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Crashes to black screen on ROG Ally X

nvera
Level 9

Several people have reported this issue on Reddit; I've encountered it myself as well.

I created this thread on the ROGAllyX subreddit to try and gather info, no one else has added to it yet but it also has links to all the other threads I've seen about this matter: https://www.reddit.com/r/ROGAllyX/comments/1eoch1d/rog_ally_x_black_screen_crashes_has_it_happened/

Wondering if anyone can shed any more light on the cause and/or workarounds, or if an upcoming update is going to sort it.

18,493 Views
148 REPLIES 148

nvera
Level 9

A pattern seems to be emerging of people who got the BIOS 305 update before it was taken down, having much better results than those who are stuck on 304. This also fits with me not having had crashes in a while - I'm on 305.

With that in mind, perhaps 305 should be made available again as an optional update? I think a lot of people would rather have sound glitches than outright crashes.

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RespectMyAlly
Level 7

if there is no plan to fix this i'm going to have to return my x to BestBuy this is bs it's been over a month.

MyPayaso
Level 8

 

If ASUS is planning a new BIOS to address this issue, I strongly urge that it not be based on BIOS 304, which is likely the root cause of the SBC (Sudden Black Screen without Backlight) issue. When this happens, the screen goes completely black with no backlight, but the joystick RGB and fans remain on, leaving the device unresponsive.

Please consider reinstating BIOS 305 for user testing. Many of us would prefer dealing with the crackling audio problem than facing the more severe SBC. Unfortunately, people who recently purchased their devices are stuck on 304 because ASUS took down 305. I’d much rather handle the audio issue than have the screen go black without warning. 

ASUS should bring back 305 as an optional update on the official website so users can choose to install it. I'm concerned that others currently on 304 will experience this problem sooner or later, as it happened to me just a week after purchasing the device.

Additionally, a Reddit thread highlights that those on 305 aren’t encountering the SBC issue: https://www.reddit.com/r/ROGAllyX/s/GCaChXgSd1. Please forward this link to the BIOS team for review, so they can conduct their own testing between 304 and 305.

ASUS needs to address this urgently—we don't want to keep ending up with broken Ally X units with each RMA or replacement. First, it was the SD card issue on the original Ally, and now this with the Ally X!

The last one I retuned, I got the crashes even after installing 305.
At the time I had the audio cracking + crashes happening randomly. I retuned it because what if it’s a hardware issue? If a solution comes out, I might consider buying it again. Just an FYI, I exchanged it 3 times and all of them had the same issue.

That's really unfortunate. I’ve had a similar experience, having replaced my Ally X twice. On my third unit, I manually installed BIOS 305, and since then, the black screen issue has completely stopped. It’s been 3-4 weeks now without any problems vs. having SBC couple of hours and so.

I’ve noticed that some users are mistakenly associating their black screen issue with the widely discussed SBC (Sudden Black Screen) problem. However, several have reported that their screen still has the backlight on, which indicates a different issue. The SBC we're referring to here involves a total black screen with no backlight at all. These users may be experiencing issues due to drivers or specific settings, rather than the BIOS itself.

Based on a small survey/data from this Reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/ROGAllyX/s/GCaChXgSd1), nearly everyone who isn’t experiencing the issue—including myself—is on BIOS 305.

Also, check out this images (2) users on BIOS 305, showing that their black screen still has an active backlight, suggesting their problem is different from the main issue we’re discussing here. 

received_1192418385147312.jpeg

Screenshot_20240912-201634.jpg

Got it, I’ll give another and just got a new one! Worst case I will just return it to Best Buy. You said you updated manually to 305, do you have the file to share? 

Anbby_ROG
Customer Service Agent

Due to the lack of complete usage information to further analyze this issue, we have confirmed that BIOS 305 does not include any fixes for this problem. Additionally, some users have reported that issues often occur after waking from sleep (unfortunately, we still have not received sufficient information for further analysis). 
If you have already replaced the device and the problem persists, we sincerely hope you can refer to the content in this link and provide detailed device information and usage scenarios via private message. This will help us clarify the issue. Thank you!

