Razer, emblematic brand of gamers and often considered the originator of the “best MacBook Windows,” comes to further titillate Apple in the premium ultrabook segment with the release of its Razer Book 13. No gaming laptop this time, but rather an alternative to the Dell XPS 13. So this Razer Book 13, the new benchmark for Windows ultrabooks?
A 13-inch gaming laptop PC equipped with the most powerful mobile graphics card of the moment, the GeForce RTX 3080, is now possible with the Asus ROG Flow X13 GV301. A 1.3 Kg ultrabook that finally materializes the Grail of certain nomads. At least on paper, because in practice, there are many concessions, as we will see.
Pros and Cons
| Razer Book | ASUS ROG Flow |
| Unibody chassis | Sober look 16:10 (UHD) screen |
| Above-average sound system | Fantastic performance in 13 inches |
| Touchpad | Nice keyboard |
| White color of the keyboard keys | Average battery life |
| No configuration with 32 GB of RAM | Excessive price |
General Info
| Razer Book 13 | ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301 | |
| | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | Razer | Asus |
| Model | Book 13 | ROG Flow X13 GV301 |
| Weight | 1.42 kg | 1.3 kg |
| OS | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Family 64-bit |
| Display | TN LCD | UHD |
| Dimensions | 13.4 Inches | 13.4 Inches |
| Type | Laptop | Laptop |
| Colors | Mercury White | Grey |
Razer Book 13
Razer’s reputation in terms of chassis is not usurped. In aluminum unibody, its rigidity has nothing to envy to Apple’s MacBooks. It is the same for the density, to the point of appearing heavier in hand than it really is on the scale (1.4 Kg with the UHD panel). In short, a faultless design and undoubtedly one of the best chassis of the moment on this point.
While the competition has often competed with more or less successful looks, Razer has always bet on sobriety even on its gaming laptops. It is, therefore, not the Razer Book 13 that will reverse the trend; this 13-inch ultrabook is intended to appeal to professionals and students for whom sobriety is one of the first criteria of choice. On this point, its gray color is an asset, discreet, goes everywhere, and, as a bonus, not very sensitive to fingerprints. The Razer logo retains its usual size, but its tone-on-tone color means won’t notice it too much. Depending on the angle of the light, it can even be completely invisible.
Access to components does not pose any particular difficulty. However, the interest remains limited; the RAM is integrated into the motherboard, as is now the case for all ultrabooks equipped with low-power Intel processors.
ASUS ROG
Asus 13-inch ultrabook. However, a few details can spark off. For starters, the ROG sticker on the back of the screen or the 45 ° lines presents other models of the ROG range. Open screen, the Armory Crate key can betray the gamer DNA of this Flow X13 just like the ROG logo on the right of the wrist rest via a subtle effect.
Sobriety is, therefore, essential with this black color goes everywhere. A good thing for an ultrabook whose vocation destines it to be found as well in the living room as in a professional meeting or a classroom.
The finish is satisfactory—some areas more sensitive to pressure than others but nothing prohibitive in practice. The matte finish of the aluminum chassis is not the most “premium” on the market for an ultrabook whose price positions it against more flattering models in terms of perception, such as the Razer Stealth / Book. But above all, it is a real magnet for dust and fingerprints (to a lesser extent).
The underside of the frame is also worked with various pattern effects. Access to components is fairly straightforward. However, apart from replacing the SSD (and again given its format) or dusting the fans, the interest is limited.
Display
| Razer Book 13 | ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301 | |
| Display Type | TN LCD | IPS |
| Display Size | 13.4 Inch | 13.4 Inch |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1200 Pixel | 3840 x 2400 Pixel |
| Display Touchscreen | No | Yes |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Display | Anti-Reflection | Anti-Reflection |
| Dimension | 295.6 x 198.5 x 15.15 mm | 295.6 x 198.5 x 15.15 mm |
Razer Book 13
After years of virtual monopoly, the 16: 9 format is starting to lose its hegemony. Razer, therefore, adopts a 16:10 ratio, offering 120 px more in height compared to a Full HD 16: 9 panel. A little more welcome daily, except perhaps for heavy video consumers who suddenly have to deal with black bands.
But with a contrast ratio of 1545: 1 and Gorilla Glass on the UHD version, this is not a problem in practice, in our opinion, as it is so difficult to tell them apart. The Sharp LQ134R1JX48 UHD panel (SHP1528) also offers full coverage of sRGB space (120%) and approximately 82% of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 spaces. The maximum brightness is 525 cd / m2. An excellent result. On the other hand, at its lowest, it only goes down to 33 cd / m2, a bit high for working in the evening in the dark.
