Verdict - Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is faster, more comfortable and easier to operate
The new version of the ROG Xbox Ally X is an upgrade in pretty much every respect. Even though the design is unusual at first and the chassis is bulkier than before, the new controller grips are just much more comfortable and you can easily play for hours. If you played with the new version once, it will be hard to get back to a traditional handheld design. The AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with the fast Radeon 890M increases the gaming performance by 10-15 % compared to the previous Ally X, so you get a little bit more headroom, especially in Performance mode. The latter provides a very good combination of performance, battery runtime (more than three hours of gaming) and quiet fans.
The software also leaves a good impression. So far, setting up Windows on a small handheld screen was a painful experience. Thanks to the new Xbox full-screen experience, you can now focus on gaming and include third-party launchers (Steam, EA, Ubisoft, etc.). Ideally, you will never have to use the traditional desktop mode. We did not determine a performance advantage for the new handheld mode, though.
The display is once again the familiar 7-inch IPS model with 120 Hz and VRR, which is really good for gaming. A larger panel (ideally OLED) would have been nice, but this would have affected the price and most likely the battery runtime as well. How big these implications might be will soon be clear when we review the Lenovo Legion Go 2, which is equipped with an 8.8-inch 144 Hz OLED panel. With a retail price of €1,299, however, it is also much more expensive.
Pros
Cons
Table of Contents
- Verdict - Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is faster, more comfortable and easier to operate
- Specifications
- Case - Bulkier, but very comfortable
- Input Devices - Improved triggers
- Software - Xbox full-screen experience
- Display - IPS, 120 Hz & VRR
- Performance - Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
- Emissions - Only loud in Turbo mode
- Energy management - Very good battery runtime
- Notebookcheck Rating
- Potential rivals in comparison
Asus worked very closely with Microsoft for its latest gaming handheld to offer an improved software experience in addition to better hardware. The result is the new ROG Xbox Ally X, which supports the Xbox full-screen experience for the first time. The chassis was changed as well to make it more comfortable. The gaming performance is provided by the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with the Radeon 890M iGPU and 24 GB RAM for $999. There is also a less expensive model for $599 with the Ryzen AI Z2 and less memory equipment (review will be published soon).
Specifications
Case - Bulkier, but very comfortable
When the first images of the new ROG Xbox Ally X were released, the design was very unusual. It is pretty much a giant controller with a screen in the center similar to the Playstation Portal, for example. Thanks to the new grips, the new Xbox Ally X is also much bulkier than before and requires more space in your backpack. However, it is also much more comfortable to hold and if you return to the previous Ally X or other handhelds, the handling will feel noticeably worse. It is not problem to play for hours with the ROG Xbox Ally X, just like with a regular controller. The slightly higher weight of 718 grams was no issue for us, but it also depends on what you are already used to.
The chassis is still made of plastic, but the quality is completely okay. Our test unit did not have any issues with the stability or the build quality. The ROG Xbox Ally X uses a black chassis with small ROG logos on the front, but the surface is smooth. The handles are a bit rougher at the back, which improves the grip. The standard ROG Xbox Ally uses a white chassis.
Except for the new grips, many features were taken from the previous model, including the to USB-C ports (1x USB 4), the very fast microSD card reader as well as the fast Wi-Fi module (Wi-Fi 6E), but Wi-Fi 7 is not supported. It is no problem to replace the M.2-2280 SSD.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (20.9 - 201, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X (Angelbird AV Pro v60) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X (Angelbird AV Pro v60) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (74.7 - 261, n=12, last 2 years) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Networking | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Input Devices - Improved triggers
Asus just slightly changed the input devices and since the Ally X already had good buttons and joysticks, this is no problem. In addition to the new Xbox button left next to the screen, the hall effect triggers were slightly revised. During our review of the Ally X, we reported that they were a bit too smooth, but for the new model, they have slightly more resistance. This helps with accuracy in the first couple of millimeters of travel.
Software - Xbox full-screen experience
In addition to the hardware changes, the other big improvement of the ROG Xbox Ally X is the integration of the Xbox software. The handheld launches into the new full-screen mode by default, which is supposed to improve the handling. The UI actually is simplified and the Xbox app now supports games from other launchers. You do not have to use the desktop anymore to install games or launch them. Press the new Xbox button and you will activate the familiar game bar, where you should use the compact mode. The Armoury Crate SE software is now integrated into the menu as well. If you hold the Xbox button, the app launcher will be launched. You can still access the settings and the file explorer from the new handheld mode.
