Hardcore gamers rely on fast systems with blazing graphics cards to gain an edge while competing online, but all of that speedy hardware means nothing if your router can't deliver the throughput needed to overcome network lag. Enter the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 ($399.99), a high-end tri-band router designed for gamers. This beast of a router looks the part and offers hardware- and software-based gaming acceleration and prioritization, a whole heap of LAN ports, robust protection against malware and viruses, and a powerful quad-core processor. It's expensive and it's big, but its speedy performance and robust features make it a must-have whether you're a serious online gamer or manage a high-traffic home network. Large and in Charge At 2.5 by 9.6 by 9.6 inches (HWD), the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is one router. The black enclosure with copper trim sports the familiar black and red Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) logo and boasts a whopping removable, adjustable antenna stalks. (That'...
One of the fastest routers we've tested, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 offers lots of gamer-friendly features, copious I/O ports, and a slick management console that lets you optimize your network for lag-free gaming.
Speedy throughput performance; Lots of gamer-friendly features; Eight LAN ports; Works with Alexa voice commands and IFTTT applets; Slick user interface
Expensive; Huge footprint; Middling file-transfer speeds