Imagine if they just went with some sort of double thunderbolt/usb-C solution instead of one usb-C + some weird janky iPhone 4 looking connection. And if not, is it too much to ask for them to make the onboard gpu connected to the built in screen and the e-gpu connected to an external monitor as an standard option or something? Kinda expected that feature on my ROG Z13…
The fact that 4K native is coming to a semi-portable form factor is incredible. Even if it expensive now in another 5 years or so this is a tempting sort of setup.
Expensive ... and requires a huge external enclosure, which to me entirely disqualifies it from the "handheld" category. For high-performance portability -- there have been high-end laptops for years.
This is meant for hardcore gamers who want access to the best hardware money can afford paired with a handheld device. This setup works best with an external monitor setup + keyboard/mouse or controller. None of us need a Lambo but some of us are going to get it and drive the shit out of it anyway.
its not gonna last long just make sff its a better option its capped to 330 watts and theres no guarantee how long is the xgmobile life span with small factor it might not be worth it in the long run
Great video. I have the 6850 XG Mobile and it works great. The Ally is my dedicated gaming PC, and I use it docked most of the time. I don’t play the most demanding games, but it runs everything that I want so I am happy.
It would be awesome if a modder could reverse engineer the port and create a XG port to PCIE slot cable. The port looks similar to an Oculink port but it seems to be proprietary which is a shame because you can already get Oculink to PCIE adapters that can be used to make an eGPU setup.
it should be fairly easy, if someone has some good soldering skills, to create an XG to PCIE port adapter. It is only a connection of wires, there is nothing special about it, that is what ROG is doing in the first place anyway... just connecting the wires from PCIE to their proprietary contacts on the adapter.
Yeah, I think ASUS made a huge mistake. Instead of trying to sell their £2000 eGPU that has a custom port. It would've been better to sell a custom £150 dock, which allows you to use any GPU and you just slot the ROG Ally into like a Nintendo Switch.
Got my ROG Ally in the mail today and my XG Mobile (6850M) yesterday. I really REALLY love this setup. In fact, I've taken my gaming PC out of my office and have moved to just this setup as my primary. My gaming rig is now in my theater.
How is that egpu when it comes to running games at 4k or 1080p, can you hold 60? I don't have a pc because I don't have room for a desktop setup and I've been looking at the ally for a minute. I want to buy both ally and 6850m so that I can take it to people's house.
The comparison to the Switch is interesting, because this is essentially a plug-and-play module that actually adds more processing power, and the fact that you don't have to disassemble it and reboot it like a desktop PC is wonderful. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the switch, where the already anemic battery is incapable of fully powering the hardware without brownouts, so you have to connect it to the dock [solely for power] in order to unlock the higher processing ability, but even that is still horribly limited - if you plug the eGPU into the Ally, you get boosted performance on-device. But on the Switch, even if you take the official nintendo power supply and plug that into the switch instead of the dock, you do NOT get boosted performance. It's simply absurd dealing with the same amount of lag and stuttering because Nintendo decided to lock that feature behind their dock.
@@TakiUdon it would be more justifiable if the dock contained booster hardware of some sort, or if the switch would run at full core/clock when plugged into a charger, but without one or the other it really is less likable :/ I've picked up a used switch lite until they do a proper revamp.
@@gabrielrullan7451 the dock lacks any kind of active cooling which means the switch is capable of fully cooling itself at peak performance, but the battery cannot sustain that without risking brownouts. As it is the battery life is quite poor and the cells die faster and faster as time goes on, hopefully they release a Deck-style model that's thick enough for a legitimately useful battery but we will see. As it stands now, all switches (including the Lite) can fit in a dock to charge, so a real "Pro" model with a proper battery would likely be too thick and thus not backwards compatible with existing docks.
This is amazing. But i sometimes feel that the lack of sufficient battery support makes the portable consoles incomplete, and in the long term unsustainable, because who knows how long those batteries will last.
i feel like for these product its kind of like the old PSP days. Just long enough life so when they dont hold a reasonable charge anymore 3rd party extended replacements will be available. lol
I mean, I don't see myself ever forking out for a mobile 4090, but it is neat to think about. It's kind of a shame they didn't come up with some kind of sleeker docking experience though too. That massive proprietary cable just jutting out of the top isn't exactly the sleekest look.
I have got the XG 6850m to use with the z13 flow. I love it. Also love the flow I got last years model cheapish so only has 12900h and only a 4gb 3050Ti but performance is great and love the 13" screen (with no keyboard) paired with a controller over handheld pc's/ normal laptop. Just fits my use case.
I think a lot of the ergonomic problems with the XG Mobile stem from it not being designed with the Ally in mind, it was designed with the laptops its compatible with in mind. Imagining it wrapping the cord around from behind the screen of a laptop makes more sense than trying to wrangle it plugging into a handheld.
Better yet, have the GPU communicate with the device via a WiFi direct 802.11ac chip that plugs directly into the top of the device, then you can just plug the GPU in the wall and enjoy games on the comfort of your couch without the dreaded wire
I think this can be a solid option for some specific people, maybe some people who travel all the time due to work and want to be able to play their games without needing to carry a laptop everywhere. The cable length is a pretty big issue fur sure though.
This is me exactly. I travel a lot, and that’s why I love the Ally. But I don’t bring the XG Mobile with me when I travel, it just serves as my dock for when I am home, so I can play on a bigger screen.
