The latest analysis, news, findings and scoops on ultrabooks and ultra-portable laptops.

The latest analysis, news, findings and scoops on ultrabooks and ultra-portable laptops.

beautiful design, well built and compact for what it is good keyboard folio and typing experience good screen options excellent performance with daily use, demanding loads, and games - for the class good thermals and quiet fans

tablet form-factor, with certain ergonomic particularities that you should be aware of no 32 GB memory option on the top configuration average battery life with the 12th gen i9

Last year Asus launched the ROG Flow series of compact performance and gaming computers, with the ROG Flow X13 convertible.

This year, they not only updated the hardware in the Flow X13, but also added a new member to this ROG Flow lineup of performance ultraportables, the ROG Flow Z13. I’ve covered it in a preview a few weeks ago, and in the meantime, I got to spend more time with it and gathered my thoughts in this proper review article.

Unlike the X13, the Flow Z13 is a tablet form factor. In simple words, you can think of it as a slightly bulkier and much more powerful Surface Pro. All the hardware is tucked in behind the 13-inch 16:10 touchscreen, and Asus managed to squeeze in a Core i9-12900H processor, fast memory and storage, and an RTX 3050Ti dGPU, without sacrificing thermals or acoustics. The capabilities of this computer are definitely impressive, for a device of its size.

At the same time, the ergonomics of the tablet format might not be for everyone, the battery life isn’t amazing, and you should not expect this to offer the same kind of high-load performance you’d be getting from a larger-sized computer with similar specs.

Down below we’ll get in-depth on all the important aspects that you should be aware of before jumping one of these ROG Flow Z13s.

Asus offers this series in multiple configurations, with two screen options and with or without a dGPU option, as listed below:

All models are compatible with external GPU units, such as the ROG XG Mobile or any Thunderbolt 4 options out there, making the Iris Xe based entry-level version of the Flow Z13 especially interesting, as a competitive portable companion with the ability to transform into a full-power work/gaming computer once hooked to the dGPU enclosure, at home.

For now, though, this article is mostly going to cover the top-tier Flow Z13 GZ301ZE configuration, with the included Nvidia dGPU. I’ll follow up with a take on the Flow Z13 GZ301ZA model (Iris Xe only) later on.

If you’ve used a Surface Pro before, you’ll know what to expect from this Flow Z13 in terms of overall functionality.

It’s the same kind of tablet computer with the hardware tucked behind the display and a detachable keyboard folio. It also gets the same kind of multi-angle adjustable kickstand on the back.

This is uniquely designed though, with a sturdy metal chassis with various engravings and easter-eggs on the back, as well as an RGB-lit glass window that allows to peek at the internals inside.

The Flow Z13 is also heavier and thicker than a Surface Pro, and that should not be a surprise, given it also packs much more powerful components and the required cooling to keep those at bay.

As far as I’m concerned, I’d mostly keep this on a desk, as the ergonomics are questionable on the lap/tighs and the extra weight impacts the experience in tablet mode. This is not just a particularity of this Flow Z13, but rather of the whole segment of such tablet computers.

The Flow Z13 itself weighs around 1.2 kilos in this variant with a dGPU (1.1 kilos without), so is not as comfortable to hold and use single-handedly as an iPad or even a Surface Pro. Add in the keyboard folio and we’re looking at 1.5 kilos, heavier than the Flow X13 and most other ultrabooks, albeit a direct comparison would not be exactly fair, as no other device offers the same kind of specs and performance that you’re getting here.

This aside, there are also a couple of other particularities of this design that you should consider.

On the positive side, this is compact for a 13-inch product, with averagely sized bezels all around, and space for two cameras, a regular HD webcam on the front, and an 8 MPx shooter on the back.

It also allows for a multitude of use cases, thanks to the adjustable kickstand, both on Portrait and Landscape mode.

I do find that back kickstand to be very sharp, though, and I fear it could easily scratch the contact surfaces, so be careful about that. I would have preferred if Asus could have figured out some sort of grippy rubber material for this part, which would have protected the contact surface and also improved the device’s grip on the desk.

One other major selling point of this tablet format is the fact that the components are placed behind the screen, and that means that the keyboard folio always stays cool and comfortable to the touch, no matter what you’re running on the device. That’s not the case with other compact performance laptops.

The thermal module also gets an unobstructed airflow of fresh air as a result, as the intakes are placed on the back of the device and are not covered in any way. The outputs are on the top edge, pushing the hot air away from the chassis and not into the screen, as with many other ultraportables. Paired with the advanced vapor-chamber cooling module that’s packed inside, this design allowed Asus to squeeze in the kind of powerful hardware that’s available in this Flow Z13.

