When a conventional gaming laptop computer simply will not do

On paper, the concept of a PC gaming pill would not actually make sense. Something with a display bigger than eight to 10 inches is mostly too large to carry for longer classes. Their skinny chassis do not depart a lot room for giant batteries, ports or discrete graphics. However with the second-gen ROG Stream Z13, ASUS is popping that line of thought on its head with a surprisingly highly effective system that may do extra than simply recreation — so long as you do not thoughts paying a premium for some area of interest engineering.

Design and show: Not precisely stealthy

For higher or worse, the Z Stream 13 seems like somebody tweaked a Floor Professional to accommodate the stereotypical gamer aesthetic. It has cyberpunky graphics littered throughout its physique together with a small window within the again that’s full with RGB lighting.

Not like a whole lot of tablets, ASUS gave the Z13 a thicker-than-normal physique (0.6 inches), which left area for a stunning variety of ports. Not solely do you get two USB 4 Kind-C ports, there’s additionally a daily USB-A jack, full-size HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio and even a microSD card reader. This immediately elevates the pill from one thing strictly meant for enjoying video games into one thing that may additionally pull double obligation as a conveyable video enhancing station.

ASUS’ 13.4-inch 2.5 IPS show leans into that much more due to a 180Hz refresh charge, robust brightness (round 500 nits) and Pantone validation. No matter what you are doing, colours will probably be each wealthy and correct. Rounding out the package deal are some punchy audio system, so you do not have to undergo from subpar sound. However there are limitations right here, as deep bass is at all times robust to supply on smaller methods like this.

Lastly, there are some pogo pins alongside the underside of its show for connecting its folding keyboard. Sadly, this is without doubt one of the system’s weak factors. As a result of the Z13 is heavier than a typical pill PC, its keyboard has to hold a hefty load. On a desk, it is high quality. However should you attempt to use this factor in your lap (or any uneven floor), I discovered that the keyboard can flex a lot it can lead to unintentional mouse clicks. It is a disgrace as a result of the bounce and journey of the keys typically feels fairly good. Nothing is extra of a bummer than taking part in a recreation whereas stress-free on the sofa after which having to combat with the pill to keep away from errant clicks.

Efficiency

As an alternative of counting on discrete graphics, ASUS opted for AMD’s Ryzen AI Max 390 or Max+ 395 APUs, which characteristic as much as 32 cores and a whopping 128GB of unified RAM. Nevertheless, our overview unit got here with a extra modest, however nonetheless ample, 32GB. Unsurprisingly, this makes mincemeat out of primary productiveness duties whereas having greater than sufficient energy to shortly edit movies on the go.

However with out a correct graphics card, can it truly recreation? Sure, and slightly nicely, I’d add. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and Extremely settings, the Z13 hit a powerful 93 fps. And whereas numbers weren’t fairly as excessive in Management at 1080p on Epic presets, 70 fps remains to be very playable. The one wrinkle is that after I examined Cyberpunk 2077 a second time on Extremely with ray tracing enabled, the Stream’s efficiency was lower in half to only 45 fps. Except you are taking part in a model new AAA title that requires RT assist (of which there are a rising quantity), the Z13 is an incredibly good moveable gaming companion for frequent vacationers.

You simply should watch out about the way you configure its energy settings. That is as a result of should you’re out in public or a quiet room, excessive efficiency (particularly turbo) can lead to a good bit of fan noise, which can draw some undesirable consideration. Or in my case, it bought a lot tougher to speak to somebody sitting subsequent to me on the sofa.

Battery life

Relating to longevity, you may get one in every of two outcomes. In regular use and on PCMark’s Trendy Workplace productiveness battery life take a look at, the Z13 fared fairly nicely, ending with a time of six hours and 54 minutes. That is not fairly a full day’s value of labor untethered, however it’s adequate for most people. You will simply need to hold its chunky energy adapter close by.

Nevertheless, should you plan on gaming with out plugging this factor into the wall, simply be ready for the Z13 to conk out after two hours at greatest. Once I performed League of Legends’ Teamfight Techniques, I solely made it by means of two video games (about 30 to 40 minutes every) earlier than its battery bought dangerously low (round 10 p.c). And suffice it to say, TFT is not a really demanding title.

Wrap-up

The Stream Z13 is a distinct segment machine that is extra of an all-rounder than it might sound at first look. This technique fills an fascinating hole between ASUS’ gaming machines and extra creatively-focused PCs from its ProArt household. In a whole lot of methods, slapping an ROG badge on it would not actually do that factor justice. It is bought greater than sufficient efficiency to breeze by means of normal productiveness or video edits, and its built-in microSD card reader makes transferring footage to the pill a breeze. Its display is shiny and vibrant, whereas additionally providing correct colours and a decently excessive refresh charge. And even with out a discrete GPU, the Z13 did not have a lot bother rendering video games with a lot of graphical bells and whistles turned on.

Nevertheless, this pill’s points boil right down to a few main sticking factors. Its removable keyboard is just too flimsy, to the purpose the place should you use it anyplace apart from a desk or desk, you threat preventing with it simply to make sure your mouse clicks are right. However the larger hurdle is worth. Beginning at $2,100 (or round $2,300 as examined), the Stream Z13 prices the identical or extra as a comparable ROG Zephyrus G14 with a correct RTX 5070. Not solely does it have worse efficiency, it is much less steady too attributable to its tablet-style design. For folks attempting to get probably the most worth out of their cash, that proposition is a tough promote.

Deep down, I need to just like the ROG Stream Z13. And I do, to a sure extent. It is bought a cool construct and unapologetically aggressive styling. However until you will have a really explicit set of necessities, it would not match neatly into most individuals’s lives as an equal laptop computer. And that is earlier than you think about how a lot it prices.