However, when tackling day-to-day tasks like browsing the web, word processing, watching YouTube videos, and attending virtual meetings, the ROG Flow X13's AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS octacore CPU ensures a smooth experience.
For a racer, such low frame rates are unacceptable. The Flow X13 struggled to run Dirt 5 at an acceptable framerate: when we ran its integrated graphics benchmarking tool in our lab it hovered around 30 frames per second, and in my hands-on testing I consistently saw framerates in the low 20s. This isn’t surprising considering how well optimized the game is the now infamous Cyberpunk 2077, by comparison, delivered a consistent 30 FPS in both open-world and indoor environments. I saw the best framerates while playing Doom Eternal, where the performance hovered around the mid-50s. I put our review unit to the test by playing Doom Eternal, Dirt 5, and Cyberpunk 2077 using the Nvidia GeForce Experience-recommended settings for each title. Compared to the Razer Blade 14 and Alienware m15 R4, the Asus ROG Flow X13 delivers disappointing performance. You can squeeze a few extra frames from certain games by plugging the laptop in, but don’t expect to be blown away. Though impressive, don’t expect to play games at anything above medium settings - not if you want halfway decent framerates. My review unit arrived sporting an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1TB NVME PCIe Gen 3 SSD. Of course, if you’re not happy with the speakers, you can always connect your favorite pair of the best gaming headsets. Music sounds good too, if you’re willing to deal with weak bass. You won’t get thumping bass, but everything from booming shotguns to hushed whispers come through clearly. Speaking of speakers, the Asus ROG Flow X13 produces rich sounds for a laptop. Though this weird position gives the bottom of the unit space to breathe and might make the speakers sound clearer, it doesn't seem like something you'll use often. There’s also a “tent mode” where you can lay the laptop down like a, well, tent. The stylus is only bundled with certain configurations - not the one we reviewed - and costs about $70 when sold separately. However, artists equipped with a stylus pen will find it a suitable device to use on the road. If you’re purchasing the Flow X13 for gaming, you won’t find much use for tablet mode. What that means, in simple terms, is that colors look good and are pretty accurately rendered, whether you're looking at the neon glare of Cyberpunk 2077’s streets or the earthy tones in Dirt 5’s mud-covered tracks. When we pointed our colorimeter at the Asus ROG Flow X13's screen, we found it achieves 113% of the sRGB color gamut and 80% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (the closer to 100%, the better). Conversely, using the device in a bright room or under direct sunlight makes it almost impossible to see what’s happening. That's good enough for most situations, though even if you're playing in a dimly-lit environment you will see yourself reflected in dark parts of the screen.
GPU Z ROG FULL
Around the screen, bezels are thin on the sides but somewhat chunky up top and at the bottom.īased on our lab testing, the display achieves an average brightness of 289 nits, though around the center of the screen it hits the full 300 advertised by Asus. The display's 16:10 aspect ratio (which we're seeing more and more often in new laptops) gives you additional verticality. The Flow X13 features a glossy 13.4-inch screen with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Speakers lack bass but otherwise sound good.Vibrant 120Hz display looks good, but can be quite reflective in bright light.Asus ROG Flow X13 review: Display and audio But in my tests, I found the touchpad intuitive and responsive. Its relatively small size could pose problems, especially for those who make large gestures. The smooth touchpad delivers precise swiping and tracking. I don’t care much for RGB lighting so I didn’t see this as a major loss, though I understand it may be a bummer for some users. Unlike the Zephyrus G14, there are no RGB lighting options. There are three brightness settings for the keys’ backlight. I wrote the majority of this review on the Flow X13 and had a great experience doing so. Ample key spacing gives you plenty of room to move, and keystrokes feel precise. Your fingers won’t feel cramped when using the spacious keyboard, which feels similar in size to those found in 15-inch laptops. No RGB lighting, if that's a thing you're into.Asus ROG Flow X13 review: Keyboard and touchpad Though 2-in-1 laptops usually have power buttons on their sides, the power button on the ROG Flow X13 is especially sensitive - I had to be careful not to accidentally shut the laptop off when plugging in the USB-C port. I also wasn’t keen on the power button’s location along the right edge of the keyboard deck.