One final aspect to mention here is the IO.

Asus put two USB-C ports on this unit, both on the left side, a USB-A and a headphone jack on the right, as well as a microSD card reader on the back, under the kickstand. There’s also the proprietary XG mobile connection on the left, covered by a protective rubber cap. The USB-A is only 2.0, so very slow by today’s standards.

One other nit with this tablet-like design is the fact that connecting any cables or peripherals is going to look messier here than on a laptop format, as the cables are in the way and always visible. You can plug it in the lower USB-C, but that means you’ll have to take out the rubber cap and most likely end up losing it.

The ROG Flox Z13 ships with an included keyboard folio that offers a backlit keyboard and a clickpad.

The folio attaches to the tablet through a physical connector, so there’s no lag like on Bluetooth peripherals, and magnets are smartly placed to assist with the docking process. At the same time, that means you cannot use the keyboard when not physically connected to the tablet.

The deck of this folio feels sturdy and doesn’t flex in a noticeable way when set up in an inclined position. It’s also finished in this faux-leather material for the inside and canvas for the back – both feel nice to the touch and do a good job at hiding smudges and fingerprints. Hopefully, they’ll also age well, especially the leather on the palm rest.

I had no issues typing quickly and accurately on this keyboard, which I find on par with what Asus offers on the Flow X13 and many of their ZenBooks. The keys are quick and quiet and the 1.7 mm stroke depth and overall feedback are just right for me.

As particularities, the deck flexes a bit more than on a regular laptop, but it’s not as pronounced as to bother me with daily use, and the keycaps are full-size and very similar to those on the ROG Scar series of full-size laptops.

Asus also implemented single-zone RGB lighting here, with bright and evenly-lit LEDs. The lighting is uniform, yet some light still creeps from under some of the keycaps with the slim profile of the folio.

The clickpad is only alright by today’s standards. It’s a small plastic surface, and while it tracks well and interprets gestures and taps as expected, the physical clinks are clunky and loud. At least the surface doesn’t rattle with taps.

As for biometrics, there’s a finger sensor in the power button placed on the side, but no IR cameras.

The Flow Z13 gets the same 13.4-inch 16:10 touch display that’s also available on the Flow X13 series, with two-panel options:

We experienced the UHD panel in the preview unit, and it sure looks punchy and sharp, with the higher resolution and wider gamut support. Details below.

However, the FHD+ panel makes the most sense on this kind of computer, because the lower resolution is better suited for the offered hardware, but also because the 120 Hz refresh makes this preferable for occasional gaming, which you’d want when buying a ROG computer. There’s Adaptive Sync with both panel options, so tearing should not be an issue here, but too bad that both panels are fairly slow in response time based on what we know from the X13, so ghosting might still be a potential concern in fast-paced titles. Look for updates, as we don’t have the right tools to properly test response times.

Here are our findings for the FHD+ panel, with an X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor:

This came well calibrated out of the box, with minor gamma and White Point imbalances. It also proved uniform in our tests, with minor color/luminosity variations and almost no light bleeding.

Still, if there’s one thing to complain about, that’s the fact that the lowest brightness setting is not as low as perhaps some might want when potentially using this laptop in a pitch-dark environment, at night. At least PWM is not used at lower brightness.

Our test model is the top-specced configuration of the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, code name GZ301ZE, built on an Intel Core i9-12900H processor, 16 GB of LPDDR5-5200 memory in dual channel, 1 TB of fast SSD storage, and dual graphics: the Nvidia RTX 3050Ti dGPU with 4 GB of vRAM and the Iris Xe iGPU integrated within the Intel processor.

Disclaimer: The original article was based on an early sample running on the software available as of early-February 2022 (BIOS 305, Armoury Crate 5.0.22.0, GeForce 511.65 drivers). In the meantime, I’ve updated the article with our findings on a more mature software package available as of late-March 2022 (BIOS 308, GeForce 511.79).

Spec-wise, this 2022 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 tablet is built on the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware available to date. The Core i9-12900H  is one of the top mobile processors in Intel’s Alder Lake 12th-gen platform, with 14 Cores and 20 Threads. It is a hybrid design with 6 Performance and dual-threaded Cores, and 8 extra Efficiency cores, which work together in the various loads. However, unlike on full-size implementations of the same hardware, this design only allows the processor to run at ~50W of sustained power in demanding CPU loads, on the maximum-performance Turbo profile.

