The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 isn’t trying to be an iPad Pro or a Surface Pro—it’s something else entirely. As a gaming-focused hybrid device, it blurs the lines between a laptop, tablet and handheld, ultimately offering laptop-grade performance in an ultraportable form factor.

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025)

9
/
10

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is an ambitious gaming hybrid that packs laptop-class performance into a tablet form factor, but its execution is a mix of brilliance and compromise. It offers exceptional power with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor and Radeon 8060S graphics, making it one of the most capable 2-in-1 devices for gaming, content creation, and even AI workloads.

Pros & Cons

• Excellent Display
• A decent typing experience on the keyboard cover
• Impressive performance for this type of form factor

• Battery still leaves a lot to desire
• Cameras are quite bad
• Can get quite hot and loud under heavy workloads

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Price and Availability

The ASUS Zenbook S 14 is available directly through ASUS’ website and at major retailers, including Best Buy. It is available with the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 390 or Ryzen AI Max+ 395. The sole storage option available is a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, and memory can be configured with 32GB, 64 or 128GB of LPDDR5X RAM. My review unit is the mid-tier configuration, including the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 390 processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.

A Futuristic Tablet With Rough Edges

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is as much a gaming machine as it is a statement piece. ASUS has leaned into its space-race-inspired industrial design, with the CNC-milled aluminum chassis featuring detailed etching, a rear window with customizable RGB lighting, and an aggressively angular aesthetic.

When the RGB is turned off, the Flow Z13 looks more like a rugged industrial tablet than a traditional gaming laptop, which is great for those who want something a little more subtle. However, subtlety only goes so far when the device is still thicker and heavier than most competing hybrids. At 1.2kg or 2.6 lbs without the keyboard, and 14.9mm or 0.04 inches thick, it is significantly chunkier than something like a Surface Pro 9. ASUS has done a good job keeping the weight manageable, but there’s no escaping the fact that this is a tablet built like a gaming laptop.

The kickstand is solidly built and offers 170 degrees of motion, allowing for a variety of viewing angles. It doesn’t feel as smooth as Microsoft’s Surface hinge, with a bit of uneven friction when adjusting, but it’s sturdy enough to hold the tablet at any angle without worry. While the Flow Z13 generally feels well-built, ASUS has made some frustrating design choices that affect usability. The power button is completely flush with the chassis, which makes it awkward to press.

Similarly, the volume buttons are mushy and lack tactile feedback, which is disappointing given how much attention ASUS put into other small details, like the keyboard cover’s textured etching, or the embossed metal under the kickstand to show you just where the speakers and SSD are. The tablet can feel like a contradiction at times.

The biggest issue, however, is the fan placement. ASUS has placed the cooling vents directly on top of the device, making the fans both audible and noticeable during intense workloads. The new stainless steel and copper vapor chamber cooling system does help keep temperatures in check, but at the cost of persistent fan noise, even under moderate loads.

The camera setup feels like a complete afterthought. The front-facing 5MP 3DNR+IR camera is barely passable for video calls, but supports Windows Hello facial recognition. The 13MP rear camera seems a bit pointless as it also doesn’t perform particularly well aside from document scanning. Given that this is a device aimed at gamers and creators, the rear camera feels more like a checkbox feature because this is a tablet rather than something anyone will actually want to use.

Surprisingly ASUS’ Best Keyboard

After reviewing seven ASUS laptops, I can confidently say the Flow Z13 has finally nailed the keyboard experience. Unlike the keyboards on ASUS’ standard laptops, which tend to be good but lack tactility, the Flow Z13’s keyboard cover offers excellent key travel and crisp, responsive feedback. It’s evenly backlit, supports RGB lighting, and is one of the best implementations of a detachable keyboard I’ve seen.

The trackpad is equally great to use. Despite the smaller footprint of the tablet, the trackpad is spacious and responsive, and offers smooth tracking and precision gestures. It feels just as good as ASUS’ traditional laptop trackpads, which is a win for usability.

That said, the keyboard cover is still missing one key feature, Bluetooth connectivity. ASUS has implemented this on other devices like the Zenbook DUO, and Microsoft offers it with the Surface Pro, so it’s odd that the Flow Z13 doesn’t support it. A Bluetooth option would allow users to detach the keyboard and still use it wirelessly—a small but pretty convenient quality-of-life improvement.

