Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2023) laptop review: Little beast or odd duck?

Price When Reviewed

$1,879

Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023

It was a bit over a decade in the past when Microsoft unleashed its Surface units on the world. It took a couple of tries, but it surely discovered a recipe that labored and has largely caught with it ever since. Others within the PC business have adopted swimsuit, however few actually tried to combine up the keyboard-cover-and-kickstand formulation.

That’s why this Asus ROG Flow Z13 is an odd critter–it’s the Surface recipe to a T, but it surely dares to ask the query “What if it were for gamers?” The reply is a thicker 2-in-1 with a really highly effective CPU and an Nvidia GPU inside, with an enormous cooling system besides. But in a world the place most gaming laptops are not less than within the 14-inch-and-bigger class, can is that this a usable gaming PC or just an odd duck?

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Specs

Our evaluation unit got here geared up with an Intel Core i7-13900H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. For extra info, take a look at the specs record beneath:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-13900H (14 cores, 20 threads: 6 efficiency, 8 effectivity) 
• Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM
• Display: 13.4-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS touchscreen with 165Hz refresh charge and stylus assist
• Storage: 1 TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe PCIe strong state drive
• Webcam: 13MP
• Connectivity:  1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x  USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (with ROG XG cellular GPU interface), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, microSD reader
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Windows Hello facial login
• Battery capability: 56Wh
• Dimensions: 11.89 (W) x 8.11 (D) x 0.51 (H) inches 
• Weight: 2.6 kilos, 3.7 kilos with AC adapter
• Price as Reviewed: $1,879

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Ah, avid gamers. The stereotypes typically are true, and it exhibits in how gaming PCs are designed and marketed. The ROG Flow Z13 completely leans into that, with extremely-styled metallic, wild-looking fan vents, pointless branding, and even a small window that appears on the PC’s motherboard, with RGB besides. To be trustworthy, I don’t hate the best way this seems to be, and it even looks like a high-quality PC–however I feel it might be a lot extra subdued.

Thankfully, the front-on view is completely fantastic, with solely the RGB and font of the keyboard legends providing you with a touch that this 2-in-1 is making an attempt just a bit too exhausting to be cool. Like the Surface, the pill’s magnetically-attached keyboard has a felt exterior and may be ripped off the system or folded onto its again (though the PC will warn that the vents are blocked). In some situations, like on an airplane tray desk, having the pill stand by itself with a kickstand when having fun with a film. Even although the Flow Z13 is considerably thicker than others on this laptop computer class, utilizing the kickstand and keyboard can nonetheless be an satisfying expertise.  

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Connectivity

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

2-in-1s typically depart ports out as a way to get as skinny and transportable as potential. Thankfully, with its thicker shell, the ROG Flow Z13 crams in a bunch of choices beside the everyday USB-C ports. Sure, you get a Thunderbolt 4 port, but it surely additionally has a USB-A, a 3.5mm headset jack, and one other USB-C port hidden beneath a rubber cowl that additionally homes Asus’s proprietary XG Mobile exterior GPU connector. It’s price noting that the Flow Z13 comes with a USB-C charging brick that may ship 130W to the system. But, because it’s USB-C, you’ll lose a crucial port if you happen to’re on the charger for its most efficiency. 

Underneath the machine’s kickstand is a microSD card slot, which is tremendous handy on a tool like this. Furthermore, Asus has opted to go along with the M.2 2230 strong state drive normal, and there’s a hatch for swapping out storage with out tearing the pill aside. Thin machines like this sometimes come with none upgradeability, so it’s actually nice you’ll be able to add more room if you happen to want it.

For wi-fi hookups, the ROG Flow Z13 has the newest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, precisely what we’d count on for the cash you’re paying.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

This being a 2-in-1, the keyboard isn’t constructed into the ROG Flow Z13. Thankfully, this magnetically-attached keyboard cowl is included within the field. While I discovered the RGB-backlit keys have loads of journey, the duvet has a little bit of flex. Of course, the usability of this keyboard is considerably private–individuals with quick thighs may not have the ability to match the pill’s kickstand and keyboard cowl of their laps like a daily laptop computer. Moreover, the entire contraption might need points on smaller tables and desks, like these present in a university lecture corridor. But, on a daily desk, I had no points typing at excessive speeds. 

