Asus launched a highly unusual device in India this week that has been in development for a number of years. Yes, we’re talking about the Asus ROG Flow Z13. When a bunch of us techies introduced the product a few weeks ago, there was no consensus as to which category the product actually fits into. Some thought it was a tablet, some thought it was a laptop, some even called it a portable game console and some thought it was impractical.
Image credit: Ameya Dalvi | Tech2
This might remind you of the blind man and the elephant tale, but rest assured we had our eyes wide open and also managed to observe the product closely from all angles. So why such a divided house, you ask? Well, it’s just the way the product was designed. Each of these observations may be correct, and at the same time they probably don’t quite fit into one of these categories in the traditional way. Enough excitement and now I’ll tell you all about the most important aspects of the product.
Image credit: Ameya Dalvi | Tech2
So what exactly is the ROG Flow Z13?
No, I’m not opening the debate again! As Asus likes to put it, the ROG Flow Z13 is a detachable 2-in-1 gaming tablet. Detachable as the keyboard is detachable. 2-in-1 because it’s a tablet and a gaming laptop in one. I’ll break it down further. For starters, it runs Microsoft Windows 11 and not Android. Second, it houses some pretty powerful hardware, which I’ll address in a later section. But the design is a bit unusual.
Image credit: Ameya Dalvi | Tech2
Think of it like an inverted laptop, where the thin screen side stays horizontal while the rest of the bulky body is placed vertically. You still have the screen in the usual vertical position in front of you with the processor hardware behind it, while having an ultra-slim keyboard on the table. There is a retractable stand behind the vertical part to support it. If it’s hard to imagine, we have plenty of pictures for you to check out. Asus claims that this inverted form factor offers much better airflow and cooling, and therefore better performance.
How big and heavy is this device?
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is pretty compact for a laptop, but pretty bulky for a tablet. It is 12mm thick and weighs just under 1.1kg. Asus considers it a featherweight, but I’m not sure what kind of birds they have near their development center. Add another 300 grams for the included 100-watt adapter, which supports fast charging and claims to charge 50% of the Z13’s battery in just 30 minutes.
Image credit: Ameya Dalvi | Tech2
What are the main specifications of the ROG Flow Z13?
The Z13 is powered by a 14-core Intel i9-12900H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU. You get 16GB Dual Channel DDR5 RAM and 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD. It features a 13.4-inch UltraHD+ IPS display with a resolution of 3840 x 2400 pixels. The touchscreen display has a refresh rate of 60 Hz and is compatible with Dolby Vision. It has an integrated 3-microphone array and 2 speakers with Smart Amplifier technology with Hi-Res certification and Dolby Atmos support.
A 56 Wh 4-cell battery provides the power supply. As for wireless connectivity, you have dual band WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. As you can see, the machine is loaded to the brim. But in case you don’t find the GPU convincing, you have the option to upgrade it to the RTX 3080 with an external XG Mobile module. Think of it as an external graphics card that you have to pay extra for. You can also opt for an XG Mobile with AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT GPU.
Image credit: Ameya Dalvi | Tech2
Like all 2022 ROG models, Flow Z13 features the MUX switch that reduces in-game latency and boosts performance by up to 10%. It also has two display options (both touch panels) – a 4K 60Hz display with 85% DCI-P3 coverage or a Full HD 120Hz display with 100% sRGB coverage.
What is the price of Asus ROG Flow Z13 in India?
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is priced at Rs 1,36,990 with a one-year warranty and is available now from online and offline stores.
Image credit: Ameya Dalvi | Tech2
Summary of the first impressions of the Asus ROG Flow Z13
While debate will continue as to which category it should be placed in, I really liked what I saw and the interesting approach Asus took in creating it. It might be too chunky for a tablet, and probably too expensive for a gaming laptop powered by the RTX 3050 Ti. But it gives you the ability to use it as both, and compatibility with external XG Mobile GPUs can be a game changer. You can also consider it a portable gaming PC if you have the cash to spare.
Image credit: Ameya Dalvi | Tech2
There is definitely an X-factor in the build of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 and the small transparent window on the back with LED lighting will catch gamers’ attention. It’s certainly not a product for everyone, but this is just the first of its kind at the moment. We’ve yet to see the best of this approach, and I hope Asus continues down this path for longer.
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