For the GPU, the Flow Z13 series is available with Iris Xe graphics and an optional Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 or RTX 3050Ti dGPU – the latter one is available in this unit. Both RTX chips are Max-Q variants, running at 35W stock and up to 40W with Dynamic Boost. Asus also added a MUX to the design, which helps the performance in certain games.

For the RAM and storage options, the Z13 is only available with up to 16 GB of LPPDDR5 memory and a single M.2 SSD slot, a miniaturized 2230 format. Too bad there’s no 32 GB memory configuration, I’d expect 16 GB to be a limiting factor for some potential buyers.

Accessing the internals is difficult on this product, but the SSD is the only upgradeable component and is accessible through a dedicated bay on the back, with the removal of a single Philips screw. Keep in mind this laptop uses an M.2 2230 SSD format, so potential upgrades are possible, but more difficult and costlier than with regular M.2 2280 SSDs.

Specs aside, Asus offer their standard power profiles in the Armoury Crate control app for this computer: Silent, Performance, Turbo, and Manual, with various power settings and fan profiles between them.

Turbo/Manual are only available with the laptop plugged in (only with the included ROG 100W charger) and are meant for gaming and other demanding loads. Performance is a jack-of-all-trades, while Silent is made for light daily use. The system is able to idle the fans on the Silent profile as long as the CPU/GPU stay under 50 degrees C, for a quiet daily-use experience.

It’s also important to mention the MUX in this laptop and the ability to choose between a Hybrid and a dGPU mode, as well as further tweak the Hybrid profile in Armoury Crate >> System >> GPU Power saving. The laptop comes set on Hybrid, Normal mode out-of-the-box and that’s where I’d expect most users to keep it. Switching over to Hybrid, Eco can help when running on battery, as it would ensure the dGPU is not called and activated by any rogue app. Furthermore, switching to the dGPU MUX mode is going to have a positive impact on some games, especially high-fps titles. We’ll go over these down below.

But first, here’s what to expect in terms of performance and temperatures with everyday multitasking, browsing, and video, on Silent mode and Hybrid, Normal.

On to more demanding loads, we start by testing the CPU’s performance by running the Cinebench R15 test for 15+ times in a loop, with a 1-2 seconds delay between each run.

On Turbo, the system sets a PL2 value of 95W, but the CPU can only run at that kind of power for a few seconds, and then it quickly stabilizes at 50W. This is an aggressive limit that Asus might decide to bump with later software updates, as the CPU only runs at temperatures in the very low-70s at 50W. On top of that, the fans only spin quietly for a Turbo mode, at only 40 dB at head-level, so there’s some threshold for maneuver here.

As it is, at 50W, the i9-12900H ends up stabilizing at about 70% of the performance that the same chip is capable of in a full-size product such as the ROG Scar series, at much higher power and temperatures. Not bad.

At the same time, running the CPU at higher power/temperatures is most likely not a viable option in this sort of a product, with the hardware tucked behind the screen, as higher temperatures could negatively impact the panel and the everyday experience, causing the chassis to become too hot to touch.

Unlike on the 12th gen ROG Scars that we tested, there is an undervolting option in the BIOS and I’ve set it -80 mV. However, this doesn’t seem to do anything once the laptop boots back in Windows 11, which as far as I understand limits voltage access compared to Windows 10. I’ll further look into this aspect in future reviews, but for now, I couldn’t get any undervolting to work on this unit.

Switching over to the Performance profile translates in the CPU stabilizing at 35W, with quieter fans at under 35 dB and temperatures in the mid-60s. Once more, the system allows for a few seconds a high power allocation closer to the 95W PL2 limit, and then the PL1 power limit kicks in.

The Silent profile is more aggressively power-limited at only 15W sustained, with barely audible fans (sub 30 dB) and excellent temperatures (mid-50s C). The i9-12900H only scores around 800 points in this case, which is about 40% of the Turbo performance.

Finally, the CPU runs at ~30 W on battery, on the Performance profile, with respectable scores of around 1500+ points. Details below.

To put these in perspective, here’s how this Core i9-12900H implementation fares against other ultra-compact 13/14-inch recent notebook platforms. It’s competitive, especially considering this runs quieter and cooler than any of the alternatives. For what is worth, we haven’t yet tested the 2022 Ryzen 9 to see how that fares against the i9 in the Flow X13 or the 14-inch models, but we did include the 2021 Ryzen 9 X13 configuration in here, which ended up pretty much neck in beck with this 2022 Intel platform at sustained power.