Swipe from the bottom and you can switch to the classic desktop mode. You can switch back any time, but Windows will recommend a restart to improve the performance. However, we did not determine any performance gains from the new Xbox full-screen mode.
Our verdict considering the new full-screen mode is good in general. However, Windows still cannot really compete with the comfort of SteamOS, but Windows is also more versatile in return. Handhelds with SteamOS can also get more performance out of the hardware (as we have seen in our review of the Lenovo Legion Go S). If you prefer the Armoury Crate SE software from Asus, you can also use it as the default launcher. You are therefore not forced to use the Xbox app. We have reported about the Armoury Crate SE software during our review of the 2024 ROG Ally X.
Display - IPS, 120 Hz & VRR
The display did not change and Asus once again uses the familiar 7-inch IPS screen with 1080p resolution, 120 Hz and VRR. The bezels are still pretty wide and a larger panel would be a nice addition. The overall picture quality is good, but it is not as brilliant as an OLED panel. However, there are no problems with PWM flickering in return and the IPS screen is still a very good choice for gaming.
Just like before, the panel brightness does not quite meet the advertised value of 500 nits (max. 490 nits, average ~460 nits). The black value is okay at 0.33 cd/m², which results in a maximum contrast ratio of ~1,500:1. Based on our own experiences with the previous model, we can say that we never had any issues with the visibility, even in bright environments.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 490 cd/m²
Contrast: 1485:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 2.8 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.8}
calibrated: 1.5
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 4.2 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5}
68.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
93.1% sRGB (Argyll 3D)
66% Display P3 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.22
CCT: 7381 K
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X TL070FVXS01_0, IPS, 1920x1080, 7", 120 Hz | GPD Pocket 4 YHB03P24, IPS, 2560x1600, 8.8", 144 Hz | Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 ZDZ0501, OLED, 1920x1080, 7", 120 Hz | MSI Claw 8 AI+ PN8007QB1-2, IPS, 1920x1200, 8", 120 Hz | Asus ROG Ally X TL070FVXS01-0, IPS, 1920x1080, 7", 120 Hz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 26% | 35% | 7% | 0% | |
| Display P3 Coverage (%) | 66 | 92.7 40% | 99.43 51% | 71.1 8% | 66.2 0% |
| sRGB Coverage (%) | 93.1 | 99.6 7% | 99.93 7% | 98.5 6% | 93.4 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage (%) | 68.3 | 90 32% | 99.89 46% | 72.9 7% | 68.5 0% |
| Response Times | -130% | 38% | -97% | 22% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * (ms) | 11.4 ? | 27.9 ? -145% | 1.08 ? 91% | 23.7 ? -108% | 9.7 ? 15% |
| Response Time Black / White * (ms) | 8 ? | 17.2 ? -115% | 9.3 ? -16% | 14.9 ? -86% | 5.7 ? 29% |
| PWM Frequency (Hz) | 120 ? | ||||
| PWM Amplitude * (%) | 10 | ||||
| Screen | -15% | 56% | -3% | -3% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 490 | 511.2 4% | 833 70% | 524 7% | 484 -1% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 459 | 524 14% | 830 81% | 514 12% | 456 -1% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 86 | 84 -2% | 90 5% | 93 8% | 88 2% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | 0.33 | 0.4 -21% | 0.064 81% | 0.33 -0% | 0.35 -6% |
| Contrast (:1) | 1485 | 1278 -14% | 13016 776% | 1588 7% | 1383 -7% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.8 | 4.54 -62% | 6.7 -139% | 3.5 -25% | 2.9 -4% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.5 | 8.96 -38% | 12.04 -85% | 7.3 -12% | 7.1 -9% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.5 | 0.95 37% | 2.95 -97% | 1.3 13% | 1.4 7% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.2 | 6.4 -52% | 11.99 -185% | 5.9 -40% | 4.5 -7% |
| Gamma | 2.22 99% | 2.26 97% | 2.213 99% | 2.22 99% | 2.24 98% |
| CCT | 7381 88% | 8125 80% | 8033 81% | 7852 83% | 7534 86% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -40% /
-23% | 43% /
49% | -31% /
-15% | 6% /
1% |
* ... smaller is better
We analyzed the panel with the professional CalMAN software and the default profile has a slight blue cast in addition to a cool color temperature. We improved the image quality noticeably with our own calibration, but this also reduces the maximum brightness by around 55 nits.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 21 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 11.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 24 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8176 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance - Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
The ROG Xbox Ally X is equipped with the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, Radeon 890M iGPU and 24 GB of fast memory (LPDDR5x-8000). 8 GB are allocated to the GPU by default, but this value can be adjusted manually.
