Asus ROG Flow Z13 review – a premium gaming tablet

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Asus ROG Flow Z13 review – a premium gaming tablet
The Asus ROG Flow Z13Sourabh Jain
  • Asus has launched the ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet in India.
  • The gaming tablet is priced starting at ₹2,09,990 in the country.
  • Here’s my review of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 that will help you decide whether you should buy the device.
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Portable gaming devices are quite popular as they allow you to game on the go, be it the Nintendo Switch or the Steam Deck. Asus recently launched the ROG Flow Z13, a portable device that can either be used as a tablet or as a gaming laptop, based on your requirement.

The ROG Flow Z13 comes with a detachable magnet keyboard and also supports the company’s XG Mobile external GPU. It is a premium offering from the company in its ROG lineup and is aimed at gamers and content creators.

I have been using the ROG Flow Z13 with the XG Mobile external GPU for a few days now and here is my review of the company’s latest offering.

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Asus ROG Flow Z13 price and availability



The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is priced starting at ₹2,09,990 and is available from Asus online store, e-commerce portals and the company’s authorised retailers across the country.

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Asus ROG Flow Z13 specifications



ParticularsSpecifications
Display13.4-inch QHD+ IPS display with 165Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision HDR
Processor13th gen Intel Core i9-13900H
GPUUp to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
Memory16GB LPDDR5 RAM
StorageUp to 1TB SSD PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
ConnectivityXG Mobile, 3.5mm jack, 1xUSB 3.2 Type-A, 1xUSB 3.2 Type-C, 1xThunderbolt 4 port
Audio2 Smart Amp speakers
Battery56Whr
Weight1.18 kg

Asus ROG Flow Z13 pros and cons



Pros

  • Compact design and very practical
  • Good display with a high refresh rate
Cons

  • Typing is not as good as a regular keyboard
  • Speakers could be better

Asus ROG Flow Z13 design


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The overall design of the ROG Flow Z13 hasn’t changed when compared to its predecessor that was launched last year. Still, the tablet comes with a design that sets it apart from other devices in the market.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 review – a premium gaming tablet
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is thick for a tabletSourabh Jain

It is quite bulky if you compare it with other tablets but is on the lighter side when you look at the hardware inside the device.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 review – a premium gaming tablet
The rear of the Asus ROG Flow Z13Sourabh Jain

The ROG Flow Z13 comes with an aluminium alloy chassis and is engraved with spacecraft-inspired designs. The company has used an anti-fingerprint to prevent smudges, something that is quite common in tablets.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 review – a premium gaming tablet
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 with the kickstand openSourabh Jain

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The device comes with a kickstand that can be opened using the small black tag. The kickstand can be opened up to 170-degrees, allowing you to set it as per your preference. I found this quite useful as I could set it differently based on whether I’m gaming or catching up on my favourite show.

Another interesting feature at the back is a little window that gives you a glimpse of the hardware and provides RGB accent lighting. The company has claimed that the window not only adds a visual appeal but also allows the company to use larger components in a compact form factor.

Display



The Asus ROG Flow Z13 features a 13.4-inch Quad HD+ IPS touch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 165Hz refresh rate. The display comes with Dolby Vision HDR, is Pantone validated and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 review – a premium gaming tablet
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 displaySourabh Jain

Dolby Vision HDR ensures you get great contrast and colour, and Pantone validation ensures colour accuracy, which comes very handy for video and photo editing. The device comes with stylus support, making it a great option for content creators.
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Coming to gaming, I had a great time gaming on the Flow Z13. The display offers 500 nits of peak brightness, which is more than enough if you’re gaming indoors. The high refresh rate makes it a great option for gamers, especially fans of first-person shooters.

It comes with Adaptive sync with G-Sync support that ensures a smooth gaming experience.

Performance



The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is packed with top-end hardware and it is no surprise that the device performs excellently and is able to handle everything that you throw at it.

It is equipped with the 13th gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor with 14 cores and 20 threads. This is coupled with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GDDR6 graphics. It comes with 16GB DDR5 5200MHz RAM and a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD.
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If this is not enough, you can use the XG Mobile, the company’s external graphics unit and unleash the power of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. In addition to enhancing the gaming experience, the XG Mobile also offers you additional connectivity ports, including USB ports, DisplayPort, HDMI and ethernet.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 review – a premium gaming tablet
The XG MobileSourabh Jain

It is easy to connect the XG Mobile with Flow Z13 and takes less than a minute to do so.

With such a powerful device in my hands, I played Red Dead Redemption 2 and Forza Horizon 5. Both the games performed well and the device was able to handle them without any issues. The powerful hardware, coupled with the high-resolution display makes it a treat for gamers.

While the device is able to handle the heat in normal gaming, extended gaming sessions do heat it up a bit, especially in the current summer weather.

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Coming to the battery, this is one area where the device disappoints a bit. It is equipped with a 56Whr battery. With normal browsing and some video streaming, it provides a little under five hours of battery life. If you decide to game on it, the battery life drops to under 2 hours. Despite being portable, gaming may not always be possible.

Verdict



The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a unique product that is suitable for gamers looking for a premium device they also multi-task on. The device can be used for both gaming and productivity. It’s portability and compact size separates it from most other devices in the market. At the end of the day, the ROG Flow Z13 costs a huge amount and may not be suitable for all. If you are willing to spend the big bucks and are looking for a gaming and productivity device, the ROG Flow Z13 is worth considering.

SEE ALSO:

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 review: a powerful gaming laptop with a unique design and a premium price tag

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G review – a premium experience at an affordable price

Google Pixel 7 long term review – a premium camera centric device with some caveats

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