{"id":623976,"date":"2023-03-31T09:49:04","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T14:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/yall-this-laptop-is-too-much\/"},"modified":"2023-03-31T09:49:04","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T14:49:04","slug":"yall-this-laptop-is-too-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/yall-this-laptop-is-too-much\/","title":{"rendered":"Y\u2019all, this laptop is too much"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content\">\n<p>Every so often I receive one of these bizarre little computers that Asus has done in collaboration with someone or other, and my senses are ever so slightly overwhelmed. They made one with an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/9\/18\/21432977\/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-acronym-amd-ryzen-9-4900hs-nvidia-rtx-2060\">animated exploding head on the lid<\/a>. There was one that turned into <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22629096\/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-alan-walker-edition-dj-deck-gaming-laptop\">a DJ deck<\/a>. There was one <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/23453402\/asus-vivobook-13-review-slate-steven-harrington-edition\">covered in dogs<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>But this latest release \u2014 the ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM \u2014 might be the wackiest one yet to cross my desk. There is no discernible theme, rhyme, or reason to it. It is pure chaos, top to bottom. Which, you know what, fine. It\u2019s 2023. Fair enough.<\/p>\n<p>The Flow Z13 is the second collaboration between ROG and ACRONYM, an apparel brand that sells pieces like <a href=\"https:\/\/acrnm.com\/SAC-D6012_SS22\">this $1,800&#8230;dress, I think<\/a>? It\u2019s a 13.4-inch gaming tablet with a kickstand and detachable keyboard \u2014 a gaming <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/23450010\/microsoft-surface-pro-9-intel-12th-gen-test-review-benchmark\">Surface Pro<\/a>, for lack of a better descriptor. <\/p>\n<p>With a price of $2,499.99, our Core i9 13900H\/RTX 4070\/16GB RAM\/1TB SSD\/2560 x 1600 test unit targets a fairly niche audience \u2014 on-the-go gamers with deep pockets and a deeper desire to project an edgily chaotic aesthetic. Most people should not be spending this much. If it\u2019s the convertible tablet you\u2019re after, you can trick out a <a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=nOD%2FrLJHOac&#038;mid=24542&#038;u1=verge&#038;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fstore%2Fconfigure%2FSurface-Pro-9%2F93VKD8NP4FVK\">Surface Pro 9<\/a> for $500 less. If it\u2019s gaming power and portability you\u2019re after, a very comparable <a href=\"https:\/\/bestbuy.7tiv.net\/c\/482924\/614286\/10014?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fasus-rog-zephyrus-14-wqxga-120hz-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-9-16gb-ddr5-memory-amd-radeon-rx-6800s-1tb-pcie-4-0-ssd-moonlight-white%2F6494639.p%3FskuId%3D6494639&#038;sharedid=theverge.com\">Zephyrus G14<\/a> is even cheaper. But the Z13 serves its particular, specific niche about as well as a laptop can.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Zoom\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<figure>\n<div>\n<p><span><img alt=\"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 Acronym keyboard on a white table seen from above.\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\"   src=\"https:\/\/duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0x0:2040x1360\/2400x1600\/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681):format(webp)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24547609\/236586_Asus_ROG_Flow_Z13_Acronym_AKrales_0092.jpg\" data-old-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption><em>Any idea which of these keys changes the volume? I sure don\u2019t know.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3>The Form<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Here are some phrases that Asus uses in its press materials to sum up the aesthetic it\u2019s going for here:<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cA redefinition of mobile computing\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cBeautifully refined yet raw\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cTruly unique machine\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cA hands-free dream machine\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cA functional yet striking work of art\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>So, anyway.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Zoom\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<figure>\n<div>\n<p><span><img alt=\"The IJKL keys on the ROG Flow Z13 Acronym.\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\"   src=\"https:\/\/duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0x0:2040x1360\/2400x1600\/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681):format(webp)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24547611\/236586_Asus_ROG_Flow_Z13_Acronym_AKrales_0096.jpg\" data-old-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption><em>They are quite nice keys, though.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s avant garde, that\u2019s for sure. Every time I look at this thing, I spot something else. The bottom is covered in logos and typography (and they\u2019re not just stickers; they\u2019re laser-etched into the metal). The dark leather cover sports a funky-looking shape as well. I can\u2019t say I really know what any of them are. If any of you regularly take ayahuasca and expect that you\u2019re aware of their deeper spiritual meaning, feel free to let me know in the comments. <\/p>\n<p>The rear is dotted with rubber pads, which do look a little bit funny, but will also do a solid job of keeping the device in place if you\u2019re trying to lie it down on a table. The corners have \u201cdrop-resistant crashworthy bumpers\u201d. There\u2019s also a strap that you can attach to the corners in order to sling the thing over your shoulder like a briefcase. Let\u2019s just say I\u2019m very glad this didn\u2019t come out while I was in college, because I absolutely would\u2019ve traipsed around campus with this dangling around my front like a fanny pack. The cool kids would\u2019ve bullied me, and rightly so. <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Zoom\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<p><span><span><\/span><img alt=\"The ROG Flow Z13 stood vertically seen from the bottom.