while actually being quieter. From a user perspective, all I can say is that the 25W mode I like to use is definitely quieter than the original Ally. An internal redesign means the smaller 2230 Steam Deck SSD gives way to the more standard 2280, opening the door to additional drives, cheaper drives and access to higher capacities – up to 8GB. We also now get a 1TB SSD, up from the 512GB in the original Ally, which I always found very restrictive.

Returning to the exterior, there’s more weight to the analog sticks, larger triggers, and more travel for the face buttons. There are also smarter grips. These are minor improvements, and I didn’t have any issues with any of these things on the standard Ally, but they’re all welcome nonetheless.

The situation with ports has changed and for the better. The controversial SD card port – which caused a lot of trouble for users of the original Ally – is moved to a completely different location, as is the headphone jack. The single USB-C on last year’s model, mounted flush with the XG Mobile eGPU connector, is also revised on the Ally X. There are now two USB-C ports, one of which is USB-4 compatible, meaning you have access to a wider range of eGPU options or simply more I/O – always a bit problematic instead of the original Ally.

However, for many, it won’t be the handheld they’ve been waiting for. No noticeable performance boost over last year’s model means the Asus ROG Ally X generally offers the same gaming experience as the Lenovo Legion Go and the Chinese brand’s wide range of handhelds, based on either the Z1 Extreme or the very similar Ryzen 7 7840 or 8840U. It also still has the same 7-inch 1080p LCD, when OLED would be much better. However, it remains the only handheld with variable refresh rate support – and that’s a gold mine, because you can count on more consistent and smooth gameplay without having to lock to a refresh rate or clean the buffers of that refresh rate (30 frames per second at 60 Hz, 40 frames per second at 120 Hz, etc.). VRR is worth its weight in gold.

It’s a bit of a shame that the price has risen to $799 – and that’s a lot of money considering how much Asus ROG Ally discounts we’ve seen over the past year. However, with that said, we’re still looking at a price that’s significantly cheaper than premium handhelds with 32GB of memory. I don’t think the Asus ROG Ally X is the definitive Windows laptop, but of all the equivalent handhelds I’ve tested so far, this is the one I’d pack in my travel bag based on my testing so far. .