@@OddEyeUrkle even more, for that amount of money, why not just buy a gaming laptop?? All in one system without having to lug around your ally and the egpu.
It's definitely cool in a world where you want to be minimalist and just have this one device as your gaming thing. Take it portably with you then dock it at home. The price being so high kills the idea though.
I purchased the 2022 model XG mobile AMD 6850 XT to pair with my ROG ally when it was on sale at Asus for 799. Along with 699 for the Rog ally, and paired with a monitor I already owned, its a very capable system to play docked at high settings, and undocked reduced settings. This realizes the design of having a great portable system with more power when docked.
You should have done some more 1440p high refresh rate tests. I think most people would be using a 1440p 144 hz monitor over native 4K at least, even at this cost wanting to use an externam monitor. That or upscaling of some kind seems more common - native 4K for modern AAA is so demanding and overkill, having the extra settings and frames is a hard sell to sacrifice
They're asking 2000$ for an underclocked 4080 and 700$ for an underclocked 6700XT. Yeah, fuck Asus and their prorpietary connector, i'm waiting for the Win 4 refresh with Oculink.
can't you just go 1080P or 720P @60 FPS and everything's already smooth? I don't understand why game on a 4K res in a small handheld device. Aren't 4K supposed to be on large monitor screens? Why would they put 4K on a small screen. What's the point of all of that? I obviously don't own any 4K device that's why I'm asking. I don't see any reason to do so unless someone could enlighten me. Sure, for larger screens and powerful graphics card I understand but for small hand held device? Where pixel and micropixel is kinda hard to differentiate.
I need to know what game that was in the beginning of the video, it looks like so much fun! Plus my Ally comes in tomorrow so I need some fun games for it lol
its mind blowing the tech used to run this tech but limiting the Gpu of 150 Wh kinda renders the 4090 kinda useless as you can go with lower GPU for same performance or even better with lower price
Yes, like everyone keeps nonstop repeating, it's no desktop 4090. BUT when you consider that you're getting desktop 3090ti-ish performance on top of DLSS3 frame gen, it's still insane.
Definitely blurs the line for what a handheld is supposed to be and I don't like it. Handheld devices need handheld games. Like Hades. Spiderman and Horizon Zero Dawn are not meant to be played on these tiny screens. They deserve a dedicated TV. I'm glad mobile gaming is getting supercharged, but unless you're constantly on the move and unable to have reliable access to a TV or monitor, this isn't worth it right now.
Hey taki, do you offer services on pretty much answering "does X game work on X handheld" i released a game late last year and would love to see how it runs on the lower spec windows handhelds.
God, I can't believe they didn't bother to make the connecter cable longer this time around. It's SO short!! That's honestly kind of a dealbreaker. I don't really want this thing sitting on top of my desk screaming at me just so I can play games on my laptop at high quality. I'd prefer to mount it underneath the desk. But that's not really an option unless you put your computer/Ally right at the very back edge of your desk lol.
Gonna get the 3080 xgmobile and run everything at 720. 1080p and above is overkill (for me) due to the amount of megapixels with screen size. Gonna have mad fps and super stoked to have a portable pc with insaneeee specs
Just get a GPD WinMax 2 (or upcoming Win4 refresh) with Oculink port and use whatever graphic card and eGPU module you want for a fraction of the cost.
@Mantis: Mega Outlaw Star Fan GPD has a lower cost AMD based eGPU coming out that will give a high-end gaming performance, at a fraction of the cost, that can be used with any system that has USB 4, Thunderbolt 3/4 or Oculink.
Big reason the performance barely dropped when not using an external screen, is the fact the connector Asus uses allows for eight PCIe lanes. USB4 and Thunderbolt only go up to four lanes (and basically up to a pair of lanes when having to send data between the mobile screen and eGPU).
My Rog Ally actually broke, after the BIOS update it stopped turning on, only the Asus screen appears and then the black screen flashes twice and the BIOS doesn't open either, we've even tried to insert it back into the chip, without success, I believe something burned on the motherboard. CHALLENGE AND REWARD, whoever comes up with the solution to this problem, if I can't solve it, I bought the most expensive paperweight of my life.
I have to ask, why a 4090? you will ALWAYS be CPU limited with this device when using a 4090 because of the weak CPU in comparison, even when using 4K resolution. They should have used something like a 3080 for MUCH cheaper and you'd probably STILL always be CPU limited.
Yeah they should definitely put 2 4090 inside to be sure, don't think one is enough for this tiny screen, at least it will explain the 5 minutes battery autonomy.
@@fcoglez9025 No it's not. Just because it runs windows doesn't mean it's a computer. It's labeled everywhere as a handheld gaming console not a personal computer
Nice review. The only thing I don't understand is on many of your games the CPU is locked at 1797mhz. Is this because the CPU is throttling or did you have it locked in armory crate? The first couple games tested the CPU is around 2800mhz. The CPU wattage seems to be around 30 watts in all test give or take a few.
@@Avioto because I'm pretty sure they have the names to target certain power profiles, it doesn't and never will match a desktop GPU. The RAM configuration is probably not because it's a 4080, but because laptops require a small bus width. It's not some elaborate scheme...
