After reviewing and using so many14 - inch laptops , as well as larger I , get a bona fide 13 - inch laptop to review seems weird to me . Lenovo ’s ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is one such machine , and it feels downright tiny .
That ’s not to say it ’s anything less than a real computing equipment . It packs in an AMD Ryzen 7 central processing unit that promises substantial productiveness performance , an OLED display , and the typical ThinkPad build quality , along with the new Z - series look and sense . If you ’re a ThinkPad fan , the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 offers a self-colored small laptop computer option , but the updates feel a chip behind given all the new computer hardware launching in 2024 .
Specs and configurations
Lenovo ’s pricing and conformation always exchange , meaning you ’ll desire to check its site and retail collaborator for the latest pricing . But as of when this review was written , Lenovo has the ThinkPad Z13 accounting entry - level contour at $ 1,241 for an AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 7540U CPU , 16 GB of RAM , a 256 GB SSD , and a 13.3 - in WUXGA non - touch IPS show . That ’s a comely economic value , though the 256 GB of storage will be low for most hoi polloi .
When fully configure , the laptop computer cost $ 2,348 for a Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U , 64 GB of RAM ( useable only with the Ryzen 7 ) , a 2 TB SSD , and a 13.3 - column inch 2.8 atomic number 19 OLED display .
There ’s a Flax Fiber Bronze color that sports a woven flax fibre cover on the lid , but I could n’t get that configuration choice usable anywhere online just yet .
As good-looking as the original
Like the largerThinkPad Z16 Gen 2 , the 13 - inch update retains the same all - aluminum chassis with a revised esthetic as the original , innovational model . From the exterior , the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 look a lot more like theApple MacBook Airthan theLenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 . It comes in either Arctic Gray or Flax Fiber Bronze , with the former being a more button-down silver - gray finish and the latter sporting a eyelid book binding made of sustainable woven flax fiber . The Flax Fiber theoretical account looks like it make for a standout coming into court , while my review model was the more conservative edition .
It ’s enough attractive , but it no longer stands out against , say , the latestDell XPS 13 . You ’ll notice the reverse nick at the top of the show , which allows for a thin top bezel that rival ’s Dell ’s while fit in a modern webcam and infrared television camera .
start the laptop computer , and you ’ll bump the common all - black keyboard and palm tree relief , with only the red TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard break up up the colouring scheme . That matches up with the red light-emitting diode ‘ i ’ on the ThinkPad logo on the hat , which aid the equipment maintain a liaison to the overall ThinkPad lineup .
Another important ThinkPad dimension is the build quality . There ’s zero deflexion , flexing , or twist in the hat , keyboard deck of cards , or bottom bod . Lenovo stick to military standard for durability , and the laptop felt like it could take a thrashing . It ’s as well - built as the MacBook Air and arguably feels even more full-bodied .
The keyboard has the common ThinkPad layout and sculpted keycaps , and there ’s plenty of spacing for such a small laptop . The switches were lighter than on sr. ThinkPads , though , and I encounter them more snappy and accurate without generating weariness . They keyboard is almost as good as the good around , Apple ’s Magic Keyboard , and so skinny that you might not notice the difference .
The haptic touchpad is also excellent , in a wide format that matches the display and with an upper edge that provides virtual buttons to hold the TrackPoint . The touchpad was exact with degenerate , natural - feeling haptic push presses .
Connectivity is a weak spot , but it ’s no worse than with other New 13 - in laptops . You ’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 3.5 mm sound jack and nothing more . Wireless connectivity is now formally a step behind at Wi - Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 , as we ’re now seeing laptops stick out the brand - new Wi - Fi 7 standard . If you want always - connected internet , you may prefer for a nano - SIM slot and LTE cellular backing .
There ’s a 1080p webcam that bring home the bacon very good image lineament for videoconferencing , and it sports an infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition . Lenovo include its user presence - smell out engineering that can lock the ThinkPad and put it to sleep when a drug user walks way and heat it up and unlock it when a exploiter restoration .
That was once a standout feature article , but is becoming the norm , and some newer laptops like theHP Spectre x360 14use AI technology that is claimed to make the process better somehow .
