Asus has announced an ROG branded “gaming” router: the Rapture GT-AC5300. It looks extremely similar to the existing Asus RT-AC5300 router, although there have been substantial improvements made to the underlying hardware and software.
As far as wireless connectivity goes, the Rapture shares the same configuration as the router it’s based on. However, Asus has doubled the available memory and storage; allowing to perform the same tasks with less latency. Also doubled are the number of LAN port on the back of the router – bringing the number up to eight.
Two of these LAN ports are specifically designated as “gaming ports”. Which essentially means that they receive priority for bandwidth and network connectivity. By default, this applies to the first two ports on the upper left of the router. However, the Rapture is also capable of dynamically assessing incoming data packets and provides a software boost for gaming related activity.
Asus has also developed a new control panel for the Rapture which prioritises information that gamers find important. This essentially means that the home page largely focuses on latency information, allowing admins to quickly discover if they are losing data packets or the reason their ping is skyrocketing.
Also built into the Rapture is a one-click VPN system. It’s not necessarily a one click, but there are clear directions on how to set the VPN up and circumvent any internet blocks that might exist.
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is set for a release on 1 September for RM2529.
