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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a lighter build, higher portability, and an OLED screen which provides vibrant colors and better contrast, making it suitable for tasks that benefit from great display quality, like photo editing. It has a longer battery life for extended use during travel or long work sessions. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Flow X13, with a gaming laptop appearance, features a more powerful AMD processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics card, significantly boosting performance for 3D rendering, engineering software, and gaming. It has a touchscreen and a much higher refresh rate screen for smoother visuals. The tradeoff is that it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, therefore less portable. If you prioritize performance and gaming over portability and battery life, and you're okay with a higher cost, the ROG Flow X13 is the better option. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook S 13
- Best in class portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow X13
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its Intel i7 CPU and integrated graphics, is suited for moderate gaming and 3D tasks with its high screen quality, although its standard refresh rate limits its gaming smoothness. The ASUS ROG Flow X13, on the other hand, packs a stronger punch for gaming and 3D applications thanks to its Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and higher refresh rate screen, alongside a robust AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, making it better suited for demanding graphical tasks.
Screen Quality
8.1
8.4
13.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Flow X13 for engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ROG Flow X13 both have high-resolution displays and good brightness levels which makes them excellent for general use where text clarity and image sharpness are important. Their wide color gamuts ensure that professionals in engineering and design can see accurate colors, essential for precise work in those fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the smoothness of motion is paramount, the lower refresh rate of both laptops means they may not provide as fluid an experience as models designed specifically for those tasks.
Battery
11.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Best in Class
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$2,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 costs $2,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.6
8.1
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is equipped with a high-quality OLED screen and powerful internal components like a 32GB RAM and Intel CPU, making it suitable for engineering and design due to its strong processing capability and accurate color representation. The ASUS ROG Flow X13, however, with its AMD CPU, 16GB RAM, dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and 2-in-1 convertible design, offers flexibility for design work and significantly better graphics performance, which is essential for engineering tasks that involve 3D modelling or rendering.
Content Creation
8.5
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.3
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and ASUS ROG Flow X13 are both very good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the ASUS ROG Flow X13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook S 13 | ASUS ROG Flow X13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $2,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | 11.8'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.2 lbs | 2.87 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.66" | 11.77" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.52" | 8.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 63 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 365 nits | 511 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook S 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | May 2023
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
ASUS ROG Flow X13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2021
"The Asus ROG Flow X13 is not an off-the-shelf convertible. This quickly becomes clear when you take a closer look at the technical specs. The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS is a state-of-the-art SoC with 8 cores and 16 threads, which also makes the 2-in-1 interesting as a work device. With 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, gamers are also well taken care of. The dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q fits well into the overall concept and ensures a solid 3D performance. With the eGPU dock, which is equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080, the small convertible transforms into a full-fledged desktop replacement in terms of performance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the ASUS ROG Flow X13
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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