The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 offers high performance, suited for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and gaming, due to its powerful processor and dedicated graphics card. It has a high-resolution touchscreen and is portable, although it is heavier than the MSI Modern 14. By contrast, the MSI Modern 14 is more budget-friendly, but with its integrated graphics and less powerful processor, it's better suited for general use rather than intensive tasks. Both laptops offer similar battery life, but you'll find the ASUS more expensive, aligning with its capability to handle more demanding applications. 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 ROG Flow Z13
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
The MSI Modern 14 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ROG Flow Z13.
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
7.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
511.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for general use, while the MSI Modern 14 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 offers superior performance with a high-end CPU and dedicated graphics, a higher-resolution touchscreen, and the versatility of a detachable keyboard that allows it to double as a tablet, enhancing portability despite its shorter battery life. Conversely, the MSI Modern 14 provides ample performance for general use with an integrated graphics chip, longer battery life, and a larger non-touch display, but with lower screen quality and without the convertible functionality, making it less portable but potentially more suitable for longer use sessions.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.0/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 offers better gaming and 3D capabilities largely due to its superior GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4050, and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, which results in smoother visuals and gameplay. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 is equipped with a less powerful integrated AMD Vega 7 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, which doesn't support as fluid motion, making it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.6/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.2/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Modern 14 is good.
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
8.0/10
7.1/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for software development, while the MSI Modern 14 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.4/10
6.4/10
13.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 offers higher resolution and brightness, making it sharp and vibrant for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, where precise color representation and clear visuals are crucial. Its panel type enhances these aspects as well. However, its lower refresh rate impacts its performance for gaming and 3D applications, where fluid motion and fast screen updates are key, aspects that may be better served by laptops with screens optimized for high refresh rates.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
13.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Modern 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has very good build quality, while the MSI Modern 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,575
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a price of $1,575 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming tablet with powerful Alder Lake i9 CPU. The ROG Flow Z13 impresses with its good cooling. After our review, the impression is predominantly positive. Besides a very fast Alder Lake CPU and stable gaming performance, especially the cooling system is surprisingly effective and quiet. You can use the integrated speakers without any issues while gaming. The 1200p display in the 16:10 format also impresses with good color reproduction and high brightness. Since the battery runtimes aren't particularly long as it is, we wouldn't recommend the optional 4K panel."
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 or the MSI Modern 14
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.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,195
Recommendations made
22,143
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.