The Asus ROG Ally is an excellent PC gaming handheld in its own right: a gorgeous full HD screen and great performance, all in a lightweight and stylish form factor. However, a modder sought to improve upon its design and added an extra screen.
You can find the full project on GitHub, courtesy of modder Kira Patel (YesItsKira), as they describe the process of picking out the 7-inch screen as well as attaching it to the system. The modder had to remove the extra HDMI port and headphone jack, use a USB Type-C compatible dock to connect the monitor to the system, and 3D print various parts to connect and attach the screen to the ROG ally properly.
The display itself is a WIMAXIT M728, which is a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution IPS LCD touchscreen display. The Type-C dock was used as a replacement for this project due to the screen normally needing HDMI and USB cables to connect. As for the 3D-printed parts, you’ll need a new back cover for the system, a shell to house the display, and a 360-degree hinge support to fold the display against the screen.
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(Image credit: YesItsKira)
(Image credit: YesItsKira)
(Image credit: YesItsKira)
Modding is always a fascinating and fun endeavor
This extra display would be handy for multitasking, as in playing games with one screen while taking care of any productivity work, streaming movies, or web browsing with the other. If you emulate, this would be especially useful for playing DS or even Wii U titles that take advantage of dual touchscreens.
Besides that, it’s interesting to see hobbyists take on projects like these and modify systems. PC gaming handhelds are quite malleable in that regard, since they’re essentially mini-PCs, making them much easier to augment this way. As user YesItsKira demonstrates, you can purchase cheap parts online and 3D print the rest.
Hopefully, this sort of tinkering will become more popular as we see the best PC gaming handhelds grow in popularity and increase the market demand. Not only dual displays but CPU and GPU upgrades, as well as upgrades to RAM and storage.
Not only to surpass the inherent limitations of these systems but to allow buyers to purchase the lower-end versions and then upgrade them without paying an arm and a leg for minimal spec increases. Also simply to see just how far these mods can go in general, which is always entertaining in its own right.
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A beefy graphics card paired with the lovely 14-inch screen size at an affordable price? That’s the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, and when you add extras like an OLED display and battery life impressive for a gaming laptop, it’s hard for me to not fall in love with this thing.
The G14 is the smallest model in the Zephyrus line, so it’s extremely portable. You can outfit it with an Nvidia RTX 4060 or 4070 graphics card, depending on whether you want to save some cash or max it out. It feels as comfortable to use as the Macbook Air M1 (2020) that I use for work, but it comes with luxury features that make playing games—and even watching movies—a top-tier experience.
Work-Life Balance
The Zephyrus G14 isn’t built to be a powerhouse—consider a laptop like the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 for that—but what power it does have is well allocated. The Zephyrus is powered by AMD’s Ryzen R9 8945HS, a powerful processor, paired with the RTX 4060 laptop graphics card—it tackles most games with ease and can even run some of the heaviest AAA titles reasonably well.
Both Starfield and Cyberpunk 2077 managed to maintain a respectable 50 to 60 frames per second on medium graphics settings at the laptop’s full 2,880 X 1,800 resolution. Starfield dipped to around 40 fps in areas like New Atlantis that have famously struggled to get very high frame rates. But this is still reasonably high given that Starfield is capped at 30 fps on the Xbox.
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
When adjusting the display to 1,080p, I could crank the graphics settings in Cyberpunk and Starfield up to high while maintaining roughly the same 50 to 60 fps. By staying on medium, I got over 60 fps in both games. I prefer the latter approach since smoother gameplay feels better for me than extra foliage detail, but there’s flexibility here to tailor the experience to your desires.
Like most gaming laptops, you won’t spend much time playing on this machine away from a charger. However, the G14 still impressed by getting nearly two hours of gameplay while running games like Cyberpunk. Overwatch 2 lasted closer to an hour and a half, which makes sense, given that in faster-paced competitive games, I tend to lean on getting at least 90 fps for a smooth experience.
