ASUS Rog Ally Z1 vs. Z1 Extreme: What's the Difference?

"I want to buy a ROG Ally, but I'm still confused about which one to go for among the two models. I see a great performance difference between Z1 and Z1 Extreme. If I go for the Z1, will it still serve me well? How does it compare to Steam Deck?"

The ROG Ally Z1 and Z1 Extreme gaming devices have stormed the market in style. If you're wondering which to buy, this article offers a detailed comparison. We'll analyze ROG Ally Z1 vs Z1 Extreme based on their specifications and give you insight on the best to buy. You'll also get to learn how to upgrade your Ally SSD easily in this EaseUS post.

An Overview of ROG Ally

ROG Ally is a handheld gaming device developed by ASUS. It's part of the company's Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand and was first officially introduced to the market on June 13, 2023. With its development aimed at offering rivalry to the Steam Deck, ROG Ally runs on Windows 11 and comes with AMD Zen 4 Processors.

ASUS has divided the processors into two models: AMD Ryzen Z1 & Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The Ryzen Z1 uses a 6-core/12-thread CPU and a GPU of four compute units. On the other hand, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme version of ROG Ally uses an 8-core/16-thread CPU and GPU of twelve compute units.

ASUS mainly developed the ROG Ally for handheld use. You can use this gaming device with games on Steam, Xbox Game Pass, and Epic Games Store. The tool has a touchscreen LCD of seven inches and 1080p resolution. Its variable refresh rate that does not exceed 120Hz. It uses controls similar to the Xbox Wireless Controller. The controls include:

• Two thumbsticks.
• Two shoulder buttons.
• One directional pad.
• Two configurable buttons (at the back).
• A/B/X/Y buttons.

ASUS ROG Ally Z1 and Z1 Extreme have a 512GB SSD storage capacity. They also possess a 16GB LPDDR5 onboard memory. Z1 costs $600, while its Z1 Extreme counterpart costs $700. Why the extra 100 price difference? What sets the two apart?

If you're asking the same question, read on as we make a specification comparison between ROG Ally Z1 and Z1 Extreme.

ROG Ally Z1 vs. Z1 Extreme: Specification Comparison

If you're stuck on which to choose between ROG Ally Z1 and Z1 Extreme, this section offers guidance by comparing them based on different specifications. We'll compare them based on price, performance & speed, battery life, configuration, outlook design, and display.

🚩Price

The price difference between Z1 and Z1 Extreme is $100. The ROG Ally Z1 costs $600, while the Z1 Extreme goes for $700. We attribute this price difference to the outstanding performance of the Z1 Extreme model. It features a better CPU and GPU than Z1. This makes its gaming performance 50% faster.

Z1 offers a better pricing option for someone who is less interested in hardware specs but still wants a quality product.

🚩Performance & Speed

Both handhelds run on the AMD Ryzen APU processor. Z1's CPU has six cores and twelve threads, while its Radeon-integrated GPU has four compute units. The Z1 Extreme's CPU boasts eight cores and sixteen threads with a Radeon-integrated GPU of twelve compute units.

Regarding speed, the 3DMarks's Fire Strike for Z1 reached 1478, while Ally Z1 Extreme scored 2245. Moreover, in the Cyberpunk 2077 game, Z1 hit 29 fps (at 720 resolution), while Z1 Extreme had 43 fps at the same resolution. The overall gaming experience on the Z1 Extreme is considered smoother than the ROG Ally Z1.

Performance Aspect	ROG Ally Z1 Extreme	ROG Ally Z1
3DMark's Fire Strike Score	2245	1478
Cyberpunk 2077 game	43 fps	29 fps
Starfield game	35 fps	25 fps

🚩Battery Life

The two ROG Ally models have a reliable 40-watt-hour battery. This is a good battery capacity for a handheld gaming device. It can last for between 2-3 hours. The battery life is less than 2 hours when you run resource-intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077.

Switching to the "Silent profile" mode is recommended if you want the battery to last long. However, this will likely reduce your gaming performance.

🚩Configuration

Both handhelds run on AMD's Ryzen Z-series CPUs, which are custom-tuned variants of the 7040 series. The CPUs feature advanced V/F curves that match the complexity of handheld gaming devices. The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme's CPU features 8 Zen 4 cores, 16 threads, 24MB cache, and a 5.1GHz boost clock.

Its RDNA 3 GPU has 12 compute units. Its colleague, the Z1, has a CPU of 6 Zen 4 cores, 12 threads, 22 MB cache, and a 4.9GHz boost clock. Its RDNA 3 GPU comes with 4 compute units. Additionally, both devices feature an SSD storage of 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe. Their memory capacity is 16GB LPDDR5 on board.

Features	ROG Ally Z1 Extreme	ROG Ally Z1
CPU Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Cache Size	24MB	22MB
Boost Clock	5.1GHz	4.9GHz
GPU Compute Units	12	4

🚩Outlook Design

The ROG Ally Z1 and Z1 Extreme are identical in their outlook design. They have a similar build quality, look, and feel. They measure 11.04 x 4.38 x 0.84 inches and weigh 608 grams. With an all-white color, both ROG Ally models have substantial RGB lighting below their joysticks.