Due to the regional holidays, my responses may be slightly delayed.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding 🙂

There is no lack of data. If you review the main threads posted on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ROGAllyX/s/JjOf8GhtCJ, https://www.reddit.com/r/ROGAlly/s/vuIfM8w36M and https://www.reddit.com/r/ROGAllyX/s/A582eWawqe you'll clearly see the correlation: the majority of users experiencing this issue are all on BIOS 304. It’s not limited to waking from sleep either. Let me emphasize—this happens randomly in the middle of games, where the screen goes completely black without any backlight, while the joystick RGB remains on, the sound cuts off, and the fans stay on.

Almost all Ally X users who aren't experiencing this issue are on BIOS 305. Again, look at the links that users have posted here, and for God’s sake, read the comments! It’s you guys who are disregarding what's being posted here. Stop telling us there’s a lack of data when users have repeatedly provided you with all the information you need.

Additionally, you stated that you’ve "confirmed" BIOS 305 doesn’t include a fix for the issue, but how could you confirm that if you claim there's a lack of complete information to analyze the problem? This doesn't make any sense.

No one is saying that BIOS 305 has an included fix. What we are pointing out is that almost all users who are currently on BIOS 305—including those with launch units—aren’t experiencing the issue. That is a significant observation, and it should not be disregarded. @Anbby_ROG

It’s even happening on Linux, so you can’t just blame it all on Windows. What about the people who aren’t tech-savvy enough to understand the real issue? They might be brushing it off as a Windows problem when in fact, it's not. Or maybe some users are experiencing it but are convincing themselves it's normal because it happens so often. They might be gaslighting themselves into thinking it's not a real issue, but in truth, it urgently needs a fix at the firmware level—not just tied to Windows drivers.

It’s like ASUS doesn’t want to acknowledge the problem. And how are users supposed to test BIOS 305 if you’ve removed it from your website, leaving only those who downloaded it when it was available with a chance to use it, while the unfortunate ones are stuck on BIOS 304?

Over 20+ users have reported this issue on both the r/ROGAllyX and r/ROGAlly subreddits, and yet you still haven’t acknowledged it? This forum post has been up for over a month, and you're still saying there’s a lack of data despite all the links and videos that have been shared here?

Also I really need to lay these out? These users are just a few of them:
https://imgur.com/a/Wosdsdo
https://imgur.com/a/BhDjLcZ
https://imgur.com/a/wCPUrWd
https://imgur.com/a/3ez4xZt
https://imgur.com/a/qebqWaG
https://imgur.com/a/PkYrlFD
https://imgur.com/a/LKM5fC6

Come on, ASUS, do your job. First, it was the original Ally's SD card frying, and now this Ally X SBC (Sudden Black Screen without backlight)?

Do you want us to resort to contacting tech youtubers like GamersNexusor LinusTechTips, Retro Game Corps, Nerd Nest, Fan The Deck, The Phawx, Sujano and so on just to name a few, again to get some real attention on this issue?

Instead of just stating that you’ve “confirmed” something in a few seconds without actual testing, why don’t you test several Ally X devices with both BIOS 304 and 305 for a few weeks? Run them intensively for 5 to 8 hours a day minimum each unit. That would provide real data, rather than just typing up a response without thorough analysis.


@MyPayaso wrote:

All Ally X users who aren't experiencing this issue are on BIOS 305


Be careful about making statements like this. There are definitely people on 304 who have reported not having any issues. The correct statement would be "there are fewer reports of it on 305, and multiple users who had crashes on 304 have reported improvements when upgrading to 305".

It did cross my mind actually - could it be that some kind of BIOS corruption in general is causing the issue, and thus, it's not "installing BIOS 305" specifically that fixes it, but rather, "reinstalling the BIOS in general" (and as such, we might possibly see the same results even if the user were to reinstall 304 instead of installing 305).

Crashes for me are far too rare to do any meaningful testing, but I would be interested to hear from a user who upgraded to 305 and stopped getting crashes, as to whether downgrading back to 304 brings the crashes back or not.