When using the laptop for more typical work or casual use, I got closer to 11 hours of battery life, impressive among any Windows laptop. I could easily use the Zephyrus G14 as my daily driver and feel comfortable getting an entire day’s worth of work done on a single charge.
It’s a big day for Quest users. Meta has announced it’s giving third-party companies open access to its headsets’ operating system to expand the technology. The tech giant wants developers to take the OS, expand into other frontiers, and accomplish two main goals: give consumers more choice in the virtual reality gaming market and give developers a chance to reach a wider audience.
Among this first batch of partners, some are already working on a Quest device. First off, ASUS’ ROG (Republic of Gamers) is said to be developing “an all-new performance gaming headset.” Lenovo’s on the list too and they’re seemingly working on three individual models: one for productivity, one for education, and one for entertainment.
This past December, Xbox Cloud Gaming landed on Quest headsets as a beta bringing a wave of new games to the hardware. Microsoft is teaming up with Meta again “to create a limited-edition Meta Quest [headset], inspired by Xbox.”
New philosophy
Meta is also making several name changes befitting their tech’s transformation.
The operating system will now be known as Horizon OS. The company’s Meta Quest Store will be renamed the Horizon Store, and the mobile app will eventually be rebranded as the Horizon app. To aid with the transition, third-party devs are set to receive a spatial app framework to bring their software over to Horizon OS or help them create a new product.
With Horizon at the core of this ecosystem, Meta aims to introduce social features that dev teams “can integrate… into their [software]”. They aim to bridge multiple platforms together creating a network existing “across mixed reality, mobile, and desktop devices.” Users will be able to move their avatars, friend groups, and more onto other “virtual spaces”.
This design philosophy was echoed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In a recent Instagram video, Zuckerberg stated he wants Horizon OS to be an open playground where developers can come in and freely create software rather than a walled garden similar to iOS.
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Breaking down barriers
It’ll be a while until we see any of these headsets launch. Zuckerberg said in his post that “it’s probably going to take a couple of years for these” products to launch. At the moment, Meta is “removing the barriers” between its App Lab and digital storefront allowing devs to publish software on the platform as long as they meet “basic technical and content” guidelines. It’s unknown if there’ll be any more limitations apart from requiring third-party companies to use Snapdragon processors.
No word if other tech brands will join in. Zuckerberg says he hopes to see the Horizon Store offer lots of software options from Steam, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and even apps from the Google Play Store – “if they’re up for it.” It seems Google isn’t on board with Horizon OS yet.
Rumors have been circulating these past several months claiming Google and Samsung are working together on an XR/VR headset. Perhaps the two are ignoring Meta’s calls to focus on their “so-called Apple Vision Pro rival”.
ASUS’ latest 14-inch gaming laptop is an incredibly versatile and stylish all-rounder. But for those who want something even beefier, there’s the ROG Zephyrus G16. Not only does it feature a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, it supports up to NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics cards. That’s not all. Its OLED display refreshes twice as fast at 240Hz and it has surprisingly good speakers as well as a full-size SD card reader for quickly transferring files from a camera. So despite being aimed at gamers, the G16 is better equipped to serve as a portable editing rig, which makes this a great system even for people who don’t care about bunny-hopping and fragging.
Design
The G16’s new all-aluminum chassis is simply fantastic. That’s because in addition to being a touch lighter (about 0.1 pounds) and thinner (about 0.2 inches) than the previous model, it feels even sturdier. For 2024, ASUS ditched the dot matrix display on its lid for a single diagonal slash with white (not RGB) LEDs running down the center, which gives the laptop a much more sophisticated look without becoming boring. It’s like a teenager who grew up and learned to dress properly without losing touch with their gamer roots. On the inside, there’s a backlit keyboard with rainbow lighting (though it’s single-zone and not per-key) flanked by some surprisingly punchy speakers with an absolutely massive touchpad below. All told, it’s a beautifully designed system that looks as good as it feels.
ASUS / Engadget
Like its smaller sibling, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 combines a vivid display with a super sleek build but with better connectivity and even longer battery life.
