Sometimes computers are simply very powerful machines with a color changing keyboard and a few lights placed to give an aggressive and colorful look. Other times they are objects in which you perceive a different philosophy, a unique taste and the feeling that they have a well-defined identity. The Rog Flow Z13 undoubtedly belongs to the second category. On the other hand, Asus always aims to amaze and raise the bar, as demonstrated by the Zenbook Fold.
It feels strange to say that for a device whose design principles have been with us for years, yet it is. Imagine a city car prepared like a Gran Turismo car or an old-style 500 Abarth, with the engine almost protruding from behind, the Rog Flow Z13 is exactly this, but tacked to the laptop world: that is, one of the first Surfaces with a removable keyboard but filled with a level of technology that makes it a gaming PC, and with a certain style. Obviously all this has a price, but a price that is often the last problem for those looking for devices of this type.
That the Rog Flow Z13 wants to impress you and make you understand that you have made a different choice from the crowd can be seen from the details such as the rear window on the motherboard that is colored at will, the designs on the metal and the case with a large writing on the zip that looks coming out of a fashion brand fashion show, which moreover can be hooked up in coordination with the Rog XG Mobile external module case, which we will talk about later. It looks like a product from a film from a few years ago that imagined a cyberpunk future of neon and style.
Speaking of technical specifications, the tested model is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti portable reversal with 16GB of RAM and a twelfth generation Intel i9 processor. This translates into more than good performance for a large group of games but which obviously cannot reach the stellar levels or resolutions normally available with even higher computers. What is certain is that you will hardly be able to find such a portable product that allows you to play almost everything. A feature that partially limits performance concerns the CPU, which despite being quite recent is limited to prevent it from developing too much heat in a device where noise and heat dissipation are crucial to maintaining compactness and portability. It’s a shame you can’t push the resolution much further because the screen has a resolution of 3840 x 2400, which in a 13-inch space means really high sharpness, both in gaming and in movie playback. Too bad that in some games you notice response times that are not very high, obviously far from a real gaming monitor.
If, on the other hand, you plan to work with it, perhaps for graphics or video editing, the power will be enough for you, but with such a small screen it might perhaps be a good idea to connect it to an external screen when you don’t want to work on the move. However, think of the convenience of not feeling limited if you happen to be left out for any reason, with a product in your backpack that weighs no more than a kilo and a half and without a brick-sized power supply. Still with regard to mobile work, the removable keyboard is thin; therefore, it bends a bit when you type, but overall it gets the job done and the same goes for the trackpad. Obviously in a home configuration a nice gaming keyboard is the most suitable solution.
Obviously, as often happens with this type of product, the price is high. For the Rog Flow Z13 we are talking about a figure that fluctuates around 2000 euros, net of offers, and which obviously makes it a particular choice because for that figure there are other high-level gaming laptops, not to mention the fixed ones. But obviously if you are interested in a product of this type it is because you want to balance a lower power than the standard gaming laptop for something that does not hog your backpack and that does not force you to struggle to carry it around. This makes the Flow Z13 the classic product not for everyone but designed for those who have specific needs or simply fall in love with it, which is quite easy.
Then there is the matter of the external power guaranteed by the Rog XG Mobile module. In fact, if you put another 1300 euros on the plate, you take home the external module with a GeForce RTX 3080 which completely changes things and allows you to make the most of it, but always with a little handbrake, even the CPU and have home, or on the go, a laptop that can handle just about anything. For example, it performed very well as a laptop for streaming on Twitch with two screens attached and a lot of external peripherals, just like a desktop.
The XG Mobile module also contains a power supply, sufficient for the internal card and for the Flow, as well as 4 USB 3.2, an HDMI output and a DisplayPort. Unfortunately, the card inside is not replaceable for a more advanced model at a later time.
Here too it is clear that comparing this outlay with other models available at the same price there is the risk that the Flow Z13 will come out badly, but we are always in the field of compromises and personal choices, because other perhaps more advanced laptops do not offer the same level of versatility, it’s also up to you. For some it will be an exercise in style, for others a fabulous travel companion.
