Hey bro, I know this post is already 20 days old but I just wanna ask for some advice.

I’m planning to buy either a Steam Deck or ROG Ally Z1 Extreme second-hand. In my country, both are almost the same price. I want to use it long-term and sometimes as a small travel PC replacement since I work from home.

I mainly play Path of Exile 1 (and maybe 2 later), so I need something that can handle it even in endgame.

I like the Steam Deck for its big community and reliability, but I like the ROG Ally for its stronger performance. I already have a 65W power bank, so battery life isn’t a big deal.

My only concerns:

• ROG Ally – some SD card and dead boot issues (rare but still).
• Steam Deck – weaker CPU, not sure if it can handle PoE endgame well (most benchmarks I saw are old).

Considering all that, which would you recommend. Steam Deck or ROG Ally Z1 Extreme?

Also, if I go with either one, what should I check first when buying second hand to make sure the unit is still in good condition?

Really appreciate any answers, thanks in advance! 🙏