2023 ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Book 2 13.5”: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between 2023 ROG Flow Z13 and Surface Book 2 13.5” specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

2023 ROG Flow Z13 Pros

Reasons that 2023 ROG Flow Z13 is better than Surface Book 2 13.5”.

Much newer manufacturing

2023 vs. 2017

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-13900H inside 2023 ROG Flow Z13 has a 273% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-8650U inside Surface Book 2 13.5”.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
2023 ROG Flow Z13 - Intel Core i9-13900H
14,490
Surface Book 2 13.5” - Intel Core i7-8650U
3,879
Surface Book 2 13.5” - Intel Core i5-8350U
2,982
Surface Book 2 13.5” - Intel Core i5-7300U
1,777
Supports faster memory

The 2023 ROG Flow Z13 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Book 2 13.5”. It supports up to 5200MHz versus 1866MHz of system memory on the Surface Book 2 13.5”.

Memory type and speed
2023 ROG Flow Z13 - LPDDR5
5,200 MHz
Surface Book 2 13.5” - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
About 24% lighter

The 2023 ROG Flow Z13 weighed 2.60 pounds, 24% lighter than the 3.38 pounds Surface Book 2 13.5”.

Weight2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Pound
2.60 lbs.
3.38 lbs.
Kilogram
1.18 kg
1.53 kg

Surface Book 2 13.5” Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Surface Book 2 13.5” over 2023 ROG Flow Z13.

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between 2023 ROG Flow Z13 and Surface Book 2 13.5”.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
2023 ROG Flow Z13
16 GB
Surface Book 2 13.5”
16 GB

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

2023 ROG Flow Z13 Price
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2023) Gaming Laptop Tablet, 13.4” Nebula Display 16:10 QHD 165Hz, GeForce RTX 4050, Intel Core i9-13900H, 16GB LPDDR5, 1TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11, GZ301VU-DS94,Black
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2023) Gaming Laptop Tablet, 13.4” Nebula Display 16:10 QHD 165Hz, GeForce RTX 4050, Intel Core i9-13900H, 16GB LPDDR5, 1TB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11, GZ301VU-DS94,Black
By ASUS
$1,749.99
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Gaming Laptop Tablet, 13.4” 120Hz FHD+ Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050,Core i7-12700H, 16GB LPDDR5, 512GB PCIe SSD, Free Bundle Detachable RGB Keyboard, GZ301ZC-PS73, Black
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2022) Gaming Laptop Tablet, 13.4” 120Hz FHD+ Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050,Core i7-12700H, 16GB LPDDR5, 512GB PCIe SSD, Free Bundle Detachable RGB Keyboard, GZ301ZC-PS73, Black
By ASUS
$1,699.99
$1,799.99 6% OFF
EXCaliberPC 2023 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 GZ301VU-DS94 (i9-13900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, RTX 4050 6GB, 13.4" QHD+ 165Hz, Windows 11) Gaming Notebook
EXCaliberPC 2023 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 GZ301VU-DS94 (i9-13900H, 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, RTX 4050 6GB, 13.4" QHD+ 165Hz, Windows 11) Gaming Notebook
By EXCaliberPC
$1,749.99
Surface Book 2 13.5” Price
Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5"(Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256 GB), silver
Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5"(Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256 GB), silver
By Microsoft
$339.00
$612.99 45% OFF
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB) (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$564.69
$719.99 22% OFF
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - 13.5in (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - 13.5in (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$339.94
$378.00 10% OFF

Availability

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Released20232017
Release DateAnnounced on January 04, 2022 (CES 2023)
  • Introduced: October 17, 2017
  • Pre-ordered: November 9, 2017
  • Released: November 16, 2017
Pricing-Starting at 1,149$
Applicable Models
  • ROG Flow Z13
  • ROG Flow Z13 2-in-1
  • 2023 ROG Flow Z13
  • ROG Flow Z13 (2023) GZ302
  • ASUS ROG Flow Z13 2023
  • 2023 ROG Flow Z13 GZ302
  • ROG Flow Z13 (2023) GZ301VV
  • ROG Flow Z13 (2023) GZ301VU
  • ROG Flow Z13 (2023) GZ301VF
-
Generations

