Asus ROG Flow Z13 ACRNM review: this wearable RTX 4070 laptop is chaotic

I by no means idea I’d be reviewing a computer that appears like a couple of shipment pants, however right here we’re. Meet the Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM: the RTX 4070 gaming rig you’ll technically put on. How did we get to this weird convergence of style and tech? Blame Errolson Hugh. He’s a well-liked model dressmaker who co-founded Acronym, a slick streetwear emblem observed at the likes of Drake, Travis Scott, and John Mayer. And with excellent explanation why — you’d want celebrity-tier cash to shop for the rest from Acronym.

Asus tapped Hugh to position his personal stank at the ROG Drift Z13 — and neatly — the outcome is a computer that appears in a position for a rock hiking expedition. I will be able to’t lend a hand however roast the funky taking a look computer, however its out-of-place straps are strangely sensible. You’ll turn out to be the 13-inch gadget into shoulder bag, crossbody bag, and briefcase modes. Hell, you’ll even let it lean off your chest, dealing with you, such as you’re maintaining a unusual computer Child Bjorn.

Additionally at the design group for this out-of-this-world gaming computer is Phil Saunders — an idea artist who designed the enduring Iron Guy go well with for Wonder.

It can be chaotic at the outdoor, however the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM is somewhat structured at the inside of. It’s filled with a thirteenth Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, and as discussed on the outset, an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU. Alternatively, after trying out this moveable computer, I’ve concluded that this computer has extra restricted attraction than I assumed. Whilst I’m extraordinarily inspired with its design, I’m blasé about its efficiency — learn on to determine why (and to look if it falls on our best possible gaming laptops web page).

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM value and configuration

Have you ever observed the associated fee tags on Hughes’ high-end streetwear garments? I assumed this Acronym jacket was once lovely great — till I just about fell off my chair once I noticed that it’d set me again $2,015! That’s greater than my hire!

Naturally, that top class pricing development continues with Hughes’ collaboration with Asus. The ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM prices a fab $2,500 by means of Amazon. It comes with a thirteenth Gen Intel Core i9-13900H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, a 13.4-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel show, and Home windows 11 Professional.

That is the one configuration to be had and it’s a restricted version Asus computer.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM design

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM, if it have been personified, will be the moody, shipment pants-wearing persona putting out in a dystopian, high-tech city with a grungy, edgy, cyberpunk genre.

Shape-wise, the ACRNM is just like the Microsoft Floor Professional X — that includes a integrated kickstand on a pill and a removable keyboard — however make it boulevard model! The Asus computer has a digi-tribal glance with a futuristic, metallic-esque, CNC aluminum chassis; the again of the pill is bespeckled with oblong black rubber ft and decorated with primitive-esque, light-gray markings. The black rubber ft are eye sores, however they do serve a goal, particularly should you plan on the use of the ACRNM in pill mode. They preserve the pill reasonably increased off the outside so the vents can do their activity.

The pill, via the way in which, isn’t any iPad Air. It’s heavy AF. This isn’t one thing you’ll leisurely grasp in a single hand, so that you’ll most probably be the use of that kickstand 99.9% of the time.

Asus claims that the removable keyboard, which doubles as a pill duvet, is product of “fine quality leather-based.” This can be true, however the subject material doesn’t have that addicting really feel that top class materials frequently have — it’s unnoteworthy. Generally most effective the WASD keys get particular love on gaming keyboards, however at the ACRNM, the entire keys are black with the exception of for 20 caps, together with W, A, S, D, E, I, J, Okay, L, Esc, Backspace, Shift, and CTRL. They’re all embellished with some variation of the khaki-yellow hue. Is it my genre? No longer truly, however the black and khaki combo is very Hughes.

You gained’t in finding the ability key at the keyboard — agree with me, I appeared. It’s positioned at the proper fringe of the show; you’ll additionally discover a quantity rocker there, too, which is handy.

The straps that include the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM are my favourite phase. After attaching them to the computer, you’ll in fact put on your gaming rig in quite a few other postures the place you’ll hold it over your shoulder, move it over your frame, or even hold it over your neck whilst maintaining the pill (as should you’re about to serve hors d’oeuvres).

