Asus’ convertible gaming laptops return with new {hardware} and extra endurance

The hits from CES 2023 simply maintain coming. Asus is rolling out a bevy of latest {hardware} bulletins for its ROG gaming model, and amongst these are refreshed fashions of its Flow lineup. The Flow X13, X16, and Z13 are all getting {hardware} enhancements, together with the most recent processors and cell GPUs — however maybe probably the most notable enchancment with these gaming laptops is their bigger batteries.

Asus’ Flow line is comparatively distinctive amongst gaming laptops, sporting 2-in-1 shows and — within the case of the X16 and Z13 — compatibility with an Asus-made exterior GPU to spice up gaming efficiency. However, the latest iterations of those laptops suffered from abysmal battery life, one thing Asus is attempting to amend with the brand new fashions of the X13 and Z13.

The battery on the Flow X13 is leaping to 75Whr, up from 62Whr on the 2021 mannequin, whereas the battery on the brand new Flow Z13 is rated at 130Whr, method up from simply 56Whr on the unique mannequin. Those earlier battery sizes had been an enormous subject. In evaluations from my colleagues, Monica Chin wrote that her “one complaint” in regards to the Flow X13 was its battery life, and Cameron Faulkner warned Z13 consumers to not go anyplace with out the ability brick in the event that they’re planning on gaming.

Curiously although, the X16 will nonetheless use the identical 90Whr battery current within the 2021 mannequin. And it’s price retaining in thoughts that battery efficiency in real-world conditions can differ wildly.

Details surrounding the opposite {hardware} configurations for the brand new Flow lineup are a bit scarce in the intervening time, however we do know that the X13 Flow will use some model of AMD’s R9 processor paired with an Nvidia GPU, and it may be configured with as much as 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB of SSD storage. The X16 provides comparable specs however can be configured completely with Intel processors.

The Z13, then again, can be restricted to a most of 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of storage. Naturally, there can be a wide range of show choices accessible for the brand new laptops, however solely the X16 may have the choice for a 240Hz show geared up with Asus’ Nebula know-how that provides a peak brightness of as much as 1,200 nits.

Final pricing and availability for the brand new Flow laptops haven’t been introduced but, however for comparability, the 2021 fashions of the ROG Flow had configurations beginning at round $1,300 reaching all the way in which as much as $2,700. Those costs don’t embrace Asus’ exterior GPU, which represents an extra $1,300 funding, however will seemingly even be provided as a part of a bundle with the brand new configurations.