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

The large trackpad is fairly good however because of the flexing of the keyboard cowl, I discovered that typically it may be clicked throughout vigorous typing. Thankfully, it’s responsive throughout use and registers gestures rapidly and reliably.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Display, audio system, and webcam

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Gaming laptops are inclined to favor quick refresh over every part else. That’s why I used to be thrilled to see that the 13.4-inch, 3:2 display screen within the ROG Flow Z13 was an amazing decision, has punchy colours, and is superior for gaming and day-to-day use alike. It’s a touchscreen for pill use, as properly. Unfortunately, the skinny bezels across the display screen make it a poor pill–I discovered that holding the Flow made it far too simple to hit the shut button on the nook of home windows.

The 13 megapixel webcam is fairly first rate, all issues thought of. I discovered that some element was lacking from my face (largely in my scraggly beard) however I got here by means of well-exposed and searching pure. This digicam additionally doubles as a 5 MP facial recognition digicam, so utilizing Windows Hello for quick logins is an possibility right here as properly.

Unfortunately, between the battery, beefy chips, and every part else stuffed inside, there seemingly wasn’t any spare area left for good audio system. The 2-speaker system within the ROG Flow Z13 hearth out the edges and aren’t very spectacular, even when they’ll get considerably loud. I’d have significantly most popular that Asus take one other web page from the Microsoft Surface playbook and make them front-firing audio system as an alternative.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Performance

With its 20-thread Intel Core i9-13900H chip, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 has a ton of energy in a comparatively small bundle. Thankfully, its gaming pedigree means Asus has gone a bit nuts with the vents and followers, and even below load the Flow stays fairly cool to the contact, contemplating the truth that there’s a robust CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4060 in there, too. 

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Using Cinebench R20, we are able to check out how a laptop computer renders a 3D mannequin with its processor cores. This might help us gauge how properly all of the cores work to perform a demanding activity collectively. Here, we are able to see that the Intel i9-13900H contained in the ROG Flow Z13 is a lot quick, however can’t sustain with greater laptops, designed for punishing workloads with cooling methods to match.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Inside the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is an Nvidia GPU, serving to it get stunning gaming efficiency. Packing the GeForce RTX 4060, this pretty compact 2-in-1 can sport fairly properly on the go, in response to the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark. While removed from class-leading (as we are able to see on the chart), you’d be hard-pressed to search out one other laptop computer on this dimension with a GPU that’s this good. 

For a tool of this class, the graphics efficiency is a lot spicy for powering AAA video games like Cyberpunk 2077 at round 50 fps with good visible constancy, simply possibly not on the system’s native decision.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

While the ROG Flow Z13 looks as if a loser when stacked up towards current gaming laptops, we predict that getting round 111 frames within the Shadow of the Tomb Raider check is respectable. For on-the-go gaming, this implies you may have a superb quantity of flexibility, even when it’s not going to run the newest AAA video games at 4K/120.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Finally, in our benchmarks, we run each laptop computer by means of a Handbrake video compression situation. This lets us clock how lengthy it takes to crunch a full-resolution HD film into one suited to an Android pill. In this check, the 20-core i9 contained in the Flow Z13 took a bit longer than greater high-power gaming laptops, but it surely nonetheless acquitted itself properly for 13-inch pill.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Battery Life

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

A key check we run on each laptop computer is a battery check that loops a 4K video. Unfortunately, this can be a large weak spot for the Asus ROG Flow Z13. Because it’s such a small laptop computer, and a lot of the inside is taken up by chips and coolers, it’s left with a small 56Wh battery inside. No miracles right now ­– that is when the Flow really behaves like a gaming laptop computer, draining its battery in solely round six and a half hours. Anecdotally, I misplaced 10% of battery whereas working at a café in lower than a half-hour, which is a fairly sharp drop.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Should you purchase it?

While it’s not essentially the most performant gaming laptop computer round, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is not like some other system I’ve ever examined. Not solely is it a really compact machine, it’s acquired loads of energy for lots of video games, and greater than sufficient oomph for artistic work. Its largest weak point is by far its battery life, making it a poor cellular workstation, not less than so long as you’re away from a wall socket. 

For my functions, although, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 could be a significantly better cellular powerhouse with a high-powered AMD APU inside, like what comes within the Razer Blade 14. That method, the Flow might get nice on-the-go runtime, have sufficient pep to run the occasional sport on the street, however when again dwelling can dock up with an exterior GPU for extra resource-intensive video games and packages. But, if you happen to like your laptops small, however don’t need to compromise on energy, then the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a wonderful little beast.