The ROG Ally mobile console is one of the products released by the technology company that is highly awaited and desired by the public. Its compact size, combined with a processing chip developed specifically for this console makes it a "gaming computer" that is easy to carry anywhere, even compared to a gaming laptop.
Recently, there have been a number of users who have complained that the ROG Ally SD card reader is found to be damaged after using the console for a long period of time. According to Whitson Gordon, a marketing manager at ASUS, ASUS has released a statement confirming that there is a possibility that the device's SD card reader could be damaged due to high temperatures when using the console.
This is seen to happen because the MicroSD card slot is installed close to the power supply VRM chip component that flows electricity to the AMD Ryzen Z1 APU component that powers this console.
The VRM chip is one of the components that has the highest temperature in any electronic component because it controls the level of voltage that flows to other components in any electronic equipment. Technically a MicroSD card can withstand temperatures up to 85 degrees Celsius, but the SD card reader may not be able to withstand that heat for long, and cause damage to the reader and the card.
ASUS says that they will come with a software update that will allow the ROG Ally fan to blow harder to reduce the temperature of the VRM chip. But until that update arrives, there's not much that can be done other than not using the SD card for now.
Whitson has also said that for now, ROG Ally owners (probably US users for now) can send their devices in for RMA repair if they find that their ROG Ally's SD card reader has this problem.
We have asked ASUS Malaysia whether local ROG Ally owners can repair their consoles if it is found that their consoles have the same problem, and we will update this article with their official statement.