We also ran the 3DMark CPU profile test, on the Turbo, Performance, and Silent modes. Take the results for what they are, and keep in mind the sustained CPU performance is going to be lower than these single-run tests might suggest.

We then went ahead and further verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and Blender – Classroom, which result in similar findings to what we explained above, with the CPU running at higher power for a little while, and then dropping to around 50W sustained on Turbo.

Finally, we ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook, on the Turbo profile. 3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time, and this unit passed it just fine, which means there’s no performance throttling with longer-duration sustained loads.

Next, we ran the entire suite of tests and benchmarks, on the stock Turbo profile in Armoury Crate and the dGPU set on the default MS Hybrid – Normal mode, at FHD 1920 x 1080 px resolution for consistency with our other tests.

And here are some workstation benchmarks, on the same Turbo profile:

These are excellent results for a computer of this size.

Just keep in mind that the short-duration CPU test results are somewhat misleading, as the i9-12900H is able to run at the 95W PL2 limit for 10-30 seconds in these benchmarks, but then it drops to 50W. The difference is best shown in the loop tests above, and in the two Cinebench R23 CPU results, with the best single-run about 25% higher than the loop 10-min run.

So what I’m saying is that some of these CPU multi-core results seem very close to a full-power implementation of the i9-12900H, such as the ones in the ROG Scar laptops, but in reality, longer-duration benchmarks such as Geekbench, Handbrake, X265, or Blender (down below) are a more relevant indicator of the performance that you should expect from the Flow Z13.

As far as the GPU performance goes, well, this here is a 35-40W Max-Q 3050Ti, and it performs as expected. For comparison, this scores about 10-15% lower than the 35-50W 3050Ti in the VivoBook Pro 14X or even the much larger VivoBook Pro 16X. It also scores ~5% higher than the 35-40W 3050Ti in the Dell XPS 15 9510. In fact, for what its worth, this Flow Z13 is a more capable performer than the XPS 15 in both CPU, GPU, and combined loads.

As far as the noise goes, the system ramps up the fans at up to 40 dBA and head-level on the Turbo profile. That’s fine considering the performance, but Asus also includes quieter profiles.

On Performance, the noise floor is set at 35W, but the CPU stabilizes at 35W sustained, while the GPU can still go up to 40W. As a result, this profile mostly impacts the CPU multi-core test results, with a smaller impact over the GPU scores.

Silent keeps the fans at under 30 dB, but takes a greater toll on both the CPU and GPU, as shown below.

I’ll also follow up with a separate article on the base-level Flow Z13  and the Z13 + the XG Mobile dGPU combo, with the Radeon 6850M graphics chip, once we get our hands on the dGPU. Given the CPU performance showcased here, I’d expect that to be a very competent gaming/work combo.

All in all, this ROG Flow Z13 is a solid performer, especially on the CPU side, as the GPU capabilities are only limited to what a 3050Ti 35-40W chip can deliver at this point. Nonetheless, this can cope with heavier workloads, media editing, and gaming, as shown down below. Just make sure you understand the power/thermal limitations of this kind of design, and don’t buy one of these expecting the i9-12900H to perform in the same way as it would in a full-size laptop.

The Flow Z13 is an ROG product so we’re going to take a deeper dive into its gaming abilities in this section.

With the FHD+ 120Hz display and a MUX, this configuration should handle most modern games just fine at Medium graphics settings, and even cope with Ultra details. For our gaming tests, we switched the MUX to the dGPU, Normal mode, and looked at the Turbo and Performance profiles at various settings and resolutions.

For starters, here’s what we got on Ultra settings.

Older titles are able to run just fine, but modern AAA titles will require you to trim down the graphics settings. Furthermore, the fps differences between the Turbo and Performance profiles are only within 10%, which is not bad considering the quieter fans (35dBA on Performance, vs 40 dBA on turbo). However, the difference in temperatures should also be considered, and we’re going through the logs in a bit.

But first, here’s how the i9 + 3050Ti 35-40W configuration in this Flow Z13 fares against other compact gaming laptops with similar specs.

It pretty much trades blows with the larger VivoBooks (AMD or Intel based, and up to 50W 3050Ti), it beats the XPS 15 (11th gen Core i7 + 3050Ti 40W) across the board, and it trails the higher-power Zephryus G14 with the 60-75W 3050Ti by 15-25%.

However, despite all these, if you’re going to game on this mini-computer, I’d recommend trimming down on the details and set-up the resolution at FHD+ to properly benefit from the screen’s 16:10 aspect ratio.

Here’s what we got on Medium settings at FHD+ resolution.