Review settings
Asus slightly adjusted the familiar power profiles for the new ROG Xbox Ally X. The Turbo mode (mains) now maintains 35 Watts (still 25W on battery), but this does not make a huge difference while gaming. We performed the following benchmarks with the Turbo mode (with attached PSU) to show the best performance. The CPU boost is turned on by default, but based on our experiences, you should experiment a bit with this setting. Depending on the title, the effects are very small, but you can save a couple of Watts (when you use the fps limiter, for example), which obviously improves the battery runtime.
| Energy profile | APU TDP | CB R23 Multi | Time Spy Graphics | CP 2077 1080p Ultra | max. fan noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silent | 23/19/13 W | 8,446 points. | 2,802 points | 15.5 fps | 29.7 dB(A) |
| Performance | 30/24/17 W | 11,090 points | 3,317 points | 23 fps | 31.3 dB(A) |
| Turbo (battery) | 35/30/25 W | 13,476 points | 3,560 points | 26.7 fps | 37.4 dB(A) |
| Turbo | 55/45/35 W | 14,586 points | 3,620 points | 28 fps | 43.4 dB(A) |
Processor - Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
The processor is the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which differs quite a bit from regular mobile processors. While the old Z1 Extreme featured eight full Zen 4 cores, the CPU part of the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme is more similar to a Ryzen AI 7 350. It offers three Zen 5 cores (up to 5.0 GHz) and five slower Zen 5c cores (up to 3.3 GHz), but they are combined with the fast Radeon 890M (which is otherwise reserved for the Ryzen AI 9 HX370/375).
It is therefore not surprising that the CPU performance is pretty much identical to the old Z1 Extreme, despite the slightly higher power limit. The Ryzen AI 9 HX370 inside the GPD Pocket 4 is around 13 % faster, despite lower power limits. All in all, the CPU performance is still good and there are no limitations, even when you use the ROG Xbox Ally X as a desktop system (favorably connected to a display with USB-C power supply and connected input devices).
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance rating | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (3984 - 16841, n=16, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (1088 - 2006, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (1521 - 6577, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (357 - 787, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (689 - 2533, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (155.1 - 304, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (189 - 588, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (19684 - 66618, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (3653 - 6143, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Geekbench 6.5 / Multi-Core | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (12072 - 12734, n=2) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (4587 - 13426, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Geekbench 6.5 / Single-Core | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (2769 - 2790, n=2) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (1348 - 2904, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (3932 - 11975, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (875 - 2134, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (7.07 - 20.8, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (41.1 - 92.8, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (0.4167 - 0.756, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance rating | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (6990 - 26450, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (42932 - 109745, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (1403 - 4847, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (41744 - 114294, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (4425 - 16980, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (23380 - 58482, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (21547 - 166333, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (356 - 1112, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (3766 - 14181, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (19472 - 54726, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
System Performance
As expected, the general performance impression and the new Xbox full-screen mode also runs very smoothly. We did not encounter any stability issues during our review period.
PCMark 10: Score | Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content Creation
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| Performance rating | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC | |
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (5219 - 7471, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (8427 - 11262, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (7213 - 10031, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (6350 - 10026, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (840 - 1847, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (874 - 1719, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (808 - 2077, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (759 - 1610, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (188.4 - 325, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (107 - 291, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (428 - 895, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M (n=1) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 7068 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (32617 - 107929, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (25380 - 100379, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (25596 - 117883, n=16, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (99.8 - 147.6, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme (n=1) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
Our standardized latency test (web browsing, 4K YouTube playback, CPU load) does not show any issues for real-time audio application on our review unit with the latest BIOS version.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our review unit is equipped with a 1 TB SSD from Samsung, and you can use 910 GB for your own data after the initial setup. The performance of the PCIe 4.0 SSD is good overall and also stable under sustained workloads.
