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GAMING FEATURE

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doddle to upgrade to one with larger capacity. This is in addition to MicroSD storage, for which the slot has been relocated on the ROG Ally X. Getting connected Just like the original unit, the ROG Ally X provides speedy Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, alongside Bluetooth 5.2. New to proceedings is a very handy USB-C port with Thunderbolt support, replacing the PCIe port on the older model. Get gaming! Upon booting, you’ll land at the typical Windows 11 login screen, but once you’re in the ROG Ally X boots up the updated Armoury Crate games menu. Here you can access and sort your games arsenal in various ways, with the ability to combine favourites from such services as Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games, and Steam. Basically, your ROG Ally X can play pretty much any PC game that’s out there. Beyond the game… While the ROG Ally X is aimed at gamers, as a full-powered Windows 11 behemoth you also have the ability to do your general everyday tasks on the go, ranging from email and word processing to web browsing and watching media. And that Bluetooth capability is very handy for adding accessories such as a mouse or keyboard. What else is there to know?

The new ROG Ally X is here this month, taking the original ROG Ally Windows 11 gaming handheld blueprint and making a host of improvements. If you want to take your PC gaming on the go then here’s what you need to know. Words Amy Flower Meet and greet THE LATEST ROG ALLY DELIVERS THE X FACTOR!

• The ROG Ally X is out Jul 22

The biggest difference with the ROG Ally X over its predecessor is immediately apparent – it’s crossed over to the dark side. Now black, the sleek, angled lines remain, tweaked for even better comfort in-hand thanks to taller grips. Switching the unit on sees the really impressive stuff begin, as the seven-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen bursts to colourful life in all of its 1080p glory. Not only does the ROG Ally X screen bring the resolution, it’s also able to run at up to 120Mhz for super-smooth action and boasts a perky 7ms response time. With 500 nits of brightness there’s screen clarity in various lighting conditions, as well as Dolby Vision HDR where supported. Controls, we’re here! The controls amount to two newly upgraded thumbsticks (with programmable RGB lighting) and an improved D-pad, that are laid out in asynchronous Xbox style, and there’s full control over settings such as dead zones. The triggers have also been adjusted for better ergonomics. As well as the usual A-B-X-Y buttons, there are two programmable buttons on the ROG Ally X’s rear. These are smaller than those on the original ROG Ally, and more central, so are less prone to accidental pressing. As ever, a pair of further buttons flanks each side of the screen, controlling view changes, Command Centre settings, Armoury Crate settings, and menu toggle.

What’s going on inside?

COOL! Keeping cool

The ROG Ally X still has an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU (that’s a CPU and GPU hybrid) at its heart, but other tweaks bring improved performance. Key amongst these is an increase in battery size, doubling its capacity from 40Whr to 80Whr. Battery life still depends upon which mode you’re running in - Silent (9W), Performance (15W), or Turbo (25W), but you can, obviously, look at somewhere around double the play time without needing to plug in. Memory-wise, there’s a bump in the ROG Ally X from 16GB of DDR5 RAM to 24GB – more than most laptops. This isn’t the only improvement, either. While the original Ally featured a 512GB SSD drive, the Ally X doubles the storage to 1TB, and in M.2 format. If that isn’t enough, it’s a

while gaming is good advice, and it applies to your hardware, too. Thanks to some clever work with anti-gravity heat pipes, and thinner fan blades inside, plus three exhaust vents, the ROG Ally X offers up to 24% better airflow than its predecessor.

If the bolstered specs of the ROG Ally X aren’t impressive enough, all of that extra power, including the doubled battery capacity, only adds a mere 70 grams to the unit’s weight, with it

now clocking in at 678 grams. The audio also remains as impressive as ever, with dual

smart amp speakers pumping out impressive sound – and there’s even Dolby Atmos support!

42 JULY 2024

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