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM measures 11.9 x 8.4 x 0.6~0.79 inches and weighs 2.91 kilos. Its competition are the MSI Raider GE78 HX (6.5 kilos, 15 x 11.7 x 1.1 inches) and the Starting place EON16-S (5.5 kilos, 14.1 x 10.74 x 0.78 inches). They’re 16-inch and 17-inch laptops, respectively, so naturally, they’re better and heavier.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM ports

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM has a pleasant mixture of legacy and trendy ports allotted on all sides of its pill show.

At the left facet, you’ll discover a Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB Sort-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, a microSD card reader, and Asus’ proprietary ROG XG Cell interface (a port that’s additionally to be had at the new ROG Best friend), which helps you to attach an Asus-branded cell eGPU and docking station to amp up the ACRNM’s graphics horsepower. (The most productive one you’ll get is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 ROG XG Cell eGPU.)

At the left facet, you’ll discover a USB Sort-A three.2 Gen 1 port and a headset jack.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM show

The ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM comes with a 13.4-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel, 165Hz touchscreen show with a 16:10 facet ratio.

Proper off the bat, simply by taking a look on the Home windows Highlight image that popped up at the lock display (a couple of horses grazing in a box), I may just inform that the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM has a lovely pop of colour. I pulled up the Transformers 7: Upward push of the Beasts YouTube trailer, and wow, I didn’t know Bumblebee may well be so yellow! Fiery red-and-orange hues popped off the display as fireballs flew in the course of the sky and Optimus High’s red-and-blue armor stuck my eye as he trudged via a wet, muddy bus depot.

Alternatively, I wasn’t specifically inspired with its sharpness; it would stand to be extra detailed. Whilst I may just see actor Anthony Ramos’ placing freckles, I couldn’t spot extra muted facial options (e.g., pores).

I got here throughout a equivalent enjoy whilst enjoying Hogwarts Legacy with all settings on Very Prime. My Hogwarts-bound, custom-created persona was once surrounded via a placing lush verdant panorama whilst hiking up a beach cliff. When my witchy protagonist arrived at her Slytherin-based room, the melange of mint inexperienced, emerald, and chartreuse that embellished the gothic-like quarters have been pleasurable to the attention. Alternatively, like my scrutiny of the YouTube trailer, main points have been middling — they may stand to be extra placing.

Because it became out, my anecdotal enjoy suits the numbers. Consistent with our show trying out, the ACRNM is essentially the most colourful in comparison to its opponents, which additionally game 2560 x 1600-pixel shows. It covers 116.1% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, slightly surpassing the MSI Raider GE78 HX (115.4%), nevertheless it beat the Starting place EON16-S (83.5%) via a landslide.

On our Delta-E colour accuracy take a look at, the ACRNM delivered middling effects with a ranking of 0.26 (nearer to 0 is best). It bested the Starting place’s measly 0.32 ranking, however the MSI claimed the throne as essentially the most colour correct with a very good ranking of 0.12. The common top class computer has a Delta-E colour accuracy of 0.24.

Throughout our brightness take a look at, the ACRNM was once a shining megastar, emanating 453 nits of brightness, outluminating the MSI (412 nits), Starting place (326 nits) and the common top class gaming computer (396 nits).

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM stylus

Sure, the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM comes with a pen — a black and yellow one that fits the keyboard’s colour scheme. Alternatively, it’s not anything new. It’s simply the Asus Pen 2.0 with a brand new design.

I respect that the Asus Pen 2.0 has a real cylindrical form whilst different pens — just like the Apple Pencil and the Floor Pen — have flat edges that don’t really feel very at ease between my hands. I fired up Microsoft Whiteboard the place I sketched and scribbled notes. The Asus Pen 2.0 felt clean and simple because it glided around the touchscreen.