ASUS has also included the right blend of connectivity options. The G16 features two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A slots, two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1, a full-size SD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is the kind of arrangement that lets you travel freely without needing to worry about extra dongles or adapters. Plus, thanks to ASUS’ new Slim Power Jack, you don’t have to hog any other ports while charging. And in a pinch, you can also juice up the G16 via USB-C, albeit at slower speeds (up to around 100 watts) than with the included 240-watt brick.
Display
The G16’s 2.5K (2,560 x 1,600) OLED screen might be the best component here. It’s vivid and supports a huge color gamut (100 percent of DCI-P3), while its 240Hz refresh rate makes it great even for gamers looking to squeeze out every last competitive advantage. Though brightness is just average at around 400 nits in standard definition mode or 450 nits in HDR, I didn’t really have any trouble seeing the screen unless the G16 was in direct sunlight. One last bonus for photo and video editors is that ASUS does include a few calibrated viewing modes in its Armoy Crate app for sRGB, D65 P3 and DCI-P3 so you can more accurately adjust hues or color grade footage.
Performance
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
The G16’s performance is pretty solid thanks to an Intel Core ultra 9 195H CPU, up to 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage and NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics. However, here’s where some trade-offs for the G16’s slim chassis factor in. Compared to similarly-sized rivals like the Razer Blade 16, the G16 features a lower overall TDP (total device power), which means even if they appear to have the same listed components, there’s still a difference in capabilities. For example, on our review unit with an RTX 4080, the amount of power sent to the GPU caps out at 115 watts versus 175 watts for the Razer. The G16’s RAM is also soldered in, so you can’t add more post-purchase.
In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p and ultra graphics with ray-tracing on, the G16 hit 68 fps, which is just barely ahead of what we saw from a smaller Razer Blade 14 (66 fps), despite the latter having a lower tier RTX 4070 but with a similar wattage. That said, those figures are more than adequate to keep AAA games running smoothly. And let’s not forget that the Blade 14 model I referenced costs $2,700, which is the same price as our G16 review unit. This makes it an apt comparison even if Razer’s laptop has a smaller footprint.
Battery life
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
One of the main advantages of a larger system is having extra room for a bigger battery. On PCMark 10’s Open Office rundown test, the G16 lasted 9 hours and 17 minutes versus just 5:12 for the smaller G14. That’s a solid mark considering it’s also better than an XPS 16 (8:31) we reviewed. However, overall longevity depends on your workload, because when I ran the battery test a second time only using the GPU instead of relying on NVIDIA’s Optimus graphic switching feature, that time dropped to just 3:08. That means the system will last all day if you’re using basic productivity app, but for more demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, you’ll want to keep ASUS’ 240-watt power brick close by.
Wrap-up
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Just like its smaller sibling, ASUS’ ROG Zephyrus G16 is an almost ideal thin-and-light gaming laptop. It’s got a sleek all-aluminum build, a gorgeous 240Hz OLED display and longer battery life. Granted, it might not be quite as powerful as some of its rivals thanks to lower-wattage components, but it’s still got enough oomph to handle practically anything you can throw at it. And thanks to a full-size SD card reader, it makes for an even better portable editing workstation. But most importantly, with a starting price of $1,750, the G16 is more approachable than many of its high-end (and bulkier) competitors, which makes it a great pick for people who want a larger system that won’t weigh them down.
Asus has updated its natty little 13-inch 2-in-1 convertible laptop, the Asus ROG Flow X13, with the very latest available hardware. That means AMD‘s fabulous Phoenix APU architecture in its full Ryzen 9 7940HS spec with eight CPU cores and a pretty powerful integrated GPU.
However, you can also opt for one of three Nvidia dedicated graphics chips, the GeForce RTX 4050, 4060, or 4070 mobile GPUs. Whichever graphics solution you go for, it outputs to a 13.4-inch display, in this case with a 2,560 by 1,600-pixel resolution and 165Hz refresh, though a 1080p option is available. It’s a touch-enabled display with a 360-degree hinge that supports various modes including tent and tablet.
