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ASUS ROG Ally is an incredible handheld gaming PC, but after spending a solid amount of time with both ROG Ally Z1 Extreme 512GB and ROG Ally X 1TB, I can confidently say the upgrade was worth it. Both models deliver fantastic performance, but the Ally X’s improved battery life, additional USB-C port, and increased RAM make a real difference in daily use. If you’re trying to decide between them, you can’t go wrong with either, but if you’re going for long gaming sessions or need more 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 better battery, extra port, and upgraded RAM make it a clear winner for me, but both models are fantastic handhelds. Obviously ROG Ally X is the most expensive, but the white ROG Ally is a cracking handheld for the money.
ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Extreme 512GB Specifications
Storage
512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Battery
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 bigger battery means I actually get proper portable gaming, and the extra USB-C port has made docking a lot easier.
Optimisation Guide – How to Make the ROG Ally Even Better
The first thing I did after setting up both models was check for updates. ASUS provides BIOS, firmware, and GPU driver updates right out of the box. Using Armoury Crate SE and MyASUS, I made sure everything was fully up to date. The difference was noticeable—better power management and smoother performance across the board.
Lossless Scaling (Steam App)
Lossless Scaling (Steam App)
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Save £1.18 with a Humble Choice Membership
Lossless Scaling is a game-changer. AMD’s FSR 3 has too much motion blur, but Lossless Scaling gives crisper visuals and way better performance. Running games at a lower resolution in windowed frameless mode, then scaling them up, has doubled my FPS in some cases. There are occasional visual artifacts, but for single-player games, it’s absolutely worth it.
Little Apps
Little Apps
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Windows 11 is full of unnecessary background apps that eat up system resources. Little Apps Suite took care of registry cleaning, disk cleanup, and privacy protection. Boot times got faster, RAM usage dropped, and the whole system just felt snappier.
Winaero Tweaker
Winaero Tweaker
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A tick box windows de-bloater program
WinAero Tweaker helped me disable all the bloat, including telemetry and copilot. It’s all in a tickbox format with descriptions on all the features, so you’re not going to deactivate something that you need. As always, if you’re not sure, don’t touch it and do your research.
Avast
Avast
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The perfect all-in-one security suite.
The ROG Ally is still a Windows PC, meaning it’s just as vulnerable to ransomware, phishing, and malware. Avast Premium Security is what I use—it has real-time malware protection, a built-in VPN, and anti-phishing tools. It’s lightweight, doesn’t impact gaming performance, and provides far better security than Windows Defender.
Best Micro SD Cards for ROG Ally
Storage expansion is essential for handheld gaming, and I’ve tested a bunch of microSD cards to see which ones are worth buying.
| SanDisk Extreme | 1TB | 190MB/s | £86.98 (Was £101.05) | Fastest speeds for big game libraries |
| NY PRO Elite | 1TB | 100MB/s | £109.99 | Reliable storage for 4K content and gaming |
| Samsung PRO Plus | 512GB | 180MB/s | £49.99 (Was £73.99) | Best balance of speed and price |
| PNY XLR8 Gaming | 512GB | 100MB/s | £44.99 | Budget-friendly gaming option |
| PNY PRO Elite | 256GB | 100MB/s | £24.99 | Cheapest reliable option |
The SanDisk Extreme 1TB has been the best performer, with fast load times and reliable performance. The Samsung PRO Plus 512GB is great for speed without breaking the bank.
Best Power Banks for ROG Ally
A 65W USB-C power bank is a must-have, and these are the ones I’ve tested.
| sharge SHARGEEK 170 | 24,000mAh | 170W | £136.99 (Was £166.99) | Best high-end choice |
| UGREEN Nexode | 25,000mAh | 200W | £74.99 (Was £98.99) | Best mix of power and affordability |
| INIU 100W | 25,000mAh | 100W | £50.99 (Was £79.99) | Budget-friendly fast charging |
| Anker Prime 250W | 27,650mAh | 250W | £189.99 (Was £229.99) | Ultimate performance for heavy users |
I use the sharge SHARGEEK 170 the most—it charges fast and has a cool display. The UGREEN Nexode 200W is a great mid-range option with fast charging.
Best Docks for ROG Ally
Docks are essential for turning the ROG Ally into a full gaming setup. Here’s what I recommend.
| JSAUX 6-in-1 Dock | HDMI, Ethernet, USB-A | £27.99 (Was £39.99) | Budget choice |
| Asus 65W Dock Charger | USB-C, DisplayPort | £59 | Official ASUS option |
| UGREEN 6-in-1 Dock | 4K HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet | £24.69 (Was £39.99) | Best value for money |
| 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 use for docking to an external monitor. The Asus 65W Dock Charger is great for fast charging while docked.
Do you know something I don’t? Maybe a better Windows de-bloater or frame generation software for Window’s AMD handhelds? Let me know in the comments!
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