| Drive Performance rating - Percent | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average Samsung MZVMA1T0HCLD | |
* ... smaller is better
Disk throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
The integrated graphics card is the modern Radeon 890M and the system allocates 8 GB RAM to the GPU by default. This setting (16 GB system/8 GB GPU) already worked very well for the previous model, but you can also adjust this setting in the Armoury Crate SE software if necessary. The GPU performance in the synthetic tests is 14 % higher compared to the old Ally X with the Radeon 780M, both on mains as well as battery power. The AMD iGPU is also on par with Intel's Arc Graphics 140V on average.
| 3DMark Performance rating - Percent | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Average AMD Radeon 890M | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 46051 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 14947 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 8939 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 3993 points | |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light Score | 3331 points | |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light Unlimited Score | 3346 points | |
Help | ||
| Blender / v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (290 - 980, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Average AMD Radeon 890M (214 - 364, n=18) | |
* ... smaller is better
Gaming Performance
The main aspect of a gaming handheld is obviously the gaming experience and the new ROG Xbox Ally X leaves a good impression here as well. Our standard suite of gaming benchmarks shows an advantage of 14 % over the old Ally X and 6 % over the MSI Claw 8 AI+ (Intel Lunar Lake). Optional features like FSR 3 or AMD's Fluid Motion Frames can be adjusted in Amoury Crate's quick settings, so you do not have to enter the graphics software.
| Performance rating - Percent | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ -1! | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (11.5 - 91.4, n=19, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Baldur's Gate 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (13.5 - 32.5, n=17, last 2 years) | |
| GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (14 - 32.8, n=16, last 2 years) | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (18.4 - 34.8, n=20, last 2 years) | |
| Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (30 - 58.8, n=21, last 2 years) | |
| Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (30.8 - 85, n=20, last 2 years) | |
| X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (24.5 - 50.5, n=20, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
We have performed most of the gaming benchmarks in the other three power profiles as well and also compared the results with the old Ally X. In general, the Performance mode (17W) of the new model offers roughly the same performance as the Turbo mode (25W) on the old model. The Performance mode is also our favorite, because it offers a good balance between performance, battery runtime, and quiet fans. Depending on the game you will have to tinker a bit with the settings (also check CPU boost as mentioned before). Most titles will be playable if you, even if you cannot use the highest details all the time.
| Performance rating - Percent | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty | |
| 1920x1080 Low Preset (FSR off) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Preset (FSR off) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset (FSR off) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | |
| 1920x1080 Low Preset AA:SM | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| F1 24 | |
| 1920x1080 Low Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark | |
| 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 Standard Quality | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 High Quality | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Dota 2 Reborn | |
| 1280x720 min (0/3) fastest | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| 1366x768 med (1/3) | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| 1920x1080 high (2/3) | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Strange Brigade | |
| 1280x720 lowest AF:1 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| 1920x1080 medium AA:medium AF:4 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 high AA:high AF:8 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| 1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16 | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| X-Plane 11.11 | |
| 1280x720 low (fps_test=1) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| 1920x1080 med (fps_test=2) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 35W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Performance 17W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Turbo 25W | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Silent 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 30W | |
| ROG Ally X Performance 17W | |
| ROG Ally X Quiet 13W | |
| ROG Ally X Turbo 25W | |
The gaming performance is completely stable. We will add more gaming benchmarks over the next couple of days, including benchmarks with the new XG Mobile (RTX 5090 Laptop).
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra FPS chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 64.8 | 31.1 | ||
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 112.4 | 102.6 | 86.7 | 78.3 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 92.2 | 45.7 | 34.8 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 65.7 | 54.3 | 43 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 171.9 | 79.7 | 68 | 58.8 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 50 | 39.8 | 33.2 | 32.5 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 49.5 | 40.5 | 31.9 | 28 |
| F1 24 (2024) | 100 | 88 | 67 | 17.7 |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025) | 29 | 27 | 23 | 15 |
Emissions - Only loud in Turbo mode
System Noise
The fan noise in the different power profiles is pretty much identical to the old ROG Ally X. In Turbo mode with the power adapter, you can clearly hear the fans at around 43 dB(A), but the ~37 dB(A) on battery power are much more convenient. If you prefer a quieter system, you should use the Performance mode, where we only measure up to 31 dB(A). Our review unit did not produce any other electronic noises.
