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Whether you’re a seasoned professional, or just live with a large family stealing your bandwidth, a high-quality gaming router could be the perfect addition to your setup. Online gaming, specifically in the competitive sphere, requires a fast and stable connection, which is somewhat of a hallmark for ASUS’ networking gear.
The ASUS routers we are taking a look at today aren’t just speedy and reliable, they are packed with high-end features and hardware, tailored specifically for gamers and tech enthusiasts. These routers go beyond bandwidth prioritization and next-gen wifi.
What are the benefits of an ASUS gaming router?
The ‘gaming’ line of ASUS routers obviously varies in capabilities, performance, and price. These models can provide gamers with an exceptional experience, combining the fastest speeds with the strongest signal.
3G/4G ready
Additional features such as 3G/4G gives you the option to use a USB dongle or android phone as a USB modem. This means you can utilize compatible ASUS routers without an ISP. Essentially no matter where you are, as long as you have mobile data and power, you can get online.
You can check out the full list of 3G/4G USB compatibility here. The list details recommended USB adapter models for wireless routers and DSL modems that are guaranteed to work.
ASUS AiMesh support
ASUS AiMesh is one of the more highly-regarded features in the range, allowing you to create a seamless network across your entire home. ASUS routers are designed to give their customers the greatest possible wifi connection. Unfortunately in most homes, it is not uncommon to get dead spots, parts of the house with dreadful signal. AiMesh can solve this problem, allowing you to use old ASUS routers to expand your AiMesh network.
AiMesh advantages
- Seamless roaming across the home
- User friendly
- Wide coverage
- Premium features
- Excellent performance
The features onboard an ASUS gaming router generally means that an AiMesh wifi system wipes the floor with a traditional performance router combined with a mesh system. The flexibility of allowing users to connect older ASUS routers and not identical models makes the whole process cost-effective too.
AiMesh is extremely easy to use and all the individual routers will still be able to tap into their own feature set. This is what ASUS is calling ‘central control’, where you can efficiently and effectively control your network, all from the ASUS Router mobile app or ASUSWRT. This means AiProtection, QoS, parental controls, and other stand-out features will work across the entire network. No one can bypass this by connecting to a different router.
Wifi 6E is the upcoming standard for an extension of wifi 6 (802.11ax) and promises increased throughput speeds, less network congestion, increased range, and plenty more plus points. These capabilities make this wireless technology perfect for an AiMesh network.
So what’s the best ASUS gaming router?
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000
Wi-Fi Spec
WiFi 6E
Number of Antennas
8
Ports
RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 4, RJ45 for 2.5G BaseT for WAN/LAN x 1
Operating Frequency
Tri-band Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6GHz
The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 is the world’s first WiFi 6E tri-band router with speeds up to 11000Mbps and by far the best. The new 6GHz frequency band offers wider channels and higher capacity that delivers higher performance, lower latency, and less interference.
All network traffic through 2.5G port is given top priority, and 2.5G port unlocks the full potential of WiFi 6. Onboard we have a quad-core CPU, advanced cooling system, and optimized antenna design, giving this router top-level capabilities. Importantly, this gaming router features triple-level game acceleration for game traffic from the device to server.
Lastly, the advantages we discussed of ASUS AiMesh mean you can easily create a flexible, seamless whole-home mesh network with some of your older AiMesh compatible routers.
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000
Wi-Fi Spec
WiFi 6
Number of Antennas
4
Ports
RJ45 for 2.5 Gigabits BaseT for WAN/LAN x 1, RJ45 for 2.5 Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 1, USB 2.0 x 1
Operating Frequency
2.4G Hz / 5 GHz
Next up, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 is a more affordable, yet still premium model. This boasts ultrafast wifi 6 dual-band with speeds up to 6000 Mbps and 160 MHz channels for better efficiency and throughput.
We have dual 2.5G ports, giving traffic via these ports top priority and offering flexible WAN/LAN network port configurations. The quad-core CPU is powerful and provides you with next-level computational capabilities. Other nice feature such as ASUS RangeBoost generally improves the signal range and overall coverage for seamless use.
ASUS TUF Gaming AX5400
Wi-Fi Spec
WiFi 6
Number of Antennas
6
Ports
RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 1
Operating Frequency
2.4G Hz / 5 GHz
The ASUS TUF Gaming AX5400 dual-band gaming router sits in the price to performance sweet spot, bringing in reliability and speed at a much more affordable price. You can enjoy ultrafast wifi 6, with speeds up to 5400 Mbps and 4X network efficiency with OFDMA and 160 MHz channels.
this router features a dedicated gaming port, giving a gaming device, be it a console or PC, a prioritized connection. Complicated port forwarding no longer has to be a tedious process, this features an open NAT, simplifying everything with a three-step solution.
ASUS RT-AX86S
Wi-Fi Spec
WiFi 6
Number of Antennas
3
Ports
Operating Frequency
RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for 10/100/1000 BaseT for LAN x 4, 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports x 5, GbE (2x port aggregation LAN) x 4, WAN GbE x 1, USB 3.2 Gen1 x1, 2.0 x1
When you consider the low price of the ASUS RT-AX86S, it is arguably one of the best in its class. This features wifi 6, with speeds up to 5700 Mbps and 160MHz channels.
This comes with a ‘Mobile Game Mode’, allowing you to minimize lag and latency for mobile gaming with one simple tap. The RT-AX86S also features adaptive QoS, port forwarding, and a handy gaming port, giving whatever device that is connected prioritization.
Like all of the ASUS routers above, this one also features AiMesh support, giving you the ability to create a flexible, seamless network for much less.
Final word
As the market for gaming routers continues to grow, brands like ASUS continue to deliver high-quality, premium options that cater to a wide range of budgets. The feature set, build quality, and performance are arguably some of the best out there, and as new technologies develop there is no doubt that ASUS will be at the forefront.
For many, the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 may be considered overkill, however, for those that can maximize its potential, it is the best overall gaming router currently available. The design is, well, very ‘ROG’, which some may find off-putting but it is a serious bit of kit that gets the job done.
