Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC2900 Review

The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900 Gaming router is a premium gaming router that is compatible with the latest AC standard, often known as WIFI 5. So, what exactly is the router about? Is it simply a restyled RT-AC86U with a gorgeous appearance, or is there anything more to this release? Now that NVIDIA has approved this dual-band 5000 MHz (160mhz on 5GHz) and 2400 MHz router, it may be used with confidence. This means that it has been specifically designed for game streaming.

You can buy a router by the dozen nowadays, and most of them are virtually identical to one another. As a result, the more established manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to differentiate their products from their competitors in an effort to maintain their market share.

Because there aren’t many extras you can add to a router, you are limited to industry Ethernet and WIFI standards, you can ensure that the throughput of the devices is sufficient for modern age high-bandwidth file throughput, and you can make the firmware as sexy as possible with a nice GUI and extensive feature set, it is difficult to achieve this.

The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900 Gaming router is an 802.11ac-spec router that features improvements for Nvidia GeForce NOW and offers three-level game acceleration, easy port forwarding, AiMesh for full home WiFi, and AiProtection Pro for network protection.

In addition to the features, I previously stated, if you have your router in close proximity, you should know that it is equipped with Aura lighting on the front, which can be programmed to indicate the status of the network in addition to a variety of colors and effects. Dual band wifi connection is provided by the GT-AC2900, with download speeds of up to 750 Mbit/s on the 2.4 GHz band and up to 2167 Mbit/s on the 5 GHz band.

You will see three antennae, but it also includes an inside antenna, which you will not be able to see. The gadget is equipped with Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) technology, which helps it avoid interfering with other systems. This router, which is touted as a gaming router, is equipped with three levels of game acceleration to help you get more out of your games at every turn.

While it is a touch gimmicky, you will notice a ROG gaming connector on the motherboard that allows gamers to prioritize the device(s) that are attached to it. Then there’s the well-known Game Boost feature, which is an adaptive QoS that has been specifically optimized for gaming and which provides precedence to all gaming traffic that comes through the GT-AC2900.

Finally, there is a built-in Gamers Private Network (GPN), powered by wtfast, that provides the shortest possible connection between the home network and the game server, resulting in the shortest ping times and the lowest latency possible for the player (you do need a paid subscription for that though).

Design

We will cover the design and functionality of the router in our ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC2900 router review this time, which will be published shortly.

For those acquainted with ROG products, the GT-AC2900 will very certainly be recognized as a close cousin of the company’s RT-AC68U. What’s nice about this particular design is that it has a tiny environmental imprint. By doing so, you may put the router in different parts of your home with greater ease and flexibility.

When compared to today’s large routers, the GT-AC2900 is small and can be installed almost anyplace. You do not need to clean up your entire desk in order to create room for it.

Examining the ROG theme in further detail, we can see that the whole center of the GT-AC2900 is illuminated beautifully by the AURA RGB. Together with the logo, this is displayed on the left, while a pair of activity LED lights are displayed on the right.

Absent its LEDs, the GT-AC2900 seems to be a plain black box with slight contouring and ridges on the top and bottom. Its purpose is to give additional flair to the space while also breaking up the boring monochromatic aesthetics.

Despite its simple appearance, once the GT-AC2900 is powered on, its AURA LEDs provide additional color and vibrancy to your space. What we really like about them is that you can even personalize them to suit your own preferences and style.

Performance 

When we do our testing, we simulate the performance you would receive inside a house with a concrete bottom floor and first floor that is multi-leveled. Single-band 2.4 GHz and single-band 5 GHz frequencies are used. At this experiment, the router (host) is placed at ground level, and we test it with a client (laptop) in different phases.

Most enthusiast level motherboards now include integrated Wi-Fi, and there are a plethora of protocols to choose from. Wireless AC, also known as 802.11ac and 802.11d, is one of the most intriguing of these technologies. Those motherboards that have such a device will now be evaluated on Guru3D.com’s test bench. Wi-Fi AC draft 802.11ac technology was created in order to improve video streaming performance.

It is possible to download material more rapidly and sync big video or audio files more quickly when using Gigabit Wi-Fi connections, which are available. Considering that a rising number of Wi-Fi devices in the home is leading to an increase in internet usage, the new wireless draft 802.11ac standard will assist you in achieving faster wireless rates.