If that’s not good enough, you can also opt for an even more powerful GPU via the Asus XG Mobile external graphics box that hooks up courtesy of a dedicated I/O port. The laptop itself is packaged into a very slick 1.3kg 13-inch chassis that’s beautifully built, feels very high quality, and is absolutely rigid, including virtually no keyboard bounce. The Asus ROG Flow X13 isn’t exactly cheap, but you can certainly feel where the money has gone.
If there is an obvious catch, it’s that the slim proportions do put a cap on absolute proportions. Our review unit runs an RTX 4060 capped at 60W and 1,470MHz, both much lower than Nvidia normally allows for the chip.
Add in USB4 connectivity and you have a versatile overall package and an intriguing alternative to perhaps the most obvious competition, the Razer Blade 14, which lacks 2-in-1 convertible functionality.
Asus ROG Flow X13: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
How much does it cost? $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$2,699
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? US, UK, and Australia
Available as configured here for $1,699, Asus ROG Flow X13 looks like a pretty good deal for a very high-quality 13.4-inch ultraportable with AMD’s Ryzen 9 7940HS and an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, plus 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
It doesn’t look too bad in the UK, either, at £1,699. In both cases, that’s less than you’ll pay for a similarly specced Razer Blade 14. For the record, the Asus ROG Flow X13 as reviewed here is yours for $2,699 AUD in Australia, which again looks appealing given the quality and the spec on offer.
Asus ROG Flow X13: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Asus ROG Flow X13
Header Cell – Column 0
Review configuration
Price
$1,699 / £1,699 / AU$2,699
CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS
GPU
Nvidia RTX 4060 8GB
Memory
16GB DDR5
Storage
1TB PCIe SSD
Display
13.4-inch, QHD+ (2560 x 1600), IPS, 165Hz, 3ms, 100% DCI-P3)
Ports
1x USB4, 1x x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm audio, 1x XG Mobile
Wireless
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Camera
1080p webcam
Weight
1.3kg (2.87 lbs)
Dimensions
29.9 x 21.2 x 1.87 cm (11.77 x 8.35 x 0.74 inches)
Asus ROG Flow X13: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Gorgeous build quality
Slim proportions
2-in-1 convertible functionality
Asus’s ROG laptops tend to be nicely put together and the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) is no exception. It’s not the thinnest 13-inch laptop on the planet, but given it can be had with up to an RTX 4070 GPU, it is pretty slim and certainly very slick.
The chassis is mostly metal and extremely rigid, with zero bounce from the keyboard. The chassis top and screen enclosure also sport appealing textured finishes that feel great in the hand. It’s a seriously high-quality laptop.
(Image credit: Future)
That extends to the 360-degree hinge, which has just the right amount of stiction. Of course, if you want regular tablet functionality, then a dedicated tablet will always be a better option. But the ability to flip the screen right around is definitely handy.
Similarly, the screen’s slim bezels keep things pretty compact while allowing for a 1080p webcam in the top bezel. It’s all very nicely thought out and makes for a very versatile laptop.
(Image credit: Future)
The slim proportions do tend to limit connectivity and the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) probably has just enough ports, but no more. You get a USB4 port which doubles as the charging socket, a full-sized HDMI port, one USB-A, microSD, headphone jack and then Asus’s XG Mobile IO port, which supports not only a powerful external GPU, but via the XG Mobile box also adds HDMI, DisplayPort, three USB-A ports and a Type-C socket.
Asus ROG Flow X13: Performance
Impressive specs
Strong CPU performance
Slim chassis limits frame rates
The combination of an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU with an Nvidia RTX 4060 mobile GPU is quite the combo for such a compact, versatile laptop. This isn’t an out-and-out gaming laptop, but more an ultraportable 2-in-1 convertible with great build quality and some gaming chops.
With that in mind, expectations need to be kept in check. That’s especially true when you consider that the RTX 4060 GPU is limited to 60W of power. That means the 4060’s clock frequency is capped at 1,470MHz, which is the lowest Nvidia allows and far below the maximum 2,370MHz the 4060 can achieve in some laptops.
