When the rumors of the ROG Best friend X began popping out, one of the vital first issues they mentioned was once that it didn’t change the Ryzen APU from the fresh design a past in the past. That made me form of dismissive of the pristine transportable gaming PC…and that was once a mistake. The upgrades that Asus has made to this factor are way over skin-deep.
The Asus ROG Best friend X has been redesigned in good-looking a lot each trait, with the impressive exceptions of the processor and display. The battery is two times as obese. The RAM is boosted through 50 p.c. The storagefacility can now accommodate a 2280 M.2 power — the similar measurement worn in desktop motherboards. Even the fresh’s signature constituent, a proprietary connection to an exterior GPU, is changed in bias of a extra versatile Thunderbolt 4 port that may paintings with a much broader territory of extensions.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
The chassis of the Best friend X is all pristine, and all dark — almost certainly to in an instant differentiate it from its white predecessor, which itself was once unique from the all-black Steam Deck. However have in mind, the fresh Best friend was once the primary competitor from a big PC seller. Now that Lenovo, MSI, and lots of smaller firms like GPD and AyaNeo have Home windows-based transportable gaming PCs in the marketplace, dark feels a modest much less spinoff. Occasion we’re in terms of taste, the pristine model assists in keeping the RGB lights across the analog sticks and on a again stripe.
Alternative adjustments to the core design are extra intriguing. Ergonomics were given an entire overhaul, with the grips and triggers adjusted for higher sympathy. The pristine motherboard line approach the 2 USB-C ports and MicroSD card slot on supremacy were moved round. Even the perspective of the analog sticks, relative to the D-Dwelling and ABXY buttons respectively, has been adjusted for topic sympathy. The entire unit is 4.5mm thicker and 70 grams (2.5 oz.) heavier.
The fresh Best friend, left, and Best friend X, proper. Be aware the a lot greater battery and smaller enthusiasts. The pristine, full-length M.2 power slot is within the center.
The fresh Best friend, left, and Best friend X, proper. Be aware the a lot greater battery and smaller enthusiasts. The pristine, full-length M.2 power slot is within the center.
Michael Crider/Foundry
The fresh Best friend, left, and Best friend X, proper. Be aware the a lot greater battery and smaller enthusiasts. The pristine, full-length M.2 power slot is within the center.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Maximum of this is committing to the battery, which is the most important (actually) alternate within the design. Battery week isn’t superb on any transportable gaming PC, particularly when enjoying high-end titles, however reviewers and terminate customers have been particularly unsatisfied with the Best friend on this branch. To manufacture enhancements Asus full-on doubled the capability, from 40 watt-hours to 80, which is greater than a bundle of computers.
Battery week estimates weren’t to be had on the Asus presentation, however with the similar Ryzen Z1 Terminating APU because the fresh design (8 cores, 16 strings, 24MB cache, 9-30 watt TDP), it will have to be kind of doubled. For the sake of comparability, the Steam Deck has a 53 watt-hour battery (regardless that it additionally advantages from a extra environment friendly customized working machine), and the a lot greater Lenovo Legion Exit is 49.2.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
The alternative obese development that I’m particularly inspired through is the way to set up a full-length, 2280 M.2 storagefacility power. Attic is particularly notable for PC players because the original AAA titles balloon in bloated set up sizes, and giving customers get admission to to bodily greater drives approach they are able to to find the ones drives a lot more simply, they usually’ll be inexpensive, too. It’s nonetheless a PCIE 4.0 power (1TB within the field), however frankly some great benefits of gen 5 drives in point of fact aren’t all that notable for gaming.
The alternative impressive development is the RAM. Now not most effective is it boosted as much as 24GB, which is a bundle extra respiring room because it’s shared between machine and video games in this APU configuration, the DDR5 velocity has been boosted as much as 7500Mhz. That 2nd USB-C port now helps Thunderbolt 4 for exterior shows and eGPU docks — sorry should you purchased a type of very dear XG cellular eGPUs with a proprietary connector. That mentioned, transferring against an visible usual is indisputably the proper progress in the future.
Asus needed to reconfigure the extra of the internals too, together with a smaller, extra environment friendly energetic cooling machine and pristine analog sticks which are much less stiff. Those haven’t been swapped to corridor impact sticks to get rid of stick glide, however Asus representatives informed us that aftermarket corridor impact sticks are to be had and the independent daughter forums manufacture them simple to put in, like at the Steam Deck. Nonetheless, for a top rate improve design, I in point of fact would have appreciated to peer the ones incorporated — I’ve distinguishable controllers beneath $50 with corridor impact sticks.
The Best friend X replaces the proprietary XG cellular GPU port with a 2nd USB-C port, which helps the original Thunderbolt 4 exterior GPUs.
The Best friend X replaces the proprietary XG cellular GPU port with a 2nd USB-C port, which helps the original Thunderbolt 4 exterior GPUs.
Michael Crider/Foundry
The Best friend X replaces the proprietary XG cellular GPU port with a 2nd USB-C port, which helps the original Thunderbolt 4 exterior GPUs.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
The Asus Armoury Crate device was once additionally a low level for preliminary critiques, because the makes an attempt to “skin” Home windows 11 with this sport launcher have been underwhelming. I used to be informed that Asus has been operating on its device for the ultimate past, with an important replace coming ahead of the Best friend X inauguration and in addition making use of to the fresh {hardware}. There are countless of public skeptical of kind of all of those Home windows-based handhelds, and it’s simple to peer why, nevertheless it’s just right to listen to Asus is acutely aware of the problem.
Talking of problems, I requested in regards to the failing MicroSD playing cards at the fresh Best friend which have been a little bit of a dark ocular for Asus in relation to maintenance and warranties. I used to be met with a regretful “no comment” from the representatives on the match, pointing against the reputable remark from ultimate past. For what it’s importance, the pristine internals signifies that the MicroSD card slot is in a unique bodily location, which might (or won’t) aid with the suspected overheating factor.
Michael Crider/Foundry
I used to be in a position to play games with the Asus ROG Best friend X for just a shorten year, due and upcoming most effective with the Battletoads 2020 sequel. In comparison to the fresh Best friend I didn’t understand a abundance excess in relation to measurement or weight, which is okay, for the reason that fresh felt good-looking just right. I might have most popular a bigger display, however the Best friend’s 7-inch, complete HD LCD panel with 120Hz of refresh is already one of the vital higher ones to be had. With the a lot better battery, extra RAM, and aftermarket improve choices, the Best friend X is a splendid gadget in plethora of metrics…with one impressive exception.
What’s the associated fee? We haven’t any thought. It’ll clearly command a top rate as opposed to the fresh ROG Best friend at $700 (regardless that it continuously is going on sale at a steep cut price), which Asus says it’s going to proceed to promote along the Best friend X. However an exact MSRP was once now not introduced. The inauguration of the Best friend X is nominally eager for overdue July, so we’ll see.
