ASUS’ ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming pill with NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 Ti | Engadget

After delivering an bold gaming convertible pocket book final yr, the svelte ROG Flow X13, ASUS is taking that idea even additional with the Flow Z13 pill. Think of it like a souped-up Surface Pro: the Z13 packs in Intel’s new Twelfth-gen processors and as much as NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 Ti all in a modern slate. Weighing in at 2.43 kilos, it is clearly not meant to interchange smaller tablets just like the iPad. Instead, ASUS sees it as a approach to convey your PC video games in every single place — say a cramped airplane tray desk — with out the majority of a laptop computer.

Like the ROG Flow X13, the Z13 can hook up with the ASUS XG Mobile exterior GPU, which helps as much as AMD’s Radeon RX 6850M along with NVIDIA’s cellular RTX 30-series lineup. That eGPU nonetheless depends on a customized PCIe connection, which might attain as much as 63 Gbps of graphics bandwidth, making it extra succesful than Thunderbolt 4’s 40 Gbps. I used to be cautious of the XG Mobile final yr, given simply how costly and flaky comparable eGPUs have been. And that was earlier than we realized it might value $1,500 with the 3080, and that it wasn’t nearly as fast as reviewers would have liked. At the very least, the Z13 guarantees to be a greater performer than the X13 with its built-in {hardware}, so perhaps an eGPU can be pointless.

In particular person, the Z13 is precisely what you’d anticipate from an ROG gaming laptop computer to seem like. The preview unit ASUS despatched for me to borrow felt dense and durable, surprisingly so for its 12 millimeter thickness. Unlike iPads and different tablets, it feels sturdy sufficient to outlive a backpack commute and not using a protecting case. From the entrance, you could possibly simply mistake it for a pocket book. From the edges and again although, it is extra like a Super Surface, with a versatile kickstand and keyboard cowl.

I wasn’t in a position to run any video games and benchmarks on the ROG Z13, sadly. (I’d wager ASUS’s software program and drivers aren’t prepared for critical testing but.) But I might see why it could possibly be compelling: An RTX 3050 Ti in a machine this measurement can be a dream for journey (not less than, when that is secure once more). And its 4K 13-inch show was completely fantastic for productiveness duties (there’s additionally a 1080p 120Hz choice). Given its measurement, although, the Z13 felt too heavy to make use of as an ordinary pill. It’s additionally not practically as “lappable” because the Surface Pro units; it is simply too heavy to remain put whilst you’re typing.

ASUS deserves credit score for really together with the keyboard case with the Z13, one thing Microsoft nonetheless refuses to do with the Surface Pro. And the typing expertise really feels fairly respectable, as long as the Z13 is planted firmly on a flat floor. I might see it being a strong choice for informal gaming, however the WASD inputs do not feel practically as responsive as a primary desktop gaming keyboard. Basically, should you’re anticipating to compete whereas utilizing the Z13, plan to convey alongside a separate keyboard.