Asus ROG Flow X13: Benchmarks
Here’s how the Asus ROG Flow X13 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 45,567 ; Fire Strike: 16,013 ; Time Spy: 7,430 GeekBench 6: 2,603 (single-core); 11,312 (multi-core) Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 52 fps; (1080p, Low): 148 fps Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 51 fps; (1080p, Low): 104 fps Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 59 fps; (1080p, Low): 121 fps TechRadar Battery Life Test: 6h 54m
The consequence is lower frame rates than some more purely gaming-focused laptops with the 4060, such as the Razer Blade 14, which offers the full 2,370Mhz spec. You’ll still get playable frame rates of around 60fps at 1080p in the latest games at ultra settings, provided you don’t run high levels of ray tracing. That said, the RTX 4060 does of course have the full suite of NVIDIA DLSS features – including upscaling from FHD to the QHD+ output of the Flow X13’s display.
(Image credit: Future)
That’s handy because it makes playing games at the Flow X13’s 2,560 by 1,600 pixel native resolution achievable. Without DLSS, that wouldn’t be very realistic with an RTX 4060, which would be a pity given that the display is a lush IPS item running at 165Hz. It’s a great-looking panel, albeit one that can’t compete with an OLED display for contrast and black levels.
Elsewhere, the AMD CPU provides all the performance you could reasonably ask for from this class of laptop, while the 16GB of RAM and 1TB M.2 SSD should cover most needs. There’s an option to upgrade to 32GB if you need really major amounts of memory.
Asus ROG Flow X13: Battery life
(Image credit: Future)
Efficient AMD APU
165Hz display compromises battery life
An efficient AMD APU plus a 75WHr battery in a compact chassis is a promising combination. In practice, however, battery life is not a strong point with the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) not quite clocking up seven hours in our fairly undemanding video playback test with the screen at half brightness.
Crank up the brightness or attempt to do anything remotely intensive and that figure will only fall. In other words, the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) certainly doesn’t come close to offering all-day battery life even for light tasks, which is a little disappointing for a laptop that prides itself on portability.
Should you buy a Asus ROG Flow X13?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
Asus ROG Flow X13: Report card
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Value
Given the fabulous build quality and great specs, the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) is actually very well priced.
4 / 5
Design
This is about as well built as laptops come. It’s also compact and versatile thanks to the 2-in-1 convertible functionality.
4.5 / 5
Performance
The AMD APU packs and punch and the 13.4-inch screen is vibrant, but the slim proportions limit the GPU performance.
3.5 / 5
Battery Life
An AMD APU and large battery are promising, but battery life of under seven hours in light loads is disappointing.
3.5 / 5
Total
This is a versatile and beautifully built laptop with reasonable gaming performance only let down by poor battery life.
3.875 / 5
First reviewed April 2024
I ran the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) through my usual stress test for a gaming laptop, including everything from basic web browsing to burning through my full Steam library and slobbing out with a few movies. As a 2-in-1, I also experimented with using it as a tablet along with other modes that the 360-degree hinge allows and paid close attention to the engineering of the chassis and the hinge.
For games, I tried everything from Cyberpunk 2077 with ray-tracing running on full reheat to some more strategic Total War battles and some high-octane Counter-Strike 2 fun. I was keeping a particular eye on frame rates at both 1080p and the laptop’s 2,560 by 1,600 pixel native resolution.
As for battery life, I tried both watching video and light work, including web browsing and document editing to get a feel for how the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) stands up to working away from the mains.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained – regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
The Asus ROG Ally is a PC gaming handheld, one of many that launched after the Steam Deck took the portable market by storm. And, unlike other variants, the ROG Ally is an immediate standout thanks to its gorgeous white and light chassis that lets you hold it up for hours.
Compared to other PC gaming handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and even Steam Deck, this discount places its price lower than that. It beats out the lowest price on Amazon by at least $100 and up to $200, which is an incredible that you need to take advantage of now while it lasts.
