ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 WIFI6E router review - Introduction

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (Quad Band WIFI6E router)

The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 is a large gaming router that supports the new 6 GHz frequency, also known as WIFI 6E. It is also compatible with 5G AX/AC and 2.4G lower bands. Despite its unusual appearance, it is packed with features and is expected to provide excellent wired and wireless performance. This triple-band router is equipped with a quad-core CPU and offers quad-band connectivity. In today's market, routers can be found in abundance, with many of them offering similar features. To stand out, manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to add new features to their products. However, as routers are limited by industry Ethernet and WIFI standards, manufacturers must focus on providing good throughput for high-bandwidth file transfer and creating user-friendly firmware with a comprehensive feature set. The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 is a high-end router that supports the 802.11ax specification and the new 6GHz band, also known as Wi-Fi 6e. This new frequency provides more than double the capacity of the adjacent 5GHz band, allowing for up to seven nonoverlapping 160MHz channels. This makes the 6GHz band similar to a brand-new seven-lane expressway, with access reserved for 6E devices. However, it should be noted that 6GHz Wi-Fi spectrum is not available in all countries and in some places, it is not allowed to operate at maximum power. This means that coverage may be limited for now and the 6GHz is not supported by most of the devices yet. But with this router, you can achieve excellent wireless speeds of 700~800 Mbit/s at 5 to 10 meters via WiFi.

The GT-AXE16000 is a quad-band router, which is not particularly unique, but as a flagship quad-band gaming router, it is the first of its kind. Like most Asus routers, it has more to offer than just Wi-Fi capabilities. The design of the GT-AXE16000 is similar to the GT-AXE11000. It has a boxy and bulky shape. The top of the router now has a mirror finish, which adds a unique aesthetic, but can be annoying as it causes reflections and is a fingerprint magnet. The ROG Aura lighting is programmable, allowing you to change the colors and create different patterns or turn it off completely via the web interface or the Asus mobile app.The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 offers game-specific features, including a new custom "Game Boost" mode. This mode intelligently prioritizes gaming traffic over other processes and can also stop high-bandwidth traffic, such as downloads, from running while active to prevent lag during gaming. The mode can be activated through a physical button on the router or through the GUI or application interface. This technology is designed to eliminate network lag and latency for a smoother online gaming experience. The router has a suggested retail price of $699.99, which is a significant amount of money for a router. However, street prices indicate a level just above the 625 EUR mark.