Noise level
| Idle |
| 24.2 / 24.2 / 29 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 41.4 / 43.4 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.2 dB(A) | ||
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Radeon 890M, Ryzen Z2 Extreme, Samsung MZVMA1T0HCLD | GPD Pocket 4 Radeon 890M, Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 Radeon 780M, R7 8840U, Phison PS5021-E21 512GB | MSI Claw 8 AI+ Arc 140V, Core Ultra 7 258V, Kioxia BG6 KBG60ZNS1T02 | Asus ROG Ally X Radeon 780M, Z1 Extreme, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -5% | -4% | 2% | -0% | |
| off / environment * (dB) | 24.2 | 22.8 6% | 25.6 -6% | 24.7 -2% | 24.7 -2% |
| Idle Minimum * (dB) | 24.2 | 25.8 -7% | 25.6 -6% | 24.7 -2% | 24.7 -2% |
| Idle Average * (dB) | 24.2 | 25.8 -7% | 28.4 -17% | 24.7 -2% | 24.7 -2% |
| Idle Maximum * (dB) | 29 | 31 -7% | 33.4 -15% | 28.9 -0% | 28.5 2% |
| Load Average * (dB) | 41.4 | 47 -14% | 37.3 10% | 42.6 -3% | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (dB) | 43.4 | 43.3 -0% | 37.6 13% | 41.4 5% | 42.6 2% |
| Load Maximum * (dB) | 43.4 | 45.1 -4% | 38.9 10% | 41.4 5% | 42.6 2% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The surface temperatures of the ROG Xbox Ally X are completely harmless since the large grips always stay very cool and the warm air is dissipated at the top of the chassis where there is usually no contact with your hands or fingers. During the stress test, the system can easily maintain the TDP of 35 Watts.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.8 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 38.2 °C / 101 F, ranging from 26.6 to 55 °C for the class Handheld / UMPC.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.8 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 37.7 °C / 100 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.1 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32 °C / 90 F.
(±) 3: The average temperature for the upper side is 37.6 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 32 °C / 90 F for the class Handheld / UMPC.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 37.7 °C / 99.9 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 31.1 °C / 88 F (-6.6 °C / -11.9 F).
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme, AMD Radeon 890M | GPD Pocket 4 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, AMD Radeon 890M | Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 AMD Ryzen 7 8840U, AMD Radeon 780M | MSI Claw 8 AI+ Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, Intel Arc Graphics 140V | Asus ROG Ally X AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, AMD Radeon 780M | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 12% | -16% | 11% | 4% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * (°C) | 40.8 | 33.8 17% | 50 -23% | 36.6 10% | 42.7 -5% |
| Maximum Bottom * (°C) | 40.8 | 35.2 14% | 50 -23% | 34.8 15% | 39.7 3% |
| Idle Upper Side * (°C) | 29.9 | 26.6 11% | 33 -10% | 27.5 8% | 28 6% |
| Idle Bottom * (°C) | 30.6 | 28.6 7% | 33 -8% | 27.2 11% | 27.2 11% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
The stereo speakers at the front leave a very good impression, especially in combination with the quiet fans in Performance mode, so you can enjoy the sound wile gaming.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 85% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 18%, worst was 23%
Compared to all devices tested
» 11% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
GPD Pocket 4 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 35% of all tested devices in this class were better, 20% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 18%, worst was 23%
Compared to all devices tested
» 33% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 15% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 18%, worst was 23%
Compared to all devices tested
» 49% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
MSI Claw 8 AI+ audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 18%, worst was 23%
Compared to all devices tested
» 8% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Asus ROG Ally X audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 15% of all tested devices in this class were better, 15% similar, 70% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 18%, worst was 23%
Compared to all devices tested
» 18% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy management - Very good battery runtime
Power Consumption
The idle power consumption was slightly reduced over the old Ally X. We measure up to 66 Watts under load for a short while, but this value quickly levels off at around 55 Watts. The 65W power adapter is therefore sufficiently sized.