Today’s best Asus ROG Ally deal
The Asus ROG Ally is equipped with some excellent components including the AMD Ryzen Z1 APU with Radeon RDNA 3 graphics, which allows it to handle the best PC games with ease.
The version on sale is the baseline Ryzen Z1, which has six cores compared to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme’s eight cores. There are also plenty of other performance and component differences that resulted in a massive decrease in pricing for the base model, a full $300 off the MSRP.
The Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova earbuds give a fantastic first impression. The eye-catching RGB-on-black aesthetic of both the earbuds and the charging case lend them a premium feel. That goes for overall audio quality, too, where there’s an impressive level of detail that you won’t often find even among the best gaming earbuds. As such, we can highly recommend them as a strong alternative to the likes of the Sony Inzone Buds or the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed.
That said, there are some missteps in terms of both design and performance. Despite coming with rubber tips of varying sizes, there’s a lack of comfort that makes the Speednova buds not best suited for longer sessions of play. They’re also not particularly great for multiplayer, with middling directional audio and some rather tinny voice quality. These could admittedly be dealbreakers when considering the earbuds cost $199.99 (and they’re yet to launch in territories beyond the US).
However, if you typically stick to single-player games or just want a rich music-listening experience, you’ll find that the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova earbuds seriously excel in these areas.
Design and features
(Image credit: Future)
The Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova earbuds come packaged in a smart little box that offers all the essentials. You’ve of course got the earbuds housed in their charging case, alongside three different pairs of tips of varying sizes, a USB 2.4GHz dongle, and a USB-C cable for charging.
The charging case itself might just be my favorite among the more premium earbud offerings. The outer shell only bears the ROG logo and a light strip to indicate charging. Opening it up reveals another ROG logo, this time illuminated by some lovely RGB lighting. The buds themselves also share this RGB logo effect, and they, along with the case, are built from sturdy, high-quality plastic.
Unfortunately, the buds don’t feel particularly great in the ears after a long period of time. I tested each of the three tip sizes (small, medium, and large) over extended sessions and there wasn’t much of an improvement to overall comfort. Your mileage may vary here, of course, but I did have to take them out after one to two hours of use and swap back to my wireless gaming headset instead.
There’s quite a lot of touch-based functionality to the earbuds, too. A single tap of either bud will either play or pause audio – but doing this during a call will mute your microphone. Other functions include double-tapping to toggle active noise canceling (ANC) or a quadruple press to adjust volume. There’s a lot here, but it’s all thankfully very responsive.
Performance and battery life
(Image credit: Future)
Unfortunately, the buds’ level of comfort – or lack thereof – is a real shame, because the audio quality presented by the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova earbuds is exceptional. The high-quality soundscape is bolstered by the use of Dirac Opteo technology which provides enhanced sound that’s able to really hone in on those finer details. This allows for overall much richer, detailed audio seldom heard in other gaming earbuds.
This was especially clear in busy single-player games like Rise of the Ronin. Here, the buds brought the bustling, winding streets of Yokohama and its various districts to life by enhancing background NPC chatter and ambient sounds, all without drowning out the wider soundscape. The in-depth sound of Tetris Effect: Connectedwas another highlight here, and I was super impressed with just how well the earbuds were able to catch even the subtlest details of the game’s remarkably layered soundtrack. In short, the Speednova earbuds allowed for an impressively immersive experience.
However, it is worth noting that the heightened audio quality provided by Dirac Opteo is only available via 2.4GHz connection. Over Bluetooth, while audio is still serviceable, noticeably flatter overall. The trade-off here, then, as you might expect, is that Bluetooth connectivity is much easier on the Speednova’s battery life. According to Asus, you’ll get up to 46 hours from the charging case via Bluetooth 5.3 here, and that’s with active noise canceling and RGB effects switched off.
You can expect this number to be roughly halved with these effects enabled, as per the description on the Speednova’s product page. And in my experience, I found this to be largely true if a bit on the generous side. On average, the earbuds themselves carry anywhere between 6-12 hours of charge based on the combinations of features enabled. Though, mostly opting for a 2.4GHz connection, I found a single charge to carry around 4-5 hours with RGB disabled and ANC switched on.