As someone who wants to get into pc gaming and purchasing one of these handheld pc consoles, I think this makes sense. For me personally I really don’t need a desktop and an ally. It takes up less space and is basically a hybrid pc set up. Only downside for me is the price difference but not a big deal. I’ll wait to see if they make a new ally model before buying.
I had same thoughts but I'm also on the road traveling year round. Always wanted a pc but it never made sense. Also tired of lugging my ps5 around. It might not make sense to a lot of people but for me this is perfect
The length of the wire is the biggest killer and should have been addressed before slapping the port on the ally so they could sell their backstock of overpriced GPUs 😵💫
As an owner of both units I agree, the cable length is a bit bad. However on some setups, even if you dock the device, it will still charge the unit even if you dont utlise the gpu which means you have x2 charging cords, so you can leave the other one at home or even at work/in the car. So you can have a x2 setup, one at home, one in the office/car/friends. The price is admittedly high, but it gives you a mobile gpu pc/gaming console kit. its the ultimate portable setup whether it be a laptop or tablet or the ally plugged into it. I think when people see the actual kit together it opens up a lot of options. Yes there are cheaper options such as a pure gaming laptop or just pure work laptop, but the units are light enough to be portable in both modes. Or you can just grab the Ally for light gaming on the go, or the tablet for some work, or even the laptop for a little bit of both. This is why I like the kit. It also extends the life of the laptop/tablet/Ally. The gaming decks are already struggling with modern games, one of the reasons I prefer the Ally over the Steam Deck. You have the best of both worlds. Only issue is the short cable it drives me nuts, I hope someone makes a cable extender kit.
@jamesick I did wonder if their was a reason for the length. I use a wireless keyboard mouse option and/or xbox controller so it not really an issue when docked. More the undocking method used. Although I have seen people use pci express cable adaptors on ad hoc gpu setups with external psu. Does the length really affect performance that much?
They need to change that connector. If you want to play in handheld, that bulky thing is putting a lot of stress on the port. They really should have made it a simple plug (with an optional down angle adapter) and put any pcb components down further on the cable and have a longer cable. While as mentioned there is a performance hit, using in handheld, it would be nice while traveling.
Have you considered the RAM reserved for the iGPU? At 4:58, in the Armoury Crate window, it shows 11.7 GB system memory, which is consistent with an allocation of 4 GB to the iGPU. You probably need to go in the BIOS to change it, but since you don't need it while plugged into an XG Mobile GPU, you could probably squeeze more performance where you're memory constrained, such as in Jedi Survivor where you crashed several times due to lack of memory
Dunnp about overkill but I've tried the display unit at a store and it struggled to play Sf6 at 1080p 60fps so I has to lower it down to 720p to play smoothly
and when it breaks, pay ASUS 150% for out of warranty repair scams they have going on, like Gamers Nexus covered. I have a g14 2022 and it's the last ASUS product I'm buying unless they get their shit together.
In order to stop the crashing in jedi survivor you most likely need to increase the page file size manually to something way higher. This stopped the crashing issues I had on 3 separate computers including my steam deck (increase swap file on steam deck). Increasing the page file is necessary even for hogwarts legacy. The issue is 16GB of ram is not enough. This is why the rog ally x has 24GB now.
Hey I have a question kinda unrelated to this video, but any time I have this device plugged in the joysticks blink, really annoying. Is there any way to stop that? It actually ruins this device for me as I can't have it just sitting on my desk because its blinking all the time.
I had the same issue (I have an Ally + 6850). You can turn off the lights for the RGB in the Armory Crate settings. Unfortunately, there is no way to turn of the red lights on the XG Mobile, but I find that much less distracting.
Would love to see you(and other reviewers) actually using all of the tools available. I've seen too many reviews around the web where FSR or in this case with an Nvidia GPU attached, DLSS isn't used at all and insist on only running native res (i.e. the Spiderman section). At least compare the two. "This is perf with NO upscaling/FSR/DLSS and this is with". Real world usage for any of these handhelds is going to include any tool we have at our disposal to improve performance and help battery life.
I don't like what it does to the picture quality and it also has the ability to drastically lower processing demand, so the GPU would not be fully pushed.
@@TakiUdon Picture quality critique is totally fair given the amount of sub-par older fsr and dlss implementations out there. Though, lowering processing demand due to the lower rendering res can help push RT performance to a more usable place. Also, this wasn't to specifically call you out, as you do great work and make fantastic vids, but just an overall observation due to the amount of Ally, and sometimes Deck vids out there from several large channels that leave out FSR and DLSS entirely when a lot of us out here gladly put that to use when needed and available.
its not a 4090, specs say its a 4080 and power limited to 150 watts etc, a real 4080 can push 300 watts.. so half or less then half the performance of a desktop 4080.
I like the idea of plugging a GPU into a laptop or handheld PC when you need extra power. However, of course there is a cost to such power. WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
It that price and all that bulk you might as well just carry a full laptop and call it a day. At least with a laptop you'll get a bigger and better screen lol
Proprietary cables are a "nope" from me. What happens when the cable needs replacing in 5 years? 10 years? It becomes harder to get older parts with time in my experience.
I'm just left wondering why this interface (or similar, just PCIe) isn't already standard on basically every laptop. Thunderbolt etc work but they've nearly always got some big compromises that needn't exist. Only slight issue I can see is that maybe the cable length has to be kept quite short but for a lot of peoples eGPU needs this wouldn't be a big deal.
