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Flow X13 vs Z13 vs X16: What's the difference between ROG's Flow laptops?

Mar 03, 2023 Written by:Lane Prescott

A man sitting at a desk with the Flow X13 in stand mode, plugged into the XG Mobile and an external monitor with a game on-screen.

In the Republic of Gamers, pushing the boundaries of possibility is core to our DNA. We are constantly tweaking, testing, and learning to make sure that we’re delivering the best gaming devices in the world. The ROG Flow family is born of that vision, with one goal in mind: build ultraportable, versatile gaming machines that can go anywhere and do anything. 

Gaming is not a monolithic hobby. Sometimes you want the traditional mouse and keyboard at a desk experience, but sometimes you want to enjoy a casual multiplayer session with a few gamepads. Sometimes it’s more than enough to curl up on the couch or in bed and play some casual games on a touchscreen. The Flow series offers ultraportable and versatile designs that fit each of these modes.

A table comparing the current Flow lineup of ROG laptops.

However, there are a few key differences between the Flow X13, Z13, and X16: 

  • The Flow X13 and Z13 have both have 13-inch Nebula Displays, while the Flow X16 has a 16-inch Nebula HDR display packed into a 15-inch chassis.
  • The Flow Z13 supports up to an RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, while the X13 and X16 both support up to an RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. 
  • The Flow Z13 is a tablet with a detachable keyboard, while the X13 and X16 are convertible laptops with touchscreen displays and 360-degree hinges. 
  • All three Flow devices are compatible with the ROG XG Mobile external GPU for further expansion. 
  • All of the above notes refer specifically to the 2023 Flow family. Design and specifications may vary for previous model years, which may still be available for purchase at the time you’re reading this.

Those are the basic differences, but there’s so much more. Let’s dive a bit deeper into each model in the Flow family so that you can pick the right one for you.   

The Flow X13: A 13-inch ultraportable that pulls no punches

A man standing and holding a closed ROG Flow X13 laptop in his hand.

The ROG Flow X13 was the first member of the Flow family. Weighing in at just 1.3kg and almost the same dimensions as a standard piece of paper, this little laptop is loaded with remarkably high-specced components. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS, even large video renders or intense multitasking are no problem for the 2023 Flow X13. Supported by 32GB of insanely fast LPDDR5 memory clocked to 6400MHz, up to a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and a robust cooling solution, this machine truly has power that belies its svelte chassis.  

With a convertible with a 360-degree hinge, the 13-inch touchscreen display is one of the standout features of the X13. Available with our stunning QHD 165Hz Nebula Display, the 16:10 aspect ratio screen is extra tall to make more room for tabs and toolbars. With up to 500 nits of peak brightness, you can easily use the machine outside, and Corning Gorilla Glass DXC keeps the display safe from everyday bumps and scratches while reducing glare from other light sources. The 360-degree hinge allows the X13 to be used in four distinct modes; stand, tent, tablet, and traditional laptop. This flexibility allows you to seamlessly mix and match how and when you use the machine, no matter where you are. 

Now featuring up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, the Flow X13 is a true gaming machine wrapped in a 13-inch chassis. Don’t let its petite form factor fool you: this machine can easily power through all of the latest games. 

But we didn't want to stop there—not when there are much more powerful options available. So we built the Flow family a not-so-secret weapon: the XG Mobile family of external GPUs. Featuring up to an NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop GPU in an enclosure the size of a paperback novel, the XG Mobile adds untold graphics horsepower to this tiny machine, while still being portable enough to stash in a backpack and take anywhere. The XG Mobile also acts as a convenient I/O hub, offering additional display outputs, USB ports, an SD card reader and a dedicated ethernet port. When plugged into an XG Mobile with our unique PCIe connector, the ultraportable Flow X13 powers itself up to desktop-class performance. 

2023 ROG Flow X13
CPU AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS
GPU Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
Display Nebula QHD+ 165Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3
Full HD+ 120Hz 100% sRGB
Memory Up to 32B LPDDR5 6400MHz
Storage Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
I/O

1 x ROG XG Mobile interface  
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A  
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 and PD
1 x USB 4.0 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 and PD
1 x audio combo jack
1 x HDMI 2.1b
1 x Micro SD Card Reader (SD 4.0)

Battery 75Wh
Size 299  x 212  x 16.7mm
1.3kg

The Flow Z13: The world’s fastest gaming tablet

A photo of the Flow Z13 tablet sitting next to its detachable keyboard.

