Significantly. How did Asus pull this off? How do we now have a 13-inch ultrabook-esque laptop computer with critical gaming energy? I’m simply as confused as you might be, however I actually shouldn’t be. The ROG Circulation X13 has been doing this for years.
To not say it’s been this thoughts blowing previously — earlier variations have solely dared to go so far as the GTX 1650 or RTX 3050 inside. Nevertheless, in 2023, I feel we’ve seen the totally executed imaginative and prescient for this mini rocket, as Asus delivers an RTX 4070 on this tiny machine!
Does it have shortcomings? After all it does. It’s a tiny laptop computer with a number of energy underneath the hood, so you may count on compromises to battery life for positive. Nevertheless, learn on, as that is actually probably the most shocking gaming laptop computer of the yr.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 worth and configurations
Now, let’s get into one of many ache factors. The Asus ROG Circulation X13 is out there for $2,499 — ouch! Much more of a sore spot is the truth that this provides you an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 CPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD.
Since I’m reviewing this laptop computer within the U.Okay. (howdy from expensive outdated Blighty), there’s an extra configuration accessible right here solely. For £2,000, you get the identical CPU and SSD storage, however half the RAM and an RTX 4060 GPU as an alternative.
There are not any two methods to say this. When it comes to gaming laptop computer pricing, that is fairly steep. I respect you’re paying for the portability, however in the event you’re trying to find peak price-to-performance, there are higher choices.
When it comes to smaller choices, Asus has shot itself within the foot by providing the ROG Zephyrus G14 with the identical GPU for £400 much less, however the X13 is £500 lower than a similarly-specced Razer Blade 14.
Put merely, the ultraportable gaming laptop computer house is getting awfully aggressive, however it’s important to pay a fairly penny for entry.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 design
The overwhelming majority of gaming laptops are massive and in cost — packing a ton of RGB and extra vents than your common house block. Asus ripped up the rulebook with the ROG Circulation X13 a few years in the past. Whereas it’s not a brand new design, it’s nonetheless simply as shocking to unbox.
I imply simply take a look at it! The carbon fiber-style lid exudes luxurious, and the sheer sleekness offers an ultrabook vibe that conceals simply how highly effective this machine is. As somebody who appreciates portability, these light-weight dimensions are proper up my avenue.
| Laptop computer | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Asus ROG Circulation X13 | 11.8 x 8.4 x 0.74 inches | 2.9 kilos |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 | 12.3 x 9 x 0.73 inches | 3.6 kilos |
| Razer Blade 14 | 12.2 x 9.0 x 0.75 inches | 4.1 kilos |
After all, in comparison with its 14-inch brethren, it’s no competitors. However it’s good to offer this context as to how svelte this method actually is — tapering all the way down to a nice level à la traditional MacBook Air.
Then you definately open it up, and also you’re greeted by a tasty show with slim bezels, together with that keyboard illuminated by completely balanced backlighting. Whereas I could also be embarrassed to whip out your common gaming laptop computer in public, I’m very happy to show this in my native café for gameplay motion.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 ports
The port choice is a bit restricted for PC gaming wants, however acceptable for many different use circumstances.
On the best, you’ll discover a USB 4 Kind-C, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A port. Flip it over to the left, you’ve acquired the three.5mm combo audio jack, HDMI 2.1, microSD card slot, and the ROG XG Cellular slot that additionally doubles as a USB Kind-C port.
An extra USB Kind-A port would have helped when it comes to connecting further peripherals, and I might have beloved to see a full-size SD card slot. In case you do want extra although, take a look at our finest laptop computer docking stations and finest USB Kind-C hubs pages.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 show
Whereas we haven’t put the Circulation X13 by means of our rigorous lab benchmarking (I’ll replace this as soon as accomplished), it’s straightforward for me to say one factor — this panel is beautiful.
The 13.4-inch ROG Nebula Show packs a 2560 x 1600-pixel decision, a 165Hz refresh fee, capacitive contact (with multi-touch assist), and a claimed 100% DCI-P3 shade gamut.
Colours soften off the display screen with easy vividity. Forza Horizon 5 explodes in a flash flood of shade, which flies by with buttery easy movement.
On prime of that, the spectacular HDR capabilities give each terrifying darkish scene of Resident Evil Village an immersive depth that builds the strain when hiding from the enormous crawling child.
