ROG FLOW Z13 Review-A unique 2-in-1 gaming machine packed with features
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A 2-in-1 gaming machine? Interesting as it sounds, it’s a very difficult to implement idea. The thermal management and the size of the chassis would bring up multiple challenges for the engineers and product designers. However, ASUS ROG has managed all the challenges with the new ROG Flow Z13.
When I first saw the Z 13 at the media unveiling event, I just fell in love with the design and the overall form factor of the device. My love for RGB lights and the Cyberpunk aesthetic is another story altogether.
Later, ASUS India sent the Flow Z13 for review purposes and we had a blast using the device this is our report. Before we start the review, we would like to state, that comparing the ROG Flow Z 13 to other gaming laptops is not justified. This is a 2-in-1 device with multiple uses even for non-gamers. Compare this to the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and suddenly everything makes sense.
Design
The ROG Flow Z 13 primarily looks like the gaming version of Microsoft Surface Pro or iPad Pro. Being a ROG device, it does not shy away from showing its gaming roots, and we love this. The device is a typical tablet plus removable keyboard combination; however, this comes with full-fledged gaming laptop hardware inside.
Keeping the suede-covered de-attachable keyboard aside, the Z 13 has a slightly thicker stance than the comparable Microsoft Surface Pro 8 or the iPad Pro, but there is a lot going on here. The device has a metal chassis and feels really premium to hold. At the back, there is a small window that shows a glimpse of the internal motherboard and, of course, it’s a ROG device, therefore, this window has RGB lighting.
The keyboard
The removable keyboard that comes in the box is quite nice, continuing with the gamer aesthetic it also features single-zone RGB lighting. The keyboard is covered in a Suede / Alcantara-type material and feels very nice to use.
The keys are also quick and clicky with decent travel, you can use it for occasional gaming, but if you are a gamer you would already have your Cherry MX mechanical keyboard and a fast mouse ready.
The standard-sized touchpad is ok to use and registers clicks and touches very well. We did not use this keyboard for gaming, however, while traveling we used the keyboard to churn out some quick copies, and typing on this keyboard was easy, the keys have decent depth and are very responsive.
Ports
The ROG Flow Z 13 comes with a lot of ports even though this is one the slimmest and lightest ‘Gaming’ devices I have used yet. You get the proprietary ROG XG Mobile Interface to connect the ROG 3080 external GPU, you also get a Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort and PD support, one USB 2.0 Type-A port, a microSD card reader, and another USB Type C port that supports DisplayPort, Power Delivery and G-Sync.
Display
The ROG Flow Z 13 is available with two display panel configurations – a 13.4-inch 1920x1200 IPS panel with 120Hz refresh rate, and a 13.4-inch 3840x2400 IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. Both panels have the brightness of 500nits, Pantone validation, Dolby Vision HDR, and adaptive sync. The review unit came with the UHD panel along with a stylus in the box as both displays offer touch and stylus support. The UHD panel on the review unit was brilliant, and consuming content on this 13.4-inch screen was a wonderful experience. However, it’s a gaming 2-in-1, so we did load Valorant, Cyberpunk, and a few other games and the display was crisp with great viewing angles. The 500 nits brightness is bright enough for well-lit indoor scenarios, however, if you are sitting under direct sunlight then the screen visibility reduces a bit. The touch and stylus response is perfect and while I’m not an artist, this device could really serve in an artist's hands with the app support of Windows 11 and the powerful internals.
Performance
This is where the ROG Flow Z 13 shows its gaming roots, the device is unique because not only it comes with the latest 12 gen flagship processors from Intel with 16GB of 5200MHz DDR5 RAM, but it also fits an Nvidia 3050/3050Ti GPU inside. In terms of storage, you can choose between 512/1TB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD and it has an extra slot for expansion as well.
Performance is breezy, I mean it can handle most of the games at a decent frame rate, mind you the GPU is running only at 40W, for creators and people who are looking to edit videos on the go, this machine is perfect, video rendering and export times on Adobe Premier is as quick as expected with 3050 powered devices. Even using multi-layer photo editing on Photoshop the Flow Z 13 does not struggle. Moreover, the presence of the MUX switch means you can easily bypass the iGPU for some extra frame rates.
But if you need more performance, the Flow Z 13 has a trick up its sleeve, an expensive trick. Enter ROG XG Mobile, yes! this external GPU which comes with Nvidia’s RTX 3080 and a host of I/O ports takes over from the 3050Ti inside the Flow Z 13 and ups the GPU processing power. While we did not get to test the ROG Flow Z 13 + ROG XG Mobile Interface together, we did experience it at an ASUS event.
Thermals & Battery Life
ASUS has packed a lot of high-performance tech inside that slim (slightly chunky in terms of a tablet) body. This means the company had to do a lot of work for thermal management, and they have, with vapor chamber cooling, multiple vents, larger fans, and liquid metal cooling.
However, in our usage, the Flow Z 13, did tend to get hot under load, like gaming or while exporting video files. In normal usage cases, where we are using browser and Microsoft Word with occasional Photoshop editing the device remained cool and calm.
With a moderate 56Whr battery inside, the battery life is just about average. For mobility, it offers we would have liked slightly more juice from the battery. During normal usage, the battery can sustain the Flow Z 13 between 4-5 hours, the moment you start any power-intensive apps like well gaming, the battery just lasts an hour or two max. However, the 100W USB-C charger charges the device quite quickly and if you are buying this for mobility then this USB-C charger is the only one you would need for your phone and other devices along with Flow Z 13.
Things we did not like
The 2-in-1 design and the powerful internals and the option to get the ROG XG Mobile is a sweet proposition for people who need to be mobile and yet want a powerful machine, however, we did find a few quirks. The 2-in-1 design with a kickstand and removable keyboard mean it’s a challenge to keep on your lap and work, in case people like doing that. Battery life is the next thing we found a bit getting used to, lastly under heavy loads the back panel does tend to get hot and becomes a bit uncomfortable to hold.
Things we liked
We liked the whole concept of the ROG Flow Z 13, a 2-in-1 device with beefy specs and off course the RGB treatment. The presence of a MicroSD card slot is another small addition that expands the usage case of this device, for photographers, videographers and other creative professionals. The full kit – Flow Z 13, Stylus, 100W charger, funky ROG carrying case comes inside the box. And lastly to expand your thirty for more power, the compatibility with ROG XG Mobile.
Verdict
Well, the ROG Flow Z13 is a really unique device with really no competition in the market at the moment, comparing the Flow Z13 to cheaper or similarly priced gaming laptops is unfair because of the extreme mobility that the Flow Z13 packs in, the only thing we can compare it to is the Microsoft Surface Pro 8. With the prices starting at ₹ 136,990 (Review unit - ₹ 181,990)the Flow Z13 is an expensive device, when we can have a ROG Strix Scar at the same price, however, this is an incorrect comparison. Let us look at the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 which is priced at ₹ 1,63,999 and that’s without the stylus, and keyboard cover and suddenly the pricing of the ROG Flow Z13 makes so much more sense.
Mobility, Power, and Expansion are the main keywords here, the ROG Flow Z13 is a superb device for anyone who wants to have a powerful machine that is light enough to travel with, be it a gamer or a creative professional. Kudos to ASUS for thinking out of the box, The ROG Flow Z13 gets a big thumbs up from us.
