For a balance of performance and versatility, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 stands out with its detachable design, offering both laptop and tablet functionality, which is great for on-the-go use. It boasts a powerful Intel i9 processor and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, making it suitable for demanding tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning. The high-refresh-rate display with excellent color coverage is ideal for fast-motion content and professional-grade color accuracy. However, it's pricier and has a shorter battery life compared to the Surface Laptop 6.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15", on the other hand, is more budget-friendly and offers a larger screen with a unique 3:2 aspect ratio, which is excellent for productivity tasks. It has a capable Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and an Intel Arc GPU, sufficient for general use and light gaming or creative work. Its battery life is notably longer, making it a better choice for all-day use away from an outlet. While it may not match the ASUS in raw performance for intensive tasks, it's a well-rounded device with a good balance of features for everyday computing. If you prioritize battery life, a larger screen for productivity, and a more affordable price point, the Surface Laptop 6 is the way to go. 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 build quality
Excellent portability
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.6/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.8/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.4/10
8.1/10
13.4in
SIZE
15.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
511.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 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
Excellent
Good
13.4in
SIZE
15.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has excellent portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,575
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a price of $1,575 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good.
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.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.8/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
7.8/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Flow Z13 to be very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" compare to other laptops
"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."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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.
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