\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"responsive\"   src=\"https:\/\/duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0x0:2040x1360\/2400x1601\/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681):format(webp)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24547596\/236586_Asus_ROG_Flow_Z13_Acronym_AKrales_0003.jpg\" data-old-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption><em>Don\u2019t ask me what\u2019s going on here; I haven\u2019t the faintest.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Zoom\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<p><span><span><\/span><img alt=\"The ROG Flow Z13 seen from behind with the kickstand popped out.\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"responsive\"   src=\"https:\/\/duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0x0:2040x1360\/2400x1601\/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681):format(webp)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24547601\/236586_Asus_ROG_Flow_Z13_Acronym_AKrales_0052.jpg\" data-old-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption><em>But look, there\u2019s a kickstand!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Eclectic design aside, this is a 13-inch tablet with an RTX 4070 and an H-Series Core i9 inside. That\u2019s highly unusual \u2014 those are the types of chips you generally expect to see in much bigger gaming rigs. The keyboard is detachable; the kickstand is not. Said kickstand allows for both vertical and horizontal orientations, a feature Asus has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22526743\/asus-chromebook-detachable-cm3-review-tablet-chromebook-chrome-os-price\">long been convinced<\/a> that people need. I have no use for a 16:10 Windows tablet in vertical orientation, but more power to you if you do.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A Surface Pro type of deal for gaming<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now, the Z13 is not particularly portable as tablets go. At 2.91 pounds and 0.61 inches thick, it\u2019s hardly <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/23427142\/apple-ipad-pro-12-9-2022-tablet-ipados-apple-pencil-review\">an iPad<\/a>, and it\u2019s not the type of thing I\u2019d necessarily want to bring up for an hour-long presentation. Still, when choosing between carrying this thing in my backpack and carrying, say, a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/23589269\/msi-titan-gt77-hx-review-intel-13980hx-17-inch-gaming-laptop\">Titan GT77<\/a>, I\u2019d choose this one any day. I used this for some couch and cafe work, and could fit it onto those crowded surfaces with no problem. <\/p>\n<p>One other thing to call out: the display. This model\u2019s has a 165Hz refresh rate and 2560 x 1600 resolution. It\u2019s quite vibrant. A number of different color modes were available for various different types of games, and I found that they improved the viewing experience. The 13.4-inch screen is a bit small for playing most games, and I had to squint at some windows here and there, but at least the QHD+ resolution delivers sharp details.<\/p>\n<p>So those are the bells and whistles. Here\u2019s what it\u2019s like to use the thing.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Zoom\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<figure>\n<div>\n<p><span><img alt=\"The right side of the ROG Flow Z13 Acronym.\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\"   src=\"https:\/\/duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0x0:2040x1360\/2400x1600\/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681):format(webp)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24547604\/236586_Asus_ROG_Flow_Z13_Acronym_AKrales_0063.jpg\" data-old-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption><em>That\u2019s the power button there on the top.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>Asus ROG Flow Z13 Acronym specs (as reviewed)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>ROG Nebula touch display, 13.4-inch, QHD+ 16:10 (2560 x 1600), 165Hz<\/li>\n<li>13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor 2.6GHz (24M Cache, up to 5.4 GHz, 14 cores with 6P and 8E)<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU, 8GB DDR6, ROG Boost 1620MHz at 65W (1620MHz Boost Clock + 50MHz OC, 50W+15W Dynamic Boost)<\/li>\n<li>16GB*2 LPDDR5 on board (max capacity 32GB)<\/li>\n<li>1TB SSD storage<\/li>\n<li>13MP camera and 5MP IR camera<\/li>\n<li>Wi-Fi 6E<\/li>\n<li>56Whr battery<\/li>\n<li>130W PD adapter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3>The Function<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>The Z13, well, you know. It\u2019s a 13.4-inch tablet. So, bearing that in mind, the frame rates were fine. <\/p>\n<p>In particular, it had no problem running demanding titles at its native QHD resolution. I saw an average of 232fps on <em>CS:GO <\/em>and 55fps on <em>Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em>, with both titles at maximum settings. Those are both better results than we saw from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/23169751\/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-ga402rj-gaming-laptop-review\">last year\u2019s Zephyrus G14<\/a> (which was a full-fledged traditional gaming laptop, not one of these tablet things). They\u2019re not stunningly good to the point where they\u2019re blowing other premium gaming laptops out of the water, and Asus has clearly had to kneecap the (it\u2019s fed just 65W of power \u2014 yes, it can run that low) RTX 4070 to squeeze it into this chassis. It\u2019s a bit like having packed an entire college dorm room into the trunk of a sedan. Sure, you did it, but at what cost?<\/p>\n<p>But I digress. Throughout, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the device was able to keep its temperature down. I didn\u2019t see many spikes above 70 degrees Celsius as I played. The nice thing about this form factor, too, is that regardless how hot the chassis gets, it\u2019s generally not going to transfer to the keyboard or palm rests and impact your gaming experience. <\/p>\n<p>For an additional fee, folks can also connect the device to the XG Mobile, a line of external GPUs that should deliver significantly higher frame rates. You can currently get one of these for .