CES 2021: Asus Republic of Gamers unveils Flow X13 convertible gaming laptop with external GPU

The new 13-inch gaming PC converts between a laptop and tablet via a 360-degree hinge and gets a performance boost from an external GPU.

Gamers looking for desktop-class power in a mobile machine may be intrigued by a new gaming laptop that can connect to an external graphics processing unit.

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Announced by Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) at CES 2021 on Tuesday, the new 13-inch Flow X13 convertible laptop is packed with an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS processor and a dedicated GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. Buyers can choose from two 16:10 display options—a 120 Hz FHD screen and an ultra HD 4K screen. As a convertible, the Flow X13 is constructed with a 360-hinge that lets it bounce between laptop mode and tablet mode.

To supplement the new laptop, ROG is also introducing an external GPU dubbed the XG Mobile. Outfitted with a GeForce RTX 3080 processor, the XG Mobile connects directly to the Flow X13 through a custom PCIe 3.0 interface. A 280W AC adapter built into the XG Mobile supplies both the laptop and the external GPU with power.

ROG Flow X13

NVIDIA Ampere architecture. The vapor chamber cooling keeps the unit at the right temperatures despite its small interior.

Pricing and availability

The X13 and XG Mobile will be sold only together as a bundle. The XG Mobile is designed to be paired with just the Flow X13, according to ROG. The bundle will be available in North America starting in the first quarter of 2021.