The Flow family is all about saving space and weight, without sacrificing power. But how do you get smaller than a 13-inch laptop? Well…you remove the entire keyboard. Enter the ROG Flow Z13

The world’s fastest gaming tablet is powered by the Intel Core i9-13900H processor and up to an NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, all in a supremely compact chassis just 13 millimeters thick. ROG’s engineers employed our Intelligent Cooling technology to make this happen, including a redesigned low-profile thermal module, Arc Flow Fans with variable thickness blades, and Thermal Grizzly liquid metal on the CPU to keep the machine’s high-powered components cool. In addition, as a tablet, the Z13 has much easier access to fresh air than a traditional laptop, because its intake vents aren’t blocked by a table. As a testament to the strength of the Z13’s cooling solution, it’s nearly inaudible when at full load. 

While the Flow Z13 can be used to enjoy touch-friendly games when on the go, just like any other tablet, we haven’t forgotten our roots. When freestanding and paired with a game controller like the ROG Raikiri Pro, the Z13 is a portable gaming force to be reckoned with. The screen cover doubles as a keyboard, giving you instant access to a traditional mouse and keyboard gaming experience. When paired with a wireless mouse, you wouldn’t even realize you weren’t gaming on a standard laptop. 

Featuring the same panel options as the X13, the Flow Z13 of course has full touch support and up to 500 nits of brightness, meaning you can easily use it anywhere. And of course it comes with complete XG Mobile compatibility, allowing you to easily level up your GPU power when you need to. Where else can you find a 2.6lb tablet that can leverage the power of a 4090? Hint: you can’t. 

2023 ROG Flow Z13
CPU Up to Intel Core i9-13900H
GPU Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
Display Nebula QHD+ 165Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3
Memory Up to 16B DDR5 5200MHz
Storage Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
I/O

1 x ROG XG Mobile interface  
1 x USB 3 Type-A  
1 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4, and PD 3.0
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 and PD 3.0
1 x audio combo jack
1 x Micro SD Card Reader

Battery 56Wh
Size

Device: 302.8  x 206.9  x 12.96 ~ 14.26 mm
Keyboard: 302.8 x 228.3 x 5.6 mm 

Device: 1.1kg
Keyboard: 340g

The Flow X16: Larger, brighter, more vibrant visuals

A photo of two people playing games on the Flow X16 laptop in tent mode using game controllers.

Portability and versatility are key to the Flow family, but we know that sometimes you also need more. More real estate, more horsepower, more nits. Equipped with a 16-inch Nebula HDR Display and up to an RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, the Flow X16 is our answer to those who demand both an exceptionally portable form factor and top-tier components. 

The Flow X16 shares the same body style with the X13, meaning this is a fully convertible laptop with a 360-degree hinge. Housed inside this 16-inch machine are flagship chips, including up to an Intel Core i9-13900H processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. It also boasts up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM at 4800MHz and up to 2TB of NVMe storage, with both SO-DIMMs and M.2 slots fully accessible and upgradeable. This level of performance and storage capacity means that the X16 is fully capable of operating as a standalone device, but it retains full XG Mobile compatibility if you need to take advantage of even more I/O and horsepower for your games or content creation projects. 

The Flow X16’s real special sauce is the gorgeous 16:10 Nebula HDR Display. This 1440p, 240Hz Mini LED panel has a peak brightness of 1100 nits and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, ensuring an incredible HDR experience in all of your favorite games and movies. As a Flow device, the X16’s display is also a touchscreen, meaning that you can easily leverage the machine in tablet mode as a portable native HDR compatible drawing pad with a stylus, or set it up in tent mode to maximize airflow. 

With all this power crammed into a 20cm thick chassis weighing just 2.1kg, our engineers had to think outside the box to keep the Flow X16 nice and cool. An ultra-wide rear heatsink in combination with an auxiliary fan helps route heat efficiently out of the system, and enabled us to allocate 120W to the RTX 4070 with Dynamic Boost, a truly impressive feat considering the Flow X16’s svelte form factor. The machine also has dust filters keeping the cooling system clear of dust and foreign debris, ensuring stability and performance in the long run, as well as our standard Thermal Grizzly liquid metal on the CPU to keep temps low. If you want a portable system but demand flagship horsepower, the Flow X16 may be the machine for you. 

2023 ROG Flow X16
CPU Up to Intel Core i9-13900H
GPU Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
Display Nebula HDR QHD+ 240Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3
Nebula QHD+ 240Hz/3ms 100% DCI-P3
Memory Up to 64B DDR5 4800MHz
Storage Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
I/O

1 x ROG XG Mobile interface  
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A  
1 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4 and PD 3.0
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 and PD 3.0
1 x HDMI 2.1
1 x audio combo jack

Battery 90Wh
Size

355  x 243  x 19.4mm
2.0kg (Standard)
2.2kg (with Nebula HDR)

Form, meet function

The Flow family, from the small and mighty X13 and Z13 to the truly breathtaking X16, all share a core ROG philosophy. By refusing to compromise, we’ve pushed the boundaries of what ultraportable tablets and laptops are capable of, without adding any bulk or excess noise. For those always on the move but who still need the power to game on the go, one of the Flow machines may be just right for you.