HardwareHandheld Gaming PCsWith nine BIOS updates and a new warranty extension, Asus is trying its best to move forward from the ROG Ally’s SD card woesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareHandheld Gaming PCsWith nine BIOS updates and a new warranty extension, Asus is trying its best to move forward from the ROG Ally’s SD card woesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
Under dispute is the ‘small number’ part, though exactly how many customers have experienced the issue isn’t clear at all. It’s not happened to me, despite my best efforts to replicate the problem (even going as far as to block the air vents) but I do regularly update the firmware on the Ally. Since the problem first came to light, Asus has releasednine BIOS filesto fix several issues, though it oddly labels each one as being an ‘optional’ file.
Does the meatier warranty mean it’s safe to buy an Asus ROG Ally, though, if you’re planning on using SD cards with it all the time? After all, one might think that the warranty itself is proof that the issue hasn’t been fixed completely and there’s a chance that you might experience it.
I suspect that it’s more down to the fact that BIOS updates have to be manually done and along with the fact that Asus marks them as being optional, there’s a good chance that someone out there could have an Ally without the fan speed fix. That means they’re more likely to experience the SD card issue than other users.
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Image1of2(Image credit: iFixit)The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.(Image credit: iFixit)The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
Image1of2(Image credit: iFixit)The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.(Image credit: iFixit)The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
Image1of2
(Image credit: iFixit)The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.(Image credit: iFixit)The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
(Image credit: iFixit)The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.(Image credit: iFixit)The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
(Image credit: iFixit)The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.
(Image credit: iFixit)The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.
(Image credit: iFixit)
(Image credit: iFixit)
(Image credit: iFixit)
The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.
The SD card reader is underneath this heatsink/fan assembly.
(Image credit: iFixit)The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
(Image credit: iFixit)The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
(Image credit: iFixit)
(Image credit: iFixit)
(Image credit: iFixit)
The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
The yellow section highlights where the SD card reader is.
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However, for sheer ease of transferring files, SD cards are ideal and given that the Ally can be turned into a neat little desktop PC, with the use of a suitable docking station, it seems that Asus' engineers didn’t fully test their designs before putting the product on the market.
So to answer my own question—yes, the Asus ROG Ally is safe to buy, if you’re not worried about using SD cards on it. However, if that’s important to you, and you simply don’t want to take the risk, then you’ll be better off picking another greathandheld gaming PC.
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