Exterior

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Dimensions11.89 x 8.11 x 0.51 ~ 0.56” (302 x 206 x 12.9 ~ 14.2 mm)
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i5:
    12.3” x 9.1” x 0.51”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 13 mm-23 mm).
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i7
    12.3” x 9.14” x 0.59”-0.90” (312 mm x 232 mm x 15 mm-23 mm).
Weight2.60 lbs (1.18 kg)
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i5:
    • Total: 3.38 lbs (1,533 g)
    • Tablet: 1.59 lbs (719 g)
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i7
    • Total: 3.62 lbs (1,642 g)
    • Tablet: 1.59 lbs (719 g)
Colors
Black
Platinum
Keyboard and TrackpadDetachable Keyboard
  • Full-size RGB backlit chicklet keyboard.
  • 1.7mm key travel.
  • Supports Aura Sync.
  • N-KEY rollover.
  • Dimensions: 302 x 220 x 5.6 mm
  • Weight: 0.34 kg
Touchpad
  • Compatible with Wireless Gamepad.
  • Microsoft Precision Touchpad.
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size mechanical backlit keyset with 1.55mm travel.
    • Mechanical friction attaches the Clipboard to the keyboard.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 105 mm x 70 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.
Chasis Information
  • Full CNC-milled chassis design
  • Premium anti-fingerprint coating
  • Integrated 170-degree kickstand
  • See-through rear window design
-

Display

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Size13.4 Inches13.5 Inches
InfoROG Nebula Display
  • 13.4” QHD+ 165Hz 3ms
    16:10 2560 x 1600 165Hz 100% DCI-P3 up to 500-nits brightness Pantone Validated Touch Screen Stylus support IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync Pantone Validated MUX Switch + NVIDIA Advanced Optimus Supports Dolby Vision HDR
  • Display Resolution: 3000 x 2000 (6M Pixels)
  • Display Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Contrast ratio: 1600:1
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
2023 ROG Flow Z13 Ports
Image Source: ASUS
Left (3)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery
  • 1 x ROG XG Mobile Interface
    Exclusive interface with PCIe 3.0 x8 (Up to 63Gbps).
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort 1.4, G-Sync, PD Charging
Right (2)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Keyboard Connector
Under Kickstand (2)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
    UHS-II
  • 1 x Removable SSD Slot
Surface Book 2 13.5” Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 2 x Full-size USB 3.1 Gen 1
  • 1 x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1
    Supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
  • 2 x Surface Connect™
    1 in tablet, 1 in keyboard base, both supports charging and docking.
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x Full-size SDXC card reader
    UHS-II Performance

Internal Specs

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Processor
  1. 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13900H
    14 cores, 20 threads, 2.60 → 5.40 GHz, 24MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13900H
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1500 MHz
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Memory
16GB
Dual-Channel LPDDR5 5200 MHz
Onboard memory.
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Discrete GraphicsOptional Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2050 - 4GB GDDR6
    1545 MHz at 50W with ROG Boost up to 1595 MHz at 65W (15W Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4050 - 6GB GDDR6
    2055 MHz at 50W with ROG Boost up to 2105 MHz at 65W (15W Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4060 - 8GB GDDR6
    1890 MHz at 50W with ROG Boost up to 1940 MHz at 65W (15W Dynamic Boost).
ROG XG Mobile
  • GPU
    • Thrid Gen - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 - 16GB GDDR6
    • Second Gen - AMD Radeon™ RX 6850M XT - 12GB GDDR6
    • First Gen - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 - 8GB GDDR6
  • Ports
    • 3 x USB-A
      USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps).
    • 1 x USB-C 
      USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps).
    • 1 x RJ-45
      2.5 Gbps Ethernet port.
    • 1 x HDMI 2.1
    • 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 
      Supports G-Sync
    • 1 x SD card reader 
      Supports UHS-II (up to 312 MB/s)
    • 1 x DC-in
  • Dimensions: 217 x 165 x 32.6 mm
  • Weight: 1.3 kg
  • 330W power supply
 
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050
    Pascal Architecture, 2GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1354 → 1493 MHz, 640 CUDA Cores.
Storage
512GB 1TB
PCIe 4 SSD
1 x M.2 2230 slot.
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
1 x M.2 2280 PCIe SSD

Connectivity

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Wi-FiIntel® Wi-Fi 6E with Gig+ performance (802.11ax)
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology

