Asus’ past generations of the ROG Flow Z13 were appealing if you wanted a Surface Pro-style detachable tablet with a flair for gaming, but the technology held them back between Intel’s not-so-efficient 12th- and 13th-gen Core chips as well as power-hungry dedicated graphics.

The 2025 version of the ROG Flow Z13 promises to change that. Asus is using AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ (aka Strix Halo), an all-in-one chip that combines a 16-core Zen 5 CPU, unified memory, and a brawny 40-core GPU that competes with some of the hottest discrete video. That theoretically makes it a great option for gamers who like the tablet formula, or even AI developers who want lots of muscle without a bulky conventional laptop.

In the real world, the Z13 achieves those goals with style. It’s the most powerful tablet of its kind for gamers and creators. However, it’s also $2,999 — and as you’ll soon find out, you do have to make a few compromises to get that raw speed.

Specs

• Display: 13.4-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS LCD 180Hz panel
• Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395
• Memory: 32GB (unified)
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Dimensions: 30cm x 20.4cm x 1.29cm ~ 1.49cm
• Weight: 1.2kg (2.65lbs)
• Camera: 13MP front camera and 5MP IR camera for Windows Hello
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Ports: 2x USB 4 Gen 3 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm audio
• Graphics: Radeon 8060S (integrated)

Note: the above specs are for the ROG Flow Z13 configuration available in Canada. Other countries’ models may vary.

Design: Built for power, not portability

Despite the new processor, the ROG Flow Z13 design will seem very familiar if you’ve tried previous models. That is, it’s conspicuously built for gamers who want performance and a bit of flash, in contrast with the considerably lighter, subtler designs of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 11 or Apple’s iPad Pro M4.

At 1.2kg and up to 1.49cm thick, you won’t be carrying this in your hands for very long; it’s really a laptop whose keyboard you can remove when you’re curling up in bed or watching videos during a long flight. The adjustable kickstand is sturdy, however, and even the great-feeling keyboard doesn’t wobble significantly on a desk. I wouldn’t use the Z13 much on my lap, but if you do, you’ll take comfort knowing that the CPU’s position keeps it from cooking your hands or legs.

There are plenty of gamer PC standards, including customizable RGB lighting for the keyboard and rear window. That includes the display. It’s an IPS LCD with “just” a 1600p resolution, but that’s fine at this size, and I didn’t crave OLED during my review stint. The 180Hz refresh rate is also a slight improvement over the prior 165Hz, so you’ll get slightly smoother, more responsive visuals when you’re playing high frame-rate games.

A performance monster

You’d expect the top-of-the-range Ryzen AI Max+ 395 to do well given the sheer core count and powerful graphics, and it certainly does here.

Synthetic tests like Geekbench 6 and Cinebench R24 tell much of the story for general computing. Single-core performance matches what you’d get with Intel’s Arrow Lake and Apple’s M3 (sorry, folks, the M4 still leads here), but those 16 CPU cores help it thrash most equivalent chips. It’s akin to an M4 Pro.

AI performance is surprisingly underwhelming. In Geekbench AI, the ROG Flow Z13 fell well behind the Zenbook A14 using a base Qualcomm Snapdragon X, even though the 50TOPS (tera operations per second) NPU in the Ryzen AI Max+ should theoretically outperform the 45TOPS from Qualcomm’s silicon. Most large language AI models (think GPT or Gemini) still run in the cloud, though, and the unified memory will make you happy if you’re an AI developer or media editor when you can throw as much memory as you need at the GPU.

Gaming is the centrepiece, though, and that’s where the Z13 shines. The hot team shooter Marvel Rivals runs at 70-80 frames per second at the native display resolution with details set to High and AMD’s upscaling (FideltyFX Super Resolution) enabled. Obsidian’s GPU-intensive RPG Avowed is also smooth while using details automatically set to High. And some games are clearly limited more by the CPU — Counter-Strike 2 and Destiny 2 routinely run well over 100FPS despite maxed-out visuals.

Effectively, you’re getting GeForce RTX 4060 performance (minus Nvidia’s advantage in ray tracing) without the need for a dedicated graphics chipset and some of the compromises Asus has had to make on heat, power, and space in earlier Z13 models. That’s not just a huge technical achievement, but a practical one that makes a gaming tablet like this easier to live with.

What you give up: Battery life and noise issues

If you were expecting the Ryzen AI Max+ to be as energy-efficient as it is quick, you won’t be happy. Asus claims 10 hours of peak battery life for the ROG Flow Z13, but you won’t get that unless you’re using it for very lightweight duties. In my typical work process, which includes Photoshop 2025, Slack chat, several browser tabs, and the occasional video call or music stream, I got three to four hours of use. You can expect less with games or media editing.

That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker when many gaming laptops share this problem, and you’re unlikely to be playing for hours on battery. But it’s something to remember if this will double as a work machine, especially if you need it to last through a long flight. I’d rather get the Surface Pro 11 if I wanted a detachable mainly for productivity, especially now that there’s an Intel-powered variant that can run more software.

And like earlier Z13 models as well as many gaming portables, the fan system engages often unless you invoke Asus’ Silent mode and accept a performance drop. That wouldn’t be as much of an issue if the speakers weren’t lackluster. You’ll likely be reaching for your headphones.

Is the ROG Flow Z13 worth the money versus a Surface Pro?

The $2,999 price for the ROG Flow Z13 in Canada gives you a lot of value, but there’s no denying that it’s steep. If you want raw gaming capability from Asus, the 2025 ROG Strix 16 starts at $3,299 with a larger screen, faster RTX 5070 Ti GPU, and a 240Hz display. Other brands aren’t far off.

But that’s not why you’d consider the Z13. This really is the “Surface Pro for gamers,” with the performance of a larger gaming laptop in a device you can fit on even smaller seatback trays. The Ryzen AI Max+ also makes it a very solid AI and content workstation. Just be ready to stay plugged in most of the time.

My main concern is whether or not a tablet is the right form factor. I’d rather get AMD’s chip in a conventional laptop with room for a larger battery and a more lap-friendly design. HP’s upcoming Zbook Ultra 14-inch G1a might fit that bill, at least for professionals. For now, the Z13 is worth a look precisely because it’s so unique and addresses an underserved category.

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is available from Asus’ website.