ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300
The Asus ROG Rapture is the only router currently on the market that offers eight Gigabit LAN ports and powerful hardware specs, along with tons of gaming features. In other words, it is the only ROG router out there, giving gamers access to connectivity for the first time ever. If online gaming is your passion, this is the router for you. However, with that said, for the average user, the ROG Rapture may be too much.
The GT-AC5300 is a member of the Asus Republic of Gamers brand. It’s a tri-band router, which features a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, as well as the latest 4×4 802, 11 ac MU-MIMO technology. The Game Dashboard comes with Game IPS controls that keep your network protected in real time, delivering data rates of up to an incredible speed of 5335 Mbps.
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Design and Build
The aesthetics of the GT-AC5300 have gotten mixed reviews. A lot of people think that it looks a spider or a grab. That’s because of the 8 large external antennas. Some people are opposed to the look, but others love it, saying that it looks different and edgy. Though it may look pretty funky and cool, it’s also rather heavy and bulky. That’s because it offers a lot of great features, and it needs a really solid cooling system to keep things running smoothly.
Look at those extra gigabit ports
The GT-AC5300’s interface is well laid out, and pretty straightforward and easy to use. However, a lot of people find that the red colors and animated graphics that it boasts confusing and overwhelming.
The main system dashboard
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Performance
On the inside, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 boasts upgraded internals. The CPU has been given an upgrade, making it one of the fastest routers on the market. It runs a 64-bit Broadcom BCM49408, which clocks at about 1.8GHZ. It also offers 1Gb of RAM, which is just massive.
The Wi-Fi speed is super fast. That’s because it uses three BCM4366 radios for transmission, which ushers support from 4×4 streams, as well as a MU-MIMO. The rated Wi-Fi speeds are 1,000Gbps on the 2.4GHz network and 2,167 Mbps each on its dual 5GHz networks. The signal range was great as well.
The signal range was great as well.
Heatmap on the same floor as the GT-AC5300
Signal heatmap a floor above the GT-AC5300
In order to keep up with the ever-increasing demand of connected households, the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is equipped with a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port, as well as 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports. Of these 8 ports, two are specifically dedicated as gaming LAN ports, which are optimized and receive the highest priority over all other traffic.
Aside from the gaming ports, there are two additional LAN ports, which support link aggregation. This makes it possible to combine both ports, creating a single, impressively fast 2Gbps connection. You’ll find that this is really useful if you have a high-quality NAS system connected to the device. There are also two USB 3.0 ports, which is also noteworthy, as the majority of routers are usually only equipped with one USB 3.0 port.
In addition to the high-speed Wi-Fi and the many LAN and USB connections, the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is also outfitted with a new and improved router management interface, which is known as the ROG Gaming Center. The router also boasts some pretty impressive features, such as a Game IPS, Game Profile, and the Game Private Network. Game Profile automatically creates port forwarding for the most popular online games, such as World of Warcraft, World of Tanks, and Starcraft II. All you have to do is choose the game you want from the drop-down menu, select apply, and that’s it! Game Radar illustrates the ping status of game servers for popular online games. This means that if the game you are playing allows you to choose a server to connect to, you’ll know exactly which one has the lowest latency.
Game IPS is just one of the many features on the GT-AC5300
Asus has introduced a mobile app with the GT-AC5300. Known as the Asus Router, it’s much easier to use and makes it possible to do pretty much whatever you want with the interface. However, it should be noted that the mobile app, while neat, may not be as convenient as you would like. That’s because it only works locally.
Should You Get the Asus ROG GT-AC5300?
If you like playing online games, the GT-AC5300 is the best router that you can possibly get. However, it should be noted that you will have to be prepared to handle a variety of interfaces. Also, it does have a pretty high price tag. If gaming isn’t something that is high on your priority list, there are several other routers available that will work just as well but are easier to use less expensive.
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Tri-band 4×4 AC5300 Gaming WIFI Router with 8-port Gigabit Router Reviewed The Asus ROG Rapture is the only router currently on the market that offers eight Gigabit LAN ports and powerful hardware specs, along with tons of gaming features.