Our source router supports 802.11a, 802.11ac, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n wireless standards. The router is placed on the ground floor, one floor below the office space. The throughput may be carefully mapped and measured by monitoring several times per second during a test run of 60 seconds in a host/client arrangement; the throughput you see above represents real sustained throughput in this configuration. In the sample above, the WIFI throughput is across a single 5 GHz connection at a distance of 5 meters, resulting in average throughput of 322 Mbit/s.

For example, if your router is located on the first level and you want to stream Netflix in Ultra HD in your attic, where you have constructed your home theater setup or gaming crib, you may do so. For Netflix, a signal of at least around 25 Mbit/s would be required. Netflix Ultra HD, on the other hand, consumes little more than 15 Mbit/s, but you’ll need a little more bandwidth for caching and error correction.

As a result, 25 Mbit/s in the worst possible site would be the absolute least aim to achieve. Of fact, it would also be a reasonable amount for a brief session of web browsing. Just to be clear, before you start looking at the findings, please understand that they will differ depending on where you are on the planet. There are so many elements that have an impact on WIFI that it’s mind-boggling to consider them all.

Also, even if you have a fantastic WIFI router (HOST), if your laptop (CLIENT) has weak WIFI, you will not obtain impressive results. Likewise, maybe stated of your current building, which has reinforced concrete/steel walls? Possibly. You’ll notice a decrease in performance.

Are there any other elements that influence the functioning of WIFI? Yes, the number of WIFI routers in your area, as well as the turning on and off of equipment such as your refrigerator, and, hey, do you know what frequency a microwave operates on… Yes, the frequency is 2400 Mhz, and as a result, it can have an impact on performance. So WIFI testing becomes rather subjective and difficult to reproduce as a result of these considerations.

Specifications

Hardware
CPU	1.8GHz 64bit dual-core processor
Memory	256MB Flash, 512MB RAM
Transmitter	MIMO
Software
Firmware	ASUS ROG Gaming Center
Management	UPnP, IGMP v1/v2/v3, DNS Proxy, DHCP, NTP Client, DDNS, Port Trigger, Port Forwarding, DMZ, System Event Log
Network
Wired	Gigabit (1000Mbps)
Wireless	802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz+5GHz), 1024QAM (2.4GHz+5GHz)
Encryption	64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP, WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, Radius with 802.1x, WPS support
Guest Network	Yes
3G/4G	Yes
Maximum Connection	NA
Internet connection	Automatic IP, Static IP, PPPoE(MPPE supported), PPTP, L2TP
Operating mode	Wired Router, Wireless Router
DHCP	NA
VPN	Yes
Parental Control	Yes
Traffic Control	Yes
Connectivity
LAN	Gigabit (4x RJ-45)
WAN	Gigabit (1x RJ-45)
USB	USB (1x 3.0, 1x 2.0)
Dimensions
Length	221mm
Width	169mm
Height	111mm
Weight	780g

Verdict

For those who appreciate the aesthetics and functionality of a gaming router, no one does it quite like ASUS. The GT-AC2900 takes inspiration from the ROG X570 and Z390 motherboard designs, and it features the same edgy style and lighting as those motherboards. The build quality is still excellent, with high-grade plastics and a matte finish, and the addition of the Wave 2 hardware platform and mounting choices further enhances the experience.

The performance of this 802.11ac platform is among the greatest I’ve ever seen from a wireless networking platform. That being said, our newest platform is the first in the industry to take advantage of 160MHz channels, providing the extra bit of performance exhibited in the GT-AC2900 model. Having said that, we were able to mandate 40MHz channels from the 2.4GHz band, which resulted in a great 214Mbps download speed.

Using the 5GHz band, we tested 80MHz channels at 611Mbps, and when we switched to 160MHz, the speed increased to 938Mbps. The ROG’s range was pretty impressive, with the device reaching out to 20ft while maintaining peak 2.4GHz speed and 5GHz performance taking over from there, hitting 938Mbps to 20ft before fading.

As we previously discussed in our review of the GT-AX11000, many of you are familiar with the Rapture Gaming platform that ASUS employs in their ROG routers. With the exception of the introduction of GeForce Now, this system is identical to the previous one. The “normal” controls found on an ASUS platform are still present, but they are enhanced with a gaming overlay and GameFirst QoS, as well as the hardware “gaming port,” which is a nice touch.

Priced at $249.99, the GT-AC2900 is a good value considering that the only true competition it has is the Netgear XR500, which is a little more costly at $299.99 and offers more features.