Asus ROG Movement Z13 (2023) laptop computer assessment: Little beast or odd duck?

It was slightly over a decade in the past when Microsoft unleashed its Floor gadgets on the world. It took a number of tries, nevertheless it discovered a recipe that labored and has principally caught with it ever since. Others within the PC business have adopted swimsuit, however few actually tried to combine up the keyboard-cover-and-kickstand formulation.

That’s why this Asus ROG Movement Z13 is an odd critter–it’s the Floor recipe to a T, nevertheless it dares to ask the query “What if it have been for avid gamers?” The reply is a thicker 2-in-1 with a really highly effective CPU and an Nvidia GPU inside, with a giant cooling system in addition. However in a world the place most gaming laptops are at the very least within the 14-inch-and-bigger class, can is that this a usable gaming PC or just an odd duck?

On the lookout for extra choices? Take a look at PCWorld’s roundup of the very best gaming laptops.

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Specs

Our assessment unit got here geared up with an Intel Core i7-13900H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. For extra info, take a look at the specs record under:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-13900H (14 cores, 20 threads: 6 efficiency, 8 effectivity)
• Reminiscence: 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM
• Show: 13.4-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS touchscreen with 165Hz refresh price and stylus help
• Storage: 1 TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe PCIe stable state drive
• Webcam: 13MP
• Connectivity:  1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x  USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (with ROG XG cellular GPU interface), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, microSD reader
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Home windows Hi there facial login
• Battery capability: 56Wh
• Dimensions: 11.89 (W) x 8.11 (D) x 0.51 (H) inches
• Weight: 2.6 kilos, 3.7 kilos with AC adapter
• Worth as Reviewed: $1,879

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Ah, avid gamers. The stereotypes typically are true, and it reveals in how gaming PCs are designed and marketed. The ROG Movement Z13 completely leans into that, with extremely-styled steel, wild-looking fan vents, pointless branding, and even a small window that appears on the PC’s motherboard, with RGB in addition. To be sincere, I don’t hate the way in which this seems to be, and it even appears like a high-quality PC–however I feel it could possibly be a lot extra subdued.

Fortunately, the front-on view is completely wonderful, with solely the RGB and font of the keyboard legends providing you with a touch that this 2-in-1 is making an attempt just a bit too onerous to be cool. Just like the Floor, the pill’s magnetically-attached keyboard has a felt exterior and might be ripped off the gadget or folded onto its again (though the PC will warn that the vents are blocked). In some situations, like on an airplane tray desk, having the pill stand by itself with a kickstand when having fun with a film. Though the Movement Z13 is considerably thicker than others on this laptop computer class, utilizing the kickstand and keyboard can nonetheless be an pleasing expertise.

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Connectivity

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

2-in-1s typically go away ports out to be able to get as skinny and transportable as potential. Fortunately, with its thicker shell, the ROG Movement Z13 crams in a bunch of choices beside the everyday USB-C ports. Certain, you get a Thunderbolt 4 port, nevertheless it additionally has a USB-A, a 3.5mm headset jack, and one other USB-C port hidden beneath a rubber cowl that additionally homes Asus’s proprietary XG Cellular exterior GPU connector. It’s value noting that the Movement Z13 comes with a USB-C charging brick that may ship 130W to the gadget. However, because it’s USB-C, you’ll lose a important port should you’re on the charger for its most efficiency.

Beneath the machine’s kickstand is a microSD card slot, which is tremendous handy on a tool like this. Moreover, Asus has opted to go together with the M.2 2230 stable state drive customary, and there’s a hatch for swapping out storage with out tearing the pill aside. Skinny machines like this sometimes come with none upgradeability, so it’s actually nice you may add more room should you want it.

For wi-fi hookups, the ROG Movement Z13 has the most recent Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, precisely what we’d count on for the cash you’re paying.

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

This being a 2-in-1, the keyboard isn’t constructed into the ROG Movement Z13. Fortunately, this magnetically-attached keyboard cowl is included within the field. Whereas I discovered the RGB-backlit keys have loads of journey, the duvet has a little bit of flex. After all, the usability of this keyboard is considerably private–folks with brief thighs won’t be capable of match the pill’s kickstand and keyboard cowl of their laps like a daily laptop computer. Furthermore, the entire contraption may need points on smaller tables and desks, like these present in a school lecture corridor. However, on a daily desk, I had no points typing at excessive speeds.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

The massive trackpad is fairly good however as a result of flexing of the keyboard cowl, I discovered that typically it may be clicked throughout vigorous typing. Fortunately, it’s responsive throughout use and registers gestures rapidly and reliably.