The Asus Pen 2.0 has 4,096 ranges of power sensitivity, permitting you to create the best strokes and broadest traces. Asus claims that once simply half-hour of USB-C charging, you’ll stand up to 140 hours of utilization. My most effective gripe is that I want there was once a magnetic dock for this stylus — there’s a great opportunity you’ll finally end up shedding it as it doesn’t have a devoted house at the ACRNM.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM audio

The ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM’s Dolby Atmos-tuned twin audio system will also be discovered on each side of the show. 

I fired up the Mega Hit Combine playlist, which introduced Doja Cat’s “Girl,” and oof, those audio system don’t sound nice. The upbeat music sounded too tinny for my tastes — as though it was once enjoying from a years-old smartphone. Only one minute in, I needed to flip it off as it was once too dissonant. I had the similar enjoy once I listened to Lil Nas X’s “MONTERO,” which had a odd metal sound.

With the Dolby Get right of entry to app, I performed round with the 5 presets — Dynamic, Sport, Film, Track and Voice — to look if I may just make stronger the audio. None did a lot to definitely impact the sound, sadly.

Whilst enjoying Hogwarts Legacy, then again, the tinny sound wasn’t as evident. The classical ratings that performed during the sport, frequently stuffed with sweet-sounding flute melodies, have been triumphant, regal and majestic, however one obvious factor is that the audio is just too quiet. Even at max quantity, the audio system couldn’t fill my medium-sized trying out room. 

I’d counsel pairing the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM with probably the most best possible wi-fi headphones.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM keyboard and touchpad

I assumed the keyboard was once going to be a stinker — cramped, comfortable, and spongy. Alternatively, to my marvel, the removable keyboard at the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM is so clicky I’m gonna die! Hell, it’s were given springier comments than fresh integrated keyboards I’ve used which might be better and sturdier — and really don’t have any excuse for his or her squishiness.

What provides to the keyboard’s convenience is that it doesn’t lie totally flat at the floor — it has a at ease slope that makes the keyboard really feel further ergonomic.

To display how excellent the ACRNM’s keyboard feels on my hands, let me display you the consequences I were given at the 10FastFingers.com take a look at. I generally kind at a median of 87 to 89 phrases in step with minute, however at the ACRNM, my fee jumped to 94 phrases in step with minute. Great!

The one factor I don’t like in regards to the ACRNM’s island-style keyboard is the unusual characters and logos positioned at the keys.You’ll see your conventional QWERTY letters, however reverse of the ones letters is what Asus calls a “new alphabet,” giving the keyboard a weird tribal-futuristic vibe. There’s no rhyme or explanation why for this funky “new alphabet” — it’s only a quirky design determination.

I additionally don’t perceive what the hell is happening with the serve as row keys — it’s stuffed with unintelligible symbols, too. Alternatively, should you learn the delicate crimson textual content above the white characters, all of it is smart (e.g., Sleep, Mic Off, Fan, Silence). I struggled to determine which keyboard shortcut takes screenshots, however after some experimentation, the F12 key did the trick.

The 4.1 x 2.4-inch touchpad sits under the spacebar, and there’s now not a lot to rave about. It does the activity, responding to Home windows 11 contact gestures corresponding to pinch-to-zoom, two-fingered scrolling, and three-fingered downward swipes to turn the desktop.

No, the ACRNM doesn’t have any fancy stuff like per-key RGB lights — it is a single-zone white LED keyboard. And I’m OK with that; I don’t desire a gaudy disco ball birthday party on my gaming computer to experience it.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM gaming and graphics

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM. How does it grasp up in opposition to its MSI (RTX 4080) and Starting place (RTX 4070) opponents?

Let’s get started with the A ways Cry 6 (1080p, Very Prime) benchmark. The ACRNM delivered 69 frames in step with 2d, however the MSI and Starting place beaten it with ratings of 121 and 99 fps, respectively. (The common top class computer delivered a ranking of 91 fps at the A ways Cry 6 benchmark).

Now, let’s check out how the ACRNM carried out at the Borderlands 3 benchmark (1080p, Badass). It delivered 74 fps, however the MSI beaten it with a ranking of 153 fps. The Starting place sat in 2d position with a middle-of-the-road ranking of 102 fps. The ACRNM didn’t meet up with the common top class computer (114 fps).

