Hunting for a detachable 2-in-1 laptop is tricky. They’re technically tablets but support the operating system of a regular laptop and function generally the same, apart from the detaching keyboard. Unfortunately, there are few available.
The most popular is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, but it’s not exactly power-user-friendly, especially since its ARM-based chip excludes a number of the native Windows apps. However, I am here to tell you that you have another option: the Asus ROG Flow Z13. In case you are unfamiliar, ROG (Republic of Gamers), is the gaming line for Asus, so no surprise this detachable 2-in-1 is bigger and meaner, with AMD’s latest power-hungry chipset.
But power isn’t everything, and there are a few things the Surface Pro 11 gets right that the Flow Z13 doesn’t. If we throw them in a ring, which one will come out on top? Let’s find out.
Asus ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Pro 11: Pricing and configurations
|
Spec |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) |
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
|
CPU |
AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 |
Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 |
|
GPU |
AMD Radeon 8060S |
Qualcomm Adreno |
|
RAM |
32GB LPDDR5X |
16GB |
|
Storage |
1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD |
512GB SSD |
|
Display |
13.4-inch, 2560 x 1600, 180Hz, IPS touchscreen |
13-inch, 2880 x 1920, OLED, 120Hz |
|
Battery life |
10:16 |
12:11 |
|
Dimensions |
11.81 x 8.03 x 0.51~0.59 inches |
11.3 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches |
|
Weight |
2.68 pounds (3.53 pounds with keyboard) |
1.97 pounds (tablet) 2.6 pounds (with keyboard) |
|
Price |
$2,099 (starting), $2,299 (as reviewed) |
$899 starting, $1,499 tested, $1,849 with keyboard and pen |
These detachables are expensive, there’s no way around that, but one of them gives you more value for your money.
We tested the $2,299 model of the Asus ROG Flow Z13, which comes with an AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processor, an AMD Radeon 8060S iGPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 13.4-inch, 2560 x 1600, 180Hz IPS touchscreen display. It also comes with the detachable keyboard cover.
Meanwhile, our configuration of the Surface Pro 11 tablet alone is $1,499, which comes with the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 processor, Qualcomm Adreno iGPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and a 13-inch, 2880 x 1920, 120Hz OLED display. Adding the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen brings it up to $1,849.
If you look at it from a price-to-performance ratio, neither is a great deal, but the detachable 2-in-1 form factor makes both a unique proposition. Given that both put you close to $2,000, you might as well get the Asus ROG Flow Z13. Yes, I am aware that it’s $450 more, but you’re getting a significantly more powerful CPU, iGPU, RAM, and storage for that price gap, which is worth it.
The ROG Flow Z13 starts at $2,099, which drops you down to AMD Ryzen AI MAX 390. If you’re looking for cheap, the lowest configuration of the Surface Pro 11 tablet alone is $899, but that configuration includes a much weaker Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 processor and an LCD screen. If you want the keyboard cover, it’s an additional $150, putting you up to $1,050.
The Surface Pro 11 is cheaper, but particularly when considering the models we reviewed, the ROG Flow Z13 offers more value.
Winner: Asus ROG Flow Z13
Asus ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Pro 11: Design
While I do love the way the Asus ROG Flow Z13 looks, it is no competition against the Microsoft Surface Pro 11.
The Flow Z13 looks like a jumped straight out of Altered Carbon (I’m not over it, Netflix). It sports sci-fi-esque decals on the back alongside a RGB-lit glass pane and kickstand with a fancy prismatic tab on the bottom left. However, the device is mostly black. The Surface Pro 11 is rather minimalist but comes in black, silver, blue, and sand colorways.
The Surface Pro 11 is also much thinner and lighter, coming in at 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches and 1.97 pounds (2.6 pounds with keyboard). Meanwhile, the Flow Z13 stacks up to 11.81 x 8.03 x 0.51~0.59 inches 2.68 pounds (3.53 pounds with keyboard).
Thinner, lighter, and more colorful, the Surface Pro 11 takes it.
Winner: Microsoft Surface Pro 11
Asus ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Pro 11: Battery life
There isn’t that much room to work with in a detachable, but both the Asus ROG Flow Z13 and Surface Pro 11 offer an impressive amount of battery life.
On the Laptop Mag battery test, which sets the machine to continuously surf the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, the Flow Z13 survived 10 hours and 16 minutes, which is impressive for a gaming tablet. However, the Surface Pro 11 squeezed out 12 hours and 11 minutes. It’s not that great considering it’s a standard consumer laptop, but it is better.
