Knowledgeable’s Ranking
Execs
- Highly effective specs
- Nice show
- Compact footprint
- Simply upgradeable SSD
Cons
- Quick battery life
- Wimpy audio system
- Skinny bezels make pill use infuriating
- 2-in-1 design not for everybody
Our Verdict
It’s removed from the perfect pill, however this gaming-focused PC wins on efficiency per ounce and is in contrast to anything on the market as we speak.
Worth When Reviewed
$1,879
Finest Costs Right now: Asus ROG Circulate Z13 2023
$1879.99
It was a little bit over a decade in the past when Microsoft unleashed its Floor gadgets on the world. It took just a few tries, but it surely discovered a recipe that labored and has largely caught with it ever since. Others within the PC trade have adopted go well with, however few actually tried to combine up the keyboard-cover-and-kickstand system.
That’s why this Asus ROG Circulate Z13 is an odd critter–it’s the Floor recipe to a T, but it surely dares to ask the query “What if it have been for avid gamers?” The reply is a thicker 2-in-1 with a really highly effective CPU and an Nvidia GPU inside, with a giant cooling system in addition. However in a world the place most gaming laptops are at the least within the 14-inch-and-bigger class, can is that this a usable gaming PC or just an odd duck?
On the lookout for extra choices? Try PCWorld’s roundup of the perfect gaming laptops.
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Specs
Our assessment unit got here geared up with an Intel Core i7-13900H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. For extra info, take a look at the specs record beneath:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-13900H (14 cores, 20 threads: 6 efficiency, 8 effectivity)
- Reminiscence: 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM
- Show: 13.4-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS touchscreen with 165Hz refresh charge and stylus assist
- Storage: 1 TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe PCIe strong state drive
- Webcam: 13MP
- Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (with ROG XG cell GPU interface), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, microSD reader
- Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
- Biometrics: Home windows Good day facial login
- Battery capability: 56Wh
- Dimensions: 11.89 (W) x 8.11 (D) x 0.51 (H) inches
- Weight: 2.6 kilos, 3.7 kilos with AC adapter
- Worth as Reviewed: $1,879
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Design and construct high quality
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
Ah, avid gamers. The stereotypes typically are true, and it exhibits in how gaming PCs are designed and marketed. The ROG Circulate Z13 completely leans into that, with extremely-styled steel, wild-looking fan vents, pointless branding, and even a small window that appears on the PC’s motherboard, with RGB in addition. To be sincere, I don’t hate the best way this seems to be, and it even looks like a high-quality PC–however I believe it could possibly be a lot extra subdued.
Fortunately, the front-on view is completely high quality, with solely the RGB and font of the keyboard legends supplying you with a touch that this 2-in-1 is making an attempt just a bit too exhausting to be cool. Just like the Floor, the pill’s magnetically-attached keyboard has a felt exterior and may be ripped off the system or folded onto its again (though the PC will warn that the vents are blocked). In some situations, like on an airplane tray desk, having the pill stand by itself with a kickstand when having fun with a film. Although the Circulate Z13 is considerably thicker than others on this laptop computer class, utilizing the kickstand and keyboard can nonetheless be an pleasing expertise.
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Connectivity
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
2-in-1s typically go away ports out so as to get as skinny and transportable as potential. Fortunately, with its thicker shell, the ROG Circulate Z13 crams in a bunch of choices beside the standard USB-C ports. Positive, you get a Thunderbolt 4 port, but it surely additionally has a USB-A, a 3.5mm headset jack, and one other USB-C port hidden beneath a rubber cowl that additionally homes Asus’s proprietary XG Cell exterior GPU connector. It’s price noting that the Circulate Z13 comes with a USB-C charging brick that may ship 130W to the system. However, because it’s USB-C, you’ll lose a essential port if you happen to’re on the charger for its most efficiency.
Beneath the machine’s kickstand is a microSD card slot, which is tremendous handy on a tool like this. Moreover, Asus has opted to go along with the M.2 2230 strong state drive normal, and there’s a hatch for swapping out storage with out tearing the pill aside. Skinny machines like this sometimes come with none upgradeability, so it’s actually nice you’ll be able to add extra space if you happen to want it.
For wi-fi hookups, the ROG Circulate Z13 has the most recent Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, precisely what we’d count on for the cash you’re paying.
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Keyboard and trackpad
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
This being a 2-in-1, the keyboard isn’t constructed into the ROG Circulate Z13. Fortunately, this magnetically-attached keyboard cowl is included within the field. Whereas I discovered the RGB-backlit keys have loads of journey, the duvet has a little bit of flex. After all, the usability of this keyboard is considerably private–folks with brief thighs may not be capable to match the pill’s kickstand and keyboard cowl of their laps like a daily laptop computer. Furthermore, the entire contraption may need points on smaller tables and desks, like these present in a university lecture corridor. However, on a daily desk, I had no points typing at excessive speeds.