And Asus claims a 500-nit brightness, which I’m inclined to consider as I used to be ready to make use of this show with no drawback in most lighting circumstances, apart from direct daylight the place the reflective glass creates an uninhibited sheen.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 keyboard and touchpad
Asus’ keyboard ergonomics are in full power right here with a effectively laid out set of full-size keys that include a refined dish and loads of journey — paired with a tactile snap that provides every keystroke a grounded-yet-comfortable really feel.
Placing it by means of its paces on 10FastFingers.com (in any other case often known as the “Jason will get jealous of how briskly everybody else sorts” take a look at), I managed to hit 87 phrases per minute at 99% accuracy, which is much past my common of 80 WPM.
And whereas the touchpad is a contact smaller than its competitors at 5.1 x 2.8 inches, the floor has a beneficiant dimension to it, which does assist all of the Home windows 11 contact gestures you need. Clicking it has a pleasant, responsive snap in your exhausting work. Nevertheless, it’s no match for a superb gaming mouse.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 audio
You’ll discover stereo audio system on the underside of the ROG Circulation X13, since attempting to fid them on the deck can be subsequent to not possible with that full-size keyboard. Tuned by Dolby Atmos and authorized for Hello-Res audio, the top result’s a bit tinny however with respectable definition and readability.
Don’t get me incorrect. “sTraNgeRs” by Deliver Me The Horizon loses a number of its low finish when performed by means of the audio system, however the crunchy guitars and hovering vocals are saved in examine — all the small print are preserved with zero distortion at its highest volumes.
For gaming, too, the chaotic cacophony of gunfire and loud characters in Ratchet and Clank didn’t trigger any speaker crackling in any respect. However no quantity of quantity will overwhelm the followers when they’re kicked as much as full. For these moments, a gaming headset is important.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 gaming, graphics and VR
Earlier variations of the Asus ROG Circulation X13 virtually felt half-baked as a standalone product. You wanted that further eGPU to get the complete expertise. 2023 is a really totally different yr, and the RTX 4060 up in right here produces some unimaginable outcomes.
| Laptop computer | 3DMark Fireplace Strike | 3DMark Time Spy | 3DMark Fireplace Strike Extremely | 3DMark Time Spy Excessive | 3D Mark Port Royal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus ROG Circulation X13 | 17019 | 7577 | 4439 | 3603 | 4225 |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 | 22710 | 10136 | 5829 | 4765 | 5694 |
| Razer Blade 14 | 26443 | 11021 | 6802 | 5295 | 7001 |
There’s a distinction between the ability being pushed by means of these GPUs — the Circulation X13 hitting 60W, whereas the ROG Zephyrus G14 hits 125W, and the Razer Blade 14 peaks at 100W. This creates some noticeable distinction within the 3D Mark stats, however as I’m about to point out, it’s not as steep a drop off as you would possibly count on.
| Recreation | Decision | Asus ROG Circulation X13 (RTX 4060) | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (RTX 4060) | Razer Blade 14 (RTX 4070) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DiRT 5 | 1080p | 81.6 FPS | 81.77 FPS | 101.33 FPS |
| GTA V | 1080p | 79.24 FPS | 89.69 FPS | 99.67 FPS |
| Row 2 – Cell 0 | 1600p | 59.76 FPS | 50.43 FPS | 55.37 FPS |
| Pink Lifeless Redemption 2 | 1080p | 68.16 FPS | 64.65 FPS | 73.41 FPS |
| Row 4 – Cell 0 | 1600p | 48.04 FPS | 39.44 FPS | 44.53 FPS |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 1080p | 117 FPS | 97.33 FPS | 114 FPS |
| Row 6 – Cell 0 | 1600p | 83 FPS | 57 FPS | 67 FPS |
After all, the Razer Blade 14’s RTX 4070 peels away simply, so take note of simply how minor that further 65W appears to be in making a distinction to in-game framerate. You’ll severely be surprised at simply how easy video games might be.
With every thing cranked as much as excessive and ray tracing turned on in Ratchet and Clank, 60FPS was really easy to hit on this mini beast! Plus, it comes with no body jumps, and no decelerate.