With these out of the way, let’s go through some of the performance logs on each profile.

On Turbo, the combined CPU+GPU power goes up to 57W on this design, with the fans ramping up to 40 dBA in our tests, at head level. Dynamic Boost switches power from the CPU to the GPU, and that’s why the GPU is able to run at 40W in most titles.

The temperatures are well within reasonable limits here, in the low to mid-60s on both the CPU and GPU.

Switching over to the Performance mode lowers the total TDP+TGP to 53W and limits the fans at around 35 dBA. As mentioned already, the system still runs strongly in this mode and the framerates are barely impacted, but the CPU and GPU temperatures end up a little higher in the mid to high 60s.

Then there’s also the Silent profile which tames the fans to sub 30 dB, but also greatly limits the performance. As mentioned already, there’s a fair chance that the Silent mode isn’t working exactly as intended on this unit, and future software updates might lead to an increase in performance, as in theory, this Silent mode should allow up to 50W of combined CPU+GPU power and up to 35W on the GPU alone. With our unit, we only measured around 40W combined and 25-28W on the dGPU.

Finally, you can also run games on this Flow Z13 while unplugged. Only the Performance mode is available in this case, and the system supplies 50W of combined power and 35W on the dGPU, leading to only a slight downgrade in framerates compared to the Performance mode with the laptop plugged in. Don’t expect much in terms of battery life, though. In fact, this won’t even last for an hour while running games.

Asus put a lot of effort into the thermal design of the ROG Flow Z13. Inside there’s a vapor-chamber cooling module with two fans and two radiators, as well as a liquid-metal thermal compound applied on both the CPU and the dGPU.

On top of all these, the tablet format allows for unrestrained airflow into the fans and for the hot air to be easily pushed up and away, all adding up to the overall excellent thermal findings documented in the previous section.

At the same time, because of the tablet format that puts the screen close to the internal components, Asus had to set aggressive thermal limits here, at around 70 degrees Celsius in any sustained activities.

Furthermore, Asus also kept the fan noise at bay, and we measured up to 40 dBA at head-level on the Turbo profile, 35 dBA on Performance, and sub 30 dBA on the Silent mode. Keep in mind we’re using a phone to record these numbers and not a professional setup – Asus actually claim lower dBA levels in their tests. Numbers aside, it’s important to understand that this Flow Z13 runs much quieter than a full-size gaming laptop and even quieter than most ultraportables, even on the Turbo mode.

The 0dB technology is also implemented here, allowing the fans to idle as long as the hardware stays under 50 C. That means the fans will kick in with multitasking even on this Silent mode, but will rest idly with lighter use and video streaming. The profiles aren’t oversensitive either, so it takes a little while for the fans to kick on and then to idle back down.

As far as the external temperatures go, the Flow Z13 gets warm with daily use, and mildly hot in some spots on the back with gaming and demanding workloads. We measured temperatures in the mid to high 40s in the hottest sports on the back, which are fine as long as you’re keeping this on the desk, but uncomfortable if you’re planning on running games in tablet mode, using the Flow Z13 as a handheld.

This further adds to why this Z13 makes the most sense in laptop mode, sitting on a desk, where you’re never going to get in contact with the areas that reach higher temperatures. Because the components are behind the screen, the tablet folio keeps perfectly comfortable no matter what you’re running on the device, at high 20s and low 30s Celsius. The thermal readings show how the middle of the folio, around where the Space key is positioned, gets a bit warmer than everything else.

*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Silent Mode, fans at 0-30 dB *Gaming  – Turbo mode – playing Far Cry 5 for 30 minutes, fans at <40 dB

For connectivity, there’s the latest-gen WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5 through an Intel module on this laptop. It performed well with our setup. I didn’t notice any issues or disconnects during our tests, nor a significant drop in performance at longer distances.

Audio is handled by a set of stereo speakers that fire through grills placed on the sides of the laptop. With the latest drivers, the audio quality is about average to sub-average, with fine mids and highs, but little bass, and max volumes of only around 75-76 dB.

Ticking the “Enhanced Audio” option in the Sound menu in Windows 11 amplifies the sound volume and quality to a small extent. By default, this option is ticked off, so I’d recommend enabling it in the settings.

Finally, I’ll also mention that there’s an HD camera placed at the top of the screen, flanked by microphones. It’s OK in good light and I like the wide-angle, but don’t expect much in terms of image quality. I sure wish Asus would have used the extra thickness of this tablet format to add in a higher-quality camera.