As for opting for the Full HD + or UHD + panel, the first offers the advantage of lower consumption. The second is an unequaled display finesse with the bonus of the possibility of choosing between several scalings without loss of quality. Practical if you find the 1920×1200 px too small, you can thus opt for an equivalent 1536×960 pixel (250%), for example.
If the 4K panel is necessarily tactile, it is possible not to have the option on the Full HD model. In the absence of 360 ° hinges, the interest in a touch screen is less. It is nevertheless a little more appreciable in everyday life to which you quickly get used to zooming in or browsing in your photo library, for example.
The camera has infrared sensors and is therefore compatible with easy recognition via Windows Hello. It remains average with a lack of detail in terms of quality, even in good lighting conditions. Too bad to still have to deal with a definition in 720P in 2021 at the time of the generalization of teleworking and Team meetings.
ASUS ROG
The year 2021 seems favorable for 16:10 screens. Asus has, in turn, opted for this more vertical format on its Flow X13. Two panels are available, one Full HD + (1920×1200 px), the other UHD + (3840×2400 px). The former is probably the best choice if you plan to play without using the XG Mobile or enjoy a few extra hours of battery life. The 4K screen offers superior display finesse, particularly in tablet mode.
Because yes, as surprising as it may seem, this ROG Flow X13 is indeed a convertible ultrabook with 360 ° hinges. A plus for reading or surfing from the comfort of your sofa or watching your Netflix series in tent mode. It is also a practical solution to have a second screen when the X13 is connected to an external monitor without having the keyboard in its field of vision.
In terms of colorimetry, the Sharp LQ134R1JW51 UHD panel (SHP151B) covers the entire sRGB space (121%) against only 84% for the Adobe RGB. Maximum brightness is 372 cd / m2 for a contrast ratio of 1321: 1. Asus also offers several presets, including a variation in brightness and white point. It is also possible to characterize the display via the Asus utility if you have an X-Rite i1Profiler probe.
Specification
| Razer Book 13 | ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301 | |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-1165G7 Quad-Core (11th Gen) | AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS Cezanne |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4X RAM | 32 GB LPDDR4X RAM |
| Storage | 265 GB SSD | 1 TB SSD |
Performance
| Razer Book 13 | ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301 | ||
| Clockspeed | 2.8 GHz | 3.3 GHz | |
| Graphic Processor | Intel Iris Xe | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | |
| Processor | Intel Iris Xe | GTX 1650 |
Razer Book 13
Razer has chosen to equip its Book 13 with the latest low-power Intel Tiger Lake processors. Quad-Core CPUs can meet various needs, from simple office tasks to more demanding uses around photos or videos. However, it is better to stay on occasional/occasional use for the latter, the absence of a dedicated graphics card not being without impact on performance. With this in mind, it is better to opt for the Razer Blade Stealth 13, very similar in terms of design/form factor but equipped with a GeForce GTX 1650.
If the power profiles offered by manufacturers often have little impact on performance, at Razer, this is not the case. Thus our export under Davinci Resolve goes from 3m in Balanced mode to 2m09 once the Performance profile is active. All our tests were therefore carried out using this model.
Faced with the competition with an identical configuration, the Razer Book 13 is often the fastest in our various tests. Its cooling system designed around a steam chamber is no stranger to this.
ASUS ROG
Forget about low consumption platforms; the Asus X13 does embed a “classic” processor despite its size of 13 inches and its lightweight (1.3 kg). It’s even one of the most capable laptop processors around, the Ryzen 9 5980HS. To be precise, the TDP is actually slightly castrated (35W vs. 45W) compared to other Ryzen (5800H and 5900HX) offered for a few months in 15 and 17-inch gaming laptops.
In practice, all the CPUs mentioned above are held in a pocket square. And if the Ryzen 9 5980HS is sometimes a few seconds behind its counterparts, it is still much faster than all the other processors usually included in 13/14 inch laptops when the tasks require significant computing power. Illustration on our Davinci Resolve test where the Flow X13 is twice as fast as a Razer Book 13.
In addition to its Octo Core processor, the Asus X13 stands out for the presence of a dedicated graphics card, a GeForce GTX 1650. A mid-range GPU can cope with recent games, even if the UHD + definition of our model is not the most suitable for gamers. It is nevertheless a valuable ally, also for all programs capable of relying on the graphics card to speed up certain renderings/tasks. These include 3D software, video editing, and now more and more photo software (Photoshop, Lightroom, DxO).
But if you find the GTX 1650 a bit tight, Asus has the solution. Add to your X13 a GeForce RTX 3080 via the XG Mobile. The latter takes a small external box like the eGPU solutions offered for a few years. AMD platform requires Thunderbolt point on the X13. Asus has therefore developed its own solution.