| Off / Standby | 0.47 / 0.82 Watt |
| Idle | 3.7 / 6.1 / 6.2 Watt |
| Load |
56.1 / 66.4 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Ryzen Z2 Extreme, Radeon 890M, Samsung MZVMA1T0HCLD, IPS, 1920x1080, 7" | GPD Pocket 4 Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, Radeon 890M, , IPS, 2560x1600, 8.8" | Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 R7 8840U, Radeon 780M, Phison PS5021-E21 512GB, OLED, 1920x1080, 7" | MSI Claw 8 AI+ Core Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V, Kioxia BG6 KBG60ZNS1T02, IPS, 1920x1200, 8" | Asus ROG Ally X Z1 Extreme, Radeon 780M, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00, IPS, 1920x1080, 7" | Average AMD Radeon 890M | Average of class Handheld / UMPC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -16% | -43% | 10% | -6% | -35% | -39% | |
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 3.7 | 6 -62% | 7.3 -97% | 3.2 14% | 4.3 -16% | 5.7 ? -54% | 6.83 ? -85% |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 6.1 | 8.8 -44% | 8.3 -36% | 6.3 -3% | 6.7 -10% | 7.94 ? -30% | 9.09 ? -49% |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 6.2 | 9.2 -48% | 12.1 -95% | 6.6 -6% | 7.5 -21% | 9.44 ? -52% | 11.9 ? -92% |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 56.1 | 53.1 5% | 40.6 28% | 48.2 14% | 66.9 ? -19% | 43.5 ? 22% | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * (Watt) | 55 | 45.7 17% | 50.2 9% | 46.7 15% | 53.9 2% | ||
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (Watt) | 54.5 | 50.1 8% | 51.2 6% | 47 14% | 61.3 -12% | ||
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 66.4 | 56.4 15% | 59.3 11% | 66.8 -1% | 80.2 ? -21% | 59 ? 11% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption Cyberpunk / Stress test
Power consumption external screen
Battery runtime
The 80 Wh battery is unchanged and once again provides very long battery runtimes. Our Wi-Fi test at 150 nits and maximum brightness results in 16.5 and 14 hours, respectively. The runtime while gaming is obviously more interesting. In Turbo mode, we record slightly more than two hours (2:13 hours) and 3:12 hours in Performance mode. You can expect 4 hours in Silent mode and even 6-7 hours when you play via cloud or emulate older games.
| Battery Runtime | |
| 1920x1080 Cyberpunk 2077 ultra 150cd | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (0.85 - 2.42, n=9, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| WiFi Websurfing | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (5.43 - 23.6, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| GPD Pocket 4 | |
| Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 | |
| WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness | |
| MSI Claw 8 AI+ | |
| Asus ROG Xbox Ally X | |
| Asus ROG Ally X | |
| Average of class Handheld / UMPC (6.63 - 16.6, n=5, last 2 years) | |
Notebookcheck Rating
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
- 10/15/2025 v8
Andreas Osthoff
Total Sustainability Score: Potential rivals in comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 85.9%  | Asus ROG Xbox Ally X AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme ⎘ AMD Radeon 890M ⎘ 24 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $14.99 CoBak 2 Pack 9H Tempered Gla... 2. $12.99 amFilm 3 Pack Screen Protect... 3. $19.99 NINKI Silicone Skin for ASUS... List Price: 899€ | 718 g | 50.9 mm | 7.00" 1920x1080 315 PPI IPS |
2. 80.2%  | GPD Pocket 4 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 ⎘ AMD Radeon 890M ⎘ 32 GB Memory | Amazon: List Price: 1400 USD | 777 g | 22.2 mm | 8.80" 2560x1600 343 PPI IPS |
3. 79.3%  | Zotac ZGC-G1A1W-01 AMD Ryzen 7 8840U ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. Puccy 3 Pack Screen Protecto... 2. $25.99 PowerHOOD 65W USB-C AC/DC Ad... 3. Puccy 2 Pack Anti Blue Light... | 692 g | 35 mm | 7.00" 1920x1080 315 PPI OLED |
4. 84.7%  | MSI Claw 8 AI+ Intel Core Ultra 7 258V ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 140V ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,195.00 EXCaliberPC [2025] MSI Claw ... 2. $17.49 CDCHGAM Protector Cover Case... 3. $26.99 Wanaiha Hard Case for MSI Cl... List Price: 999€ | 793 g | 30 mm | 8.00" 1920x1200 283 PPI IPS |
5. 84.6%  | Asus ROG Ally X AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 24 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: $699.97 List Price: 899€ | 685 g | 36.9 mm | 7.00" 1920x1080 315 PPI IPS |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
