Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) review: A gaming tablet outclassed by its rivals

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I’ve never found a “gaming tablet” that left a strong impression on me, and the 2025 Asus ROG Flow Z13 hasn’t changed that.

What I was really looking forward to was the debut of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ (Strix Halo)–a unique processor that combines a powerful CPU with an NPU, a killer integrated GPU, and a massive cache, all for what I hoped would be a bacchanal of gaming and AI applications. Could it hold up? I discovered that it could, but the competition is still better.

Asus has a history of applying innovative solutions to gaming on the go. AMD should certainly celebrate what’s been accomplished here, I just don’t think it works. Yes, the Flow is perhaps the lightest gaming solution outside of a handheld, with a chip inside that has the best integrated graphics ever made. But it all boils down to a good product that falls short of greatness and for a price that should deliver much more.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Specifications

We’ve seen the Z13 before. Back in 2022, the Flow Z13 paired an Intel Core i9-12900H processor with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti for $1,899 while the 2023 Asus Flow Z13 combined a Core i7-13900H with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. In 2025, AMD convinced Asus that its powerful Ryzen AI Max, relying on integrated graphics alone, could measure up.

Mark Hachman / Foundry

Asus sells the ROG Flow in three different configurations. There’s the $2,099 model with a Ryzen AI Max 390 (12 cores, 3.2GHz) and the $2,299 model with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16 cores, 3.0GHz). Both include 32GB of LPDDR5X 8000 memory. (We’re reviewing this second configuration, known formally as the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) GZ302EA-XS96.) For those who wish to maximize the available RAM for unified frame buffer memory for use with games and especially AI, there’s a $2,799 option with the Max+ 395 processor and a whopping 128GB of RAM.

All can be directly purchased via Asus or at other retailers.

• Model number: GZ302EA-XS96
• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processor (3.0GHz)
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X RAM
• Graphics/GPU: Radeon 8060S Graphics (integrated)
• Display: 13.4-inch (2560×1600) IPS touchscreen with 180Hz refresh rate, HDR and stylus support
• Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe PCIe solid state drive
• Webcam: 13MP (rear) 5MP/1440p (user-facing, Windows Hello)
• Connectivity:  2 USB4, USB-A (10Gbps), HDMI 2.1, microSD (UHS-II), 3.5mm audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Windows Hello facial login
• Battery capacity: 70Wh (71.5Wh as tested)
• Dimensions: 11.81 (W) x 8.03 (D) x 0.51 (H) inches 
• Weight: 2.65 pounds
• Operating system: Windows 11 Pro
• Price as reviewed: $2,229

ROG Flow Z13: Design, build quality

I have to be honest. I audibly groaned when I opened up the Asus packaging materials and unfolded the tablet. I’ve always been a bit skeptical of gaming tablets anyway, in part because to me, a tablet is lightweight and portable — the Asus ROG Flow really isn’t. Anything that puts two and a half pounds onto a kickstand means that you’ll really have to place it on a desk.

That’s not to say that I dislike the ROG Flow Z13’s design. At a maximum thickness of 0.59 inches and 2.65 pounds, the tablet is still light enough to drop into a backpack or carry around the house, although the limited gaming time (more on that later) means that I’d rather watch movies unless it’s connected via the power adapter. That adapter uses a proprietary design to carry the 200 watts, which is more than the AMD chip requires, though the tablet will also accept power through its Thunderbolt ports.

Again, the tablet has its limitations. Can you prop it on your lap? Not really. Placing it in a bed is feasible. Yet again, a handheld PC easily outclasses it in terms of convenience. And yes, the tablet has already plummeted off my lap and onto the floor, as the keyboard’s flimsy magnetic connector couldn’t save it.

Aesthetically, though, the Flow Z13 does fulfill the gamer aesthetic. Like the Flow Z13s before it, Asus replaced a small chunk of the backplate with a mirrored window that becomes transparent under the right lighting conditions, exposing a portion of the motherboard, which is lit via RGB. (Well, sort of — while I tried to use either Windows or the Asus Armoury Crate software to enable the lighting, it only worked randomly.) Even when fully operational, the RGB lighting through that backplate and underneath the keyboard doesn’t feel obtrusive.

Mattias Inghe

The grillwork is aggressive, more like the 2023 backing than the 2022 edition. So is the cooling, though Asus does a nice job running what feels like a substantial volume of air through it without resorting to coil whine. With gaming laptops, the powerful hiss that many fans produce really overshadows the laptop’s speakers, forcing me to use headphones. The ROG Flow sounds substantially quieter under load.

I used the default “Performance” settings that the tablet shipped with, which adjusts the fans to the workload. An additional “Turbo” setting turns the fans to maximum at all times. There’s also a “Silent” mode that spins down those fans, a “Windows” mode that lets Windows’ own power settings take control, and a manual option.

ROG Flow Z13: Display and ports

The Flow Z13 includes what Asus calls its “Nebula” display, a 13.4-inch, 2560×1600 panel that puts out 508 nits according to my light meter, about double what we consider to be the necessary light output. Some of that will be used by the Dolby Vision HDR, which pushes more light to scenes of bright sun, explosions, and the like. Combine that with the 180Hz refresh rate and this is one of the better displays I’ve seen on a laptop, period.

Mark Hachman / Foundry

The one drawback? I’m not sure that the Ryzen AI Max’s GPU can keep up. You’ll see the majority of my performance tests focusing on 1080p resolution and maybe 1440p. Playing games at the panel’s 1600p resolution is certainly possible, depending upon the game, but newer graphics-intensive games probably won’t be able to keep up with a 1600p panel at 180Hz refresh rates. On the other hand, future generations might.

Asus also has to thread the needle between serving as a tablet while providing a big, beautiful screen for gamers. As a tablet, you appreciate a broad bezel as “dead space,” a neutral zone to hold the tablet without triggering anything. The bezel is relatively small. Yet, viewed from the perspective of the user, the keyboard blocks out most of the bottom bezel, making the screen appear larger. It works for me.

Gamers expect lots of ports and the tablet delivers on that front. There’s a 10Gbps USB-A port on the right hand side of the tablet. On the left, there are two USB4 ports (the equivalent of Thunderbolt 4), along with an HDMI 2.1 port, and a UHS-II microSD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. The Asus power plug plugs in here, too.

On the right-hand side of the tablet is a new, dedicated shortcut button, which, when depressed, launches the popout ScreenXpert utility. This doesn’t govern the display. Instead, the app provides touch shortcuts to the Armoury Crate gaming utility as well as other functions like turning the mic off and on.