Winner: Microsoft Surface Pro 11
Click to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) |
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
|
Battery life (Higher is better) |
10.16 |
12.11 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Pro 11: Display
This didn’t go the way I expected it to go. The Asus ROG Flow Z13 sports a 13.4-inch, 2560 x 1600, 180Hz, IPS touchscreen display while the Surface Pro 11 comes in with a 13-inch, 2880 x 1920, OLED, 120Hz panel. The former sports the higher refresh rate we’d expect for a gaming rig but the latter offers higher resolution and OLED technology.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Flow Z13’s display, as it was plenty bright and decently colorful. But despite not being built for gaming, the Surface Pro 11 got the experience down pat, getting 24% brighter and 40.9% more colorful.
If you really need that high refresh rate, the Flow Z13 is better for you. However, the Surface Pro 11’s display is better in almost every way.
Winner: Microsoft Surface Pro 11
Click to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) |
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
|
Display brightness (Higher is better) |
455 |
564 |
|
sRGB color gamut (Higher is better) |
115% |
163% |
|
DCI-P3 color gamut (Higher is better) |
81.6% |
115.0% |
|
Color accuracy (Lower is better) |
0.22 |
0.31 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Pro 11: Keyboard and touchpad
Thin and light laptops, detachable or no, typically come at the cost of their keyboards. So while the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a bit of a chunker, its keyboard is superior to the Surface Pro 11.
The Flow Z13’s keys are clicky, bouncy, and offer decent spacing to get you speeding through your work. The touchpad is also incredibly smooth and offers a strong click. Unfortunately, you’ll have some issues while gaming because the keyboard is too deep into the chassis and too close to the touchpad.
In contrast, the Surface Pro 11’s keys felt hollow and lacked clickiness. Your palms will never feel supported on its deck. Then there’s the touchpad, which is too resistant and you can barely tell when the clicker is depressed.
Winner: Asus ROG Flow Z13
Asus ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Pro 11: Gaming and graphics
Ready to witness a murder? The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is rocking the all-new AMD Radeon 8060S iGPU whereas the Surface Pro 11 sports the Qualcomm Adreno iGPU. The former is a gaming tablet and the latter is a standard consumer device.
Unfortunately, we could not test more games on the Surface Pro 11, so we have only one point of comparison, and that’s the Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark. But the results speak for themselves.
The Flow Z13 scored a whopping 127 frames per second (1600p, Medium) whereas the Surface Pro 11 couldn’t even break the 30-fps minimum for playability. It managed only 21 fps, and that was at 1080p. The Surface Pro 11 couldn’t escape this landslide.
Winner: Asus ROG Flow Z13
Click to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) |
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
|
Sid Meier’s Civ VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, FPS) |
127 |
21 |
|
Borderlands 3 (1080p, FPS) |
79 |
Row 1 – Cell 2 |
|
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, FPS) |
68 |
Row 2 – Cell 2 |
|
Far Cry 6 (1080p, FPS) |
60 |
Row 3 – Cell 2 |
|
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, FPS) |
14 |
Row 4 – Cell 2 |
|
Red Dead Redemption 2 (1080p, FPS) |
47 |
Row 5 – Cell 2 |
|
Assassin’s Creed Mirage (1080p, FPS) |
51 |
Row 6 – Cell 2 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Pro 11: Performance and heat
Measuring overall performance wasn’t as brutal as the graphics comparison, but the Asus ROG Flow Z13’s AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor still showed the Surface Pro 11’s Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 CPU no mercy.
On the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 showcased a 34.8% advantage in performance versus the Surface Pro 11. When it came to transcoding a 4K video to 1080p on our HandBrake benchmark, the Flow Z13 completed it 46.7% faster. SSD speeds? A whopping 81% faster.
The Flow Z13 crushed the Surface Pro 11 in every test except the heat test. The Surface Pro 11’s hottest temp reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit, which is slightly cooler than the Flow’s 110 degrees.
Winner: Asus ROG Flow Z13
Click to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) |
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
|
Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) |
19,457 |
14,432 |
|
Handbrake conversion (Lower is better, MM.SS) |
2.51 |
5.21 |
|
SSD Transfer rate (Higher is better, MBps) |
1,812 |
1,001 |
|
Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit, 95 comfort threshold) |
110.0 |
107.0 |
Overall winner: Asus ROG Flow Z13
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 and Surface Pro 11 are detachable 2-in-1 laptops with completely different goals, so it’s tough to compare them 1-to-1. However, the premium detachable 2-in-1 market is so limited, if you’re in the market for one you need to consider all options, and the Flow Z13 claims the overall victory.
You simply cannot beat the raw performance and graphics of the Asus ROG Flow Z13. It also offers an infinitely better keyboard. And even though it’s more expensive, you’re getting a much better price-to-performance ratio.
Despite that, the Surface Pro 11 is cheaper. For folks that aren’t going to game, you’ll get a better display and even a sleeker design. Just remember you can’t drop to the cheapest Pro 11 configuration and still have that great display.
But overall, if I’m going to spend close to $2K, it better be able to play a terribly-performing game like Monster Hunter Wilds, which the Flow Z13 does incredibly well.
Winner: Asus ROG Flow Z13
