Early Asus ROG Xbox Ally X benchmark suggests excellent power efficiency and cooling – but I'm still not sold on the handheld

• The ROG Xbox Ally X's early benchmark indicates strengths in power efficiency and cooling
• Gaming at 18W TDP with frame generation yields high frame-rates in Doom: The Dark Ages with low temperatures
• Pricing is still not confirmed ahead of its October 16 launch

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X launch isn't too far away, with the handheld landing on October 16 to challenge the best handheld gaming PCs on the market. However, early benchmarks have given us an insight into what we should expect performance-wise – and I'm not convinced just yet.

As highlighted by Windows Report, the ROG Xbox Ally X excels at power efficiency and cooling, based on early benchmarks by Cary Golomb on X. At 18W TDP (Thermal Power Design or, essentially, power consumption) with FSR upscaling, ray tracing, and frame generation enabled, it hit 70fps in intensive sequences in Doom: The Dark Ages.

This was achieved while using AMD's Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme processor, with the GPU load at 97%, and the temperature remaining stable at 57C. Gamers will be able to save plenty of battery life while using the Xbox Ally X on the go, thanks to its 80Wh battery, and this early benchmark is a clear indication of that.

However, without the use of frame gen in this early benchmark, the frame rate would likely fall between 35 to 40fps, which isn't that much better than you would get with the Z2 Extreme's predecessor, the Z1 Extreme.

It's unclear whether the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor used in the ROG Xbox Ally will show significant performance differences over the standard Z2 Extreme. One thing that's clear to me (based on early showcases), though, is that this handheld isn't impressive enough to warrant a high price tag.

Analysis: A minor improvement from the Ryzen Z1 Extreme isn't worth the cost

Now, I must reiterate that the price for the ROG Xbox Ally X isn't confirmed and is due to be announced later in September once pre-orders become available. However, all the signs from rumors and leaks point towards the device costing €899 – that would work out to around $1,050 (about £775 / AU$1,600) or potentially more. If that's the case, then its future success could be in the balance.

It's worth noting that the ROG Xbox Ally will be the cheaper and less powerful alternative, reportedly costing €599 (which should be around $700, or about £520 / AU$1,070), but its Ryzen Z2A with RDNA 2 architecture is highly unlikely to challenge the Ryzen Z1 Extreme.

Based on benchmarks between the Ryzen Z2 Extreme and the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, the performance jump does not appear to be significant enough to warrant paying $1,000; the original Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go handhelds can be found much cheaper on sale.

As I've said before, I've got my eye on the Lenovo Legion Go S using the Z1 Extreme, since it's the only reasonable upgrade for me with 32GB of RAM and an 8-inch screen. Any other handheld is priced too high, and unfortunately, it looks like the ROG Xbox Ally X is joining that list, too.

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