<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and the Z13 supports Nvidia\u2019s Advanced Optimus. This essentially operates your MUX switch for you automatically \u2014 it will turn the integrated GPU off when you\u2019re gaming and turn it back on (and turn the discrete GPU off) when you\u2019re done gaming, which saves you from having to dig through your laptop\u2019s settings to do that manually. Nice! Fun! Love to see it.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Zoom\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<figure>\n<div>\n<p><span><img alt=\"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 in laptop mode angled to the right seen from the front on a white table.\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\"   src=\"https:\/\/duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0x0:2040x1360\/2400x1600\/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681):format(webp)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24547613\/236586_Asus_ROG_Flow_Z13_Acronym_AKrales_0127.jpg\" data-old-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption><em>Ports include a combo audio jack, a Thunderbolt 4, a USB 3.2 Type-A, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and a microSD card reader.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you were expecting this device to have excellent battery life, bless your heart, but it has no such thing. I averaged four and a half hours of continuous work use, which involved bouncing around 20-ish Chrome tabs, streaming Spotify, Slacking, and such. I did get a better battery gaming result than I\u2019d expected to, eking out about 48 minutes of <em>Red Dead Redemption 2 <\/em>play to one charge. The included 130W adapter can juice the device up to 50 percent in 30 minutes, per Asus\u2019s estimates. <\/p>\n<p>Regular readers of my reviews might expect a diatribe here about how excellent battery life should be a baseline expectation for a portable machine, but honestly, I don\u2019t have it in me. I know that people aren\u2019t buying this for excellent battery life or top-of-the-line frame rates; they\u2019re buying this because it looks like it just fell down from outer space. As well they should.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Zoom\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<figure>\n<div>\n<p><span><img alt=\"The Asus ROG FLow Z13 seen from the right side.\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\"   src=\"https:\/\/duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0x0:2040x1360\/2400x1600\/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681):format(webp)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24547606\/236586_Asus_ROG_Flow_Z13_Acronym_AKrales_0077.jpg\" data-old-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption><em>It\u2019s a sturdy, non-wobbly kickstand and keyboard.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3>I do need to complain about one thing<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been an open-minded non-curmudgeon the whole way through this review, so I hope you\u2019ll allow me to grump about one thing. I just can\u2019t with the keyboard. It\u2019s too much. <\/p>\n<p>The keys contain what Asus refers to as \u201cAcronym\u2019s own custom alphabet\u201d. I\u2019m happy to learn that Acronym has an alphabet of its own. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not the alphabet I need to type with for work.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m a very competent touch typist when it comes to words. But when I need to, for example, type a number on the Z13, it becomes a scavenger hunt. It\u2019s not that the real numbers aren\u2019t on the Z13\u2019s keys, but they are buried in a dump of so many other symbols and colors and zany doodads that my eyes couldn\u2019t find them instinctively. Other things just aren\u2019t delineated. For example, the key that lowers the brightness is labeled \u201cDARK\u201d and has a little faint grid on it. I understand what you\u2019re going for, Acronym, but I just want the regular brightness icon. You can jazz up the brightness icon. Just give me the brightness icon. <\/p>\n<div>\n<p>It looks like it fell down from outer space<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Wacky designs are a wonderful thing until they begin to encroach on the everyday function of a device. Kooky laptops are laptops first. The Zephyrus G14 Acronym (which I <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2020\/9\/18\/21432977\/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-acronym-amd-ryzen-9-4900hs-nvidia-rtx-2060\">raved about upon its release<\/a>) labeled its keyboard keys in a storybook-esque font that made them easier, not harder, to read. It sprinkled other decorations around the keycaps, but they were clearly and obviously delineated from the keys\u2019 real actual labels. <\/p>\n<p>Eye-popping designs are great, and this device is a unique offering you won\u2019t find anywhere else on the market. I admire products that are unapologetically themselves, whether movies or clothing or consumer technology. But the fundamentals cannot fall by the wayside. And I hope companies, as they continue to innovate, remember that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2023\/3\/30\/23660652\/asus-rog-flow-z13-acronym-gaming-laptop-tablet-review\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Monica Chin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every so often I receive one of these bizarre little computers that Asus has done in collaboration with someone or other, and my senses are ever so slightly overwhelmed. They made one with an animated exploding head on the lid. There was one that turned into a DJ deck. There was one covered in dogs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":623977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2910,46,109087],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-623976","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-laptop","8":"category-technology","9":"category-yall"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=623976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/623976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/623977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=623976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=623976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=623976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}