Feeling like I’m missing out on the best performance you can get on the ally because I wont drop $2k extra is the main reason I can’t get myself to buy. I’d just always feel there’s more to the device. I know I’m weird
Would be nice if they added this expansion feature to their Ryzen Ultrabook laptops. Just imagine bringing your laptop with you and run easier games and emulation with the Ryzen IGPU, and when you're at home you dock it with this device and you are now in full beast mode desktop.
insert *Unlimited Power* gif
Gaming on the go in 2024 gonna be crazy 🎉
except it isn't, you're clearly limited by your CPU
Cringe
Insert bass drop from Rise of Skywalker
How is it in comparison to 4090 gaming laptop?
I want it with my Ally to play on TV, but $1999 is too much. Good review.
Damn I didn't know you were a gamer
It's KarlRock lol
There are other xg mobile gpu's!
@@T90MT The videos I know him from were about games and consoles lol
You can with docks. Alot of steam deck docks are compatible.
Still insane that this 4090 mobile gpu costs way more than a desktop 4090..
And it's just a 4080 with a performance of a 4070ti
@@avrhamcom not even a 4070ti
its a trash Gpu more not over price shit XD
@@OutlawMantis -🤓
@@avrhamcom It's mostly a non-ti 4070.
If ROG released an enclosure so you can use desktop class cards, I would use my Ally as my primary PC.
That would kill their real objective, which is to sell you their overpriced proprietary crap.
That would ruin their business model.
Imagine if they just went with some sort of double thunderbolt/usb-C solution instead of one usb-C + some weird janky iPhone 4 looking connection. And if not, is it too much to ask for them to make the onboard gpu connected to the built in screen and the e-gpu connected to an external monitor as an standard option or something? Kinda expected that feature on my ROG Z13…
The hope is in a few years the Steam Deck 2 will have thunderbolt eGPU support.
that is exactly why they avoid putting usb4 on ally, to sell their expensive shit
The fact that 4K native is coming to a semi-portable form factor is incredible. Even if it expensive now in another 5 years or so this is a tempting sort of setup.
Expensive ... and requires a huge external enclosure, which to me entirely disqualifies it from the "handheld" category. For high-performance portability -- there have been high-end laptops for years.
This is meant for hardcore gamers who want access to the best hardware money can afford paired with a handheld device. This setup works best with an external monitor setup + keyboard/mouse or controller.
None of us need a Lambo but some of us are going to get it and drive the shit out of it anyway.
its not gonna last long just make sff its a better option its capped to 330 watts and theres no guarantee how long is the xgmobile life span with small factor it might not be worth it in the long run
@@Chris-ih4hj SFF is pretty great...they just dropped a 4060 Ti that fits in a Velka 3, that's better performance than almost any mobile GPU.
@@cris1735if it was made for hardcore gamers it would've had touchpads. As of now it's just a toy for the richer kids
Great video. I have the 6850 XG Mobile and it works great. The Ally is my dedicated gaming PC, and I use it docked most of the time. I don’t play the most demanding games, but it runs everything that I want so I am happy.
It would be awesome if a modder could reverse engineer the port and create a XG port to PCIE slot cable. The port looks similar to an Oculink port but it seems to be proprietary which is a shame because you can already get Oculink to PCIE adapters that can be used to make an eGPU setup.
it should be fairly easy, if someone has some good soldering skills, to create an XG to PCIE port adapter. It is only a connection of wires, there is nothing special about it, that is what ROG is doing in the first place anyway... just connecting the wires from PCIE to their proprietary contacts on the adapter.
Yeah, I think ASUS made a huge mistake. Instead of trying to sell their £2000 eGPU that has a custom port. It would've been better to sell a custom £150 dock, which allows you to use any GPU and you just slot the ROG Ally into like a Nintendo Switch.
Got my ROG Ally in the mail today and my XG Mobile (6850M) yesterday. I really REALLY love this setup. In fact, I've taken my gaming PC out of my office and have moved to just this setup as my primary. My gaming rig is now in my theater.
How is that egpu when it comes to running games at 4k or 1080p, can you hold 60? I don't have a pc because I don't have room for a desktop setup and I've been looking at the ally for a minute. I want to buy both ally and 6850m so that I can take it to people's house.
@@iiishception Lookup 6700XT benchmarks. the 6850M XT AFAIK is just a 6700XT
The comparison to the Switch is interesting, because this is essentially a plug-and-play module that actually adds more processing power, and the fact that you don't have to disassemble it and reboot it like a desktop PC is wonderful. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the switch, where the already anemic battery is incapable of fully powering the hardware without brownouts, so you have to connect it to the dock [solely for power] in order to unlock the higher processing ability, but even that is still horribly limited - if you plug the eGPU into the Ally, you get boosted performance on-device. But on the Switch, even if you take the official nintendo power supply and plug that into the switch instead of the dock, you do NOT get boosted performance. It's simply absurd dealing with the same amount of lag and stuttering because Nintendo decided to lock that feature behind their dock.
That's one of the things that I don't like about the Switch.
@@TakiUdon it would be more justifiable if the dock contained booster hardware of some sort, or if the switch would run at full core/clock when plugged into a charger, but without one or the other it really is less likable :/ I've picked up a used switch lite until they do a proper revamp.
