The launch of the Asus ROG Ally this 12 months revealed a monumental first step in the way forward for handheld Home windows gaming units, letting customers leap between their favourite video games on Xbox Sport Move, Steam, Epic Video games Retailer, and extra. However the mannequin we examined again in Might (and re-tested in July) was the upper finish model that includes an AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive processor.
We at all times knew a decrease finish mannequin was coming, however Asus has lastly delivered with a $599 Asus ROG Ally that includes its base AMD Ryzen Z1 processor. Exterior of that distinction, each fashions function 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage and the identical 7-inch 1920 x 1080-pixel shiny IPS show.
The basic adjustments between these two processors are the one issues that ought to inform your buy, so is it well worth the $100 further for the Z1 Excessive, or is the bottom mannequin sufficient?
Asus ROG Ally Z1 vs Z1 Excessive: Geekbench 5
Pitting the Z1 and Z1 Excessive in opposition to each other in processor efficiency revealed a reasonably intense hole. After we re-tested the Z1 Excessive in July, it managed a formidable Geekbench 5 multi-core rating of 11,542 and single-core rating of two,096. The bottom Z1 processor might solely hit 7,639 in multi-core efficiency, whereas its single-core rating was 1,754. It is a hanging distinction, revealing the actually huge distinction between these two processors in energy.
Nonetheless, the Asus ROG Ally is a gaming machine, so the way it performs is extra necessary. Positive, it won’t be as zippy because the higher-end mannequin, however do you really want it to be? When you get your video games downloaded, that’ll be all you deal with (except you intend to make use of it as an all-in-one system).
Asus ROG Ally Z1 vs Z1 Excessive: 3D Mark
The Z1 Excessive did phenomenally throughout our re-tests in July, revealing that Asus had been exhausting at work to enhance efficiency on the software program finish. It managed a rating of seven,980 within the Hearth Strike benchmark, whereas attaining 3,556 within the Time Spy benchmark. You’d assume a $100 distinction in worth would result in solely minor shifts in efficiency, however you’d be incorrect: These two fashions carried out fairly in another way right here.
The Ryzen Z1 did method worse within the Hearth Strike benchmark, attaining a rating of 4,448. That is greater than 3,000 lower than the Z1 Excessive. Issues get even worse with its 1,800 rating within the Time Spy benchmark, because it’s practically half the efficiency seen within the dearer mannequin.
It’s exhausting not to have a look at these scores and are available to a swift conclusion: Is that this huge efficiency distinction price saving a meager $100? For some it will likely be completely price it, whereas others may want the extra highly effective mannequin. This relies fully on what you intend to make use of the hand held console for, however these are merely benchmarks and the actual efficiency variations might be seen in testing precise video games.
Asus ROG Ally Z1 vs Z1 Excessive: Gaming
I launched Dust 5 and was curious if it might survive, because the Z1 Excessive managed a reasonably spectacular 32 frames per second on Extremely Excessive graphics settings at 1080p.Sadly, if the earlier part wasn’t sufficient of an indicator, the bottom Z1 did far worse. Performing the identical benchmark on the similar settings, I managed a median of 11.5 fps. Ouch.
Even from my introductory in-game race, driving all through the world felt uneven and my eyes damage after 5 minutes of driving. That is principally as a result of I used to be enjoying on Extremely Excessive settings, and should you don’t have as a lot curiosity in experiencing the sport that method, it in all probability received’t hassle you. I spent hours enjoying Lies of P on it at low graphics and managed a strong 50 to 60 fps with occasional stutters. However the hole in energy between the 2 fashions is huge.
We additionally examined Grand Theft Auto V on each machines, with the Z1 Excessive managing a formidable 34.5 fps at Very Excessive settings and 59 fps on Regular. The bottom Z1 hit 15 fps at Very Excessive and 27 fps on Regular, which continues to showcase the huge variations in efficiency.
Asus ROG Ally Z1 vs Z1 Excessive: Battery life
These huge gaps in efficiency may make you assume the 2 consoles may have vastly totally different battery longevity, however that’s not the case. We ran the PCMark 10 take a look at, which runs the battery in a window on a steady loop till the system dies, and it lasted 1 hour and 46 minutes. The Z1 Excessive was solely three minutes much less at 1 hour and 43 minutes, in order that’s not a lot of a distinction.
PCMark 10 is supposed to offer a metric nearer to precise gaming, however the base battery life using the Laptop computer Magazine battery life take a look at, which consists of steady internet browsing at 150 nits of brightness, was a tad totally different. The ROG Ally Z1 lasted 6 hours and 17 minutes, whereas the Z1 Excessive managed 5 hours and 51 minutes. This distinction is marginal.
Backside line
There isn’t a world wherein we’d suggest the bottom Asus ROG Ally to a majority of avid gamers. In the event you plan to solely play smaller indie titles that received’t require significantly sturdy {hardware}, or simply wish to emulate older video games, you received’t discover the efficiency distinction.
However you probably have any curiosity in any respect in enjoying extra demanding titles on greater graphics settings, you’ll stroll away from this machine filled with disappointment. It’s necessary to understand that the preliminary Asus ROG Ally Z1 Excessive additionally had efficiency points earlier than an replace helped clean issues out, however except Asus can pull an analogous trick with the ROG Ally Z1, we might suggest everybody pay the additional $100 for the Z1 Excessive.
