Armoury Crate is ASUS’s Windows control application for ROG and TUF Gaming laptops and desktops, ASUS gaming motherboards and compatible ROG and TUF peripherals. It brings performance modes, fan control, RGB lighting, device settings, game profiles and driver updates into one interface. It comes preinstalled on ROG and TUF Gaming computers. It is offered at first boot on supported ASUS motherboards. Users can also install it on other PCs to configure ROG or TUF peripherals.
What appears in Armoury Crate depends on the hardware it detects. A laptop owner sees operating modes and display options. A motherboard owner sees fan headers and board lighting. Someone who only has an ROG mouse sees that mouse’s settings.
Home dashboard and connected devices
The home screen gathers the most-used controls. On laptops and desktops it shows a snapshot of CPU and GPU load, fan speed and memory use. It also provides a switch for the current operating mode and shortcuts to system settings such as lighting, audio and GPU behavior. On a motherboard the dashboard adds board-specific items such as configuration of addressable RGB headers and details of installed SSDs.
The Devices page lists every compatible ASUS product Armoury Crate finds. Selecting one opens its own settings, which vary by type. For mice, these include button assignment and performance settings. For keyboards, they include macros, key assignment and wireless power settings. For headsets, they include audio and power options.
Operating modes on ROG and TUF laptops
Operating modes set how much power the CPU and GPU may draw and how hard the fans work:
- Windows follows the active Windows power plan.
- Silent limits CPU and GPU power to keep noise down.
- Performance balances speed, temperature and fan noise.
- Turbo raises power limits and airflow to the maximum, and only works while the laptop is charging.
- Manual opens detailed tuning, usually on AC power only.
The available modes differ by series; TUF desktops, for example, offer only Windows, Performance and Turbo. Power Mode Sync links the Windows power mode to the selected Armoury Crate mode so the two do not conflict.
Manual mode exposes CPU power limits, temperature limits, GPU clock and memory offsets and a thermal target. Its fan curve has eight points on a temperature-to-speed graph. Users can start curves from presets and save them as custom profiles.
GPU modes and display options
On laptops with both integrated and discrete graphics, Armoury Crate switches GPU modes. Modes include Eco, which saves power by disabling the discrete GPU, as well as Standard, Optimized and, on some models, Ultimate. The tool can also close apps that are using the discrete GPU so it can power down. Switching modes may trigger a BitLocker recovery prompt on encrypted systems.
A Free Up Memory option closes selected apps to release RAM.
For laptop screens, GameVisual applies color presets for different uses, and OLED care settings help protect OLED panels. Mini-LED models can switch between Multi-Zone backlighting, which supports HDR, and One-Zone for color accuracy without HDR.
Fan Xpert for motherboards
On ASUS motherboards, Armoury Crate includes Fan Xpert. It detects the fans connected to the board’s headers. The user can then adjust each fan’s speed, draw a fan curve and choose which temperature sensor the curve follows. A separate Fan Mode control on the dashboard applies one preset to all fans at once.
Aura Sync and lighting effects
Aura Sync links the RGB lighting of compatible ASUS devices, including motherboards, graphics cards, coolers, cases, power supplies, keyboards, mice and headsets. The user selects which devices join the sync, then picks a basic effect that runs on all of them. Advanced effects open Aura Creator, a separate editor laid out like a video editor. In this editor, users build layered effects across the synced devices. Devices left out of the sync keep their own lighting.
Further lighting options include boot, sleep and shutdown effects. Some laptops add controls for AniMe Vision lid displays and Slash Lighting strips. Aura Ready games can drive lighting on compatible devices during play.
Profiles, macros and the game library
Armoury Crate’s Assistant section ties settings to what is running. Scenario Profiles save a set of system and app settings, such as an operating mode. They apply these settings automatically when a chosen game or application starts. Macros record keystrokes and mouse clicks and replay them as one action on supported devices. Game Library scans the PC for installed games, sorts them into categories, links them to profiles and launches them. GameFirst, where installed, gives game traffic network priority to reduce latency.
Updates, accounts and installable features
The Update Center lists available firmware and driver updates for detected ASUS hardware. The user chooses which to install. The Feature Library lets users add or remove whole sections such as Playground, Assistant and Contents. This means unused parts need not stay installed. Signing in with an ASUS account in the User Center gives access to product registration, account details and messages.