That’s not the top of this celebration trick, although, as there’s the magic of DLSS 3.0. Nvidia’s body era expertise is solely thoughts blowing on right here.
| Recreation | Decision + Presets | Customary mode | Turbo Mode | DLSS 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 22 | 2560 x 1600 Extremely Excessive | 26 FPS | 30 FPS | 79 FPS |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 2560 x 1600 RT Extremely Excessive | 28.66 FPS | 33.18 FPS | 50.83 FPS |
That is a rise in body fee of practically 200% on F1 22, and a far smoother expertise in Cyberpunk 2077. My astonishment at what this machine is ready to pull off however, my inside lover of worth for cash is unable to recover from the truth that you will get extra for much less elsewhere — supplied you’re cool with selecting up an even bigger laptop computer.
Taking the UK pricing for instance, you could possibly decide up an MSI Stealth 16 Studio with RTX 4070 for £300 much less You’ll discover quite a few examples like this stateside too, such because the Acer Predator Helios 18 being $300 much less than the RTX 4070-armed Circulation X13.
That’s not to remove from Asus’ achievement right here, however in the event you search the perfect worth to efficiency ratio, there are higher decisions.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 efficiency
The AMD Ryzen 9 7940S in right here, paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD makes this a really succesful machine of annihilating even the extra intensive, prosumer-focussed duties. That a lot might be seen as we put it by means of its benchmarking paces.
| Laptop computer/class common | Geekbench 5 multicore | Geekbench 6 multicore | Handbrake time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asus ROG Circulation X13 | 10802 | 11414 | 5:01 |
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 | 9733 | 9176 | 05:50 |
| Razer Blade 14 | 11121 | 11425 | 05:20 |
| Premium Gaming Laptop computer common | n/a | 7165 | 04:38 |
Most shocking appears to be that despite the fact that the TDP (and processor of alternative) is identical between the Zephyrus G14 and Circulation X13, the smaller machine spanks its barely greater sibling in multicore testing, and within the Handbrake take a look at transcoding 4K video to 1080p.
Oh, and that beneficiant quantity of DDR5 RAM means you may run so many issues and not using a trace of decelerate. For instance, I fired up Cyberpunk 2077, 20 Google Chrome tabs, together with a number of movies, and a RAW photograph edit in Adobe Photoshop. Whereas the followers did kick up, there have been no indicators of thermal throttling, and every thing moved easily with no decelerate.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 battery life
It’s a small laptop computer with a ton of power-hungry elements, so that you shouldn’t be stunned to know that this isn’t going to return anyplace close to our listing of laptops with the perfect battery life.
We haven’t put this by means of our rigorous battery life testing, however I can share my very own private experiences, which noticed the laptop computer die at round 1 hour and 20 minutes when enjoying Cyberpunk 2077 at RT Extremely Excessive settings.
After all, you may lengthen this by turning down the settings and lowering that CPU/GPU wattage, however you’re going to need to be close to a plug everytime you use this for gaming. For extra sedate duties we might hope to see it no less than push previous 7 hours, however we’ll discover out as soon as our lab will get completed with it.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 webcam
The 1080p webcam with IR for Home windows Hi there assist is healthier than I feared. The image in effectively lit circumstances is evident with effectively balanced lighting to ensure your options are outlined.
However issues get barely potato-esque when the solar goes down. AI noise-cancelling expertise appears to work too exhausting, and actually amps up a mushy high quality that overly smooths your face and environment.
This will probably be nice for the occasional work Zoom assembly, however I nonetheless advocate trying out our finest webcams web page for a greater digicam.
Asus ROG Circulation X13 software program and guarantee
An important app right here, simply as it’s on all Asus gaming laptops, is Armoury Crate. Inside the app, you may configure efficiency, monitor your elements’ thermals, change fan velocity, and modify show shade.
For guarantee data, part updates and all of your battery saver choices, there’s the MyAsus app. It will be nice to see all this mixed into one, however with each apps presenting a clearly laid out UI, it is a minor inconvenience.
To guard your buy, the Circulation X13 comes with a one-year restricted guarantee. See how Asus carried out on our Tech Assist Showdown and Greatest and Worst Manufacturers rating.
Backside line
The Asus ROG Circulation X13 is the end result of the corporate’s journey to make a stellar extremely moveable gaming laptop computer — light-weight and smooth, whereas additionally packing a powerful quantity of energy.
Positive, there are different gaming laptops with higher spec sheets and a lower cost. However none of those come anyplace close to the refined, premium aesthetic of the ROG Circulation X13, and neither have they got the identical portability.
If you’re in search of an amazing gaming machine that’s able to maintaining along with your processor-intensive work, whereas additionally taking on no extra room in your bag than a13-inch MacBook Professional, that is the machine for you.
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