For what is worth, there is a better 8 MPx camera on the back, but don’t even get me started in taking pictures with a tablet…

There’s a 56 Wh battery inside this ROG Flow Z13, which is not bad for a 13-inch tablet with this kind of hardware and cooling, so Asus didn’t skimp on this end either.

Here’s what we got in terms of runtimes, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~50 brightness) and the laptop set on the Hybrid mode.

The efficiency improved with BIOS 308 in comparison to our previous findings with the earlier software.

The system automatically switches the screen to 60 Hz on battery mode, but overall the 12th gen Intel platform is still not as efficient as the AMD options out there, especially with casual loads and streaming.

The laptop ships with a mid-sized 100W USB-C charger. It’s a standard dual-piece design with two long cables and plugs in via USB-C, in either of the two ports on the left edge.

It’s important to mention that the laptop only allows for the Turbo/Manual power modes as long as you’re plugging in this included ROG charger, as any other USB-C charger would be deemed non-compliant and only allow for the Performance and Silent profiles, even if they are higher-capacity than 100W. Something to consider if you already own a GAN charger that you might want to keep using.

The ROG Flow Z13 is listed in most regions at the time of this updated.

This Z13 GZ301ZE top-configuration tested here, with the Core i9 processor, 3050Ti dGPU, 16 GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and FHD+ display is available at $1899 MSRP in North America and 2100 EUR here in Europe.

The GZ301ZC (i7-12700H, 3050, 512 GB SSD) goes for 200 EUR less, while the Iris-only Flow Z13 GZ301ZA model is not yet available. That’s only an i5-12500H configuration with 8 GB of RAM, though, so I’m expecting a price tag closer to $1200 a few months after launch.

Follow this link for updated configurations and prices in your region, at the time you’re reading the article.

The ROG Flow Z13 is quite a unique product, a powerful all-purpose computer in a compact 13-inch tablet form factor. In very few words, you can think of this one as a thicker, heavier, and more powerful Surface Pro, and given the popularity of that series, I can see this appealing to a fair segment of potential buyers.

I for one have never been a major fan of tablet-like computers, as I prefer the superior ergonomics of a 2-in-1 convertible or the simplicity of a clamshell design, but I can nonetheless acknowledge at least two major advantages to this design of the Flow Z13: better cooling and a more comfortable daily-use experience, as you’ll rarely come in contact with the warmer parts of the chassis, as they end up tucked away on the back of the device.

They’re both crucial aspects on this Z13, which packs more powerful hardware than any other 13-inch computer on the market in such a compact format. In fact, based on our tests, this is a more competent multi-purpose computer than a fully specced Dell XPS 15 or many mid-tier 14-inchers. I’m looking forward to comparing it with the 2022 Flow X13 convertible, though, as that’s the closest alternative you should consider when shopping for this kind of portable and powerful computer.

Format aside, the battery life might end up decisive when choosing between the two ROG Flow models. We only got around 3-4 hours of daily multitasking and 6-7 hours of video streaming in our tests on the i9 powered Z13. Even if this might be improved with later software updates, I still expect the AMD-powered Flow X13 to trump it in efficiency. The question is how will the 2022 X13 fare in performance and cooling in comparison to the Z13, and that’s something I’ll answer in future articles.

For now, if you’re after a compact and powerful computer, the Flow Z13 is definitely one of your top options out there. Just make sure the tablet format is OK for you, and that you understand the strong points and potential drawbacks of this product, as explained in our review.

This wraps up our review of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 here, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback down below. Would you get this over other portable formats?

Very nice review! Any ideas when the Flow X13 and Zephyrus G14 reviews will be online? Thanks

Sry, no estimate. I don't have any reviews units and AMD stuff is still under NDA at this point.

"for what its worth, this Flow Z13 is a more capable performer than the XPS 15"

Thank you for the review, seems to meet most expectations held during Asus launch.

In the future reviews can you please consider measuring precise display Bit-Depth (6-bit/8-bit/8-bit + FTC/10-bit) and test their HDR capabilities (HDR10 and/or Dolby Vision)? OEM marketing is often dishonest about these important details. Thanks.

I'm guessing the Z13 FHD is a 8-bit SDR panel.

Yes, the panel is 8-bit SDR. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it, but at this point, I don't know how exactly I would be able to reliably test this.

Can you disclose when the NDA ends ?

I can't, but it's soon

Is this HDR10, really? Huh, I wonder how they got that considering the display neither WCG(wide color gamut) or FALD(local dimming) capable, which are requirements for HDR400 spec.

I don't think it is. How did you come to this conclusion, I'm not seeing that mentioned anywhere?

