Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: One Of Its Kind Gaming Laptop

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Most major gaming laptop brands are inclined towards making a thin-and-light gaming laptop that is easy to carry around and still packs a punch to handle modern AAA titles. While thin-and-light laptops are all cool, what's even cooler is a tablet that can game.

 

Rating:
4.5/5

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: One Of Its Kind Gaming Laptop

No, I am not talking about Android tablets or iPads that can play "mobile games." I am talking about a tablet that can run modern AAA PC titles just like a regular gaming laptop -- the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022). The base model of the ROG Flow Z13 costs Rs. 1,36,990 in India, and the variant that we have reviewed retails for Rs. 1,81,990.

I have been testing the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) GZ301 FLOW-Z13-GZ301ZE-LC175W with the Intel Core i9-12900H CPU and RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU for the last few weeks, and here is my full review of one of the most unique gaming laptops.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 Specifications

Asus ROG Flow Z13 Specifications

  • CPU: Intel Core i9-12900H
  • Display: 13.4-inch OLED 1920 x 1080p, 120Hz
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop
  • Memory: 32GB LPDDR5
  • Storage: 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4
  • Battery: 56WHr
  • OS: Microsoft Windows 11 64-bit
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Design
 

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Design

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) is easily the most unique-looking gaming laptop/tablet that I have tested so far. From the detachable keyboard to the visible PCB with RGB lighting at the back, there is nothing like it on the market. The Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) just looks fresh, unique, and something that's straight out of the future.

While the fresh design on the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) is definitely one of the highlights of this machine, it also introduces some new challenges. Most gaming laptops offer enough I/O to use without any dongle. Due to the slim form factor of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022), it does not have as many connectivity options as one might expect from a gaming laptop.

However, it does have a full-sized USB A port, USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro SD card slot, and a ROG XG Mobile Interface. The ROG XG Mobile Interface allows users to connect an external GPU with the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) to improve the gaming/graphics performance of the laptop.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Display

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Display

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) has a 13.4-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Due to the nature of the display, it offers a better contrast ratio, and the device also has Dolby Vision certification. The screen on the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) offers 100 percent sRGB coverage, and it also supports touch input.

Asus has struck the right balance between the resolution and refresh rate on the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022). The higher refresh rate helps with the gaming, although the built-in RTX 3050 Ti might not offer 120fps, and features like Dolby Vision certification also make it a great device for content consumption.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Keyboard, Trackpad, And Audio

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Keyboard, Trackpad, And Audio

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) comes with a detachable keyboard that is reminiscent of the Surface Pro's keyboard. Unlike the latter, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) has slightly larger keys with better key travel. In fact, this is probably the best detachable keyboard that I have used keyboard. Not just that, the keyboard also has an RGB backlight.

While there is a bit of flex as expected, the keyboard works fine, and the trackpad is slightly on the smaller size. Coming to the audio, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) has a stereo speaker setup with support for Dolby Atmos, and the speakers get plenty loud for both gaming and content consumption.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Cameras

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Cameras

Cameras on the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) need a special mention. As the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) can also be considered a tablet, the device has an 8MP rear-facing camera along with a 720p web camera at the front. While the specs of the primary camera seem on par with the competition, the company should have offered a 1080p web camera at the front instead of a 720p web camera.

Again, the performance of a front-facing or selfie camera is just like what you expect from a 720p web camera. It does the job done in most situations and should be plenty enough to attend video calls and video conferences. Overall, a good pair of cameras that should work just like most laptops.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Performance

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Performance

Despite being a tablet-like form factor, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) is equipped with the top-tier Intel Core i9-12900H gaming-laptop grade processor with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU with 4GB video memory. The laptop also offers 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD.

The Intel Core i9-12900H is one of the best gaming laptop CPUs of this year and delivers great single-core and multi-core performance. When it comes to GPU, Asus has toned down the TPD of the RTX 3050 Ti to 40W (35W + 5W Dynamic Boost), hence, the performance of the GPU will be slightly lower than some laptops with the RTX 3050 Ti GPU.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: CPU Performance

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: CPU Performance

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) with the Intel Core i9-12900H posted 1705 points on Geekbench 5 single-core test and 9541 points on Geekbench 5 multi-core test. Similarly, the laptop posted 765.2 and 7735.3 points on the single-thread and multi-thread CPU-Z test.

Lastly, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) posted 1810 points on the single-core Cinebench R23 single-core test, and 13744 points on the multi-core Cinebench R23 rendering test. While the single-core performance of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) is slightly better than the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition, the multi-core performance of the CPU is slightly on the lower side due to TDP constraints.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: GPU And Gaming Performance

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: GPU And Gaming Performance

On 3D Mark 10 benchmark, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review scored 4630 points with a graphics score of 4312 and CPU score of 7972. The 3DMark 10 benchmark also confirms that the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) can offer over 60fps on Battlefield V at 1080p resolution.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: GPU And Gaming Performance

When it comes to actual gaming performance, on Shadow of The Tomb Raider, the laptop offered an average FPS of 52 with ultra-graphics and ultra-ray-tracing settings. Similarly, when ray-tracing is turned off, the laptop offered an average FPS of 78 on the Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Verdict

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Review: Verdict

The term gaming laptop usually reminds us of thick and heavy devices, and the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) is one of those devices that defies the constraints of a typical gaming laptop and offers something fresh. Although the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) is not the most powerful gaming laptop that money can buy, it does a lot more than a typical gaming laptop.

If you are seeking a unique, trendy-looking gaming laptop with adequate CPU and GPU performance with good battery life, then the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2022) is definitely a device that does all these things very well. With this offering, Asus has once again proved that a lot can be done regarding the laptop's design and form factor.

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