Asus ROG Flow Z13 Review: Gaming meets Portability

Since the debut of the ROG mothership, Asus' design philosophy and innovation have advanced significantly. The Flow Z13 has been updated with a more portable form factor even though it retains several features from its predecessor.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Design

According to the manufacturer, the ROG Flow Z13's design was influenced by retro-futurism and incorporates elements of futuristic spaceships into its chassis. The gaming tablet has an integrated kickstand that can be opened to a maximum of 170 degrees. The kickstand's construction guarantees a top-notch viewing experience.

Users can glimpse into the laptop's interior through a small glass pane on the device's back, which also features RGB accent lighting. The gaming convertible weighs only 1.2 kg and has a thickness of only 12mm.Overall, the Asus ROG Flow Z13's design complements your workstation's contemporary appearance.

Display

The 13-inch, IPS-paneled Asus ROG Flow Z13 has a full HD, 1920 x 1200 pixel display. The touchscreen display supports Dolby Vision and has a 16:10 aspect ratio. The gaming tablet's display has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a maximum brightness of 500 nits. When compared to other laptops, the gaming tablet's screen is bordered by small bezels on all sides, offering you more screen real estate.

The touchscreen on the tablet is responsive and offers rich, brilliant colours on the display panel. The Asus gaming tablet also supports a stylus, enabling you to take notes, doodle, and draw on the device. Though the stylus is nothing to talk home about when compared with productivity tablets. But compared to other laptops, the stylus is fairly accurate and responsive.

The Asus ROG Flow Z13's display will not let you down from a gaming perspective. It covers all the necessities, including proper brightness and sharpness levels and correct colour reproduction on the panel. Additionally, Asus ROG Flow Z13 supports adaptive sync, so you won't experience any screen tearing problems. Go to settings to further customise the display mode. According to your preferences and usage, you can adjust the colour temperature and manual colour calibration. There is also a 4K WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) display option for the Asus ROG Flow Z13.

Performance

Asus ROG Flow Z13 is available in a variety of configurations. The 12-generation Intel Core-i7 12700H processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD provide power for the gaming tablet. Nvidia RTX 3050 paired with an integrated GPU for Intel Iris Xe is in charge of the graphics. Additionally, the gadget has a built-in MUX switch that can somewhat improve performance. With these specifications, the tablet operated without any lag and performed well. With the gaming tablet, we just had one issue, and that was warmth. After a prolonged gaming session, you'll notice that the tablet begins to heat up.

There is also the ROG XG Mobile Interface which allows us to add an external GPU to the system. It supports up to an RTX 3080 for the extra graphical performance.(We were unable to test it due to limited availability.)

The benefit of the detachable is that the keyboard stays cool even though the tablet is heating up. With the use of Armoury Crate software, you can also regulate performance by monitoring temperature in addition to using options like Silent mode, Balanced mode, Turbo mode, and Manual mode. We enjoyed playing games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The system performed flawlessly during our gaming session with no obvious issues. If you're a casual gamer, the powerful machine will definitely make your gaming experience enjoyable.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard folio that comes with the Asus ROG Flow Z13 has single-zone RGB backlit keys that feel soft and have a high-end appearance. The chiclet keyboard has a 1.7mm travel distance and supports Aura Sync. When you use the tablet on your lap, the keyboard presents a small challenge. The tablet is wiggly due to the keyboard, but when placed on a flat surface, it feels robust. Using pogo pins, the keyboard is magnetically attached to the tablet. The keyboard is easy to operate, and there is ample room for your hand to rest while you play or type. The keyboard also includes a little trackpad in addition to this. Though the keyboard is small for our liking, we do appreciate Asus for adding it.

Port Selection

Speaking of ports, the XG mobile connector and USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port are located on the left side.

The power button with an integrated fingerprint reader, the volume rocker, a USB Type-A port, and a 3.5mm audio jack are all located on the right side of the device. The stereo speakers are located in a small area of perforations on each side of the gaming tablet. The tablet's 8MP camera is located on the back, while the microSD card port is hidden beneath the kickstand.

Battery

The battery life is one area where most gaming laptops including the Asus ROG Flow Z13 suffers. Asus ROG Flow Z13 is powered by a 56WHr battery that supports quick charging. According to the manufacturer, the battery life of the portable gaming gadget can last up to 8 hours on a single charge. Nevertheless, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 was able to survive up to 6 hours throughout our tests. The gaming device has fast charging capabilities and can recharge 50% of the battery in just 30 minutes. Although this Asus gaming tablet's battery life is not very strong, its compatibility for rapid charging is a plus.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Price and Availability

The starting price of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is Rs 1,36,990, while the unit with RTX 3050 GPU that we tested costs Rs 1,71,990. The portable gaming tablet's stylish appearance and potent technical characteristics will win over die-hard gamers. You should take this gaming device into consideration if you want something portable.