introduction
When D-Link came up with the idea of a router "game", it started, I think, with the DGL-4300 back in 2005. The usual approach is to paint black, throw (or promote) feature-based performances (it's a switch Gigabit Ethernet in DGL-4300) and complicate the admin GUI, preferably also black (and red).
ASUS pretty much stuck in this playbook with game routers. The first grab for the gamer wallet is RT-AC88U, a gamerized version of RT-AC3100. The main claims for gamer fame are the four additional ports, some red physical accents - antennas and heatsinks (!) - and the addition of support for WTFast Internet Internet.
ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Wireless-AC5300 Tri-Band Gaming Router empties everything. GT is part of the ASUS Republic of Gamers brand that includes laptops, desktops and computer accessories for those who like their equipment to imply a skill badass. For about 40 dollars more than the RT-AC5300, GT doubles flash and RAM size, doubled the number of gigabit LAN ports - added 802.3ad link aggregation on two of them - and moved to quad-core processors from dual-core. vs RT. Admin GUI GT also has a motive gamers and throw some features gamers again.
In addition to the different logos on the grid and the rear panel top connector, you should look carefully to tell GT and RT apart. Up and down ventilation for cooling is the same and GT also does not have an installed screw slot.
ASUS has added jagged rubber grommets around each antenna connector in business, I think, to cure the floppy antenna RT curve. This is not good, because the antenna body does not touch them. But the GT antenna, which is taller and slimmer than the RT, seems to have more rotational friction and does not fail during my time with the product.
I was surprised to find that GT and RT have the same FCC ID (MSQ-RTGZ00), despite having significant differences inside. The FCC now seems to allow some hardware revisions to be registered under the same ID. Class II's change letter calls three versions and refers to a test report. The table below, taken from page 5 of the report, shows four revisions. But the only version number listed on the product label or product number label is Hardware revision, ie A. So I open the review sample to be investigated, after the test is done.
Since ASUS advertises GT as a quad-core processor, it means Rev 1.311 or Rev 1.411. The photo below clearly shows the GT board marked 1.41. Heatsink and RF can be set already removed.
The display below with the underscored bottom cover shows more heatsinks. The general layout and construction are quite close to those shown in old FCC internal photos. The ASM1182e PCIe switch is no longer necessary because the BCM4908 has enough PCIe ports installed to handle the three radios.