Battery

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Size56 Wh
4-cell lithium-ion
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i5:
    Total: 69Wh
    Clipboard: 18Wh
    Base: 51Wh
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i7:
    Total: 75.3Wh
    Clipboard: 18Wh
    Base: 57.3Wh
Battery Life-
  • Up to 17 hours of video playback
  • Up to 5 hours in tablet mode
Power Supply130W USB-C power adaptor
Compact adapter with fast charging technology (50% in 30 minutes).
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i5:
    44W power supply with USB-A (5W) charging port.
  • Surface Book with Intel Core i7
    100W power supply with USB-A (5W) charging port.

Software

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
OSWindows 11 HomeWindows 10 Pro (Creators Update)
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
Armoury Crate GameVisual 1M Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
Camera
  • Front-facing 5MP camera
    Top-mount front camera, 5 Megapixels.
  • Built-in IR Camera
  • Rear 8MP camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video
AudioSpeaker
  • 2 x speakers with Smart Amp Technology
  • Supports DAC and Virtual 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos.
  • Hi-Res certification.
Microphone
  • Built-in 3-microphone array
  • Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation
  • Dual microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Support for Windows Sonic for Headphones
  • Support for Dolby® Atmos for Headphones

Misc

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
InkingSupports ASUS Pen.Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Proximity sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security
  • Windows Hello Facial Authentication
  • BIOS Administrator Password and User Password Protection
  • Built-in fingerprint on the power button.
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • ROG Flow Z13
  • 130W PD adaptor
  • Optional Gladius III
  • Optional P303 IMPACT
  • Optional ROG Fusion II 300
  • Optional Stylus SA203H
  • Surface Book 2 13.5”
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
WarrantyStandard 1-year limited warrantyOne-year limited hardware warranty
More-Supports Surface Dial
Supports both on-screen and off-screen interaction.

Key Features

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”
At Glance
Released in Early
2023
16:10 QHD+
13.4”
1600p 165Hz
Weight
2.60 lb
1.18 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i9-13900H
14C/20T, 2.60 → 5.40 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,889
Single Core
Geekbench 5
14,490
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1500 MHz
16GB
5200 MHz LPDDR5
2023 ROG Flow Z13 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 4060
8GB GDDR6 65W Max
Supports
ROG XG Mobile
With RTX 4090 16GB GDDR6
Released in Late
2017
3:2 3K
13.5”
2000p 60Hz
Weight
3.38 lb
1.53 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-8650U
4C/8T, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,106
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,879
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 620
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Book 2 13.5” Ports
Nvidia GeForce
GTX 1050
4GB GDDR5

Comparison Summary

2023 ROG Flow Z13 vs. Surface Book 2 13.5”

ASUS has released the ROG Flow Z13, a 13.4-inch machine, in early-2023. It is powered by 14-core Intel Core i9-13900H with a boost clock speed up to 5.40 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 with 8GB GDDR6 65W Max.

On the other hand, we have the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 13.5” was introduced by Microsoft about six years earlier in late-2017. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-8650U with a boost clock speed up to 4.20 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

2023 ROG Flow Z131
13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13900H1,889100.00%
Surface Book 2 13.5”1
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U81543.14%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U86245.63%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U1,10658.55%
01,889

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

2023 ROG Flow Z131
13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13900H14,490100.00%
Surface Book 2 13.5”1
7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7300U1,77712.26%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U2,98220.58%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U3,87926.77%
014,490

The 2023 ROG Flow Z13 has a 13.4-inch display which is quite similar size to the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 13.5”. In addition, The 2023 ROG Flow Z13 weighs 2.60 lbs. about 29% lighter than the 3.38 lbs. Surface Book 2 13.5”. Moreover, measured at 11.89” x 8.11” x 0.51”, the 2023 ROG Flow Z13 is much more portable than the Surface Book 2 13.5” at 12.3” x 9.14” x 0.9”.

2023 ROG Flow Z13Surface Book 2 13.5”

Moving over to upgradability, ASUS claims that the 2023 ROG Flow Z13 supports 16GB 5200 MHz LPDDR5 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For Surface Book 2 13.5”, it supports up to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 memory. Like 2023 ROG Flow Z13, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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