ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro at $587.99 for WiFi 7

What this router is built to handle

This router is for a home network that has outgrown the box from your internet provider. WiFi 7, 320MHz channels in the 6GHz band and 4096-QAM are the headline specs, but the part most households will notice is the wired side. Two 10G ports and four 2.5G ports mean you can wire a gaming PC, a NAS and a couple of access points or consoles without everything fighting over one gigabit link.

Multi-link operation lets compatible devices connect across more than one band at once, which helps when several people are streaming, gaming and on calls at the same time. If your devices and your broadband plan are still a step behind WiFi 7, you'll pay for headroom you can't use yet. We'd consider it a sensible buy for a busy connected home that expects to upgrade its gear over the next couple of years.

What you're paying and what the comparison means

At $587.99, this sits $74.49 below the typical price over the last 90 days of $662.48, about 11 percent off. That's a meaningful gap for a flagship router, so treat it as a good moment to buy rather than a once-a-year event.

Room fit, placement and upkeep

This is a desk or shelf router, not something you tuck behind a cabinet. The external dual-feeding antennas are the coverage story here, so give the unit open space and keep it away from metal racks and thick walls if you want the 6GHz band to reach the far rooms.

There's no subscription attached, but the router itself is a long-term item. Check whether your broadband plan and your devices can actually use WiFi 7 before you commit, since the wired ports are the part that will help almost any setup today.

Who should skip this one

Skip it if your home is small, your internet plan is modest and your devices are a few generations old. A cheaper WiFi 6 or 6E router will cover that setup for less, and you won't miss the 10G ports.

Skip it too if you want a set-and-forget mesh kit rather than a router you'll configure yourself. Before buying, confirm whether your modem or ONT can feed a 10G port, because that determines whether the fastest wired connection here is usable in your home.

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