Asus unveils Rog Flow X13 — this stunning 2-in-1 gaming laptop weighs just 2.9 pounds

Asus unveils Rog Flow X13 — this stunning 2-in-1 gaming laptop weighs but 2.9 pounds

(Image credit: Asus)

At CES 2021, gaming manufacturers are announcing their laptop lineups for the year, and Asus is no exception. The company's ROG (Republic of Gamers) lineup contains a plethora of new laptops, including a lightweight model that hooks up to a tiny external graphics card, and a robust device that rivals many powerful desktops on the market place.

The Asus ROG Menstruation X13 is a tiny gaming laptop that can leverage a powerful eGPU, while the ROG Strix Scar 17 is a powerful organization, outfitted with the latest CPU, GPU and display technology.

Asus ROG Flow X13 and Asus ROG XG Mobile

Asus calls the ROG Flow X13 "the outset two-in-ane convertible ROG laptop," which means it has substantially iii modes. You can use information technology as a laptop; you lot can use it as a touchscreen device; or you tin can use it as a makeshift gaming desktop, in conjunction with the ROG XG Mobile: a surprisingly small-scale eGPU.

By itself, the ROG Flow X13 features "upwards to an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS CPU" (Asus hasn't specified what lower-end models might comprise), forth with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. Users can choose between a full Hd screen with a 120 Hz refresh charge per unit, or a 4K screen with an unspecified refresh rate — probably much lower.

More interesting are the laptop's physical specs: 0.6 inches thick, and 2.9 pounds in weight. Asus estimates 10 hours of bombardment life, and fast charging via USB-C. There's also an HDMI port, a USB-A port and a 3.5 mm audio port.

Thanks to a touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge, the X13 is also usable as a tablet — pretty standard 2-in-1 functionality.

The ROG XG Mobile is where things go interesting. Unlike nearly external GPU housings, which are big and cumbersome, the ROG XG Mobile measures just 8.2 inches beyond on its longest side and weighs two.2 pounds. The device nevertheless supports GPUs up to and including the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, and provides both cooling and extra ports to the ROG Period X13: four USB-A ports, an SD card reader, an Ethernet port, a DisplayPort and an HDMI port, to be specific.

The ROG Flow X13 and ROG XG Mobile bundle is available to pre-society right now at the Asus store. Check the official website for pricing and delivery date details.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 17

At the absolute other end of the spectrum is the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17. Asus calls it a "gaming powerhouse," and having seen the specs, that sounds accurate. This 17-inch laptop includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, and upwardly tan AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU.

The device also features 32 GB RAM, upwards to ii TB of SSD storage (two 1 TB drives), an optical mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting and a battery with upwardly to 12 hours of life (for video playback, anyway). Gamers can cull between a full HD 360 Hz display (Asus claims this is the "earth'southward fastest laptop brandish," although other companies take announced like screens at CES 2021), or a quad Hard disk drive 165 Hz brandish.

Asus also highlights the ROG Strix Scar's innovative cooling systems, relatively compact design, USB-C charging capabilities and Dolby Atmos-supported speakers. What we don't take, unfortunately, is a price. Instead, Asus has simply said that the device will be available in Northward America onetime in Q1 — between at present and the end of March, in other words.

Asus has some other gadgets in the works, including a 32-inch HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor (the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ), a mechanical gaming keyboard with clackety Blue switches (the Asus ROG Claymore Ii) and a wireless gaming mouse with both 2.iv GHz and Bluetooth connectivity (the Asus ROG Gladius III Wireless). We'll get our hands on as many of these devices as we can, and report on the results later we've tested and reviewed them.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site'due south coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a scientific discipline writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. Afterward hours, you lot can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.