Edit: Ah, got it, that was a mistake in my previous comment, the panel is 8-bit standard range.

I've been waiting for a proper HDR 2-in-1 because I love watching movies and work requires me to travel often. Last year saw VivoBook Pro 14 base-model was on discount for $650 and couldn't pass up the opportunity after reading your wonderful review.

Was waiting for ZenBook Flip 14 OLED at the time which turned out to be a vaporware so now thinking about switching to newly announced Lenovo Yoga 9i OLED instead.

Cool. This is the most complete review of this device at the moment. Thank you 😉

Cool review! I’m considering buying the one with intel i7 12th gen. Is there a huge difference between the i7 and i9? Would it also be possible to play on the one with the i7 I’m not a huge gamer, mostly I’m going to be using it to my study, some 3d drawing program, and video editing.

The i7 and the i9 should be very close in performance.

Unlike desktop where the i9 has more number of cores, in mobile, i9-12900H and i7-12700H have same number of P and E cores with just a clock speed bump for i9 and in these kind of small devices, i9 can hardly take advantage of that extra speed due to thermal and power restrictions.

I would like to know if this competes at all with Wacoms mobile studio pro. Expensive it may be, but it is more powerful and far cheaper as an alternative to that worthy Windows drawing tablet.

I don't have a lot of experience with pen input so I can't tell how this compares. You'll have to look into other reviews for it

Check out Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha 13 as a cheap drawing tablet as it uses Wacom EMR stylus. This Asus tablet is using MPP 2.0 stylus which is not too ideal for drawing and more geared towards digital-writing.

can this be used in tablet form on a lap while holding with one hand or does the back of the tablet get too hot when browsing websites for ten hours straight? is using it like an ipad possible at all?

It can. the temps are Ok, see the readings in the Thermals section

my android note 9 has a case and gets no more than 40C and i can feel it in fingers but this won't even gave a case. curious whether the z13 gets hotter than an 12 inch ipad pro just browsing.

how much extra battery life can the i7 version give approx?

I don't have any thermal readings for the Ipad Pro, but my 11inch Pro only gets mildly warm with browsing and daily use. I'd expect this Z13 to run a little warmer.

As for the battery life in the i7, I wouldn't expect major changes, since the i9 and i7 are almost similar. Future software tweaks might increase efficiency on both configurations, though.

Great test. My question is how only IGPU affects Battery life.

I wouldn't expect significant differences, as the dGPU is automatically disabled during light use on battery

Excellent review! All details covered, thank you. I own a SP8 i5/16/256. I love this tablet with kickstand and full OS. It fits my workflow and entertainment. I was considering this ASUS Z13 until I see the battery life. My SP8 can only last maximum 6 hours of light use on battery mode at 50% brightness as well, similar result to this ASUS Z13. And this is the only disappointment I have with this device. I guess the reason that the battery life is so short is that it is a tablet so they cannot stuff a bigger battery in. But to my expectations, normally tablet battery life lasts at least 10 hours of play 1080p mp4 local easy. So much so I would love to switch to this Asus Z13 because I don’t need the Slim Pen 2 after I tried, and I definitely would love to have dGPU for some occasional gaming, battery life isn’t there yet. I hope they will make Z13 2 or next generation that will have 10 hours of local video playback battery life.

That battery life is atrocious. Great review, as always!

That's unfair. The battery life is much as expected from an i9 with a 56 Wh battery in it.

I am not saying it’s the battery’s fault but it’s just the overall battery life does not meet my own personal requirement as a tablet yet. So I hope they can have the next generation to have 10 hours video playback time even if there is no dGPU, because I could hook up eGPU.

can you run a LatencyMon test? takes a minute!

It's in the article: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/latencymon.png

Hello :) You're getting quite different results than https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ROG-Flow-Z13-in-review-Gaming-tablet-with-powerful-Alder-Lake-i9-CPU.604531.0.html regarding the DPC latency. Do you know if Asus did something (BIOS update?) in between? I'm considering the Z13 for audio production applications, so that's an important factor in my case…

They might have. I don't have this around to retest. perhaps you can find more answers from owners on Reddit

I’m interested to see if the CPU has a higher power limit when connected to the XG mobile doc.

as far as I understand, it should work at 55W sustained when connected to the XG doc. We'll test it once we get our hands on one

The main advantage of the Flow Z13 is its cooperation with RTX 3080 Laptop in XG Mobile. However, related suitable configurations are missing. Such should be with only iGPU but with 32 GB RAM and either 12700H, 6 P cores or Ryzen 6000 U or H or HS, 8 cores.