Unfortunately, the buds fall short of being absolutely perfect due to lackluster multiplayer performance. Directional audio isn’t the best here, and certainly not up to the level of some of the best PS5 headsets which are better able to hone in more accurately on footsteps and distant vehicles, for example. The built-in microphone is also lacking, rendering my voice with a pretty tinny register with an overall lower quality than some much cheaper buds on the market like the SteelSeries Tusq.
Should I buy the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova earbuds?
(Image credit: Future)
Despite some issues with comfort and call quality, the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova earbuds are among the most impressive when it comes to sheer audio quality, largely helped by the fantastic Dirac Opteo technology. If you’re after something for immersive single-player experiences or are something of an audiophile, these buds come highly recommended.
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
How we tested the Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova earbuds
I tested these earbuds for nearly two weeks across many of the best PS5 games, as well as titles on PC and Nintendo Switch. To put the earbuds through their paces, I largely elected to test them with all features enabled, including Dirac Opteo audio via 2.4GHz connection and active noise canceling.
The buds shone in single-player titles, and I found it very hard to pull myself away from titles like Rise of the Ronin, Dragon’s Dogma 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomas a result. While I did find the battery life to be rather inconsistent based on the number of features enabled, I eventually chose to disable the RGB effect to squeeze a couple more hours of use out of them before needing to charge them up again.
If you’re shopping for a premium gaming handheld with specs that beat out both the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, then you should check out this excellent Best Buy discount on the ultra-powerful Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme.
Right now, you can purchase the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme for $100 less than its retail price at Best Buy. The US retailer currently has it listed at only $599.99 (was $699.99). It’s not the first time this model has been discounted so; as we saw the same price drop applied during last year’s Black Friday sales event. If you’re looking to spend even less, the standard Asus ROG Ally Z1 is also discounted right now, down to just $399.99 (was $599.99) which is a $200 saving.
The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is essentially an improved version of the already powerful handheld gaming device. It can display resolutions of up to 1080p and even has support for 120Hz refresh rates. The Z1 Extreme’s beefier CPU offers much-improved performance, visual fidelity and load times. So know that you’re getting a superior experience with the pricier model.
Asus first revealed the Asus ROG NUC back at CES 2024, and now more information on the pricing and a release date is coming out regarding the small form factor gaming PC, which could easily be one of the best gaming PCs in the market.
Thanks to a pre-order listing at European retailer Proshop, and reported on by PC Gamer, we now know that the mini-gaming PC will run you €2,500, which translates to about $2,700 for the high-end configuration, though it likely won’t cost that much in the US. That version includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and RTX 4070 GPU, as well as 2x16GB of DDR5 memory and 1TB SSD of storage. According to that same listing, it’s set for an April 10, 2024 release.
The Asus ROG NUC can house up to 64GB of DDR5 SO-DIMM memory, three PCIe Gen 4 SSDs, and it has Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5GB LAN, and Thunderbolt4 / USB4. It also supports up to four displays: DP 2.1, dual DP 1.4a, and a single HDMI port.
As steep as that retail price is, there is a more affordable option for those unable to handle that high a price point, if Asus’s product page for the PC is accurate. A lower-spec version comes equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU and RTX 4060 GPU, which should reduce the cost well enough.
The pricing could really hurt the NUC series
The ROG NUC is the first of the Asus NUC that has been announced after the reveal of the partnership between it and Intel. Two other products shown during CES 2024 are the Asus NUC 14 Pro and NUC 14 Pro+. According to their agreed terms, Asus can sell and support 10th to 13th Gen NUC product lines, giving Asus a non-exclusive license to design systems.
The mini-gaming PCs are rather cool with some pretty impressive components and parts, as we saw with the Asus ROG G22CH (which is Asus’s version of the Intel NUC 13 Extreme). Not to mention, the fact that you can connect up to four displays to a small PC is quite awesome considering that many other normal-sized desktop PCs and laptops can’t do the same.
