ASUS ROG Stream Z13 (2025) Comment: Lift up, is integrated graphics good now?

Windows gaming tablets are back again, and these are two things I don’t think are possible. It made me respect integrated graphics and convinced that I was a fun Windows tablet.

this Asus ROG stream Z13 It is a 13-inch tablet with a detachable keyboard, bright screen and guts of a gaming laptop. I know that this is a special thing when I use a fixture controller to turn a preproduction model into some form Super capable, super large steam deck. In daily use, it’s more like husky Surface Prowith AMD Strix Halo processor, has powerful integrated graphics for gaming and can last for non-game tasks throughout the workday. This is a charming and versatile device that can reasonably replace desktops, laptops, and Some type of PC gamer’s tablet or handheld computer – don’t mind the starting price of $2,100.

The ROG Flow Z13 is a tablet that also tries to become a hardcore gaming console. It features a 13.4-inch, 180Hz IPS touchscreen with pen support, 32GB of unified memory (up to 128GB), a 1TB M.2 SSD and plenty of port options, starting at $2,099.99. The Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 APU offers surprisingly excellent gaming performance in our $2,299.99 review unit, especially for A pill. The removable keyboard with a larger keyboard and trackpad feels like it’s pulled straight from the excellent Rog Zephyrus laptop. It makes it an effective portable gaming device – you can even use one on your legs without burning.

I used its keyless board on the couch and shot a Discord movie with some buds and game night, which left enough room in my legs for my cat to curl. I glued it to the desk, between the giant 4K monitor and the mechanical keyboard, it’s twice as good as a desktop computer and a convenient auxiliary screen. I even plugged it into the TV like a gaming console – the graphics are much better than any docked handheld handheld. The ability to do all these things makes it fun.

The Flow Z13’s Strix Halo processor is very capable of playing graphics-heavy games at its native 2560 x 1600 inches. Don’t expect extra features like path tracing, but Do Solid frame rates are expected in the low to medium settings range of 50 to 60 FPS. In games that support FSR 3 and framework generation, you can push things further: these zoom options are enabled, Cyberpunk 2077 Hit over 60fps, even pushing into the 70s on high settings on 4K external monitors.

I’ve played a lot, too Elden Ring On the Z13. (I blame it recently at night Network testing To itch me again. ) At local resolution it is always in the range of 50fps, and at 1200p it hits the game’s 60fps ceiling. By comparison, The first Z13, back to 2022in a medium environment, it is possible to call 30fps at 1200p on land at 1200p. This is not far from the cheaper and less functional steam deck, which is highest at 800p and medium-set 40fps with a lot of frame speeds.

Elden Ring remains One of the most game titles On Valve’s $400 handheld board. But this is so much On the new ROG flow, the deltas between the Z13 and Steam deck are now better. You can even play about 90 minutes of races on the battery on the Z13, while 70 minutes on the steam deck plays. Steam decks are cheaper and more comfortable, but this is another device to track. The Z13’s removable keyboard brings some gaming benefits to the steam deck while still being good for other things. If the Z13 just had a dedicated controller Just like I’m trying to adaptlike a super steam deck.

This is any type of device we’ve tested, which uses AMD’s new Ryzen AI Max Strix Halo The processor combines fast CPU cores, such as the machining core on AMD’s Strix Point processor, with AMD’s most powerful integrated graphics core. It also makes the Z13’s battery life much better than previous models. It lasted a very considerable 10 hours in our battery drain test, and if I wasn’t reckless I could spend eight to nine hours of workdays (no gaming, about 200 to 300 columns Nits brightness, power efficiency mode and battery avoiding 30% battery). this We tested the last stream Z13In 2023, the Intel Core i9-13900h CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4070 mobile GPU lasted about four and a half hours of regular use, and only 48 minutes while gaming.

In our benchmark, Z13’s AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 Beat Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Asus Zenbook S 16 (productivity laptop) and Zephyrus G16 (a gaming laptop) – and almost all the Intel chips we’ve seen in laptops lately – in single-core and multi-core CPU tests. The 40-core Radeon 8060s are very powerful for integrated GPUs, comparable to NVIDIA’s RTX 4060. The RTX 4070 in the Zephyrus G16 still conveniently wins 40-55% of the GPU in GPU performance, in Geekbench and 3dmark Time Spy, but Strix Halo Provorge for Formidable both win. And allow me to emphasize again: Integrated graphics.

To get that performance on the Z13, you have to use $2,299.99 for $2,299.99 with $2,299.99 Ryzen AI Max Plus 395. Nabi AI Max 390 Chips in the base model, but according to YouTuber Cary “phawx” Goron’s Deep diving In both versions of Z13, the upgrade gives you four CPU cores and eight GPU cores, which is worth it.

All configurations of the Z13 are 0.51 inches thick, and 2.65 pounds without a keyboard, adding 0.86 pounds. By comparison, Surface Pro The 11 is 0.68 inches thick and the keyboard is 2.7 pounds. Asus’ upcoming 2025 Rog Zephyrus G14 It is 0.63 inches thick and 3.46 pounds, which is slightly lighter and thinner than the Chonky-for-a-tablet Z13. As heavy as the Z13, its compact size and rigid construction make it feel more portable and easy to hit than you expected. A solid stand does help when surrounding the house or repositioning it, as you can reach your hand under it and lift it up with the support of your forearm, not your fingers. It still best thinks of it as a gaming laptop with a detachable keyboard, but surprisingly makes it more flexible.

The Z13 also has a 5-megapixel webcam and a 13-megapixel rear camera. You have to be mistaken for real photos taken on a Windows tablet with a rear camera; this is very useful for showing people what’s on video calls. Dual speakers are feasible, but don’t provide particularly full sound, especially at the low end, you may accidentally block it when holding it in the landscape orientation. The chunky 200W power adapter uses ASUS reversible proprietary connector (it also supports 100W power delivery through its USB-C 4 port).

As a tablet that makes reasonable gaming laptops or even desktops, the ROG Flow Z13 is as close to an all-in-one device as it is now. Like any one-to-one one-to-one, it’s expensive and it forms some compromises compared to more traditional devices – the price is the most obvious. You can spend less money on a more powerful (or even more compact) gaming laptop, like the Zephyrus G14, or you can get desktop and steam decks in another way. But, some charm and joyful flow about flow. If it’s not that expensive, I’d love to buy it instead of a traditional gaming laptop and handheld computer.

The Strix Halo chip inside the Z13 may end up being bigger than the tablet itself. This has proven its implementation Cute small desktop frame And more Traditional laptop computer On their way. But for now, this fun chip is one of the quirky, coolest tablet laptop hybrids, making it more powerful, more efficient, and more attractive.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge