Asus has refreshed its Republic of Gamers Alley gaming handheld, redesigning it based on user feedback for the new ROG Alley X. It’s not a completely new device, though it’s close, and there’s enough here that if you’ve passed on the original Alley, you might want to consider. Another look. However, if you do, you will notice that the price has increased from $700 to $800.
Other than the general looks, the only carryovers from the Alli to the Alli X are the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and a 7-inch full-HD touch display. And it’s still running Windows 11. So, if it’s changed on your wishlist, maybe next time.
But everything else has changed for ROG Ally X. For starters, instead of just 512 GB of storage, the Alli X will have a 1TB option. If that’s not enough, the device’s M.2 2280 solid-state drive is accessible for upgrade.
ROG Alley X Specifications
| display | 7-inch 1,920×1,080 touchscreen, 120Hz refresh rate, 500 nits maximum brightness |
|---|---|
| C.P. U | AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme |
| GPU | AMD Radeon |
| memory | 24GB LPDDR5 onboard (7,500MHz dual-channel) |
| Collection | Up to 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD |
| operating system | Windows 11 Home |
| I/O ports | Audio combo jack, microSD card reader (UHS-II, 312MB/s), USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), USB-C (USB4, Thunderbolt 4 compatible) |
| Audio | 2-Speaker System with Smart Amplifier Technology, Dolby Atmos, AI Noise-Cancelling Technology, Hi-Res Audio Certification, Built-in Array Microphone |
| Battery | 80-watt-hour |
| power supply | USB-C 65-watt power adapter |
| dimension | 11×4.4×1.5 inches |
| Weight | 1.5 pounds (678 grams) |
Asus has also increased the amount of system memory. The most popular configurations on its ROG gaming laptops are 16GB RAM with 8GB video RAM. Since Ryzen Z1 Extreme combines both CPU and graphics on a single chip, Asus improved the performance by increasing the shared memory from 16GB to 24GB.
Battery life is always an issue with gaming handhelds, but the Alli’s 40-watt-hour battery pack was a little too small for users. The Ellie X has a new battery, doubling the capacity to 80 Wh. Surprisingly, this increase barely added to the total weight, which is just a hair under 1.5 pounds. I got to play with one for a while, and while most of the weight is on the bottom half of the device, it’s evenly distributed, making it more comfortable than the original design.
See this: Asus ROG Ally X Gaming Handheld: First Look
To accommodate the larger battery, Asus had to redesign the motherboard and cooling system. The process resulted in an improved cooling solution that included smaller but more efficient fans and additional fan vents. This combination resulted in a temperature drop of up to 42 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius). Asus said the cooling system also reduces touchscreen temperature, making it more comfortable to use.
Finally, while it doesn’t look too different from the Ally, the Ally X has slightly deeper and more rounded handgrips, smaller rear macro buttons to reduce accidental presses, a more precise d-pad, more durable joysticks with stiffer springs, and better overall. Control layout. Asus also swapped out the Alli’s XG Mobile port in favor of two USB-C ports, one of which is Thunderbolt 4.
Again, all these improvements result in price increases. The original Alley started at $500, with a step-up configuration costing $700. ROG is available for Ally X Pre-order at Best Buy Now for $800.
