About two years ago, we reviewed the ASUS ROG Flow X13 and we loved it. The company was trying something new in the thin-and-light gaming laptop segment with its custom GPU enclosure called the XG Mobile, and it proved to be quite popular.
ASUS has now launched the 2023 model of the Flow X13, updated with Ryzen 7000 series CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40-series GPUs. Does the laptop offer better value than its predecessors, or has ASUS lost its vision for the Flow X series? Read on in my review to find out.
Design and Build Quality
At first glance, the 2023 model of the Flow X13 looks similar to the 2021 model that we reviewed previously. You still get the same sleek, stealthy design with characteristic elements like the wave-pattern on the lid and the 360 degree hinge. The chassis is made out of a Magnesium alloy while the lid is made out of Aluminium, resulting in a laptop that is rigid while being light.
The edges are squared off, but still comfortable to hold even in tablet mode. Branding is subtle throughout the exterior of the laptop, except for the ROG plaque on the lid, which is now triangular.
Just like before, the hinge can rotate 360°, allowing the device to be used in 4 positions – laptop, tablet, tent, stand. The hinge tension is perfect, and the laptop can be opened with one finger. Bezels look modern and since it’s a convertible, the power button moved to the right edge. The top bezel also houses an IR camera beside the webcam, and it works well for Windows Hello facial recognition. Altogether, the design and build quality of the Flow X13 is excellent.
Display and Sound
There is one display option this time around – a 13.4-inch, 16:10, QHD+ IPS panel which ASUS calls “ROG Nebula Display”. It has a refresh rate of 165Hz, a 3ms response time and resolution of 2560×1600. The panel is Pantone validated, supports Dolby Vision HDR and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour space. The display is also touch enabled and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass DXC.
As expected, the display is fantastic. The resolution is great at QHD+ and the extra vertical height is perfect for productivity applications. Colours are accurate, and the display gets pretty bright, especially for HDR content. With the maximum refresh rate of 165Hz, gaming on this display is amazing, except maybe its size. It is a little small for proper gaming sessions, but on the go, it’s good enough.
Previously, there was an option for a 4K/60FPS panel. That high of a resolution felt overkill for a 13.4-inch display, and I much prefer having a QHD+/165Hz panel. So I think ASUS made the right choice for the 2023 model.
For audio, the laptop is equipped with 2 Smart Amp speakers that claim to produce a louder sound than regular speakers. In our experience, the speakers were just okay. They are clear, even at the highest volume. However, it just doesn’t get loud, and the bass is lacking. The laptop does support Dolby Atmos though, so it will work with compatible external speakers.
Performance and thermals
ASUS has upgraded the performance of the Flow X13 by a significant amount thanks to the use of AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors and NVIDIA’s RTX 40-series GPUs. Inside the chassis, there is an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor paired with a NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, along with 16GB LPDDR5 6400M/Ts memory.
The Ryzen 9 7940HS is a beast of a processor with an 8 core/16 thread design. It is based on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture and built on TSMC’s 4nm process node. The processor can reach a boost frequency of 5.2GHz and it even comes with an RDNA 3-based Radeon GPU.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is based on NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture and is built on TSMC’s 4nm process node. It comes with a range of improvements including 3rd generation RT cores, 4th Gen Tensor cores and support for DLSS 3.0.
The Flow X13 takes impressive leaps in both on performance and efficiency. The combination of Zen 4 cores and NVIDIA GPU results in powerful performance for both gaming and productivity applications. At no point during my review did I feel held back by the hardware of the laptop.
The efficiency upgrades are further improved by the MUX switch and NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus, which can increase the battery life by a significant amount.
And of course, if you want more performance, the Flow X13 has the XG Mobile connector port that allows you to connect up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. ASUS has continued its support for their XG Mobile ecosystem, enabling near desktop-level performance in a portable package.
Here are some benchmarks:
In previous models of the Flow X13, ASUS did a pretty good job with thermal management. That continues to be true for the 2023 model. Equipped with technologies such Arc Flow Fans, 6 heat pipes and Liquid Metal Thermal Interface, the Flow X13 can keep cool under long demanding loads. The fans do get quite loud, but at the same time they push a lot of air, so it is an understandable trade-off.
Keyboard and trackpad
The keyboard is pretty much identical to the 2021 model that I reviewed, which isn’t a bad thing. I loved the previous keyboard, and that continues to be true for the 2023 model. Keys are perfectly sized, have good spacing and feel very snap-y to type on. The layout is fine, and you also get the same four macro keys on top for volume control, microphone mute toggle and a shortcut to Armoury crate. The Flow X13 series only comes with white backlighting, which is fine. I don’t really have any complaints.
The trackpad on the other hand has become significantly larger. It is about 54% bigger than the previous model, and it makes for a much better experience. The tracking is still smooth and accurate, and windows gestures work well.
Ports and Connectivity
Coming to the ports, on the left side you get
- 1x ROG XG Mobile Interface
- 1 x USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C port with DisplayPort 1.4 (Connected to the dGPU)
- 1 x HDMI 2.1 port (Connected to the dGPU)
- 1 x Audio combo jack
- 1 x microSD (UHS-II) slot
On the right side, you get
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port
- 1x USB 4 Type-C port (40Gbps) with DisplayPort 1.4 (Connected to the iGPU)
Both USB Type-C ports are capable of USB PD charging at up to 130W. The XG Mobile Interface along with the accompanying USB Type-C port are covered with a rubber flap attached to the laptop now. So it will be hard to lose the flap when the XG Mobile is not connected.
Connecting the XG Mobile gives the additional ports, including
- 3 x USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A
- 1 x USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C
- 1 x HDMI 2.1
- 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
- 1 x 2.5G Lan Jack
- 1 x SD (UHS-II) slot
For wireless connectivity, the laptop is equipped with a MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E network card, and it supports Bluetooth v5.2. I faced no issues with connectivity, and it remained solid throughout my review.
Battery
This is one aspect that impressed me the most during my review. The laptop is equipped with a 75WHr cell, which is quite large for a thin-and-light laptop. With regular use such as web browsing, watching content and some light photo editing, I got anywhere between 10–11 hours of battery life, which is very impressive. The efficiency of the Ryzen 9 processor is outstanding, and it clearly shows.
That said, if you perform some demanding tasks that require the discrete GPU or if they are heavily multi-threaded, then the battery can quickly drain. Thankfully, the included 130W adaptor can charge the laptop from 0-50% in about 30 minutes.
Conclusion
Thin-and-light gaming laptops are becoming a lot more popular now as the devices have become more mature and offer better value. The Flow X13 is a clear example of that. It has an sleek design with great build quality, a gorgeous display and solid keyboard. The performance improvements from Ryzen 7000 series CPUs and NVIDIA 40-series GPUs are amazing, and the battery life is among the best for Windows laptops.
Regarding price, the laptop starts at Rs. 1,79,000, which gets you a NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU. For the model we reviewed, you need to shell out Rs. 1,84,990. The price is on the higher side, but you do get a lot of value for it. If you are looking for a 13-inch gaming laptop that is good at nearly everything , then I would definitely recommend the ROG Flow X13.
Availability
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 (2023) is available for purchase on Amazon, ASUS’s online and offline stores across India starting at Rs. 1,79,000.