Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 vs Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 Comparison

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Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023

13.4 inches | January 2023

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Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020

13.3 inches | September 2020

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Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 vs Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing ROG Flow Z13 2023 and MacBook Air Intel 2020, two laptops from Asus and Apple. Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 was introduced to market in January 2023 and Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 was launched in September 2020. As you can see, MacBook Air Intel 2020 is 3 years older than ROG Flow Z13 2023. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 and Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 Key Specs

Launched in January 2023
13.4" TouchScreen - IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 13700H
GPU: GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 6GB
8GB Ram
302 x 206 x 12.9-14.2 mm (11.89 x 8.11 x 0.51-0.56 inches)
Weight: 1.18 kg (2.6 lbs)

Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 Key Specs

Launched in September 2020
13.3" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i3 1000NG4
GPU: Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4
8GB Ram
304.1 x 212.4 x 16.1 mm (11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches)
Weight: 1.29 kg (2.84 lbs)

Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 was replaced by Apple Macbook Air M1 2020. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Apple Macbook Air M1 2020 vs Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020
Apple Macbook Air M1 2020 vs Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how ROG Flow Z13 2023 and MacBook Air Intel 2020 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 over Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020

Weight	1.18 kg vs 1.29 kg	0.11 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~83.7% vs ~79.4%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	6.7 mm vs 8.8 mm	2.1 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	13.4 inches vs 13.3 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Refresh Rate	165 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
2-in-1 Design	Yes vs No	Use like a tablet
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Interact with your fingers
sRGB Color Space	99.9% vs 98.3%	Wider sRGB Color Space Coverage
Adobe RGB Profile	85.1% vs 64.2%	Wider Adobe RGB Coverage
Max Brightness	500 nits vs 400 nits	Brighter Screen
Response Time	3 ms vs 35 ms	Faster Response screen
GPU Fabrication Process	4 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	7.5 TFLOPS vs 0.8 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated	Faster RAM Type
RAM Type	LPDDR5 vs LPDDR4X	Easily increase the Storage when needed
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs No	Generates higher sound levels
Speaker Loudness	80.9 dB vs 75.8 dB	More advanced Wi-fi connectivity
WiFi Standard	v6E vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.2 vs v5	Higher Resolution Camera
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Faster USB-C connection
USB-C Port Type	v3.2 vs v3.1	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Better typing feel
Key Travel	1.7 mm vs 1 mm

Reasons to choose Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 over Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023

Noise Level	45.8 dB vs 46.9 dB	Less fan noise
Screen PPI	227 ppi vs 225 ppi	More pixels per inch
Number of USB-C Ports	2x USB 3.1 vs 1x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time
Touchpad Size	12.1 x 8.1 cm vs 10.5 x 6.0 cm	Larger Touchpad Area

Common Strengths of Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 and Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023

HDR Support	Yes, Dolby Vision vs Yes, HDR10	Watch HDR Clips
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Dolby Atmos Support	Yes vs Yes	3D Surround Sound Support
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs Yes	Easy Login with Fingerprint Sensor
Thunderbolt Port	v4 vs v3	Fast data and power transfer via Thunderbolt Port
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 and Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023

Upgradable RAM	No vs No	No Option to increase the RAM size
HDMI Output	No vs No	Need an adapter to connect to HDMI displays

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 vs Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 and the Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.18 kg (2.6 lbs)	1.29 kg (2.84 lbs)
Surface Area	622 cm2 (96.4 inches2)	646 cm2 (100.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~83.7%	~79.4%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6.7 mm	~8.8 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.09 kg/inch	0.10 kg/inch
	0.198 lbs/inch	0.22 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	Silver, Gold, Gray
Cover Opening Angle	360Â°	140Â°

Comparison of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 and the Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 External Dimensions

Weight

ROG Flow Z13 2023 weighs 1.18 kg (2.6 lbs), whereas the MacBook Air Intel 2020 weighs 1.29 kg (2.84 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 1.18 kg

Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 1.29 kg

Min 0.85 kg

Average 1.22 kg

Max 1.64 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 14.20 mm

Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 16.10 mm

Min 7.90 mm

Average 15.38 mm

Max 19.30 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 is 0.09 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 is 0.10 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 vs Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i7 13700H Intel Core i9 13900H	Intel Core i3 1000NG4 Intel Core i5 1030NG7 Intel Core i7 1060NG7
Base Frequency	2.4 GHz	1.1 GHz
Turbo Frequency	5 GHz	3.2 GHz
Number of Cores	14	2
Number of Threads	20	4
L3 Cache	24 MB	4 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU)	Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 and Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPU ( Intel Core i7 13700H ) and compare them:

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile 8GB	Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4
Base Clock Frequency	1455 MHz	300 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1755 MHz	1050 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	50 W	15 W
Nvidia Optimus	MUX
Type	Dedicated	Integrated
FLOPS	8.986 TFLOPS	806.4 GFLOPS
Memory Size	6 GB	System Shared
Memory Type	GDDR6	System Shared
Memory Bus	96 bit	System Shared
Memory Speed	2000 MHz 16 Gbps effective	System Shared
Shading Units Cores	2560	384
TMUs	80	24
ROPs	48	8

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 has a FLOPS value of 7.5 TFLOPS whereas the Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 ' has a FLOPS value of 0.8 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB	8GB 16GB
Memory Bus	2x4 GB	2x4 GB
RAM Clock	5200 MHz	3733 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5	LPDDR4X
Upgradable	No	No
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Custom

Both laptops, the ROG Flow Z13 2023 and the MacBook Air Intel 2020, come with similar RAM capacities of 8 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2023)	Apple MacBook Air (Intel, 2020)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	56 Wh	50 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Ion	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	No
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Left
Charge Power	130 W	30 W
Full Charging Time	1:20 hr	2:50 hr

Moreover, the ROG Flow Z13 2023 boasts a larger battery capacity of 56 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the MacBook Air Intel 2020's50 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 56 Wh

Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 50 Wh

Min 38.00 Wh

Average 53.1 Wh

Max 80.00 Wh

STORAGE
The MacBook Air Intel 2020 offers a larger max storage capacity of 2 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the ROG Flow Z13 2023's storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Upgradable	Yes	No
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 vs Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 and Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. ROG Flow Z13 2023 has a display size of 13.4".On the other hand, MacBook Air Intel 2020 has a smaller 13.3" display.The total usable screen area of the ROG Flow Z13 2023 is 521cm² / 81inch² whereas the MacBook Air Intel 2020's total usable screen area is 513cm² / 80inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the MacBook Air Intel 2020 features a higher pixel density with 227 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 225 ppi

Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 227 ppi

Min 118 PPI

Average 186 PPI

Max 338.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
The ROG Flow Z13 2023 offers a higher refresh rate of 165 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Furthermore, the ROG Flow Z13 2023 boasts a faster response time of 3.0 ms, reducing motion blur for fast-paced content.

Brightness
The ROG Flow Z13 2023 offers a higher maximum brightness of 500 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 500 nits

Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 400 nits

Min

30 nits

Average 438 nits

Max 1000.00 nits

Asus ROG Flow Z13 2023 vs Apple MacBook Air Intel 2020 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
ROG Flow Z13 2023 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to MacBook Air Intel 2020 (v5).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
ROG Flow Z13 2023 is equipped with 1x USB 3.2 USB-A ports. MacBook Air Intel 2020 does not have USB-A ports.
Both ROG Flow Z13 2023 and MacBook Air Intel 2020 have USB Type-C ports. ROG Flow Z13 2023 has 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while MacBook Air Intel 2020 has 2x USB 3.1 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Both ROG Flow Z13 2023 and MacBook Air Intel 2020 feature Thunderbolt ports. ROG Flow Z13 2023 has Thunderbolt 4, while MacBook Air Intel 2020 has Thunderbolt 3.

HDMI
Neither ROG Flow Z13 2023 nor MacBook Air Intel 2020 has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors. Neither ROG Flow Z13 2023 nor MacBook Air Intel 2020 has an HDMI port for connecting to external monitors.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
ROG Flow Z13 2023 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. MacBook Air Intel 2020 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both ROG Flow Z13 2023 and MacBook Air Intel 2020 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6E	v5
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	1x USB 3.2	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.1
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 3
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	Yes	No
Proprietary Charging Port	No	No