Almost all gaming laptops have gone up in price over the past year. Curiously, the surprisingly fast Asus ROG Flow Z13 gaming laptop/tablet combo has not. It’s actually gotten quite a bit cheaper recently. Best Buy has the lowest price on the configuration that includes the AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 “Strix Halo” chipset, a whopping 64GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Originally $2,999.99, it’s down to $2,099.99.

The Flow Z13 isn’t for those who want 100-plus frames per second in every game running at the 13.4-inch tablet’s 1600p native resolution. Though, that’s not to say it doesn’t have chops. In Antonio’s review, he saw an average of 50 to 60 frames per second in even graphically-intensive games with low to medium settings. It can run Elden Ring’s high settings at around 50 frames per second at native resolution. Games that support FSR 3 and frame generation can go even higher. In a world where the Steam Deck OLED is a few hundred shy of $1,000, the portable (yet more powerful), stand-equipped Flow Z13 is a compelling alternative.

The novelty of the first Flow Z13 in 2022 was that it looked like a Surface tablet but could actually play games. The 2025 model looped into this deal actually delivers the gaming performance we were hoping for with the debut. Beyond gaming, its “Strix Halo” processor delivers incredible performance and battery life regardless of the task. While it can’t stack up to bulkier, pricier 16-inch gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 16 or Asus’ own Zephyrus G16 in GPU-focused tasks, it comes shockingly close considering its thin, take-anywhere form factor.

Some other great Verge-approved deals

• Nintendo’s Switch 2 USB-C camera is a tough sell at its regular $54.99 price because its video quality isn’t great, and there just aren’t that many Switch 2 games that take unique advantage of it (and the pay-to-access GameChat feature hasn’t really taken off for most people). However, the accessory is much easier to justify buying for just $9.99 at GameStop. While it hasn’t been difficult to find affordable webcams compatible with the Switch 2 since its mid-2025 launch, Nintendo’s own model is nevertheless tempting because of its sleek stand, adjustable design, and physical privacy shutter.
• Despite the unreasonably high costs associated with building PCs, I choose to believe that there are still some of you out there that are venturing to go down that path. No shade at all if you choose to build a cheaper DDR4-based system. There’s actually a good deal happening on the “new” AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor. The company re-released the 10-year-old processor in late June for $349, and it’s among the best models you can slide into a DDR4 / AM4 socket motherboard. Newegg is including a free MSI MAG Core 240mm liquid cooler (a $70 value) with the CPU to keep it cool. It’s one less component you have to worry about shelling out for.
• One of my favorite cables ever is $15.99 at Amazon. The Anker 2-in-1 USB-C cable is a frequent star in our deals coverage, reappearing once every couple months. The price doesn’t wiggle much (it spent a few weeks costing $19.99), but I enjoy shouting about it whenever I get the chance. The braided six-foot cable can support up to 140W passthrough if you connect your gadget to a charger that supports the speed. Although, the main attraction is being able to charge two devices at once. The cable can divide the power coming from your charger as needed, giving more to a product that’s more demanding of power.