Wow. I didn't realize the throttling in the Switch was mainly related to the battery.
@@gabrielrullan7451 the dock lacks any kind of active cooling which means the switch is capable of fully cooling itself at peak performance, but the battery cannot sustain that without risking brownouts. As it is the battery life is quite poor and the cells die faster and faster as time goes on, hopefully they release a Deck-style model that's thick enough for a legitimately useful battery but we will see. As it stands now, all switches (including the Lite) can fit in a dock to charge, so a real "Pro" model with a proper battery would likely be too thick and thus not backwards compatible with existing docks.
@@StormBurnX Nintendo really shoot themselves in the foot with that dock design. I remembered seeing it back in 2017 and my first thought was, why?
This is amazing. But i sometimes feel that the lack of sufficient battery support makes the portable consoles incomplete, and in the long term unsustainable, because who knows how long those batteries will last.
i feel like for these product its kind of like the old PSP days. Just long enough life so when they dont hold a reasonable charge anymore 3rd party extended replacements will be available. lol
I mean, I don't see myself ever forking out for a mobile 4090, but it is neat to think about.
It's kind of a shame they didn't come up with some kind of sleeker docking experience though too. That massive proprietary cable just jutting out of the top isn't exactly the sleekest look.
This will be amazing in a year or 2 when the price is a fraction of what it is now. It will keep the Ally alive well beyond the normal lifecycle.
A decade or 2*
@@BluesFanUK_ lol 2 decades ago the original xbox was the most powerful console. This won't even be a thought.
@@ultracellez1989 20*
@@ultracellez1989 bold of you to assume that nvidia won't keep the price of the 4090 ridiculously high even when the 6090 is released
@@ultracellez1989 Huh?
I have got the XG 6850m to use with the z13 flow. I love it. Also love the flow I got last years model cheapish so only has 12900h and only a 4gb 3050Ti but performance is great and love the 13" screen (with no keyboard) paired with a controller over handheld pc's/ normal laptop. Just fits my use case.
I order the XG 6850 for my X13 laptop and to use with my Ally ,anything I need to know or your opinion about it?
I think a lot of the ergonomic problems with the XG Mobile stem from it not being designed with the Ally in mind, it was designed with the laptops its compatible with in mind. Imagining it wrapping the cord around from behind the screen of a laptop makes more sense than trying to wrangle it plugging into a handheld.
Better yet, have the GPU communicate with the device via a WiFi direct 802.11ac chip that plugs directly into the top of the device, then you can just plug the GPU in the wall and enjoy games on the comfort of your couch without the dreaded wire
I think this can be a solid option for some specific people, maybe some people who travel all the time due to work and want to be able to play their games without needing to carry a laptop everywhere. The cable length is a pretty big issue fur sure though.
This is me exactly. I travel a lot, and that’s why I love the Ally. But I don’t bring the XG Mobile with me when I travel, it just serves as my dock for when I am home, so I can play on a bigger screen.
@OddEyeUrkle with that amount of money why not just buy a separate home pc?
@@OddEyeUrkle even more, for that amount of money, why not just buy a gaming laptop?? All in one system without having to lug around your ally and the egpu.
It's definitely cool in a world where you want to be minimalist and just have this one device as your gaming thing. Take it portably with you then dock it at home. The price being so high kills the idea though.
i got a rog ally for 300 on fb marketplace. and now amazon has these for 1499. so basically 1800$ is as cheap as i can get it so far
I purchased the 2022 model XG mobile AMD 6850 XT to pair with my ROG ally when it was on sale at Asus for 799. Along with 699 for the Rog ally, and paired with a monitor I already owned, its a very capable system to play docked at high settings, and undocked reduced settings. This realizes the design of having a great portable system with more power when docked.
the game shown at the beginning is called core keeper for those wondering
This is CRAZY !!!! this is just their first device !!! And it really has some promises upon the future updates..
To get the on screen keyboard up for wifi, hold 1 of the back panel "macro" buttons, and up on the dpad, that will bring up the on screen keyboard
This is insane setup!! So cool! Thank you for showing us the absolute limits of mobile gaming.
horrible setup
@@SD-vp5vohorrible hater
@@fcoglez9025 no, it's literally horrible. If you need more power and portability just get a gaming laptop instead of this abomination.
Could anyone please tell me what game Taki is playing in the first 10s or so (00:10)
Core Keeper
@@TakiUdon Thank you! It looks dope
Very good video! Would it be possible to shoot a direct comparison between all the eGPU models?
You should have done some more 1440p high refresh rate tests. I think most people would be using a 1440p 144 hz monitor over native 4K at least, even at this cost wanting to use an externam monitor. That or upscaling of some kind seems more common - native 4K for modern AAA is so demanding and overkill, having the extra settings and frames is a hard sell to sacrifice
The XG Mobile tech that ASUS made is based off of an Oculink connector which is the reason why it gets better performance than Thunderbolt and USB4.
HI thanks for the video , I just got the Ally today , and will have to save for this 4090, I have a 4070 on my desktop, Gave you a Sub from the UK
It has higher bandwidth because it's basically an external pcie port just wait for usb5/thunderbolt 5
A nice insertion was achieved at 2:21
That proprietary dock kills it for me. I can't justify spending $2000-3000cdn~ for this combo.
the amd xg mobile is for around 800 though
"Totally playable", haha. My dude, no offense, but 1999$ + the costs of the ROG Ally and under 60 FPS? That is a big nope.