They both have an ABXY button format with two joysticks on each side. There's a D-pad on the left side of both handheld models. They also possess standard trigger and shoulder buttons. Moreover, two assignable grip buttons are at the back of both devices.

🚩Display

The two gaming devices have a 7-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display. The sRGB coverage is 100%, hence vibrant and sharp visuals. ASUS equipped both devices with a Gorilla Glass DXC and Gorilla Glass Victus to ensure durability and resistance.

Also, their highly responsive touch screens have a 10-point multi-touch capability. Both devices have display variable refresh rates of 120Hz. To help provide bright and clear visuals, Z1 and Z1 Extreme come with a 500 nits brightness.

How to Upgrade ROG Ally SSD for Better Performance

Although ROG Ally provides 512 GB of SSD storage, you may run out of space over time. This may require upgrading your SSD to a larger one and boosting storage. In the long run, this will help improve the overall performance of your handheld computer (especially if you have many games installed).

We'll outline the preparations you need to make before upgrading ROG Ally SSD and how you can perform the upgrade using a reliable third-party tool, EaseUS Disk Copy.

📖Preparations Before Upgrading

Ensure you have the following necessities before initiating a ROG Ally SSD upgrade.

The next step is to initiate the ROG Ally SSD upgrade process.

🛠️How to Upgrade

Having reliable cloning software is one of the last requirements before initiating the SSD cloning process. EaseUS Disk Copy is the most recommended tool for accomplishing this task. It allows you to transfer data bit-by-bit from your old SSD to the new one without a chance of data loss.

Instead of upgrading Rog Ally SSD by reinstalling Windows, Disk Copy allows you to move along with your games and game data. It allows you to transfer all your files to the new SSD before you install Windows. EaseUS Disk Copy removes all the bad sectors during the cloning process to ensure only the good ones move along.

The main features of EaseUS Disk Copy include:

• Clone an SSD sector-by-sector.
• Copy Windows to a new drive without reinstalling.
• Upgrade from a smaller HDD/SSD to a larger one.
• Change the size of SSD partitions during cloning.
• Transfer files from an old drive to a new computer.

Do you want to upgrade your ROG Ally SSD efficiently? Ensure you download the EaseUS Disk Copy now and initiate the process immediately. The steps for getting started with this tool are quite straightforward to follow.

Prior Notice:

• The "Sector by sector copy" asks the size of your destination disk to be at least equal to or larger than that of the source disk. Leave this feature unchecked if you wish to clone a larger hard disk to a smaller hard disk.
• All data on the destination disk will be completely erased, so take care.

Step 1. To start copying/cloning an entire disk to another, choose this disk as the source disk under "Disk Mode" and click "Next".

Step 2. Choose the other disk as the destination disk.

Step 3. Check the disk layout of the two disks. You can manage the disk layout of the destination disk by selecting "Autofit the disk", "Copy as the source" or "Edit disk layout". 

• "Autofit the disk" makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best status.
• "Copy as the source"does not change anything on destination disk and the layout is the same as source disk.
• "Edit disk layout" allows you to manually resize/move partition layout on this destination disk.

Tick the "Check the option if the target is SSD" option to put your SSD in its best performance.

A message now appears, warning you that data will be lost. Please confirm this message by clicking "OK" and then click "Next".

Step 4. Click "Proceed" to officially execute the task.

 The Bottom Line

This article has offered a detailed comparison of ROG Ally Z1 vs Z1 Extreme. If you're looking for a better-performing device, go for Z1 Extreme. You can go for the Z1 if you're on a budget and don't mind a slightly lower performance.

EaseUS Disk Copy is the best tool to upgrade your handheld's SSD storage. This cloning tool lets you conveniently transfer data from your old SSD to the new one. It supports the sector-by-sector data transfer mechanism. Ensure you download a free version of EaseUS Disk Copy and check out how it works.

FAQs Related to ASUS Rog Ally Z1 vs. Z1 Extreme

1. Is ROG Ally More Powerful than PS5?

ROG Ally's performance isn't at the level of PS5's, although it's still quite reliable. One thing that makes it less powerful than the PS5 is its power supply. A PS5 has a large power supply, hence its high performance.

2. Is ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Worth It?

The price ($700) of ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is worth it because the device offers better performance and overall gaming experience. It boasts an 8-core/16-thread CPU and GPU of twelve compute units. Also, it's 50% faster than its ROG Ally counterpart, the Z1.  

3. What Is the Difference Between Ryzen Z1 Extreme and Aerith?

The ROG Ally Z1 Extreme offers better features than Aerith (Steam Deck). ROG Ally Z1 Extreme has 8 Zen 4 cores, 16 threads, RDNA 3 GPU with 12 compute units and a TDP of 15-30W. Aerith's CPU has 4 Zen 2 cores, 8 threads, an RDNA 2 GPU with 8 compute units, and a TDP of 4-15W.