However, the pricing is the major issue with this line of mini-rigs. For the same amount of money, you could build a PC with the same or superior specs, or tone down the components and create a much more affordable gaming PC instead.
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It’ll be a hard sell for most gamers, even with the selling point of the NUC series being a small form factor.
In the ever-evolving world of gaming technology, the ROG Zephyrus G16 emerges as a formidable contender, setting a new standard for what gamers can expect from a high-performance laptop. At the heart of this machine lies the Intel Core i9-12950HX processor, a behemoth with 16 cores and 22 threads, ready to take on the most resource-intensive games without breaking a sweat. This level of processing power is a dream for gamers who demand seamless gameplay and rapid multitasking capabilities.
The visual experience provided by the Zephyrus G16 is nothing short of spectacular. It features a 2.5K ROG Nebula OLED display that not only offers a stunning 240Hz refresh rate but also supports Dolby Vision HDR, ensuring that every frame is a feast for the eyes. The display’s capabilities are matched by the prowess of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, which delivers graphics that are both fluid and exquisitely detailed, making every gaming session an immersive adventure.
The design of the Zephyrus G16 is a perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality. Its aluminum body is remarkably thin, measuring just 1.49 cm in thickness, which speaks volumes about the engineering marvel that allows for such a compact yet durable construction. The laptop’s auditory experience is equally impressive, thanks to a six-speaker audio system that produces sound quality to match the visual splendor, creating a truly enveloping gaming atmosphere.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 performance
ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop specifications
2.5K ROG Nebula OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate, 2560×1600 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, PANTONE validation, up to 500 nits brightness, Nvidia G-Sync, 0.2ms response time, and Dolby Vision HDR support.
Chassis machined from aluminum using a 12-step process, resulting in a thickness of only 1.49 cm.
Intel Core i9-12950HX with 24MB of Intel Smart Cache, 16 cores, 22 threads, and various core speeds.
Intel Arc GPU with up to 2.35 GHz.
16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, soldered and non-upgradeable.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
Six-speaker audio system.
90Wh battery with fast charging (0 to 50% in 30 minutes).
Chicklet-style RGB backlit keyboard and a large trackpad.
Armory Crate software for performance and lighting control, including custom power profiles and an SL lighting system.
One of the most practical features of the Zephyrus G16 is its fast-charging capability. The frustration of long charging times is alleviated as the battery can reach 50% charge in just 30 minutes, a convenience that keeps gamers in the action rather than tethered to a power outlet. The laptop doesn’t compromise on memory and storage, boasting 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and offering a selection of Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs, with the top option being the powerful RTX 4090. Additionally, the Intel Arc GPU, with speeds reaching up to 2.35 GHz, ensures that the laptop’s performance is top-notch across the board.
For those who enjoy gaming in dimly lit environments, the RGB backlit keyboard is not just a stylish feature but a practical one, illuminating the controls to maintain visibility. Customization is at the user’s fingertips with the Armory Crate software, which allows for the adjustment of performance parameters and lighting to create a personalized gaming setup.
The Zephyrus G16 has been rigorously tested and has proven its capability to handle intense gaming sessions and demanding multitasking with relative ease. The design of the laptop is meticulously crafted, with a strong emphasis on delivering a superior gaming experience that doesn’t compromise on display quality or sound. Whether you’re a professional gamer or an enthusiast, the Zephyrus G16 stands as a shining example of the synergy between power, portability, and the latest technological advancements, all packed into one sleek device.
This gaming laptop is not just about raw power; it’s about the thoughtful integration of components that work in harmony to deliver an experience that is as enjoyable as it is impressive. The Zephyrus G16 is a testament to the dedication of its creators to push the boundaries of what a gaming laptop can be. It’s a machine built for those who refuse to settle for anything less than the best, offering a level of performance that can keep pace with the imagination and skill of its users. With the Zephyrus G16, the future of gaming is not just bright; it’s dazzling.
Filed Under: Laptops, Top News
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