Agreed , just buy a laptop and this point
If it was a desktop 4090 then maybe it would be worth it..
Exactly just buy one of the razer egpus cases and insert it 😂
If only the 4090 egpu was cheaper than the actual 4090 lol
@@kiri3639 That’s because it is an actual 4090, it just costs more because it has a usb enclosure around it
They're asking 2000$ for an underclocked 4080 and 700$ for an underclocked 6700XT. Yeah, fuck Asus and their prorpietary connector, i'm waiting for the Win 4 refresh with Oculink.
Me watching the video at 144p: Heck yeah, that addon really makes the difference 😎
Lol
can't you just go 1080P or 720P @60 FPS and everything's already smooth?
I don't understand why game on a 4K res in a small handheld device. Aren't 4K supposed to be on large monitor screens? Why would they put 4K on a small screen. What's the point of all of that? I obviously don't own any 4K device that's why I'm asking. I don't see any reason to do so unless someone could enlighten me.
Sure, for larger screens and powerful graphics card I understand but for small hand held device? Where pixel and micropixel is kinda hard to differentiate.
I need to know what game that was in the beginning of the video, it looks like so much fun! Plus my Ally comes in tomorrow so I need some fun games for it lol
Looks like it's Core Keeper
@@SterAlux i think that's what it is, i saw it when he jumped into armoury crate. I added it to my steam wishlist already lol
its mind blowing the tech used to run this tech but limiting the Gpu of 150 Wh kinda renders the 4090 kinda useless as you can go with lower GPU for same performance or even better with lower price
Yes, like everyone keeps nonstop repeating, it's no desktop 4090. BUT when you consider that you're getting desktop 3090ti-ish performance on top of DLSS3 frame gen, it's still insane.
You're getting 4060 performance with dlss just with extra vram 🤡🤡
@@Weneedaplague it’s a 4070 performance, stop low balling
Definitely blurs the line for what a handheld is supposed to be and I don't like it.
Handheld devices need handheld games. Like Hades. Spiderman and Horizon Zero Dawn are not meant to be played on these tiny screens. They deserve a dedicated TV.
I'm glad mobile gaming is getting supercharged, but unless you're constantly on the move and unable to have reliable access to a TV or monitor, this isn't worth it right now.
Hey taki, do you offer services on pretty much answering "does X game work on X handheld" i released a game late last year and would love to see how it runs on the lower spec windows handhelds.
No, but I can check if you ask on Discord.
God, I can't believe they didn't bother to make the connecter cable longer this time around. It's SO short!! That's honestly kind of a dealbreaker. I don't really want this thing sitting on top of my desk screaming at me just so I can play games on my laptop at high quality. I'd prefer to mount it underneath the desk. But that's not really an option unless you put your computer/Ally right at the very back edge of your desk lol.
Why would you use this instead of an actual desktop PC? This just seems pointless
I wanted to point that out, but some people got money to burn and i guess they created a solution for problem that does not exist so to say.
Portable init
People say protable but I think it’s better to just get a laptop if you want a portable 4090 machine
Touch grass
Gonna get the 3080 xgmobile and run everything at 720. 1080p and above is overkill (for me) due to the amount of megapixels with screen size. Gonna have mad fps and super stoked to have a portable pc with insaneeee specs
Just get a GPD WinMax 2 (or upcoming Win4 refresh) with Oculink port and use whatever graphic card and eGPU module you want for a fraction of the cost.
True, it would have a cheaper cost, but it consumes far more power, will be far noisier and won't be easy to transport.
@Mantis: Mega Outlaw Star Fan GPD has a lower cost AMD based eGPU coming out that will give a high-end gaming performance, at a fraction of the cost, that can be used with any system that has USB 4, Thunderbolt 3/4 or Oculink.
Big reason the performance barely dropped when not using an external screen, is the fact the connector Asus uses allows for eight PCIe lanes. USB4 and Thunderbolt only go up to four lanes (and basically up to a pair of lanes when having to send data between the mobile screen and eGPU).
If they ever come with an adapter that lets you hook up a desktop gpu of your choice for a good price then I’m in.
Its called an egpu enclosure
Play on pc then u baboon
My Rog Ally actually broke, after the BIOS update it stopped turning on, only the Asus screen appears and then the black screen flashes twice and the BIOS doesn't open either, we've even tried to insert it back into the chip, without success, I believe something burned on the motherboard. CHALLENGE AND REWARD, whoever comes up with the solution to this problem, if I can't solve it, I bought the most expensive paperweight of my life.
I have to ask, why a 4090? you will ALWAYS be CPU limited with this device when using a 4090 because of the weak CPU in comparison, even when using 4K resolution. They should have used something like a 3080 for MUCH cheaper and you'd probably STILL always be CPU limited.
The mobile version of a RTX 4090 is not as powerful as the desktop variant, not even close. matter of fact, it is on par with a desktop rtx 4060.
