CNC is an intricate manufacturing process used in a variety of products, including high-end smartphones and laptops. Often people overlook these details, as they are mostly featured inside the gadget. However, Asus is embracing these CNC markings with the launch of the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, a laptop that has been made using CNC from the inside out. Designed by the concept artist Phil Saunders, best known for his work on Iron Man’s armour, the Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 is also touted to be portable and versatile. But can it replace a regular gaming laptop? Read my full review to find out. Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 review: Design The unique design of the Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 does come at a cost, as it weighs 1.32 kg, making it slightly heavier than most 13-inch convertibles in this class. The regular ROG Flow Z13 that we reviewed a while ago was almost 200 grams lighter than this special edition. The external metal body design does make this tablet less prone to damage, with the four corners slightly raised and fitted with rubber holds for additional shock absorption. The device also comes with a detachable carry system, giving this tablet a Zydeco-like look, resembling a body-worn musical instrument. Despite being a 13-inch tablet, the device offers a good amount of I/O ports, including a full-sized Type-A port, a Type-C port with Thunderbolt support, a microSD card slot, and it also has the ROG XG Mobile Interface, allowing users to pair an external graphics card. Despite its unique appearance, the device hasn't compromised much on practicality, making the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 a versatile Windows tablet. Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 review: Display and speakers The 13.4-inch screen on the Z13-ACRNM supports touch input and offers QHD+ resolution (2560x1600p) with a 165Hz refresh rate. However, this is a glossy panel and quickly attracts smudges and fingerprints. Features like Dolby Vision HDR and Pantone validation make it a great device for both content consumption and creation. The IPS display felt smooth but was also bright enough even for outdoor usage and it gets even better while streaming HDR content on platforms like YouTube and Prime Video. I liked how the display looks vibrant with higher contrast, almost as good as an OLED screen, where, it even replaced my Xiaomi Pad 5 as my primary OTT and video streaming device. The dual-speaker setup on this laptop is Dolby Atmos compliant. However, it is neither the loudest nor the clearest speaker setup that I have seen on a tablet. In fact, even budget tablets like the Lenovo Tab P12 seem to deliver better audio output. However, it does have a 3.5mm headphone jack that most modern tablets miss out on, and the device is also certified for high-resolution audio output. Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 review: Keyboard and trackpad The tablet comes with a detachable keyboard folio that extends the ACRNM design language. This is where things get a bit overwhelming, as the lettering on the keyboard is outright confusing, and even after using this machine for over two weeks, I still don't feel at home. The trackpad is on the smaller side, but it gets the job done. If you are a writer first and then a gamer, then you might not appreciate this keyboard, as I myself ended up pairing my wireless Logitech keyboard to get my work done, and even while gaming, the added keyboard flex does hinder the overall experience. Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 review: Cameras The tablet has a 13 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front-facing selfie camera with an IR sensor to facilitate Microsoft Hello face unlock. This is one of the few tablets that supports 2K video recording on the front camera and up to 4K video recording on the rear camera. Not only the resolution but also the image quality is on par with and better than most tablets. Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 review: Performance The Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, despite being called a tablet, is a full-fledged laptop, powered by the gaming-class 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTXTM 4070 Laptop GPU with 8 GB of video memory. The device offers 32 GB LPDDR5 RAM (non-user upgradable) with 1 TB of internal storage. The tablet also has an external mini M.2 SSD slot for easy storage upgrades. On top of that, the tablet ships with Windows 11 Pro OS, offering added security. On the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark test, the tablet scored 2590 points on the single-core and 12509 points on the multi-core test, and in the GPU benchmark, the device scored 112560 points, which is on par with high-end gaming laptops featuring similar specifications. I also extensively played GTA: V on this machine, which easily rendered over 130fps at 1080p resolution with high graphics settings and over 60fps at native 2k resolution. Keeping the benchmarks aside, although the screen is good enough for gaming, I felt it’s slightly on the smaller side and the lack of a HDMI port made it even harder to pair an external display that I have. While the laptop remains pretty silent under normal workloads like surfing the web or watching movies or TV shows, it does get loud while gaming and the whole chassis of the device also gets a bit hot. Asus ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 review: Battery life The tablet includes a 56Whr battery with support for 130W fast charging via the USB Type-C port. During my testing, the laptop offered an average of four to five hours of battery life with moderate usage. During charging, the laptop does get hot, which is expected with its full metal body design. While it still does not offer all-day battery life, it can outlast most similarly powered gaming devices. While the tablet can be charged using any USB-PD charger, to get the best performance, the tablet should be coupled with the 130W charger that is bundled with the tablet. Verdict: A Tablet that morphs into a gaming laptop This is definitely a one-of-a-kind tablet that offers both performance and style. However, with an asking price of Rs 2,84,990, it is definitely one of the most expensive gaming tablets in the market. If you want a purely performance-oriented device, this might not be the right choice. However, if you seek a unique-looking tablet that also happens to be a powerful gaming device, this is a great option to consider.