Multimedia
| Razer Book 13 | ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301 | ||
| Web-cam | Yes | Yes | |
| Speakers | 2 x 4 Speakers | 2 Speakers | |
| Microphone Jack | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm | |
| Wireless Lan | Yes | Yes | |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | |
| Memory Card Slot | Yes | Yes | |
| NFC | No | No |
Razer Book 13
With two Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C / DisplayPort Alt Mode), an HDMI output, a USB-A port, and even a micro-SD card reader, the Razer Book 13 offers a variety of connectivity. And thanks to Thunderbolt, the possibilities are almost unlimited via a dock or an eGPU box like those offered by Razer, the Core X Chrome, or the Core X Mercury.
The speakers of this Razer Book. Positioned on either side of the keyboard, they offer the advantage of being oriented towards the user. Listening, the snake ultrabook is doing better than average without; however, managing to match the rendering of the MacBook Pro 13 because of a rendering that is a little too cold/metallic. With a movie, it’s less disturbing, and the THX optimization reproduces the spatialization effects well.
ASUS ROG
On the right, two USB ports (including one USB-C) and the power button. The latter is also a Windows Hello compatible fingerprint reader. The webcam is also (still in 720P and of average quality, by the way).
On the left, a 3.5 mm headphone/microphone jack, an HDMI output, and the port for the XG Mobile. If the latter is proprietary, it still hides a second USB-C port. It has two video outputs (DisplayPort and HDMI as well as 4 USB-A ports, an Ethernet, and an SD card reader. Unfortunately, no additional USB-C port. Another complaint, the cable is short (barely 35 cm) and very rigid, so handling is not the easiest.
The two small speakers offer satisfactory power. The restitution is also correct. We blame it for shy bass and a lack of heat more generally but difficult to hope for better on an ultrabook of this size where every millimeter is counted.
Battery
| Razer Book 13 | ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301 | |
| Battery Type | Lithium Polymer | Lithium Polymer |
| Battery Life | 9 Hrs | 7 Hrs |
| Power | 180W | 62 W |
Razer Book 13
With an average battery life of 6h 50 min in Web browsing (active WiFi, brightness at 140 cd / m2), the Razer Book 13 is not the best-off ultrabook for mobile use. The explanation is to be found on the side of the UHD panel of our model. It is, therefore, better to “settle” for the Full HD screen if battery life is important to you. You will easily save 2 or even 3 hours. The power supply has an unusual rectangular format (110x35x25 mm). It weighs 310g, including cables.
ASUS ROG
With its 62 Wh battery and 35W processor, the Asus X13 cannot compete with the battery life of other ultrabooks equipped only with a low consumption processor without a dedicated graphics card. However, with an average autonomy of 7.15 hours in Web browsing (active WiFi, brightness at 140 cd / m2), it is not doing so badly. Note the possibility of limiting the battery charge via the Armory Crate utility to extend its life. The 100W USB-C charger is compact (75x75x30 mm). The cable offers a comfortable length (2.5 m) but at the cost of significant size.
Conclusion!
Razer Book 13
Faced with stiff competition, the Razer Book 13 can count on an aluminum unibody chassis to stand out. This is undoubtedly its main asset. The 16:10 format of the screen is also to be highlighted, and with it, the possibility of opting for this magnificent UHD panel. The touchpad, inspired by Mac’s, is also a strong point and undoubtedly the best available at present on a laptop PC running Windows 10. The keyboard is also a success and proves to be most comfortable in everyday life.
Many qualities, therefore, in total adequacy with the premium positioning of this Razer ultrabook. The price is appropriate and will dissuade potential buyers for whom these qualities do not justify such an expense.
Beyond these price considerations, to which everyone will give the appropriate importance, our only criticism would go to the ventilation system, certainly effective, but not discreet enough daily.
ASUS ROG
Under its air of the most classic 2-in-1 ultrabook, the Asus ROG Flow X13 is an atypical laptop. Not by its design but by its configuration. There is no low-power platform here despite the thinness of the chassis and its featherweight, but a Ryzen 9 5980HS, one of the most powerful processors of the moment. It is paired with a dedicated mid-range graphics card as a bonus.
Enough to deliver solid performance already. But Asus wanted to go even further by offering an answer to gamers who cannot choose between mobility and performance. The solution a compact external box with a GeForce RTX 3080 inside. A sort of eGPU, in short, like there are others. In principle, yes. But in practice, XG Mobile has to contend with several limitations. First of all, a proprietary format (it is now the only model to offer it), then a graphics chip in its mobile version – therefore non-upgradable. A tedious connection system and noise pollution too high, in our opinion, are then added. Finally – and above all – a deterrent rate for most potential buyers.
So yes, the whole works well and offers exceptional performance for such a format. Still, despite everything, given all these (small) concessions, it isn’t easy to see in the ROG Flow X13 anything other than a technological showcase for Asus.