Yeah they should definitely put 2 4090 inside to be sure, don't think one is enough for this tiny screen, at least it will explain the 5 minutes battery autonomy.
just buy a pc at this point
No lol
It is a pc technically
That’s what I’ve been saying lmao
It's a PC genius
@@fcoglez9025 No it's not. Just because it runs windows doesn't mean it's a computer. It's labeled everywhere as a handheld gaming console not a personal computer
Never would've expected to finally understand SPL and SPPT for my zephyrus in an ally video
I got my ally yesterday, glorious one day early lol.
Lucky!!!
I looked up some benchmarks and this is the equivalent to a 3090 desktop gpu. That's insane
then it becomes a desktop computer. anyone who buys this thing just has 'f you' money.
Nice review. The only thing I don't understand is on many of your games the CPU is locked at 1797mhz. Is this because the CPU is throttling or did you have it locked in armory crate? The first couple games tested the CPU is around 2800mhz. The CPU wattage seems to be around 30 watts in all test give or take a few.
fun fact, the gpu has 16gb vram because its not a 4090, its actualy a 4080
How is this even legal
@@Avioto Laptop gpus are less powerful compared to their desktop counterparts. They were saying that the 4090 mobile is using desktop 4080 hardware.
@@Avioto because I'm pretty sure they have the names to target certain power profiles, it doesn't and never will match a desktop GPU. The RAM configuration is probably not because it's a 4080, but because laptops require a small bus width. It's not some elaborate scheme...
No shit, nobody expects it to be as powerful as a desktop GPU. It's a small laptop GPU that doesn't need heaps of power.
Performance-wise, it's closer to a 4070 (non-ti).
As someone who wants to get into pc gaming and purchasing one of these handheld pc consoles, I think this makes sense. For me personally I really don’t need a desktop and an ally. It takes up less space and is basically a hybrid pc set up. Only downside for me is the price difference but not a big deal. I’ll wait to see if they make a new ally model before buying.
I had same thoughts but I'm also on the road traveling year round. Always wanted a pc but it never made sense. Also tired of lugging my ps5 around. It might not make sense to a lot of people but for me this is perfect
The length of the wire is the biggest killer and should have been addressed before slapping the port on the ally so they could sell their backstock of overpriced GPUs 😵💫
As an owner of both units I agree, the cable length is a bit bad. However on some setups, even if you dock the device, it will still charge the unit even if you dont utlise the gpu which means you have x2 charging cords, so you can leave the other one at home or even at work/in the car. So you can have a x2 setup, one at home, one in the office/car/friends.
The price is admittedly high, but it gives you a mobile gpu pc/gaming console kit. its the ultimate portable setup whether it be a laptop or tablet or the ally plugged into it.
I think when people see the actual kit together it opens up a lot of options.
Yes there are cheaper options such as a pure gaming laptop or just pure work laptop, but the units are light enough to be portable in both modes. Or you can just grab the Ally for light gaming on the go, or the tablet for some work, or even the laptop for a little bit of both. This is why I like the kit.
It also extends the life of the laptop/tablet/Ally. The gaming decks are already struggling with modern games, one of the reasons I prefer the Ally over the Steam Deck. You have the best of both worlds.
Only issue is the short cable it drives me nuts, I hope someone makes a cable extender kit.
you know the cable length affects performance yeah?
@jamesick I did wonder if their was a reason for the length. I use a wireless keyboard mouse option and/or xbox controller so it not really an issue when docked. More the undocking method used. Although I have seen people use pci express cable adaptors on ad hoc gpu setups with external psu. Does the length really affect performance that much?
$2000!! LMAO Asus is out of their mind, I'd rather get a PS5 + High-end TV which would run games even better.
This is beyond stupid.
If your buying this it's really not to buy an external gpu because that would cost thousands
They need to change that connector. If you want to play in handheld, that bulky thing is putting a lot of stress on the port. They really should have made it a simple plug (with an optional down angle adapter) and put any pcb components down further on the cable and have a longer cable.
While as mentioned there is a performance hit, using in handheld, it would be nice while traveling.
Kinda kills the whole "cheap" moblie PC gaming
I think this is the future. Mobile gaming with good enough and then dock it when you get home for the best experience
Connect a RTX 4090 and proceed to play indie games…
I was giving up in my asus but I decided to an oculink and a gpu
Have you considered the RAM reserved for the iGPU? At 4:58, in the Armoury Crate window, it shows 11.7 GB system memory, which is consistent with an allocation of 4 GB to the iGPU. You probably need to go in the BIOS to change it, but since you don't need it while plugged into an XG Mobile GPU, you could probably squeeze more performance where you're memory constrained, such as in Jedi Survivor where you crashed several times due to lack of memory
That should only be in reference to the iGPU, but this guy has 16GB of dedicated RAM that should not be blown through for that game, so it's strange.
Dunnp about overkill but I've tried the display unit at a store and it struggled to play Sf6 at 1080p 60fps so I has to lower it down to 720p to play smoothly
It's overkill cause of the CPU bottlenecking that's why.
When are these going to be in stock? Did they make like 2 of them and just ship them to influencers?
unbelievable!
and when it breaks, pay ASUS 150% for out of warranty repair scams they have going on, like Gamers Nexus covered.
I have a g14 2022 and it's the last ASUS product I'm buying unless they get their shit together.
this is like sticking a 4090 to an i3 and expecting good performance for double the price
I went for a rog flow z13 over the ally and paired with the rtx 3080 mobile it’s a tank really stoked on it.
hear me out... just get a laptop :)
For sure
Laptop 🤮
It's better than ally and egpu for sure@@GPTLeader
@@GPTLeaderur family 🤢🤮
@@GPTLeaderLaptops aint that bad...
