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ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2
A brand new type
The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is a robust, moveable laptop computer with excessive efficiency, sturdiness, and safety. Whether or not you might be working from residence or on the go, the Z13 is designed to simply deal with productiveness duties with trendy {hardware} and an exquisite show.
Professionals- New AMD CPUs
- OLED display screen choices
- Stunning flax cowl design
Cons- Missing port choice
- Troublesome to search out
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Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4
Enterprise on the go
The ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 delivers business-level efficiency for customers engaged on the go or from the workplace with upgraded security measures, an possibility for an exquisite OLED show, and a protracted battery life.
Professionals- OLED possibility
- Highly effective and quick Intel and AMD CPUs
- Snug keyboard
Cons- Soldered RAM
- Bland design
The superb Lenovo ThinkPad laptop computer line is among the many hottest and greatest laptops in the marketplace, however selecting the best one may be tough with so many choices obtainable. Right this moment, we will probably be having a look at two highly effective and trendy ThinkPad laptops: The Z13 Gen 2 and the X13. Each are 13-inch ultrabooks that provide world-class portability, efficiency, and safety, however in addition they have some key variations which will make another appropriate for you than the opposite. Learn on to search out out which ThinkPad is the suitable selection in your personal productiveness wants.
Worth, specs, and availability
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 was launched in July 2023, beginning at $1,249 MSRP. It is, sadly, not obtainable at main retailers reminiscent of Newegg, Finest Purchase, and Amazon, however you’ll be able to nonetheless get it at Lenovo immediately. The ThinkPad X13 Gen 4, then again, was launched in Could 2023, beginning at $1,099 MSRP. The X13 Gen 4 is a bit simpler to search out and is in inventory immediately from Lenovo, however it can be discovered at most main retailers reminiscent of Finest Purchase, Newegg, and Amazon.
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ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2
- Working System
- Home windows 11
- CPU
- AMD Ryzen 7000 sequence cellular processors
- GPU
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- Storage
- As much as 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
- Battery
- 51.5 Wh
- Show (Dimension, Decision)
- As much as 13.3-inch, WQXGA 2.8K OLED, 16:10 facet ratio, 400 nit brightness, Contact non-obligatory
- Digicam
- FHD RGB + IR with e-shutter FHD Hybrid with e-shutter
- Audio system
- 2 x audio system with Dolby Atmos assist
- Colours
- Flax Fiber Bronze or Aluminum Arctic Gray
- Ports
- 2 x USB4, 1 x Audio Jack
- Community
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, non-obligatory 4G LTE WWAN
- Dimensions
- 11.59 x 7.85 x 0.55 inches
- Weight
- 2.62 kilos (1.19 kg)
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Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4
- Working System
- Home windows 11
- CPU
- Thirteenth-generation Intel Core processors with vPro or AMD Ryzen 7000 sequence Cellular Processors
- GPU
- Intel Iris Xe (intel fashions) or AMD Radeon Graphics (AMD mannequin)
- Storage
- As much as 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
- Battery
- 41Whr or 54.7Whr
- Show (Dimension, Decision)
- 13-inch, 16:10 facet ratio, as much as 2.8K OLED, or WUXGA IPS Low Energy, WUXGA IPS Contact, or WUXGA IPS 300 nit
- Digicam
- FHD RGB with privateness shutter or 5MP RGB IR with Privateness shutter
- Audio system
- 2 x person going through audio system with Dolby Audio
- Colours
- Deep Black, Storm Grey
- Ports
- 2 x Intel Thunderbolt 4 (USB4 on AMD) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x Audio Jack
- Community
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, Optionally available 4G LTE WWAN
- Dimensions
- 11.78 x 9.51 x 0.62 inches
- Weight
- 2.51 kilos
Design
The traditional look vs elevated sustainability
Visually talking, you’ll possible first discover the chassis variations. Whereas the X13 options the traditional ThinkPad design however with an improved aluminum chassis that is grey as a substitute of all-black, the Z13 Gen 2 sports activities a leather-like cowl. The Z13’s cowl is produced from flax fiber with a bronze-colored trim across the laptop computer. It is a elegant look, and the flax materials virtually offers the laptop computer a wood-like look. There’s additionally an Arctic Gray cowl obtainable for the Z13 Gen 2, which does make the laptop computer virtually equivalent to the X13. Each the aluminum and the flax used within the Z13 Gen 2 are from recycled supplies as nicely, making it one of many extra environmentally sustainable ultrabooks in the marketplace.
Regardless, these are true ThinkPad ultrabooks. Each are light-weight and extremely moveable, with the X13 weighing 2.75 kilos and the Z13 Gen beginning at 2.63 kilos with the Arctic Gray cowl. If you’d like that bronze flax fiber cowl for the Z13 Gen 2, it’ll add a little bit little bit of weight, as much as 2.8 kilos. The X13 can also be 15.95mm thick, whereas the Z13 Gen 2 is definitely a bit slimmer at 13.97 mm. These are each nice ultrabooks in terms of portability, and admittedly, you’ll be able to’t go unsuitable with both if portability is one among your prime considerations.