Would you recommend this for playing steam games on battery? Nothing AAA, more like side scrollers on the train home. How long do you think the battery would last? And would you recommend somethin else instead like the X13 or the new G14?

It will last about an hour with games on battery, and maybe you can squeeze longer with Battery Boost and an aggressive fps cap. Haven't tried it. The X13 might last a little longer since it's AMD, but the battery is still small.

Thanks for the very detailed review! When do you expect to make a review of the i5 model, the one without a dGPU? Since the thermal requirements cut down the performance of the beefy i9 processor, I was wondering how would the i5 variant perform. If there is not much difference in performance and maybe the battery life is be longer, then that that would be a much more sensible option for many (with the external GPU only for gaming)

I plan to, yes. It's mentioned in the review. Not sure when that will be available, though.

Would you recommend last years x13 model with the 3080 external included for $2800 or getting the z13 for retail ($1800)?

X13 has the Ryzen 9 with gtx 1650 and 32gb of ram

Bestbuy's z13 has Intel processor (more external graphics card options?) With 16gb of ram and 3050

I'd play mostly at home plugged in but also take it on the train with me/ bring to friends houses. Thank you

How do battery life's compare?

Battery life is better for the X13, which is AMD. Other than that, it's up to you. Which form-factor do you prefer and how often are you going to use the dGPU in the device (as the 3050Ti is a significant upgrade over the 1650).

just FYI, I'm getting the 2022 X13 these days and will follow up with a review and details on the XG Mobile external dGPU performance on both the Z13 and the X13. Should be ready in the next 2 weeks.

Any news on that review? :)

I'm finishing up the tests, should be available by early next week, at the latest. Possibly even by late tomorrow.

Exactly what I hope too.

Great review, just what I was looking for! I'm really glad you mentioned that you can only use the original charger as I was planning on using this in combination with a 120W thunderbolt dock, guess that will limit the performance so might have to reconsider on that…

Any other charger of sufficient power would only allow the Performance mode, not Turbo. Up to you if that is enough. It might also cause some battery drain with demanding loads, based on experience with other products – haven't tested here

Any news on ASUS releasing a 32GB version of this with the i9? Seems crazy to only offer an i9 with 16GB of RAM. I only want to get a gaming PC with 32GB of RAM these days.

from what I've been told, there's no 32 GB version for now.

I got to play with the i9 model at a show. What a beast. What a great portable workhorse. But the 4K-only display option for the i9 is a dealbreaker.

Is the i7 available with the FHD+ screen? The i7 and i9 12th-gen Intel platforms are almost identical, and both available with up to 16 GB of RAM in this design. I expect the i7 configuration to be the better-value buys

How well does the pen work with this? I saw another review were the surface pro pen was used and the responsiveness was not that good. I know ROG has their own pen for this and would like to know if it works better (Asus pen paired with Asus Z13). Reason I ask is I am strongly considering this for 3d sculpting in ZBrush and Blender.

I haven't looked into it, so can't comment. Perhaps others can add their impressions

Have you guys encountered the XG Mobile GPU suddenly going into Extreme Power Saving Mode and suddenly not being detected?

I've had it suddenly do that in the middle of playing a game, in which case the performance suddenly tanked because it reverted to the igpu. Or just suddenly "disappearing" a few seconds just after plugging in the XG Mobile.

Currently using a Flow Z13 (i7-12700H, 16GB, RTX3050) in conjunction with an XG Mobile 3070

Haven't happened to me so far.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I’ve been busy with reviews the past few months and barely get to enjoy my new Zephyrus G14.  But this month, I got to play with the new Razer...

Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED UM5302 (2022 UM5302TA – AMD Ryzen 7 6800U)

Asus ZenBook Pro 14 Duo OLED UX8402 review (2022 UX8402ZE – Core i7, 3050Ti)

Asus TUF Dash F15 review (2022 FX517ZM model – Core i7-12650H, RTX 3060)

Lenovo Yoga 9i review (2022 model – Intel Core i7-1260P, OLED)

Over the years, I’ve reviewed multiple variants of the popular Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 series of portable performance laptops, and I wanted to put up together a comparison of...

AMD Radeon RX 6800S vs 6700S performance – Zephyrus G14 GA402RK vs GA402RJ

Best Holiday Deals on ultrabooks and portable laptops

Intel Core i7-11370H benchmarks vs. AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, in RTX 3050 Laptops

Best Chromebooks of 2022 – comparisons, reviews, buying guide