The 2-in-1 gaming tablet: myth or reality? ASUS ROG certainly believes that it’ll be worth the trouble, and hence the release of the new Flow – the Z13 (GZ301).
Following up on the convertible X13 from 2021, the Z13 goes one step further with an additional use case for this versatile gaming rig. This 13″ tablet weighs a mere 1.1kg and measures no thicker than 12mm.
The fact that it is a tablet means that on top of the usual mouse, controller and keyboard controls, the touchscreen also becomes an option – albeit being dependent on game support. And I’m throwing in the stylus for good measure, just because (not that it’s going to be of any use in a gaming situation).
But within this slim rectangle lies the beating heart of an actual gaming rig, or at least the foundation of it: the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU, and a combination of 16GB of 5200MHz LPDDR5 memory and a 512GB PCIe SSD, making this a competent gaming device that belies its form factor.
An unconventional design
While it’s true that squeezing everything behind the display is essentially putting two very hot devices – the display and the processing units – right smack against each other, the unconventional Z13 was designed this way so that the device has greater access to fresh air around its being, compared to a deskbound gaming laptop.
Asus also explains that by omitting the hinge mechanism, they were able to accommodate larger fans and a wider vapour chamber that’s superior to conventional heatpipe designs. The chamber is also able to contact multiple heat sources simultaneously, which makes the airflow and heat transfer rather efficient. And by incorporating its proprietary liquid metal thermal compound, the Z13 never exceeds 40dB of noise, even under full load.
But if all that still isn’t enough, the Z13 is also equipped with an XG Mobile interface that lets you hook up the optional XG Mobile eGPU for a big boost in graphics performance. Just because.
Connectivity and controls
The most unique thing about this form factor is that it supports mobile and touch compatible games as well as traditional PC games. As such, you can game on the move. The screen cover also doubles as a full keyboard, complete with keys capable of 1.7mm of travel.
If you need an external mouse and keyboard, there are multiple USB ports to facilitate this. Onboard, you have one USB 2.0 port, one USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port, and the XG Mobile interface also supports one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (with DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery). The dual USB Type-C ports also allow you to direct visual output to external monitors.
Asus mentions that they’ve designed the Z13 for excellent wireless connections and you can pair up multiple gamepad controllers. On top of that, the Z13 supports split-screen gaming as well.
Availability
The ROG Flow Z13 (GZ301ZC-LD110W) retails at $2,998 and is now available at the ROG Experience Store Bugis, ASUS Online Store , and all authorised retailers.
From 18th – 31st March, customers who purchased ROG Flow Z13 (GZ301) can get either a Microsoft 365 Personal (1-year subscription worth $108) or XBOX Game Pass Ultimate (6 months subscription worth $119.94).