Port choice can also be one of many main variations between these two laptops. The Z13 Gen 2 options only a few ports, with simply two USB4 ports and an audio jack, so you will want to choose up a docking station in case you go along with the Z13 Gen 2. The X13 Gen 4, in the meantime, options an ideal choice of ports with a Thunderbolt 4 port for Intel configurations and a USB4 on AMD configurations, two USB 3.2 Kind-A ports, an HDMI port, and an audio jack.
These are each nice ultrabooks in terms of portability, and admittedly, you’ll be able to’t go unsuitable with both if portability is one among your prime considerations.
Each laptops have the identical sort of keyboard and touchpad, which options haptic suggestions and palm rejection. The touchpad on the Z13 Gen 2 and the X13 can also be a bit bigger than what we had been used to seeing used on ultrabooks, making it extra comfy to make use of for productiveness functions. There’s additionally Lenovo’s signature TrackPoint in the course of each laptops’ keyboards, supplying you with additional accessibility.
Show
Optionally available OLED
Relating to the show for each of those laptops, there may be little distinction. They each include IPS shows of their base configuration that may be upgraded to OLED, and each laptops have contact and non-touch configurations obtainable. Each the Z13 Gen 2 and X13’s IPS shows max out with a decision of 1920×1200. For those who go along with the OLED show for both laptop computer, although, this goes as much as a 2.8K (2800×1800) decision with HDR 500 True Black certification. If contact is vital to you, each of those laptops will sadly max out at a 1920×1200 decision, with no OLED contact configurations obtainable.
Personally, I favor OLED shows on ultrabook laptops because the smaller display screen measurement is tremendously enhanced with higher distinction ranges, life-like colours and deeper blacks, particularly with HDR 500 True Black certification. The OLED configurations additionally function 100% DCI-P3 coloration gamut protection, so in case you want an ultrabook for any fast, artistic content material, any configuration with an OLED show is a greater choose than the IPS configurations.
Shifting to the highest of the show, we’ve got the built-in webcams. We had been very excited to see that the Z13 Gen 2 has a 1080p webcam and an digital shutter. We had been equally stunned and blissful to see that that is additionally the case on the X13, making us extra optimistic that, as we transfer into 2024, we’ll start to see 1080p webcams turn into the usual extra.
Efficiency
AMD or Intel, whichever you favor
The X13 Gen 4 is obtainable with AMD or Intel processors. Relating to the X13 Gen 4 Intel configurations, the configurations vary from the Core i3-1315U on the lowest tier, which has a 6-core processor that gives a base pace of three.3GHz, to the Core i7-1365U on the highest degree, a 10-core processor and a base pace of three.9GHz. For those who favor Staff Crimson, your choices for the X13 Gen 4 are the Ryzen 5 7540U with six cores and a base pace of three.2GHz processor or the Ryzen 7 Professional 7840U, which is an 8-core processor with a base pace of three.3GHz. The Z13 Gen 2, then again, is an AMD-only machine, coming with both an AMD Ryzen 5 7540U or the Ryzen 7 Professional 7840U.
Whereas it might seem a little bit extra fundamental when sitting subsequent to the ThinkPad X13 Gen 2, the ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 is a greater possibility for most individuals.
As you may count on, there may be little to separate these two laptops in terms of efficiency general, however we’ll say that by way of processors, the Intel Core i7-1365U configuration for the X13 Gen 4 options the best core rely (10) out of any the choices obtainable, with the best potential increase pace at 5.2GHz, making it by far the quickest processor obtainable for both of those laptops. That being mentioned, The Z13 Gen 2 options AMD’s strongest ultrabook processors so far, designed to compete with the Apple M2 processor, they usually have rapidly turn into a favourite within the ultrabook neighborhood.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 is healthier for most individuals
Whereas it might seem a little bit extra fundamental when sitting subsequent to the ThinkPad X13 Gen 2, the ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 is a greater possibility for most individuals. It options extra customization choices because of each AMD and Intel CPU configurations, and it is an ideal laptop computer for practically all customers. It performs nicely in productiveness duties, is tremendous moveable, and comes with an ideal choice.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4
Editor’s Alternative
The ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 brings some large modifications over earlier fashions past simply easy spec bumps. There are newer sleeker bezels, higher user-facing audio system, a brand new non-obligatory 5MP webcam, and the choice for a 2.8K decision OLED show.
If you’d like a extra environmentally acutely aware laptop computer with a contemporary type, then the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is the most suitable choice for you. It is undoubtedly a extra luxurious-looking laptop computer when sitting subsequent to the X13 Gen 4, however it would not take our prime spot merely as a result of lack of ports. Total, within the efficiency enviornment, there’s not a lot to separate these two, and the Z13 Gen 2 can be my general choose if it had a greater port choice.
ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2
Good various
The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 brings minor modifications over final 12 months’s Gen 1 mannequin, however there are the latest AMD Ryzen 7000 sequence CPUs beneath the hood, together with the choice for a brand new lid that has woven Flax materials.
