Review: Asus’ ROG Flow Z13 tablet takes the asterisk off integrated GPUs
| Specs at a glance: Asus ROG Flow Z13 (XS96 model) | |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16 cores, 3.0 GHz) |
| RAM | 32GB LPDDR5X-8000 (non-upgradeable; XS99 goes up to 128GB) |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 8060S (integrated) |
| SSD | 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD 2230 (upgradeable) |
| Battery | 70 WHr |
| Display | 13.4-inch 2560x1600 180 Hz touchscreen |
| Connectivity | 2x USB-C ports (USB4, DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1 USB-A, microSD, 3.5 mm audio, 200W barrel charge |
| Weight | 2.65 lb (1.2 kg) without keyboard, 3.51 lb (1.59 kg) with keyboard |
| Price as tested | $2,299 (pre-order at Amazon, get notified at Asus) |
I really like Asus’ ROG Flow Z13 for what it is: a convertible tablet with way more gaming power than you would think. Looking at this thing, you might expect to see it propped up at an airport bar, in front of somebody talking into wireless headphones about Tim in Product. But there’s a lot of frame-rendering and multicore processing power inside this glass-fronted slab with a keyboard cover. It's an impressive showcase for AMD's leap forward in integrated power.
The Z13 can rip through Hitman and Shadow of the Tomb Raider on their highest settings at its native 2560×1600 resolution. Turn the resolution down to a reasonable-for-this-size 1920×1080 and you can play Cyberpunk 2077 at its Ultra settings at 45–55 frames per second, depending on your power and upscaling preferences. On a device that is essentially a beefy Microsoft Surface, this is no small thing. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 "Strix Halo" inside the Z13, with the latest Ryzen 8060S GPU built into it, is not just capable—it's a step up from most of the gaming laptops out there.
The Asus ROG Flow Z13, opened up and ready to play some benchmark games.
Credit:
Kevin Purdy
As a Windows convertible, it has some interesting tech and notable upgrades from the 2022 product that was also called the ROG Flow Z13. Its webcam works with Windows Hello and logs you in 95 percent of the time. The keyboard has decent travel, the trackpad has a pleasant smoothness, and you can prop the thing up anywhere along the solid kickstand’s 170-degree range. It’s a Copilot+ PC if that matters to you, and when you’re not pushing ray-traced gaming frames, its battery life is no slouch.
© Kevin Purdy
