Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Two-minute review
There are quite a few high-speed routers that are designed specifically for gamers who need lightning-fast response times for their online action, but there aren’t many options on the best mesh Wi-Fi system lists that are able to combine top-of-the-range gaming performance with the wide coverage area required for larger homes.
The Asus RoG Rapture GT6, which is part of the manufacturer’s Republic Of Gamers (RoG) specialist brand, isn’t the first such mesh system that I’ve come across, but it’s certainly the fastest, providing tri-band Wi-Fi 6 with a top-speed of 10Gbps that should satisfy even the most demanding gamers.
The mesh network features of the two-pack system that I reviewed here should also be able to cover large homes of up to 5,800 sq.ft in size (or six or more bedrooms, according to Asus). And, if you need the best gaming router that will meet your lofty coverage needs, it’s hard to beat.
The Asus RoG Rapture GT6 certainly doesn’t look like a conventional router - in fact, the two routers look more like small thermo-nuclear devices waiting for Bruce Willis to come along and disarm them (it’s the blue wire - it’s always the blue wire!). In fact, the sturdy and chunky routers are so solidly-built, they each weigh in at around 0.9kg (1.98lbs) each.
The routers are available in either black or white - although, just for the lolz, Asus sent us one of each - with a sharply angular hexagonal shape, and an assortment of garish logos and slogans carved into the plastic panelling that exhort you to annihilate your online enemies with extreme prejudice.
Most gaming routers have an intimidating array of external antennae that are designed to boost transmission of the Wi-Fi signal (and also to look as scary as possible). However, the chunky design of the GT6 manages to hide no less than nine separate antennae inside the body of each router.
These are also angled to point in different directions in order to spread the Wi-Fi signal as far and wide as possible. And, of course, like all good gaming gear, the GT6 routers include a number of fancy lighting effects that can be selected from within the Asus app and beamed through the large RoG logo on the front of each router.
The Asus RoG Rapture GT6 isn’t taking any prisoners. It provides tri-band Wi-Fi 6 transmitting on the 2.4GHz as well as two separate 5.0GHz frequency bands with a maximum speed of 10Gbps. That should be fast enough even for hardcore gamers, and the use of tri-band Wi-Fi is always a good option for gaming as it allows you to reserve one of the 5.0GHz bands to your gaming rig while everyone else has to jostle for space on the other two bands.
Wired networking is also top-of-the-range, with a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port provided for high-speed Internet connections and three Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired networking. You can also combine - or ‘aggregate’ - two of these Ethernet ports to provide a 2Gbps Ethernet connection for your gaming PC or console. A USB-A (3.2) port is also provided so that you can port a USB storage device and share it with other people on your home network.
Despite its plethora of features, the Asus RoG Rapture GT6 is quite straightforward and easy to set up. One of the routers actually has a label that says - “I’m the main router - start here!” - along with a QR code for downloading the Asus Router app for iOS or Android. The app then lets you scan another QR code in order to automatically connect to the GT6’s Wi-Fi network, and also prompts you to create a new name and password for the network for additional security.
For convenience, you have the option of merging the three frequency bands into a single network, but there’s also a choice to create three separate networks - which, as mentioned, will allow gamers to devote one of the 5GHz bands just to their gaming activities. Once the first router has been set up, the app also looks around to detect the second router - which it calls a ‘node’ - and automatically links the two routers together in order to create a wide-reaching mesh network.
The app provides a good range of basic features for home users, such as network monitoring and diagnostics, and parental controls to protect young children online. For more advanced users, the GT6 also lets you open up a web browser interface that gives access to additional features, such as the ability to designate one of the Ethernet ports as the main ‘gaming port’ so that it gets priority for maximum performance and bandwidth.
Ookla Speed Test - 2.4GHz (download/upload)
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150/150Mbps
Ookla Speed Test - 5.0GHz/5.0GHz (download/upload)
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150/150Mbps
20GB Steam download - 2.4GHz
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 19MB/s
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 19MB/s
20GB Steam 20GB download - 5.0GHz/5.0GHz
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 19MB/s
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 19MB/s
To be honest, I was almost embarrassed to connect the Asus RoG Rapture GT6 to our humble broadband connection. However, I do have an office at the back of the building that is an ideal candidate for a high-speed mesh upgrade, as the Wi-Fi in that part of the building is very unreliable. With that in mind, I connected the first GT6 router to our normal router, and then placed the second router about halfway along the corridor leading to that office.
Computers and other devices located in the same room as our normal router generally manage to get the most of our 150Mbs broadband, achieving 150Mbps on the Ookla speed test and 19MB/s when downloading games from Steam. As expected, the GT6 simply maintained those speeds for devices in the same room, so the next step was to carry our laptop into that back office to repeat those tests.
At this point, the GT6 simply shrugged and rolled its eyes at me, effortlessly maintaining rock-steady speeds of 150Mbps on Ookla and 19MB/s on Steam on all three frequency bands, with the routers’ smouldering red lights glaring at me the whole time as if to show their contempt for our feeble office broadband.
Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Price & availability
- How much does it cost? $599.99 / £549.99 (about AU$900)
- When is it available? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available in the US and the UK (Australia TBC)
If your home has that many bedrooms then you’re probably not too worried about the cost of the Asus RoG Rapture GT6. Even so, that sort of performance and wide-ranging mesh Wi-Fi doesn’t come cheap.
You can’t buy the GT6 direct from Asus so you’ll have to shop around to find the best prices, but the two-pack that I reviewed here typically costs $599.99 in the US, or £549.99 in the UK. It hadn’t gone on sale in Australia at the time of this review, but those prices are equivalent to approximately AU$900.
We also noticed that it is possible for customers in the UK to buy a single GT6 router on its own, for £297.08. This option doesn’t currently seem to be available in other regions.
- Value: 4 / 5
Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Specs
Should you buy the Asus RoG Rapture GT6?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Asus RoG Rapture GT6: Also consider
How I tested the Asus RoG Rapture GT6
- Tested it full-time for 3-4 days
- Used the Ookla Speed Test app and by downloading large game files from Steam
The Rapture GT6 is a mesh networking system that includes two routers. I connected the first router to our existing broadband router, and placed the second router in a hallway close to the Wi-Fi deadspot in our back office. I then used it as our main router, full-time for 3-4 days.
For general Wi-Fi performance we used the Ookla Speed Test app. I also tested real-world download speed by downloading large game files from Steam.
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First reviewed July 2023