Wouldnt use it for portable gaming though...
In order to stop the crashing in jedi survivor you most likely need to increase the page file size manually to something way higher. This stopped the crashing issues I had on 3 separate computers including my steam deck (increase swap file on steam deck).
Increasing the page file is necessary even for hogwarts legacy. The issue is 16GB of ram is not enough. This is why the rog ally x has 24GB now.
Remember graphics add-on back in the days like Sega Genesis and 32X. Seeing how its done today is amazing
I'm sure that the extra bandwidth is precisely for this use case, and that the bandwidth provided is why there is a lack of bottlenecking.
anyone knows the name of the game in the beginning of the video?
Asus needs to make a dock with the Xgpu built in,they can do so much with the Ally.
What game were you playing at the beginning of the video? Looks fun.
Here in the UK on the Asus website it's £1200, and the ally is £700. Meaning it costs nearly 2 allys
What is the first game shown in the video, please?
That SD card slot is actually awesome. You could put all games that NEED the Egpu to run.
Lug something around that's triple the price of the playing device... I'll stick to my game-top.
Hey I have a question kinda unrelated to this video, but any time I have this device plugged in the joysticks blink, really annoying. Is there any way to stop that? It actually ruins this device for me as I can't have it just sitting on my desk because its blinking all the time.
I had the same issue (I have an Ally + 6850). You can turn off the lights for the RGB in the Armory Crate settings. Unfortunately, there is no way to turn of the red lights on the XG Mobile, but I find that much less distracting.
Sorry i have allergies for bulky, custom, non replaceable, non serviceable connectors.
"line it up, push it into place". That's some quality directions there..........
can you do benchmark with obs while streaming and recording, i would like to know the fps hit on games
Would love to see you(and other reviewers) actually using all of the tools available. I've seen too many reviews around the web where FSR or in this case with an Nvidia GPU attached, DLSS isn't used at all and insist on only running native res (i.e. the Spiderman section). At least compare the two. "This is perf with NO upscaling/FSR/DLSS and this is with". Real world usage for any of these handhelds is going to include any tool we have at our disposal to improve performance and help battery life.
I don't like what it does to the picture quality and it also has the ability to drastically lower processing demand, so the GPU would not be fully pushed.
@@TakiUdon Picture quality critique is totally fair given the amount of sub-par older fsr and dlss implementations out there. Though, lowering processing demand due to the lower rendering res can help push RT performance to a more usable place. Also, this wasn't to specifically call you out, as you do great work and make fantastic vids, but just an overall observation due to the amount of Ally, and sometimes Deck vids out there from several large channels that leave out FSR and DLSS entirely when a lot of us out here gladly put that to use when needed and available.
Can it run crysis though? :)
Do you still have the XG? I wonder how well this set up works with Palword.
Hi, great video 😊. What game were you playing at the beginning of the video?! Thanks!! :))
Core Keeper
The fact that this thing can bearly run at 60 fps is very surprising to me. I woukd have thought a 4090 coukd do better than that.
its not a 4090, specs say its a 4080 and power limited to 150 watts etc, a real 4080 can push 300 watts.. so half or less then half the performance of a desktop 4080.
@@turboimport95 It has performance between 3090 and 3090 ti desktop but with frame generation.
@@VoidElSidBS so basically a 4070ti
@@VoidElSidBS yeah? but why claim to be a 4090 then?🤔🤔 why not just say 3090 performance level instead?
@@VoidElSidBS okay then I'll say it this way I thought a 3090 could run games at higher than 60 FPS?
I like the idea of plugging a GPU into a laptop or handheld PC when you need extra power. However, of course there is a cost to such power. WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
The out of memory thing has something to do with the pagefile settings. I had the same issue when I first got the game with my desktop 4090.
It that price and all that bulk you might as well just carry a full laptop and call it a day. At least with a laptop you'll get a bigger and better screen lol
Hopefully you don't get a scratch on the case and void the warranty
I use mine as a HTPC replacement its a bit loud but the sound system is more than enough to drown it out.
Proprietary cables are a "nope" from me. What happens when the cable needs replacing in 5 years? 10 years? It becomes harder to get older parts with time in my experience.
I'm just left wondering why this interface (or similar, just PCIe) isn't already standard on basically every laptop.
Thunderbolt etc work but they've nearly always got some big compromises that needn't exist. Only slight issue I can see is that maybe the cable length has to be kept quite short but for a lot of peoples eGPU needs this wouldn't be a big deal.
do you have to buy Asus eGPU.
Because it's a proprietary Asus connector.
Not enough people use the express card slot so they removed it.
What’s the real time monitor you’re using to see fps and temps etc?
Feeling like I’m missing out on the best performance you can get on the ally because I wont drop $2k extra is the main reason I can’t get myself to buy. I’d just always feel there’s more to the device. I know I’m weird
Would be nice if they added this expansion feature to their Ryzen Ultrabook laptops. Just imagine bringing your laptop with you and run easier games and emulation with the Ryzen IGPU, and when you're at home you dock it with this device and you are now in full beast mode desktop.
u can with a few of the asus laptops, the flow and x and z laptops. Idk about the others tho