Last Updated on 06/01/2022 by Ulka
The ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000, according to Asus, is the “world’s first quad-band Wi-Fi 6E gaming router.” This isn’t the first quad-band Wi-Fi 6E router in the world (Netgear launched a quad-band Orbi system last October that you can currently buy), but it is the first designed exclusively for gamers, and as a standalone router, it is less expensive than comparable mesh systems.
Quad-band routers transmit a total of four wireless bands for connectivity, as its name suggests. A 2.4GHz band, two 5GHz bands, and a snazzy new 6GHz band are all included in Asus’ newest router. Each of the three highest frequency bands has a theoretical maximum speed of 4,804Mbps, dropping to 1,148Mbps for the 2.4GHz band for a total throughput of up to 16Gbps (though, as always, real-world speeds will be significantly slower). If you want to build up a whole-home mesh network with another compatible Asus AiMesh router, you can use either the historical 5GHz or modern 6GHz bands as a backhaul.
Of course, you can go wired as well, with two 10Gbps LAN connections or four 1Gbps LAN ports to choose from. It has a 2.5Gbps WAN port and a pair of USB connections thrown in for good measure. Did I mention it resembles a spooky spider robot? That’s because it has to.
Given how uncommon quad-band 6E routers are, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is likely to be on the pricey side, with a suggested retail price of $649 when it goes on sale later this quarter. However, when compared to Netgear’s quad-band Orbi system, which costs about $1,500 for a three-pack of mesh routers, Asus’ router appears to be a bargain.
