ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Tablet, 13.4” 4K Display, RTX 3050 Ti, 12th Gen Intel Core i9, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, XG Mobile Dock (RTX 3080), Detachable…

3 reviews for ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Tablet, 13.4” 4K Display, RTX 3050 Ti, 12th Gen Intel Core i9, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, XG Mobile Dock (RTX 3080), Detachable…

1. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   S. D. Shelton – 30 March, 2023

   I do a lot of work in various Adobe programs, and even without the eGPU, it works wonderfully. After Effects would be happier with more RAM, so the fact that it can’t be expanded is the reason for my four-star rating.

   Working with Stable Diffusion, you’ll need the eGPU plugged in if you want to generate anything larger than 512 x 512 due to the RAM needed. I have no complaints about this, just wanted to let anyone else who plans to work with AI software to know what I learned using this tablet.

   The included travel cases are perfect for carrying this with me wherever I go. I travel a lot for my job, and having a portable multimedia workstation to relax with in a hotel is a wonderful thing.

2. 

   Rated 1 out of 5

   Thanoa – 20 April, 2023

   My previous computer setup consisted of a MSI gaming computer and a Surface Pro computer for on the go. I enjoyed owning both machines, but often fantasized if I could somehow merge the 2 machines and get the best of both worlds. I loved my MSI gaming laptop, but it was quite large/thick and heavy. I loved the Surface Pro, but didn’t quite handle gaming well [unless you are using game pass or streaming games]. Then out of the blue comes this computer, which seemed like a Surface on steroids. I was delighted to check this machine out and decided to make this my own PC for gaming and on the go.

   The computer arrived well packed and well accessorized [as one would hope for an expensive piece of tech]. The Z13 came bundled with the XG Mobile RTX 3080 dock, a case for Z13, a case for XG Mobile dock, AC chargers for both Z13 and XG Mobile Dock and writing stylus. It has a nice metal feel and sturdiness to it that felt premium. If you are familiar with ROG products, had that familiar ROG aesthetic all over it. I certainly enjoyed the RGB window in the back showing off some of the main board.

   The computer is fast and snappy. I had hoped for a 32 GB of RAM version, but at the moment is was only available in 16 GB of RAM. Windows 11 Pro set up pretty quickly and was not too horrible of a jump coming from Windows 10 [though I like Win 10 a bit more]. The screen was nice and bright for a tablet computer and touch was responsive. The Z13 tablet computer is not a bad machine on its own. It’s not unitl you involve the XG Mobile RTX 3080 dock that things started falling apart for me and apparantly for other users. This dock gives you Z13 that bump in performance and graphics, but it comes with lots of headaches too.

   For instance, you are supposed to be able to charge the Z13 when it’s connected to the dock. This feature is super handy, that is, if it continues to work for you. After exactly 30 days, the XG Mobile dock stopped charging the Z13. It would not work no matter what I tried. I updated the firmware through ASUS’s terrible Armory software and still yielded the same results. I reached out ASUS suppport and they could not even really help me and suggested I send the PC back for inspection and repairs. This was a defeating moment for me, I hadn’t owned this machine for 30 days and already I am having to send in my dock and computer in for repairs. The process over the phone was brutal. The wait times were astronomical and I couldn’t make use of their chat option since it was being updated at the time of seeking support. It took ASUS about 3 weeks to get it back to me. This was nuts, but the long wait time was attributed to parts shortage. I had to borrow my wife’s PC while I waited. Fast forward, I get my computer back and the XG dock once again is able to charge my Flow Z13 computer again. However, this did not last long as after a week it stopped charging the computer again! I wish that I had tested this PC a lot sooner, maybe I would have been able to return it. I had ordered thsi computer whilst on holiday and did not have much time to test it within a return window sadly. I did find an incovenient workaround to the charging problem. Here’s what you do: plug in the included 100W AC charger first after completely shutting the computer. Boot up the computer plugged into it’s original AC charger and let Windows load up completely. Next, plug in your XG mobile dock and let the system do its connection. I know what you are thinking. You are like, well that defeats the charging from dock option, you are right and also takes up a USB C thunderbolt port too. However, this is only way I have gotten the system to remain charging and have the XG mobile dock working. I refused to send this machine again to ASUS.

