After Days Using the 2025 Asus ROG Flow Z13, I Think It’s Still Pretty Nichey
The new 13.4-inch detachable keyboard tablet released by ASUS at CES doesn’t change much compared to the 13.4-inch detachable keyboard. ROG Flow Z13 I reviewed the first game when it was released, so not surprisingly, my opinion hasn’t changed much. I like the idea and execution, but it still feels impractical and isn’t the first thing I think of, except for the occasional PC game, where I’d like a bigger screen than my Steam platform.
It’s still smooth and the overall design is good, and Asus has improved it in several areas. For example, the touchpad is larger, the keyboard has a little deeper travel, the webcam is better, it now supports Windows Hello, there are now four-channel speakers, the optional XG Mobile eGPU connects to Thunderbolt 5 instead of a proprietary connector, and more.
The model I used features a brand new AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 The processor is paired with integrated Radeon 8060S graphics (the Z13 previously used Intel processors), and a 1600p IPS touchscreen running at 60Hz or 180Hz.
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025, GZ302EA-XS96)
| Reviewed price | $2,199 USD |
|---|---|
| exhibit | 13.4-inch 2,560×1,600 pixel IPS touch screen 60Hz/180Hz 100% P3 color gamut 500 nits, stylus support |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 |
| memory | 32GB LPDDR5X-8000 (8x4GB soldered four channels) |
| graphics | Integrated Radeon 8060S |
| storage | 1TB SSD, 1 Micro SD |
| port | 2 USB4 (2 PD and DP 1.4), 1 USB-A 3.2, 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 combo audio |
| networking | MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7925, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| operating system | Microsoft Windows 11 Professional 24H2 |
| weight | 2.6 lb/1.2 kg, 3.2 lb/1.5 kg (with keyboard) |
But like its predecessor, it’s a bit heavy considering its size. This is to be expected considering the tank-like build, and the keyboard is also quite heavy. However, it retains a full suite of connectivity, including HDMI and micro SD slots.
The Z13 comes in two models—the $2,199 model I looked at and a cheaper $1,999 model (which varies by processor)—that uses the lower-level Ryzen AI Max 390 with fewer CPU and GPU cores. Upcoming refresh version XG Mobile It will feature a mobile version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 or 5080 GPU and feature a cool translucent chassis design.
flowing in hands
Since these chips won’t be available until later this year (sometime before June), the Z13 I’m using still has early-stage operating software and firmware, so I didn’t benchmark it or test battery life (Asus Estimating it will be the last 10 hours), and some minor issues I encountered may be resolved upon shipment.
Asus has moved the RGB lighting window from previous models to a more visible location.
I love the feel of the new keyboard though – can type now! –The newly added RGB backlight is not bright enough. If you’re in total darkness that’s okay, but I was sitting in the dark with Chrome open and the white screen made the backlight useless unless you looked directly at it. The keyboard is fairly stiff, but like many such devices, it’s not comfortable to use on your lap—you’d need a fairly long femur to accommodate it when the stand is deployed—so its stiffness can become somewhat moot. The stiffness does help when it’s tilted on a table, though.
Magnets hold the keyboard sections to the long top and bottom edges of the tablet, making them very sturdy whether closed or open. I placed it on a metal table and found it surprisingly difficult to move. It also sticks tightly to my iPad when I stack them up.
Four speakers, supporting Dolby Atmos, sound pretty good. The screen looks pretty good, and Asus provides the usual calibration profile – I didn’t test it as display performance can be sensitive to BIOS and other firmware. It only supports video HDR (Dolby Vision), not gaming, but even that’s theoretical since I couldn’t get any information to confirm that the DV is working properly. It looks good; the P3 color space coverage helps, and the tonal range looks mapped correctly, but there’s only so much you can do with a peak brightness of 500 nits, especially on a non-OLED screen.
It’s thick, but also has a good set of connectors, including a full-size HDMI port.
Performance on casual games was mixed (sometimes dropping below 60fps), even in terms of power consumption: I played Hades 2 (still in Early Access), Have a Nice Death, Dredge and a brief early access experience with Hyper Light Breaker. But I hope to achieve this with integrated GPU and early firmware, although these types of games are not very GPU demanding.
When it’s finalized, there’s still a lot to test. For example, AMD chips’ quad-channel memory and architecture should deliver better AI performance than before. I think the overall performance feels pretty good so far. I did encounter some unstable situations, such as CapCut (not running) causing system crashes and the GPU severely resetting (according to the event viewer).
Performance aside, though, the ROG Flow Z13 is still a fairly niche device that may appeal to those who want something more powerful and upgradeable (via an external GPU). Surface Pro For gaming and creation.