The ACRNM persevered to drop to 3rd position at the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (1080p, Best possible) with a ranking of 82 frames in step with 2d, lagging in the back of the MSI (177 fps) and the Starting place (114 fps).

Anecdotally, I performed Cyberpunk 2077 at the ACRNM. With the whole lot became as much as the max (e.g., Prime or Extremely), all settings became on (e.g., DLSS, ray-tracing, trail tracing), and the solution set to 1600p, the sport delivered about 40 fps. Alternatively, once I dropped the solution to 1080p and became off ray tracing, I may just squeeze out 20 extra frames at a fee of 65 fps. With this environment, Cyberpunk 2077 performed easily, rendering the gold parachute pants of a boulevard thug beautifully. As his MC Hammer-esque pants glimmered below the neon lighting fixtures that embellished the town, how may just I be intimidated? My persona shoved him out the way in which and confirmed him who’s boss.

Alternatively, issues took a flip once I visited a flashy, dingy membership in Cyberpunk 2077 with heaps of characters dancing to trance-like song. I realized a vital framerate drop the place gameplay felt slow.

It’s price noting that the ACRNM comes supplied with a MUX Transfer. What does this do? Whilst firing up a recreation by means of Steam, it routinely switches to Nvidia GPU most effective mode, which guarantees that each one rendered graphics are handed in the course of the discrete GPU immediately (versus passing in the course of the built-in elements first).

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM efficiency

Priced at $2,500, this computer higher care for the whole lot I throw at it — after which some! The ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM, geared up an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD garage, giggled once I attempted to suffocate it with a random collection of 55 Google Chrome tabs — 10 have been enjoying movies from quite a lot of streaming websites concurrently. After firing up a contemporary Google Document to check its responsiveness, the ACRNM carried on with none slowdowns in spite of the chaos working within the background.

Sadly for the ACRNM, it’s up in opposition to some stiff festival. At the Geekbench 6 general efficiency benchmark, the Asus computer reached a multi-core ranking of 13,611, surpassing the top class gaming computer reasonable (11,168). Alternatively, it would now not compete with the Raider GE78 HX (Intel Core i9-13950H CPU) nor the Starting place EON16-S (Intel Core i9-13900H CPU), which delivered ratings of 15,916 and 14,068, respectively.

The ACRNM was once the slowest on our Handbrake take a look at, which comes to transcoding a 4K video to 1080p. The Asus gaming computer took 4 mins and 48 seconds to finish the duty, which trails in the back of the common top class gaming computer (4:28). It’s additionally slower than the MSI Raider GE78 HX (4:08) and the Starting place EON16-S (3:46).

At the file-transfer take a look at, the 1TB SSD throughout the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM took 22 seconds to replicate 25GB of mixed-media information, which interprets to a dossier move fee of one,241 megabytes in step with 2d. That is slower than the class reasonable (1,513 MBps). It additionally couldn’t stay alongside of the 2TB SSD throughout the Raider GE78 HX (1,715 MBps), and the pair of SSDs — 1TB of gadget and 2TB of garage — throughout the EON16-S (1,818 MBps). 

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM battery existence

We ran two battery existence exams at the ACRNM. Let’s get started with the Pc Magazine battery take a look at, which comes to steady internet browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. The ACRNM lasted 6 hours and 45 mins, which isn’t part dangerous for a gaming rig. This beats the common top class gaming computer (5:29), the Raider GE78 HX (2:33) and the Starting place EON16-S (5:06).

Alternatively, after we ran the PCMark 10 take a look at, which runs a continuing script to simulate a gaming enjoy, the ACRNM lasted just one hour and 16 mins. That is higher than the EON16-S (1:14), however worse than the MSI Raider GE78 HX (2:33).

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM warmth

Asus boasts that the ACRNM is filled with the ROG Clever Cooling Gadget, which includes a vapor chamber that takes up 50% of the motherboard. Filled with liquid steel and arc-flow enthusiasts, Asus says the ACRNM will have to be offering ambient cooling at 0 dB. Thus far, that is true. Whilst gaming at the ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM, I’ve discovered it to be strangely quiet.

