ASUS Armoury Crate vs MSI Dragon Center: Which to Get?
Breaking down all features, must-knows & downsides
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If you’re not sure which app is best for your needs, this ASUS Armoury Crate vs MSI Dragon Center comparison will help you figure it out.
From different Modes available, to Fan speed control ability, and temperature monitoring, we broke it all down below.
ASUS Armoury Crate vs MSI Dragon Center
Here’s a quick glimpse on what Asus Armoury Crate vs MSI Dragon Center have to offer:
Criteria | ASUS Armoury Crate | MSI Dragon Center |
---|---|---|
Setup | 5-10 min, requires uninstaller | ~10 min, may encounter issues |
UI | Complex, feature-rich | Streamlined, user-friendly |
Performance Modes | 4 (Turbo, Performance, Silent, Manual) | 3 (Gaming, Performance, Balanced) |
Driver Updater | No | Yes |
RGB Customization | Yes | Yes |
Fan Control | Yes | Yes |
Temperature Monitoring | Yes | Yes |
Game Optimization | Yes | Yes |
Cross-Device Sync | Yes | Yes |
App Size | Large | Large |
Now, let’s check out the details.
1. Setup
ASUS Armoury Crate is available for download on the ROG website and the ASUS support page.
The installation process is a bit of a mixed bag. It takes 5-10 minutes to install and includes additional software you might not need. And that’s not even the most complicated part.
Removing the app is unnecessarily complicated, as you first have to install another piece of software—the Armoury Crate Uninstaller, which is meant to remove all traces of the software properly.
Don’t forget to uninstall the uninstaller at the end 🤷♀️.
MSI Dragon Center is not less clunky. First, you have to download a 489 MB ZIP file from the MSI official website, unpack it, and complete the initial installer wizard.
Once that’s done, you’ll have to launch the app as Admin from the Start Menu and continue with a few more minutes of setup.
And even if you go through all the hoops, you might be unlucky and the installation would get stuck.
In both cases, for software that’s supposed to simplify your gaming experience, the multi-step installation process feels ironically tedious.
2. User interface
Being a feature-rich tool, ASUS Armoury Crate has a pretty complicated UI.
If you’re an advanced user, you’ll appreciate the depth of customization options.
But if you want a simple click-and-forget type of deal, it might look too cluttered for your needs and there’ll be a lot of features you’ll never use.
On the other hand, the UI of MSI Dragon Center is more streamlined. Features are organized in tabs like Gaming Mode, Performance Monitor, and Mystic Light.
We find it easy to navigate, intuitive, and less overwhelming than ASUS Armoury Crate’s UI.
So, if you’re in for advanced customization and have the patience to learn how to navigate the UI, ASUS Armoury Crate might be a better option. But if you prefer simpler controls, we suggest MSI Dragon Center.
3. Features
- Performance Modes
ASUS Armoury Crate offers the CPU Turbo Mode option for performance optimization. The tool is solid and can really make a difference.
The downside is that it only works when plugged in. This can be a real drawback if you want to game on the go.
Besides that, it has a Performance Mode, a Silent Mode, and and Manual.
Similarly, MSI Dragon Center has a Performance user mode, a Gaming Mode both of which that can improve performance. That said, at times, the Gaming Mode is buggy and won’t work.
It also has a balanced mode that maintains good performance while saving up on resources.
- Driver Updates
To update the ASUS drivers, you must install yet another software—the MyASUS app—or do it manually.
MSI Dragon Center wins here, with a built-in driver updater in the support section. This makes it easier to keep track of all aspects that affect your device’s performance.
- RGB Lightning customization
ASUS Armoury Crate’s Aura Sync has extensive customization options. You can sync lighting, adjust color tones, and create various profiles. If you want more control over your lights, it might be a better option.
However, keep in mind that it is occassionally buggy and requires troubleshooting.
MSI’s Mystic Light offers similar features, plus the ability to add external RGB LED strips.
If your main reason for installing the tools are RGB controls, you get pretty good features. On the other hand, some users might feel both tools overemphasize aesthetics over more critical system optimization.
- Temperature and fan speed customization
ASUS Armoury Crate provides basic fan speed and temperature monitoring, sufficient for most users but lacking depth.
MSI Dragon Center goes further, offering Auto, Basic, and Advanced modes for complete fan RPM control.
4. Performance
ASUS Armoury Crate has a good set of features and its CPU optimization is really worthwhile. However, frequent bug reports, crashes and slowdown problems overshadow these good qualities.
Many users complain about the software and look for alternatives and we get why. For a tool meant to enhance gaming, having this many issues that lead to performance errors looks counterproductive
MSI Dragon Center performs more reliably, for the most part. There are people who report it’s laggy and occasionally buggy, but it’s not a regular problem.
It fares better but doesn’t completely escape performance issues, especially during extended use.
5. ASUS Armoury Crate vs MSI Dragon Center: Verdict
If you need access to advanced customization features, ASUS Armoury Crate might be a better option. That said, its complexity and built in apps make it less user-friendly.
Plus, being a pretty big app, it requires a solid system to work hithc free.
MSI Dragon Center is more balanced, with a simpler interface, but not as much personalization features as the Armoury Crate.
While it’s not perfect, its relative ease of use and versatility, make it a better choice for most users.
Ultimately, it comes down to your particular needs and preferences. If you’re still unsure, check out our ASUS Armoury Crate vs G-Helper comparison. The latter gets lots of praise from gamers.
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