Confused by the headline? Let me clarify — if you are a Marvel fan or have seen any of the Marvel movies in the past decade-and-a-half then you'd be familiar with Captain America, or Steve Rogers. Rogers was the runt of the litter when he enlisted in the army during World War I. He had all the right qualities — courage, determination, et al — but was physically frail. But it was only when he got a dose of the Super Soldier Serum that he turned into the ageless, invincible superhero we all know as Captain America.
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is somewhat similar. By itself, this diminutive gaming laptop — the smallest yet in the ROG lineup, measuring less than 12x9 inches, weighing 1.30 kg, and sporting a 13.4-inch QHD screen — has all it takes. My review unit came with 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB of SSD storage, but most importantly, an AMD Ryzen 9 series processor with integrated graphics and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card with 8 GB of dedicated video RAM. By all metrics, it's a powerhouse with impressive battery life.
That's Steve Rogers, if I can torture the analogy a little more.
Then there's ASUS' XG Mobile, an external NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card — with 16 GB of video RAM — that can be plugged into the laptop, taking it to, forget another level, another universe in this multiverse of gaming laptops.
The XG Mobile is the Super Soldier serum.
Combine the two, and you have essentially the 'Captain America' of gaming laptops — an incredibly, exceedingly powerful and portable gaming machine that just blows the socks off just about any other gaming laptop around, with a few exceptions, such as the Dell Alienware M16 and ASUS' own behemoth, the ROG Strix G18.
The laptop has excellent thermals, with the fans getting a little noisy during extended and intense gaming sessions. But it did not even flinch while running games such as God of War: Ragnarok, Red Dead Redemption 2, FIFA 23, F1 22, and even older games such as Grand Theft Auto V.
The keyboard is a little too compact for my liking, but that can't be helped as it's a compact device. But once muscle memory kicks in, finding the right keys to navigate your game will be no problem. I'd, however, recommend a gaming mouse to complement the system as it just makes the experience better.
The display is stunning, with sharp, vivid visuals and a 165 Hz refresh rate. Its 500+ nits of brightness, wide colour gamut, and 3ms response combine to deliver a visual treat to users. Oh, and it has a 360-degree hinge, so you can use this in tablet mode and game your eyes off.
I used the Flow X13 as my daily driver for a few weeks and it should come as no surprise that it aces regular workflows as well. You don't need the XG Mobile in this case, so Steve Rogers, I mean the Flow X13, is more than up to the task.
As I wrote earlier, the laptop's battery life was commendable — I squeezed out seven to eight hours of usage on a daily basis for regular tasks such as video calls, my daily workflow, and streaming videos. While I'd advise plugging in the laptop while gaming, even on battery power, it far exceeded my expectations.
That said, the price is not for the faint of heart. The Flow X13 comes in two variants — one with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, starting at Rs 1,74,990, and one the RTX 4060, starting at Rs 1,84,990. While this may not seem a bad price at all as gaming laptops go, once you throw in the XG Mobile, priced at an eyewatering Rs 2,01,990, the price goes up to a whopping Rs Rs 3,86,990, depending on which variant you choose.
That said, there are less expensive versions of XG Mobile — one with AMD Radeon RX6850M XT for Rs 80,990, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 for Rs 1,12,990. It all depends on just how much extra graphical horsepower you need. The XG Mobile is also supported by the ASUS ROG Ally, Flow Z13, and Flow X16.
In conclusion
The Asus ROG Flow X13 is a phenomenal gaming laptop that defies expectations. Its compact and aesthetically pleasing design conceals the power of a desktop, thanks to its compatibility with the XG Mobile external GPU unit. With excellent battery life, impressive gaming capabilities, and versatility, the ROG Flow X13 is a compelling choice for gaming enthusiasts seeking a portable yet powerful gaming laptop.
Also read: ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 Review: Game on!
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