We carried out two warmth exams. One concerned working a 15-minute fullscreen video, which made the bottom climb to 77.5 levels Fahrenheit. At the different take a look at, which concerned enjoying Metro Exodus Enhanced Version for quarter-hour, the bottom hit 81.3 levels Fahrenheit. Each backsides controlled to stick under our convenience threshold of 95 levels, so that you don’t have to fret in regards to the ACRNM scalding your thighs.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM webcam

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM has a 5MP front-facing, IR digicam, which is a step up from the 720p and 1080p webcams which might be flooding the marketplace. Alternatively, I will be able to’t get myself to gush about it. There’s nonetheless some visual noise at the shooter, nevertheless it renders colour correctly, shooting my sizzling red gown and the colourful classical portray putting in the back of me.

However consider my marvel once I noticed that the ACRNM has a world-facing digicam, too — a 13MP one. Candy! If I’m taking a video name with a long-distance pal or circle of relatives member, I will be able to merely turn the digicam with one press of a button to turn them what’s in entrance of me (as an alternative of turning the entire computer round). The 13MP is as colour correct because the 5MP digicam, however as anticipated, it’s reasonably extra detailed and sharper, completely shooting the messy contents of my disorganized table. 

When you don’t like both of those cameras, benefit from the MyAsus app, which helps you to use your telephone’s digicam as your PC’s webcam. An alternative choice is to snag probably the most best possible webcams.

Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM instrument and guaranty

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM runs on Home windows 11 Professional. You’ll be able to most probably in finding the Armoury Crate app to be essentially the most helpful. It has knowledge referring to your gadget’s CPU and GPU utilization, reminiscence and garage, and fan velocity. You’ll additionally transfer the GPU mode to the next presets: Final, Usual, Eco and Optimized.

There are show presets there, too, that are lovely self explanatory, together with Default, Racing, Surroundings, RTS/RPG, FPS, Cinema, Eyecare and Brilliant. There also are Information and Buying groceries tabs within the Armoury Crate app that I will be able to most probably by no means use.

You’ll additionally in finding your same old fare of Microsoft apps, together with Edge, Footage, Retailer, Groups, and Folks.

There’s additionally the MyAsus app, which helps you to move information to its cloud provider. Beneath the Far flung Get right of entry to tab, you’ll use your telephone to remotely get entry to your PC anyplace. You’ll set up the ACRNM’s battery and bandwidth prioritization there, too.

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM ships with a one-year restricted guaranty and a two-year battery guaranty. See how Asus fared throughout Tech Reinforce Showdown, our annual particular characteristic. 

Base line

The Asus ROG Drift Z13 ACRNM is now not for practical-minded shoppers — patrons who need to get essentially the most bang for his or her dollar. Why? For the reason that Starting place EON16-S has the similar precise specifications — an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU — and it carried out a lot better on our efficiency and gaming benchmarks. (On most sensible of that, it is much less than $2,000 by means of Starting place’s authentic web site.) 

As such, no person of their proper minds would acquire this bizarre-o Asus computer over the Starting place. However that’s precisely it, proper? Asus didn’t design this for other people with “proper minds.” This computer is for the wacky, edgy technophile who desires to offer off an, “I’m an eccentric hipster with deep wallet vibe.” The ACRNM is for individuals who need to put on a dialog piece round their our bodies whilst nonetheless emanating an air of experimental, state of the art model. 

I’d additionally argue that the ACRNM is highest for common vacationers who’re bored with maintaining their computer of their palms, however nonetheless need simple get entry to to it. (TSA makes you are taking your computer from your bag at safety checkpoints, so having it putting over your shoulder is handy whilst holding your palms loose.)  Alternatively, this could must be a robust promoting level so that you can imagine dispensing just about $2,500.

To sum all of it up, the ACRNM is an engaging, wacky, weird gaming computer with an leading edge, unforgettable design. It has a very good keyboard, a candy number of ports, a colourful show, and sufficient front-and-world-facing cameras. Alternatively, its efficiency and gaming ratings are too middling for my tastes.