The ASUS ROG Phone II Review: Mobile Gaming First, Phone Second
by Dr. Ian Cutress on September 30, 2019 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Mobile
- Asus
- Qualcomm
- Smartphones
- ROG
- RGB
- Snapdragon 855 Plus
- ROG Phone II
GPU Performance
As always with the GPU testing we do here, how a device ends up in the results is pretty much equally impacted by the SoC microarchitecture and GPU itself as it is by other factors such as software thermal throttling configurations as well as the hardware design of the phone – whether it can properly dissipate the heat from the SoC to the body of the phone.
We’re testing the ROG Phone II both in the default mode as well as the X Mode to determine any differences.
In the Physics test of 3DMark we see a difference in the reported peak performance of the RP2 depending on whether X Mode is on or off. Oddly enough, this has zero impact on the sustained performance scores as they end up nigh identical, pointing out that the X Mode doesn’t look to have any large impact on the thermal throttling of the phone, at least on the side of the CPU.
In the graphics tests, the ROG Phone II is dominating and is clearly posting the highest performance among any smartphone out there when it comes to its sustained performance. The device is able to distinguish itself from the rest thanks to the increased GPU frequency of the Snapdragon 855+ SoC.
Furthermore, the phone doesn’t look like it throttles much at all on the GPU side of things, and the behaviour is similar to that of the OPPO Reno 10x and the OnePlus 7 Pro. Of course, this also comes at a cost of extremely high device temperatures again – the phone’s internal temperature sensor in ASUS’s own monitoring tools showcased temps of in excess of 55°C, and the phone would burn through one’s finger if held at the hottest spots.
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PeachNCream - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
Ian doesn't mention a weakness to kryptonite and I didn't see it wearing a cape so at this point the answer is unclear.Notmyusualid - Sunday, October 6, 2019 - link
Ha!Chad - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
Pretty amazing device. Glad to see someone pushing boundaries in some ways.sonicmerlin - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
If they want to make a "gaming phone" why not add some physical controls like the Nintendo Switch?hemedans - Thursday, October 3, 2019 - link
This Asus phone has physical control like switch, but you have to buy them separate.sonicmerlin - Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - link
I just realized I can't edit my comment so... at least include a controller accessory that attaches to it directly and acts as a cover as wellDianaDSmith - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
sherazNotmyusualid - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
As a ROG2 owner, happy to see you reviewed this 'phone'.I didn't buy this for gaming.
For me, the purchasing decision lay with the battery size, the front facing speakers (great for GPS in the rental car to be heard), the dual sim & dual 4G (it was 4G+3G on S8+), headphone jack, and finally, lack-of curved screen - which I shall never part money for again.
Mine is the 128GB/8G version, it was too cheap to ignore.
Oddly, my Slingshot Extreme Physics score is 4,837 vs your 4,541 (ran Sep 27, 2019 22:08, check it online), which would easily top your chart. Glitch in the matrix? Dunno.
I have a Chinese ROM, (and it was updated this morning). Whilst its rare to see the fact that it is a Chinese ROM, you do see it from time to time, in some screens, despite being set to English.
I had it on launch-day. There was no 'sim card manager' in the s/w!?! I was unable to change data sim, choose a sim with which to respond with sms etc without popping a sim out to force a pop-up. This has now been corrected.
Additionally, I initally never saw my dual sims report 4G & 4G. This has also been somewhat corrected, but as I sit in the UAE now, I am 3G & 4G. There is no way to force 4G & 4G from the menus. It will either do it (not often) or not, you have no choice. You can however set 3G & 3G, or 2G & 3G etc (but why). On the plus side, whichever sim is chosen for data, with take over the 4G role. So something here still very much requires attention.
I miss the wireless charging, but the battery-size somewhat negates that. It was nice with the Samsung to drop it on the pad, everytime I sat down at the desk, and know it would be further topped-up when I picked it up to walk away again. And it was nice having the water protection as well, (considering we have a pool), as I have drowned a new handset before...Hmm, maybe I should back this thing up.
s.yu - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
What did you get to cover the back?Notmyusualid - Wednesday, October 2, 2019 - link
It shipped with a clear plastic hard case. But I changed it for a clear rubberised one.