A Fast and Vibrant Display

The Flow Z13 features a 13.4-inch 2,560 x 1,600 resolution IPS panel with a 180Hz refresh rate, and it looks fantastic. With Pantone validation, Dolby Vision support, and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, the screen is bright, vibrant, and color-accurate. At 500 nits of peak brightness, it’s legible in most lighting conditions, but not great outdoors. Like other ASUS laptops, the 16:10 aspect ratio offers a little more vertical screen space for productivity.

I think ASUS has done a great job balancing speed and visual fidelity here. The 180Hz refresh rate gets you ultra-smooth gameplay, but the resolution is high enough to keep text and UI elements crisp. That said, an OLED option would have been a fantastic addition—not just for better contrast but also to potentially reduce the device’s thickness. ASUS has incorporated OLED in its ROG Zephyrus laptops, and those panels are incredible to game and watch content on, and I wish something similar could’ve been added here.

A Portable Powerhouse With a Catch

The Flow Z13 is equipped with the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, which has 16 cores and 32 threads built on the Zen 5 architecture. This is a full-fledged laptop CPU stuffed into a tablet, and the performance reflects that. Unlike most detachable hybrids that rely on low-power chips, the Flow Z13 can deliver desktop-class performance in a compact form factor. The Radeon 8060S integrated GPU, which has an impressive 40 compute units and an 80W power envelope, is quite powerful, handling mid-range gaming laptop tasks with ease.

In real-world use, the Flow Z13 is incredibly fast. Coding in CLion with large C projects ran without a hitch, even during complex builds and debugging sessions. Photo editing in Photoshop and Lightroom felt just as smooth, with the tablet handling multiple layers and batch exports without slowdowns. But where this machine really impressed was in AI workloads. Running DeepSeek R1’s 32-billion parameter model locally through Ollama worked without major slowdowns.

Now technically, you can pair the Flow Z13 with an XG Mobile external GPU, and ASUS offers an RTX 5090 Laptop GPU that connects via USB 4, that can turn the Flow Z13 into a full-fledged gaming PC. I didn’t get to test this, but, if you ask me, if you’re already spending this much, you might just be better off buying a proper gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU and cooling.

Regardless, all this power the Flow Z13 can offer does come at a cost; the fans are loud under load, especially when gaming or running intensive applications. ASUS has improved cooling with a larger vapor chamber and ultra-thin fins, but it’s clear that this form factor is pushing the limits of what can be cooled effectively. It never gets dangerously hot, but the top section of the tablet can become uncomfortably warm after extended use.

Battery life is decent but nowhere near what you’d get on a MacBook, iPad, or even a Surface Pro. With moderate use, including web browsing, writing, and media consumption, I managed around seven to eight hours before needing to charge.

Under gaming or intensive workloads, expect closer to four to six hours. It’s not bad for a gaming machine, but it does mean you’ll need to keep the charger close if you plan on using it for extended periods. The 200W power adapter charges the device quickly, and USB-C PD support allows for up to 100W charging, which is useful when traveling with a more compact charger.

Should You Buy the ASUS ROG Flow Z13?

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is an incredibly versatile device that pushes the boundaries of what a gaming tablet can be. It offers laptop-grade performance in a compact, portable form factor, making it an excellent choice for gamers, content creators, and even those working with AI-based workloads.

The powerful AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor and Radeon 8060S graphics make it far more capable than most other tablets on the market. However, it’s not without its drawbacks.

Battery life is decent but not exceptional, meaning you’ll need to keep the charger handy, and some design quirks—like mushy buttons and loud fans—can be frustrating. If you need a hybrid device that can handle gaming, multitasking, and creative work without sacrificing too much portability, the Flow Z13 is an impressive option. But if you prioritize all-day battery life or a more refined hardware experience, a traditional laptop might be a better fit.

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025)

9
/
10

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is an ambitious gaming hybrid that packs laptop-class performance into a tablet form factor, but its execution is a mix of brilliance and compromise. It offers exceptional power with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor and Radeon 8060S graphics, making it one of the most capable 2-in-1 devices for gaming, content creation, and even AI workloads.

See at ASUS

See at Best Buy