ASUS ROG Ally Gets Up To 20% Performance Boost After Firmware Update
By: Muhammad Zuhair Haider Zaidi
Source: https://wccftech.com/asus-rog-ally-gets-up-to-20-performance-boost-after-firmware-update/
ASUS has issued a fresh firmware update for its ROG Ally handheld that eliminates the performance issues at lower TDPs, offering a 20% boost in gaming.
ASUS ROG Ally Firmware Update Puts Steam Deck Way Behind In Terms of Raw Performance
Dave2D was the first to identify the issue. He observed that at lower TDPs, the ASUS ROG Ally hand-held was unable to compete with its competitor Steam Deck. The Steam Deck has an AMD Van Gogh APU with quad-core Zen2 architecture, half as many CPU cores, and only four GPU clusters, compared to the ROG Ally’s more powerful Ryzen Z1 APU. Technically speaking, the ROG Ally ought to be in the lead, but in Dave’s benchmarks, the Steam Deck was on par with the ROG Ally and, in some instances, even in the lead.
ASUS released a new firmware update for the ROG Ally handheld, compatible only with the most recent GPU drivers to address this issue. The firmware update significantly boosted the handheld’s performance by up to 20% in some cases. According to Dave, the updated firmware now puts the console head-to-head with the AYANEO 2S, powered by the Ryzen 7 7840U Phoenix APU.
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Playing games at 3W is one area where the Steam Deck continues to have an edge. Since the APU created for Steam Deck can function at such low voltage, it is perfect when you don’t need much performance and would prefer a longer battery life. But if you want something faster, then ASUS’s ROG Ally is definitely the choice to go for.
You can view our roundup about the ROG Ally where we have discussed about the handheld’s capabilities in detail.
Handheld Gaming Console Lineup:
| Name | AOKZOE A1 Pro | AOKZOE A2 | ASUS ROG ALLY | AYANEO 2S | GPD Win Max 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Name | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | AMD Ryzen Z1 Series | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U |
| CPU Architecture | Zen 4 | Zen 4 | Zen 4 | Zen 4 | Zen 4 |
| GPU Architecture | RDNA 3 | RDNA 3 | RDNA 3 | RDNA 3 | RDNA 3 |
| Process Node | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 4nm |
| CPU Cores / Threads | 8 / 16 | 8 / 16 | 8 / 16 | 8 / 16 | 8 / 16 |
| CPU Clock Speeds | 5.1 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 5.1 GHz |
| GPU Cores | 12 CU | 12 CU | 12 CU | 12 CU | 12 CU |
| GPU Clock Speeds | 2700 MHz | 2700 MHz | 2800 MHz | 2800 MHz | 2700 MHz |
| Memory | 32-64 GB LPDDR5x | 32-64 GB LPDDR5x | 16 GB LPDDR5-6400 | 16 GB LPDDR5x-7500 | 16 GB LPDDR5x-7500 |
| Storage | 512 – 2 TB (M.2) | TBD | 512 GB (M.2) + Micro-SD UHS-H |
512 GB – 2 TB (M.2) | 512 GB – 2 TB (M.2) |
| Display Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | TBD | 120 Hz | TBD | TBD |
| Display Size | 8-Inch | 7-Inch | 7-Inch | 7-Inch | 10.1-Inch |
| Display Resolution | 1920×1200 | 1920×1200 | 1920×1080 | 1920×1200 | 1920×1200 |
| Screen Type | Full IPS | Laminated IPS | TBD | Full IPS | Full IPS |
| WiFi Option | WIFI 6E + B5 5.2 | WIFI 6E + B5 5.2 | WIFI 6E + B5 5.2 | WIFI 6.0 + BT 5.0 | WIFI 6.0 + BT 5.0 |
| Battery Size | 65Wh 100W GaN Fast Charger |
48Wh 65W GaN Fast Charger |
40Wh | 50.25Wh | 67Wh |
| Weight | 729g | 600g | 608g | TBD | 1005g |
| Form Factor | 28.5 x 12.5 x 2.1mm | TBD | 28.0 x 11.3 x 3.9mm | TBD | 227 × 160 × 23 mm |
| Operating System | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Release Date | May 2023 | May 2023 | May 2023 | May 2023 | May 2023 |
| Price | $799 US (32 GB +512 GB) | TBD | $699 (Z1 Extreme) $599 (Z1 Standard) |
TBD | 730 EUR (7640U+16+1) 959 EUR (7840U+32+2) |