ASUS ROG Circulate Z13 (2025) assessment: Meant for all the things and everybody?

The ASUS ROG Circulate Z13 appears to be able to all the things at first look. Its highly effective internals, mixed with contact and pen help, make it a flexible machine on paper. We put it to the take a look at to see if that is actually the case. Take a look at our assessment of the ASUS ROG Circulate Z13 (2025) beneath.

Out of the field, the ROG Circulate Z13 appears like a love baby between an iPad and a gaming laptop computer. The burden distribution between the display screen and the keyboard halves of the machine strongly resembles that of the iPads. The removable keyboard is simply that, and is lacking any of the load, ports, and followers that your common gaming laptop computer has.

The again panel of the ROG Circulate Z13 has RGB, too! (Picture by way of esports.gg)

All of those can as a substitute be discovered on the display screen half. ROG’s signature rugged aesthetic is interrupted solely by the backlight panel, which can be barely clear to provide you a take a look at the interior machinations of the Circulate.

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The display screen half has a pleasant and durable kickflip stand that comfortably helps the machine’s hefty weight.

These are the specs of the ROG Circulate Z13 (2025) on which this assessment was finished.

(Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

It got here with Home windows 11 House and Copilot+ PC help.

The show is the ROG Nebula Show, a 13.4″ display screen with 2560 x 1600 WQXGA decision and 180Hz refresh charge with the choice for Adaptive-Sync.. This can be a 16:10 side ratio.

All of the ports are positioned alongside the aspect of the Circulate. In complete, it options two USB-C ports, a DC enter for charging, a USB-A port, an HDMI port, a microSD reader, and a 3.5mm jack. It additionally has the quantity rocker, energy button, and a menu button.

Its lack of ports might be attributed to its small construct. Nonetheless, in case you have lots of equipment or exterior drives, this could current an actual problem. When you really feel like two USB-Cs and one USB-A will not be sufficient for you, then I extremely suggest getting a USB hub. Throughout this ROG Circulate Z13 assessment, although, I did not actually discover the ports missing until I wished to plug in an exterior keyboard.

Wi-Fi 6 permits for sooner obtain speeds. (Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

It has help for Wi-Fi 6, which partly makes up for the truth that it would not have an Ethernet port. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to plug into virtually all routers by way of Ethernet, and never all of them help Wi-Fi 6.

ROG presents a number of exterior graphics docks that may each improve your gaming expertise and give you extra ports on the Circulate Z13. These do deal some important harm to the pockets, although.

The Armoury Crate touchdown web page (Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

The ASUS ROG Circulate Z13 got here with lots of proprietary ASUS software program. Out of all of them, Armoury Crate was a very powerful one because it permits customers to regulate the lighting results on the again panel and the keyboard. It additionally supplies diagnostics and fan profiles that may not in any other case be seen

It’s my agency perception that the ROG Circulate Z13 will not be a gaming laptop computer. It definitely is a gaming machine, nevertheless it shouldn’t be thought of a laptop computer.

I performed a number of video games on the ROG Circulate Z13. I primarily centered on its efficiency on a multiplayer title, Marvel Rivals, and a AAA sport: Cyberpunk 2077. I additionally tried Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on it.

From expertise, Marvel Rivals is presently the worst-running well-liked multiplayer title. Not solely as a result of there are 12 gamers in a sport (and Physician Unusual’s performance-ruining portal), however the sport simply appears like an unoptimized mess.

(Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

On the Circulate Z13, the sport robotically set itself on principally low settings. I received about an hour of gameplay to take the battery from 100% down to fifteen%, averaging at 90 FPS. Be aware that this whole time, the sport was working on the display screen’s full 2560p decision, and I used to be on most brightness and quantity.

Whereas plugged in, I used to be averaging 120 FPS on the identical settings. Not dangerous.

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The machine did get just a little sizzling, peaking at 80 levels in the course of the warmth of battle. That is fairly spectacular, provided that I solely set the followers to the “Efficiency” tab and didn’t go for any overclocking. The followers had been additionally not making that a lot noise, in comparison with common gaming laptops. When you actually wanted to scratch your Rivals itch, this could be sufficient.

Operating Marvel Rivals was not a problem for the ROG Circulate Z13 (Picture by way of esports.gg)

And sure, I did strive taking part in with the touchscreen. No, it didn’t work, and it was not enjoyable.

To my shock, Cyberpunk 2077 defaulted to the Ray Tracing Low profile. This setting turned on Ray Tracing and set most choices to Excessive or Extremely.

Cyberpunk 2077 defaulted to those settings on the Circulate (Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

When the sport loaded, the Circulate Z13 astonishingly had 50 FPS, even whereas working on battery. Granted, I used to be in a sparsely populated space. So I drove off into part of the map with extra NPCs, extra vehicles, and extra lights. I even began a shootout simply to see the capabilities of the machine.

