Best Buy has dropped the 2025 Asus ROG Flow Z13 configuration with AMD’s Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 chip, 64GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD to $2,099.99. The retailer lists that model at $2,999.99, so the current price cuts $900 from the original tag.
Amazon is selling a related Flow Z13 model with the same Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 processor and 32GB of RAM for $1,999.99, down from $2,299.99. On the spec sheet, Best Buy’s extra $100 buys twice the memory, which is the kind of upgrade laptop makers usually use as a toll booth.
The Flow Z13 is Asus’ odd little answer to a question most gaming laptops avoid: what if the machine looked more like a Surface-style tablet than a clamshell brick? The 13.4-inch Windows device uses a kickstand and detachable-keyboard-style form factor, but the 2025 version is built around AMD’s “Strix Halo” APU instead of a discrete Nvidia or AMD mobile GPU.
That trade is the whole story. Integrated graphics usually means “please lower your expectations.” In this case, The Verge’s review found the Strix Halo chip delivered graphics performance in the range of laptops using Nvidia’s RTX 4060, while also giving the Flow Z13 solid battery life. The review said demanding games generally ran at about 50 to 60 frames per second on low to medium settings, and that Elden Ring could run near 50fps at the tablet’s native 1600p resolution on high settings.
Games with AMD FSR 3 and frame generation support can push frame rates higher, according to the review. That does not make the Flow Z13 a magic slate for maxed-out 1600p gaming at triple-digit frame rates. It does make the current Best Buy configuration more interesting than many thin gaming machines whose spec sheets look normal and whose prices have become rude.
The Verge’s review also said the 2025 Flow Z13 cannot keep up with larger, more expensive 16-inch gaming laptops such as the Razer Blade 16 or Asus Zephyrus G16 in GPU-heavy workloads. That is expected. Those machines have more room for cooling and more power budget to burn. The Flow Z13’s pitch is portability with enough gaming performance to matter, not desktop replacement cosplay.
Other current hardware deals
- Nintendo’s Switch 2 USB-C camera is listed at GameStop for $9.99, far below its regular $54.99 price. The camera’s video quality has been criticized, and there are not many Switch 2 games built around it, but Nintendo’s version includes a stand, adjustable design, and a physical privacy shutter.
- Newegg is bundling AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor with an MSI MAG Core 240mm liquid cooler. AMD re-released the 10-year-old chip in late June at $349, and it remains an option for DDR4 systems using AM4 motherboards.
- Amazon has Anker’s six-foot 2-in-1 braided USB-C cable for $15.99. Anker says it can pass through up to 140W when paired with a compatible charger and can split charging power between two connected devices.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
