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Best ASUS gaming routers

We take a look at some of the best routers ASUS has to offer, checking out the features and specifications, to see which model is the best for your gaming needs

Updated: Oct 5, 2023 12:03 pm
Best ASUS gaming routers

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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.

ASUS Routers 1

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.

ASUS Routers 35 cropped

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.

ASUS Routers 6

So what’s the best ASUS gaming router?

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000

Networking Ports

10Gbe x2, 2.5Gbe x1, 1Gbe x4

Link Aggregation

Yes

Dedicated Backhaul

6 GHz and 5 GHz

Ok, so there are routers, and then there’s the GT-AXE16000. This thing is an absolute titan of a wireless router. Yes, we know that sounds a bit nutty. After-all, this is predominantly just a data transfer device, but hear us out, because this thing has so much more to offer than just providing you with some internet connectivity.

It’s a full quad-band WiFi 6E router complete with dual 10Gbe ports (one of which can be used for WAN), 4x 1Gbe ports, a 2.5Gbe WAN port, and link aggregation as well allowing you to easily bypass that 1Gbps fibre limit we’re all so familiar with. If you can go beyond that, and have the infrastructure to support it, download speeds of 2.5 Gbps plus are very much on the table. To put that into perspective, if you wired this all up with some Cat 8 cable direct to your PC, had a 10Gb line to your house, and was downloading a game from steam, that’d be 1.25 GB of data per second. You could download Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, all 155GB of it, in just over 2 minutes. Seriously, who needs large volume SSDs with those kinda speeds?

On top of that you also get dedicated 5 GHz and 6 GHz backhauls for any AI mesh systems as well (dedicated channels specifically for your mesh system), meaning wireless connectivity throughout your home, and data transfer along with it, will be flawless. Tapping out at about 5 Gbps. Neat huh. Oh, and did we mention it looks slicker than Jonny Wilkinson’s face? Because it does.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000

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 GT6

ASUS ROG Rapture GT6

Networking Ports

2.5 Gbe x1, 1 Gbe x3

Coverage

5800 M2 with 2x units

Dedicated Backhaul

Yes

But what if you want something a little lower spec than that? A little more compact? A little more stylish? A little more wide-reaching? Well the Rapture GT6 might be the next best thing compared to that juggernaut above. But don’t be fooled, this isn’t no little bunny either. No, you still get a 2.5 Gbps port as well, as well as 4x 1 Gb ports and a USB Type 3.2 port as well, and all of the latest in ASUS networking tech and UI suite. 

But the better thing is that these come as a set of two straight out of the box, for a little less than the AXE16000 above, giving you 5800 m2 of floor space covered. That’s like 6+ rooms of full WiFi coverage. Each GT6 has eight antennas in there as well, ensuring massive reach. Oh and did we mention it’s available in both black and white color configurations? 

Look, if you’re after a pretty affordable mesh system, with plenty of top-level networking security and features to make a grown man cry, and you want to guarantee top-notch wireless connectivity anyway in your home, then the Rapture GT6 is one of the best picks you can make.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX6000

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

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

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.

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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.


Shaun, with a computer science degree and 15 years of computer experience, has been passionate about competitive FPS gaming since the mid-2000s.

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