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Right here, it began to buckle. Amidst the explosions, gunshots, and automobile crashes, I used to be hovering at round 25 to 30 FPS. Hooking it as much as energy did not change a lot, both.

(Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

Once more, that is fairly spectacular for a tool this dimension. Operating Cyberpunk 2077 in one in every of its highest profiles whereas being the scale that it’s must be thought of a feat of engineering.

Cyberpunk 2077 has a built-in benchmark instrument. See the picture beneath for its outcomes after I ran it on the Circulate Z13 whereas charging.

Outcomes of the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark on the ROG Circulate Z13 (Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is probably not a AAA title, however it’s a sport working on Unreal Engine 5. I opted to attach a DualSense controller by way of Bluetooth to play it.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 skilled some hiccups, however was an okay playthrough on the ROG Circulate Z13 nonetheless. (Picture by way of esports.gg)

The sport was totally on Excessive settings, with all results enabled. I used to be getting 30-40 FPS each on the overworld and in fight, nonetheless within the display screen’s native 2560p.

(Screenshot by way of esports.gg)

Once more, the efficiency distinction between plugged in and on battery was not noticeable.

The touchscreen can be utilized for some informal gaming, like Balatro (Picture by way of esports.gg)

The ASUS ROG Circulate Z13 was capable of run these video games in an appropriate method, and these titles had been a number of the most demanding ones in their very own proper. First rate efficiency in Marvel Rivals means you’ll be able to count on nice frames in video games like Overwatch, VALORANT, and Fortnite. Cyberpunk 2077, regardless of being a number of years outdated, stays an extremely difficult sport to run (form of) easily on moveable gadgets. When you’re taking a look at taking part in titles like Purple Useless Redemption II or Elden Ring, you then’re in good palms with the Circulate Z13.

Zenless Zone Zero runs nice on the ROG Circulate Z13 (Picture by way of esports.gg)

Through the assessment for the ROG Circulate Z13, I discovered it overpowered for a piece machine for those who’re doing clerical work and bouncing between Google Docs with chill lo-fi music within the background. You can even count on it to final you all through a lot of the work day, given you handle your brightness, sounds, and connectivity nicely.

When you’re a infamous alt-tabber and multitasker, the Circulate has you coated. (Picture by way of esports.gg)

Nonetheless, for those who’re doing a little rendering on Blender or After Results, you then’ll make full use of the Circulate’s highly effective internals. It is a good machine for the artistic for that reason (and extra, see beneath) — you may expertise fewer hiccups total, and you’ve got a formidable pill able to taking a beating in relation to renders.

Is doomscrolling on the Circulate’s 13.6″ display screen overkill? (Picture by way of esports.gg)

It is also fairly helpful to doomscroll on in its portrait orientation. Simply watch out of its rugged construct and ensure it is not urgent in your finger the fallacious manner. It is nonetheless a hefty machine, and I wasn’t capable of finding a strategy to carry it comfortably in a single hand.

Supporting the Circulate with one hand, like a telephone, places some stress on the pinky finger. (Picture by way of esports.gg)

The battery additionally lasts a decent 3 hours whereas watching on streaming companies.

The ROG Circulate Z13 comes with a proprietary ASUS Pen 2.0 with 4096 stress factors. This matches the Apple Pencil, one other level of similarity between the 2 gadgets.

I’ve no drawing skill in any respect, so here is my finest stick-man drawing of myself on MS Paint. This does not showcase the stress factors, although.

My stickman self approves of the pen help. (Picture by way of esports.gg)

For these inclined towards digital artwork, the ROG Circulate Z13 is an effective consideration, particularly if they like engaged on Home windows over iOS.

The display screen having HDR help and being Pantone Validated makes positive that your colours are correct, too.

Now comes the tough half. This particular mannequin that I had the pleasure of reviewing and praising for almost all of this text will run you $2,099. Extra highly effective choices might be bought with costs going as excessive as $2,799.

The ROG Circulate Z13 boasts lots of options that make it appear to be it is for all use circumstances. And, in a manner, it’s! It is able to dealing with meager desk work for lengthy intervals, reliably taking part in AAA video games, digital artwork, and rendering. Nonetheless, its excessive worth level makes it just for everybody who can afford it.

The weaknesses of this machine are fairly restricted. Merely talking, its worth is simply too excessive, even when barely justified by its herculean capabilities. And, if I am being nitpicky, there are too few ports on it. That second level makes me assume that for those who do need to exchange your gaming PC with this, it is best to get one in every of ASUS’ proprietary exterior graphics docks.

Whether or not it is definitely worth the cash is in the end as much as you. When you’re somebody who values portability and would fairly have one machine that may exchange your gaming laptop computer, iPad, and drawing pill, then the ROG Circulate Z13 is worthy of your consideration. However, if you wish to get a tool for one goal solely, maybe it could be higher to contemplate choosing up a specialised machine as a substitute.