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
The massive trackpad is fairly good however because of the flexing of the keyboard cowl, I discovered that typically it may be clicked throughout vigorous typing. Fortunately, it’s responsive throughout use and registers gestures rapidly and reliably.
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Show, audio system, and webcam
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
Gaming laptops are likely to favor quick refresh over the whole lot else. That’s why I used to be thrilled to see that the 13.4-inch, 3:2 display screen within the ROG Circulate Z13 was an incredible decision, has punchy colours, and is superior for gaming and day-to-day use alike. It’s a touchscreen for pill use, as properly. Sadly, the skinny bezels across the display screen make it a poor pill–I discovered that holding the Circulate made it far too simple to hit the shut button on the nook of home windows.
The 13 megapixel webcam is fairly respectable, all issues thought-about. I discovered that some element was lacking from my face (largely in my scraggly beard) however I got here by well-exposed and searching pure. This digital camera additionally doubles as a 5 MP facial recognition digital camera, so utilizing Home windows Good day for quick logins is an possibility right here as properly.
Sadly, between the battery, beefy chips, and the whole lot else stuffed inside, there seemingly wasn’t any spare area left for good audio system. The two-speaker system within the ROG Circulate Z13 fireplace out the perimeters and aren’t very spectacular, even when they will get considerably loud. I’d have drastically most well-liked that Asus take one other web page from the Microsoft Floor playbook and make them front-firing audio system as a substitute.
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Efficiency
With its 20-thread Intel Core i9-13900H chip, the Asus ROG Circulate Z13 has a ton of energy in a comparatively small bundle. Fortunately, its gaming pedigree means Asus has gone a bit nuts with the vents and followers, and even below load the Circulate stays fairly cool to the contact, contemplating the truth that there’s a strong CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4060 in there, too.
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
Utilizing Cinebench R20, we are able to check out how a laptop computer renders a 3D mannequin with its processor cores. This can assist us gauge how properly all of the cores work to perform a demanding process collectively. Right here, we are able to see that the Intel i9-13900H contained in the ROG Circulate Z13 is a lot quick, however can’t sustain with greater laptops, designed for punishing workloads with cooling methods to match.
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
Contained in the Asus ROG Circulate Z13 is an Nvidia GPU, serving to it get shocking gaming efficiency. Packing the GeForce RTX 4060, this pretty compact 2-in-1 can recreation fairly properly on the go, in keeping with the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark. Whereas removed from class-leading (as we are able to see on the chart), you’d be hard-pressed to search out one other laptop computer on this measurement with a GPU that’s this good.
For a tool of this class, the graphics efficiency is a lot spicy for powering AAA video games like Cyberpunk 2077 at round 50 fps with good visible constancy, simply possibly not on the system’s native decision.
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
Whereas the ROG Circulate Z13 looks as if a loser when stacked up in opposition to current gaming laptops, we predict that getting round 111 frames within the Shadow of the Tomb Raider take a look at is respectable. For on-the-go gaming, this implies you’ve an excellent quantity of flexibility, even when it’s not going to run the most recent AAA video games at 4K/120.
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
Lastly, in our benchmarks, we run each laptop computer by a Handbrake video compression situation. This lets us clock how lengthy it takes to crunch a full-resolution HD film into one suited to an Android pill. On this take a look at, the 20-core i9 contained in the Circulate Z13 took a little bit longer than greater high-power gaming laptops, but it surely nonetheless acquitted itself properly for 13-inch pill.
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Battery Life
IDG / Brendan Nystedt
A key take a look at we run on each laptop computer is a battery take a look at that loops a 4K video. Sadly, it is a large weak spot for the Asus ROG Circulate Z13. As a result of it’s such a small laptop computer, and a lot of the inside is taken up by chips and coolers, it’s left with a small 56Wh battery inside. No miracles as we speak – that is when the Circulate really behaves like a gaming laptop computer, draining its battery in solely round six and a half hours. Anecdotally, I misplaced 10% of battery whereas working at a café in lower than a half-hour, which is a fairly sharp drop.
Asus ROG Circulate Z13: Do you have to purchase it?
Whereas it’s not essentially the most performant gaming laptop computer round, the Asus ROG Circulate Z13 is in contrast to every other system I’ve ever examined. Not solely is it a really compact machine, it’s received loads of energy for lots of video games, and greater than sufficient oomph for artistic work. Its largest weak point is by far its battery life, making it a poor cell workstation, at the least so long as you’re away from a wall socket.
For my functions, although, the Asus ROG Circulate Z13 could be a significantly better cell powerhouse with a high-powered AMD APU inside, like what comes within the Razer Blade 14. That manner, the Circulate may get nice on-the-go runtime, have sufficient pep to run the occasional recreation on the street, however when again residence can dock up with an exterior GPU for extra resource-intensive video games and packages. However, if you happen to like your laptops small, however don’t wish to compromise on energy, then the Asus ROG Circulate Z13 is a wonderful little beast.