When traditional gaming laptops don't do it

On paper, the idea of ​​PC gaming tablets really makes no sense. Anything that has a screen larger than eight to ten inches is usually too big to take place for longer periods of time. Their thin chassis won't leave much room for large batteries, ports, or discrete graphics. But with the second-generation ROG Z13, Asus will turn to this idea in the form of an amazingly powerful system, and you can do more as long as you don't mind paying a premium for some niche projects.

Design and display: Incomplete secret

For better or worse, the Z Flow 13 looks like someone tweaked the Surface Pro to fit the stereotypical gamer aesthetic. It has cyberpunk graphics scattered inside it, with a small window with RGB lighting on the back.

Unlike a large number of tablets, Asus offers a thicker (0.6 inches) thickness to the Z13, which leaves room for surprising ports. Not only do you get two USB Model 4 C ports, but you also have a regular USB-A Jack, full-size HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio, and even a MICROSD card reader. This immediately upgrades the tablet from strict gameplay to something that can hire dual responsibilities as a portable video editing site.

The Asus '13.4-inch 2.5 IPS display is more inclined to this 180Hz refresh speed, brightness (about 500 columns) and Pantone verification. Whatever you are doing, the colors are both rich and accurate. Packaging is some powerful speakers so you don't have to suffer from subpar sound. But there are limitations here, because deep bass is always difficult to produce on smaller systems like this.

Finally, there are some Pogo pins at the bottom of its display to connect its folding keyboard. Sadly, this is one of the weaknesses of the system. Since the Z13 is heavier than a typical tablet, its keyboard has to carry a lot of load. On the table, very good. However, if you try to use this thing on your legs (or any uneven surface), I find that the keyboard can bend too much and it can cause unexpected mouse clicks. It's a pity, as the keys bounce and travel usually feel good. There is nothing more annoying than a game that relaxes on the couch and then has to fight the tablet to avoid clicks.

Performance

Instead of relying on discrete graphics, Asus chose AMD's Ryzen AI Max 390 or Max+ 395 APUs, which can reach up to 32 cores and up to 128GB of unified RAM. However, our auditor has a more modest but still has enough 32GB. Not surprisingly, this takes MinCememet out of basic productivity tasks while having enough features to quickly edit videos on the go.

But without the proper graphics card, is it actually playable? Yes, I might add. exist Cyberpunk 2077 At the 1080p and Ultra settings, the Z13 hits an impressive 93 fps. Although the number is not that high control 70 fps is still very playable at 1080p on Epic presets. A wrinkle was when I tested Cyberpunk 2077 A second super enablement with ray tracing enabled, the stream's performance cuts half to 45 fps. Unless you are playing the brand new AAA title that requires RT support (and more and more numbers), the Z13 is a shockingly good portable gaming companion for frequent customers.

You just need to configure its power settings carefully. This is because high performance (especially turbocharged) can cause quite a lot of fan noise if you are in a public place or in a quiet room, which can cause some unnecessary attention. Or in my case, it became even harder to talk to someone next to me who was sitting next to me.

Battery life

When it comes to longevity, you will get one of two results. In normal use and PCMark's modern office productivity battery life test, the Z13 performed well, completing six hours and 54 minutes. It's not a whole day of work, but it's enough for most people. You just want to keep its thick power adapter nearby.

But if you plan to play without inserting the wall, just prepare the Z13 to get stuck in two hours at best. When I play League of Legends Team StrategyI only completed the game through two games (about 30 to 40 minutes each) before the battery hazard (about 10%). And it can be said TFT Not a harsh title.

wrap up

The Flow Z13 is a niche device that looks more like an all-rounder than it seems at first glance. The system fills the interesting gap between Asus' gaming console and more creative PCs. In many ways, taking a ROG badge on it doesn't really make this just. It has enough performance to be a breeze with general productivity or video editing, and its built-in microSD reader makes it a breeze to transfer the lens to a tablet. Its screen is bright and vibrant, while also providing accurate colors and a fairly high refresh rate. Even without discrete GPUs, the Z13 doesn't have much trouble rendering the game, and plays a lot of graphic ringtones and whistles.

However, the problem with this tablet comes down to several major adhesion points. Its removable keyboard is simply too fragile, and if you use it anywhere outside of a table or anywhere else, you risk fighting it just to make sure the mouse clicks correctly. But the bigger obstacle is the price. The Flow Z13 starts at $2,100 (or around $2,300 for testing), the same or higher than the comparable Rog Zephyrus G14, with the proper RTX 5070. Not only does it have poor performance, but its stability is not that stable due to the tablet-style design. This claim is a tough sell for people trying to get the most value from money.

Deep down, I want to like ROG stream Z13. I did to some extent. It has a funky version and no doubt styling. But unless you have a very special set of requirements, it doesn't fit most people's lives as a laptop. That's before you think about how much it costs.