The Asus ROG Flow X13 2-in-1 convertible compact gaming laptop powered with AMD’s latest and powerful Zen 3 architecture based Ryzen 9 5000 series CPU which weighs just 1.3kg. The ROG Flow X13 is powered by Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU to drive the graphics which may not be the powerful GPU. But with an optional GeForce RTX 3080 e-GPU aka Asus XG Mobile graphics enclosure.
The Flow X13 is versatile in its category with its slim form factor with decent hardware configuration for playing most gaming titles. With the eight-core and 16-threads, this would be the most powerful laptop in a 13 inches chassis that is available in the market today.
Design
The ROG Flow X13 has a vertical texture on the magnesium alloy surface gives a good grip for the users when holding the laptop. Even though the overall build quality of the laptop is good, its aluminium body attracts fingerprints on the body. Asus has kept rubber bumpers on both the corners of the laptop making a safe distance from the screen and the touchpad. The all-black design of the laptop gives them a bold look. It reminds me of the Razer Blade Stealth, one of the pioneers in making compact gaming laptops.
The Flow X13 inherits the Ergo-lift hinge which tilts the keyboard slightly when the lid is open makes way to flow the hot air from the CPU which is featured in many Asus laptops in recent years. The 360-degree hinge allows the users to have a multitude of viewing angles such as Clamshell mode, Tent Mode, Stand or the Tablet mode.
ROG X13 features decent I/O ports like 1 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 and 2 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports including the port hidden inside the xG interface. It also has HDMI 2.0 and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the side. Unlike the last year’s popular device ROG Zephyrus G14, Asus has opted to include a 720p HD Webcam in its top slim bezels.
Unlike the heavy power adapters which come with the gaming laptops, the Flow X13 comes with a light-weight 100W USB Type-C PD adapter which is quite handy when travelling or when you carry the adapter in your backpack. Like the ROG Zephyrus G14, the Flow X13 also comes with a multi-function power button. Asus has integrated the fingerprint scanner quite neat on the power button which can be configured to use the Windows Hello feature. However, it lacks IR sensor, which means that you cannot use the Hello face recognition to log in to your Windows laptop.
The keyboard offers standard function keys such as Volume controls, mute, Asus Armory Crate dedicated button, media controls, a dedicated screenshot button and a button that allows you to switch to different performance modes.
Performance
The Asus ROG Flow X13 is one of the most powerful laptop with a 13-inch chassis. It features AMD’s powerful chip Ryzen 9 based 5900HS CPU which is paired with NVIDIA GTX 1650 with Max-Q design GDDR6 GPU of 4 Gigabyte. The unit we received for the review was featuring a 16GB LPDDR4X RAM running at 4266MHz and a 1-terabyte PCI-e SSD Storage. The AMD CPU is one of the most attractive components of the laptop. Built on the 7nm process, the Ryzen 9 5000 series chips manage to run with more cores onboard without much thermal issues we had in the previous generations.
The Pantone validated 4K touch-enabled display delivers excellent colour accuracy in a 16:10 viewing ratio. Asus has covered the display with Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the screen from accidental scratches. The device features an Asus Pen bundled inside the box for activities like sketching and writing etc.
The backlit illuminated keyboard has reasonable key travel of 1.7mm and a keycap curve of 0.15mm. The 5.1.2 channel surround sound powered by Dolby Atmos delivers decent audio output through the dual bottom-firing speakers on both sides of the laptop. However, we felt that the sound can be amplified in the tent mode. It also features two way AI noise cancellation technology which removes the background noise when you are on Microsoft Teams or Zoom video calls.
The X13 comes with WiFi 6 technology for faster internet speeds with better efficiency. It also supports the latest WPA3 wireless encryption standard which enhances wireless security with optimized battery consumption. The 62Whr built-in battery may not deliver the greatest battery life, considering that the device is branded as a gaming laptop, we cannot complain much about it.
Conclusion
The Asus ROG Flow X13 is a compact powerhouse laptop which can be used for both work and entertainment purpose. It features blazing fast performance through its Ryzen 9 CPU, a great colourful screen, decent audio experience and an excellent responsive keyboard experience. With all these basics right, the X13 is a top-notch convertible gaming laptop from the brand Asus.
The optional e-GPU to plug in the powerful GeForce RTX 3080 can sweeten the deal with its desktop-class GPU performance. We liked the idea which Asus has executed with Flow X13. The device can be a suitable machine for users who needs a lighter device without compromising on the performance.