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Show, audio system, and webcam

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Gaming laptops are likely to favor quick refresh over every little thing else. That’s why I used to be thrilled to see that the 13.4-inch, 3:2 display screen within the ROG Movement Z13 was an important decision, has punchy colours, and is superior for gaming and day-to-day use alike. It’s a touchscreen for pill use, as nicely. Sadly, the skinny bezels across the display screen make it a poor pill–I discovered that holding the Movement made it far too straightforward to hit the shut button on the nook of home windows.

The 13 megapixel webcam is fairly respectable, all issues thought of. I discovered that some element was lacking from my face (principally in my scraggly beard) however I got here by means of well-exposed and looking out pure. This digicam additionally doubles as a 5 MP facial recognition digicam, so utilizing Home windows Hi there for quick logins is an choice right here as nicely.

Sadly, between the battery, beefy chips, and every little thing else stuffed inside, there seemingly wasn’t any spare house left for good audio system. The two-speaker system within the ROG Movement Z13 fireplace out the edges and aren’t very spectacular, even when they’ll get considerably loud. I’d have tremendously most popular that Asus take one other web page from the Microsoft Floor playbook and make them front-firing audio system as a substitute.

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Efficiency

With its 20-thread Intel Core i9-13900H chip, the Asus ROG Movement Z13 has a ton of energy in a comparatively small bundle. Fortunately, its gaming pedigree means Asus has gone a bit nuts with the vents and followers, and even beneath load the Movement stays fairly cool to the contact, contemplating the truth that there’s a robust CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4060 in there, too.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Utilizing Cinebench R20, we will check out how a laptop computer renders a 3D mannequin with its processor cores. This may help us gauge how nicely all of the cores work to perform a demanding activity collectively. Right here, we will see that the Intel i9-13900H contained in the ROG Movement Z13 is lots quick, however can’t sustain with greater laptops, designed for punishing workloads with cooling techniques to match.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Contained in the Asus ROG Movement Z13 is an Nvidia GPU, serving to it get shocking gaming efficiency. Packing the GeForce RTX 4060, this pretty compact 2-in-1 can recreation fairly nicely on the go, in accordance with the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark. Whereas removed from class-leading (as we will see on the chart), you’d be hard-pressed to search out one other laptop computer on this dimension with a GPU that’s this good.

For a tool of this class, the graphics efficiency is lots spicy for powering AAA video games like Cyberpunk 2077 at round 50 fps with good visible constancy, simply perhaps not on the gadget’s native decision.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Whereas the ROG Movement Z13 looks as if a loser when stacked up in opposition to latest gaming laptops, we expect that getting round 111 frames within the Shadow of the Tomb Raider take a look at is respectable. For on-the-go gaming, this implies you will have quantity of flexibility, even when it’s not going to run the most recent AAA video games at 4K/120.

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

Lastly, in our benchmarks, we run each laptop computer by means of a Handbrake video compression state of affairs. This lets us clock how lengthy it takes to crunch a full-resolution HD film into one fitted to an Android pill. On this take a look at, the 20-core i9 contained in the Movement Z13 took slightly longer than greater high-power gaming laptops, nevertheless it nonetheless acquitted itself nicely for 13-inch pill.

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Battery Life

IDG / Brendan Nystedt

A key take a look at we run on each laptop computer is a battery take a look at that loops a 4K video. Sadly, it is a large weak spot for the Asus ROG Movement Z13. As a result of it’s such a small laptop computer, and a lot of the inside is taken up by chips and coolers, it’s left with a small 56Wh battery inside. No miracles as we speak ­– that is when the Movement really behaves like a gaming laptop computer, draining its battery in solely round six and a half hours. Anecdotally, I misplaced 10% of battery whereas working at a café in lower than a half-hour, which is a fairly sharp drop.

Asus ROG Movement Z13: Do you have to purchase it?

Whereas it’s not probably the most performant gaming laptop computer round, the Asus ROG Movement Z13 is not like some other gadget I’ve ever examined. Not solely is it a really compact machine, it’s bought loads of energy for lots of video games, and greater than sufficient oomph for artistic work. Its largest weak spot is by far its battery life, making it a poor cellular workstation, at the very least so long as you’re away from a wall socket.

For my functions, although, the Asus ROG Movement Z13 can be a a lot better cellular powerhouse with a high-powered AMD APU inside, like what comes within the Razer Blade 14. That means, the Movement may get nice on-the-go runtime, have sufficient pep to run the occasional recreation on the street, however when again residence can dock up with an exterior GPU for extra resource-intensive video games and applications. However, should you like your laptops small, however don’t wish to compromise on energy, then the Asus ROG Movement Z13 is a superb little beast.