The ROG Flow X13 is one of the most powerful, thin, and light gaming laptops released in the market. It’s a bit smaller than its bigger brothers, the ROG Z13 and G14, but packs the same punch thanks to the AMD Ryzen 7000 series and Nvidia RTX 40 series graphics inside. We’ve chosen the ASUS ROG Flow X13 as our companion laptop during our trip to Tokyo Game Show 2023 and here are the reasons why it makes for the perfect laptop for work and travel.

Small But Terrible

The ROG Flow X13 only measures 299 x 212 x 167 mm yet it’s able to pack an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and an RTX 4050 60W CPU and GPU combo. It’s one of the few, if not the only, 13.3″ ultrabook to have a Ryzen 9 7940HS processor paired with RTX 40 series graphics.

To cram in such power in such a small chassis is an engineering marvel that is only achieved by ASUS’ built-up experience with this Zephyrus thin and light gaming laptop line. Sure, the Ryzen 9 7940HS and RTX 4050 are without a doubt overkill for typical office work but that means that the ROG Flow X13 is able to do more – photo and video editing on the go

Work Anytime, Anywhere

The ROG Flow X13’s slim form factor combined with its 13.3-inch display and 360-degree hinge allowed us to literally work anytime and anywhere during TGS 2023. Its 360-degree hinge came in more handy than we initially thought. We’re able to use the ROG Flow X13 in tablet mode, where we need to do some quick file transfers, and photo and video checks while on the go, whether it be inside the train or walking towards our destination in Tokyo.

Professional-grade ROG Nebula Display

If ASUS was able to pack in a Ryzen 9 7940HS and an RTX 4050 in a 13.3″ package, then they’d have no reason to not include a stunning display on the ROG Flow X13 2023. ASUS has equipped the ROG Flow X13 2023 with a ROG Nebula-certified 2560×1600 16:10 16Hz IPS display. Its 100% DCI-P3 coverage and out-of-the-box Pantone validation means that the ROG Flow X13 can do professional photo and video editing.

Its color-accurate display that can be used anywhere thanks to the laptop’s tablet mode and tent mode capabilities made our lives easier in selecting the best pictures and footage to use in our Tokyo Game Show 2023 coverage as we no longer have to do extra steps in the editing process thanks to the aforementioned color-accurate display.

Performance and Battery Life

In case you missed it, we keep mentioning the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and Nvidia RTX 4050 packed inside the ASUS ROG Flow X13 2023. That’s because this high-end configuration is very rarely seen on 13.3″ thin gaming laptops. Being able to have multiple browser tabs open and having multiple apps running without the stutters and slow loading in switching between them greatly improves productivity as you’re immersed in your workflow. Of course, such power in a small device will greatly consume battery life, yes? Well, no.

Surprisingly enough, the Ryzen 7000 series’ 35W TDP and the RTX 3050’s MUX Switch + Nvidia Advanced Optimus provide superb battery life rivaling those 13.3″ ultrabooks with 15W TGP CPUs and integrated GPUs. Throughout our Tokyo Game Show 2023 we never had the need to charge the ROG Flow X13 thanks to the power efficiency of the chips paired with a 75WHr battery.

Future Proof and Versatility: ROG XG Mobile

The CPU and GPU combo inside the ASUS ROG Flow X13 is one of the most, if not the most, powerful combinations inside a 13.3″ ultrabook. Its high-end specs are definitely too powerful for everyday computing but that only means that the ROG Flow X13 will be with you for longer as you have a lot of performance headroom before the Flow X13 is due for replacement.

That said, the ASUS ROG Flow X13 has something that only two other Gaming laptops have – the ROG XG Mobile. The XG Connector found on the ROG Flow X13 enables desktop-like performance should you need to turn the already powerful Flow X13 into a powerhouse via the ROG XG Mobile. This solves the one and only arguable weakness of the Flow X13 13.3″ form factor, albeit it already has above-average specs in the first place.

The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is a powerful gaming laptop that’s caged inside a slim 13.3″ body that’s able to transform into anything you require – a powerful yet efficient ultrabook, a large tablet mode thanks to its 360-degree hinge, or a powerful desktop with the ROG XG Mobile graphics. It’s a great all-rounder laptop for users who need a powerful but portable device that they can take anywhere and also have more power to spare thanks to its high-end internals and upgradability.