   Let’s get into the Armory software on ASUS ROG computers. First off, this software is buggy and glitchy as perhaps Windows Me [lol]]. It’s supposed to help you manage the thermals on your machine and other bits of data including updates to drivers and firmwares. After about 2 months in, the Armory software refused to update anything. There would be critical updates for the system itself and the updates would time out and fail. After reviewing many forums and reddits, it appeared I had no choice but to remove the armory software and re-install it. ASUS has an Armory removing software and the Armory software right on their site. It was simple enough to remove, but a nightmare to re-install. I kept getting an error message stating that my internet connection failed during the install. I got the Offline installer for Armory, hoping this would solve the error [because my Internet was fine] and it still errored out. This software controls so many aspects of ROG computers. ASUS has made it this way to be supposedly convenient, but I wished they had made sure their software worked. I still could not install Armory. I had to reach out to ASUS via Support Chat. After barely 2 minutes of troubleshooting, the rep calmy types: Well sir, you are going to need to do a master reset. A whole reset to the system again! The system was completely reset once from coming back from ‘repairs’ and now that I’d finally got my machine back to the way I like it, I have to bloody reset the darn machine again! With little choice, I master reset the system. The Armory software appears to be cleaned installed due to the reset and it’s at least functional again. It just blows my mind that a company this big does not have this software working like a charm. After the reset, Armory appears to be working, but I hold my breath each time there is an update. Will the update work or require me again to reset my computer? I honestly think these things now.

   I also, on some occasions, have trouble getting my monitor to come on while plugged into the XG Mobile dock. I have a nice Zowie BenQ 240hz monitor hooked into Display port, but sometimes the monitor will not display properly. There is nothing wrong with the monitor. I have to either unplug the monitor from dock or unplug it’s power source to get it working again.

   I apologize for the long review, but in conclusion, I can not recommend this computer to anyone. At this price range, you could get a great computer from other brands with ease (and maybe even save some money in the process).

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Thanoa – 3 May, 2023

   So let’s just cut to the chase. I like innovative different and unique ideas. As such, I wasn’t unrealistic about the capabilities and limitations of so much hardware packed into a tiny space. For the most part, this unit delivers. When plugged into it’s mobile dock, it can handle any graphics task you throw at it.

   The device is compact, similar to a microsoft surface, but dramatically thicker, which is to be expected. I’m quite disappointed in the window on the rear of the device. Yea, it’s cool, but completely unnecessary. I would not mind it being there, other than it is not level with the rest of the device causing it to be uneven when placed on its back. That’s just odd.

   The device reeks quality. The implementation is quite good. The battery life is meh. I’m used to a full-day of battery use from my surface. This, even at optimized settings will get you 4-5 if you’re careful. So that cuts down on the portability to an extent.

   As far as performance, it’s a bit buggy. I expect Asus to correct these issues over time with upgrades, but I’ve just had alot of weird, atypical issues. For example, the bluetooth stopped working for several hours and several resets, only to inexplicably start working again. I’ve had the unit freeze up, expecting to require a hard-reset, only to have it resolve whatever was causing the freeze and to go back to performing normally.

   But the BIGGEST disappointment by far is the keyboard cover. It looks and feels like the microsoft surface covver, with the same external quality, but WOW is this thing a wreck. I’m a mechanical keyboard fan, as I use my keyboard constantly, so I carry a small mechanical with me. But for paying $3,000, you would expect this thing to work. The keyboard just stops working Then starts again. And when you finally decide it is DOA, it comes alive again. I have yet to get a full day of the keyboard not completely malfunctioning. It’s odd because the LED keys light up, but the keys simply won’t work. Going into the device manager, you can see that there is some kind of USB error, which I’m positive is the keyboard, as it disappears once the keyboard starts working.

   Now..a warning. I have YET to figure out how to get service from ASUS on this keyboard issue. They have eliminated (to my knowledge) all direct chats and phone numbers, opting instead for a utility that supposedly gives a system check and, if it fails, will direct you to a chat to get help. Unfortunately, the utility doesn’t recognize the keyboard failure. On the utility, you can reach out to chat, but NOWHERE in their list of products can this device be found, so you cannot proceed to chat with a Asus rep without it.

   What a terrible oversight when providing a $3,000 tablet!!! I have a mind to return it, as I can’t figure out how to get service for the keyboard, but honestly, I don’t use it much anyway other than to be a screen-protector.

   I hope this review helps you make a decision.