AMD provides competitive productivity performance
you’re able to choose between a 6 - core/12 - ribbon AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 754oU or an 8 - core/16 - screw thread Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U. Both run at between 15 watts and 30W , making them private-enterprise in terms of power with Intel ’s late 28 - wattMeteor LakeCore Ultra mainframe . They ’re AMD ’s latest mobile business - ready central processing unit , with Microsoft ’s Pluton Security Processor and AMD Profeatures that offer extra security and manageableness . Of of course , the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is come at a metre when we ’re see short ton of public lecture around the AI in Meteor Lake andAMD ’s Ryzen 8000series , making it seem suddenly outdated .
As we can see in our rooms of central processing unit - intensive bench mark , the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 was competitive with Intel ’s late chipset in multi - core covering and even won out in single - core examination . The ThinkPad integrates its performance - tuning feature into the standard Windows public presentation setting , and selecting performance mode made a larger impact than common .
I did n’t notice much difference in fan haphazardness with performance turned up , thanks to a cooling system that utilizes comparatively quiet fans , but performance was between 35 % and 60 % faster .
Overall , the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 provides astral productivity performance , even competing with slightly turgid laptop computer like the 14 - inchAsus Zenbook 14X OLEDwith a 45 - watt Intel Core i7 .
artwork performance was distinctive for integrated GPUs , with the AMD Radeon 780 M art arrive at just 2,134 in the 3DMark Time Spy bench mark . That ’s similar to Intel Iris Xe graphics and considerably sluggish than the Intel Arc computer graphic in the Core Ultra 7 155H chipsets that hit around 3,500 in the same test . That means that gambling execution and creativity workflows in apps that can utilise the GPU will be limit .
Below-average battery life
AMD CPU typically get better battery life than their Intel counterpart , but that ’s not true with the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 . It has a 51.5 watt - hour stamp battery , which is around modal for 13 - inch laptops , while the high - solution OLED show is baron - thirsty , so I was n’t sure what to require .
As it turned out , the combination resulted in just six hours of web browse and 8.75 60 minutes of video . That ’s a brace of minute less than average , and that means you ’ll be grabbing for your power adapter before a full twenty-four hour period ’s study is done . If battery life history signify a destiny to you , then you ’ll want to opt for one of the depleted - solvent IPS show options .
An unsurprisingly excellent display, with one catch
If you take out and sprain on a laptop with an OLED showing , you ’ll eff the brilliant , dynamical coloring material and inky Negroid . If you do n’t care the display , there are few others that will please you . The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 ’s 13 - in 16:10 2.8 honey oil OLED instrument panel is no dissimilar .
According to my tintometer , the display is as unspoiled as any other OLED panel . It ’s lustrous at almost 400 nits , has pure blacks , and its colors are wide at 100 % of sRGB , 96 % of AdobeRGB , and 100 % of DCI - P3 and precise with a DeltaE of 0.75 ( 1.0 or less is considered excellent ) .
The only downside to the display is its 60Hz refresh rate , which is increasingly old schooling when 120Hz displays are becoming the premium laptop touchstone . Whether you ’d in reality notice the difference is arguable , but by the numeral , the ThinkPad ’s control panel is a bit behind the bender .
you could also choose a touch or non - touch FHD+ IPS venire if you do n’t require the same sharpness or display quality . You ’ll arrive at in stamp battery biography , which some citizenry will prefer , and you ’ll spend less . I recommend the OLED option because I love sharp displays and mellow dynamic range ( HDR ) video recording — something that the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is very unspoilt at develop .
Audio quality is average , with two downward - burn speakers provide enough intensity for organisation sounds and the occasional YouTube video . Mids and high gear are exculpated enough , but there ’s little basso , making a good span of headphones a must .
Best for business users
The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 put up solid productiveness performance , a solid and attractive build , and a keyboard , a touchpad , and a display that are all excellent . None of those stand out , though , with some 13 - inch laptops offer the same and others with more forward-looking , AI - aware constituent .
Where the ThinkPad stands out most is in its support for enhanced security and manageableness , wixh will appeal to stage business purchaser . I can powerfully recommend the laptop computer for those substance abuser , while the typical consumer should look at the incoming ticket of laptops for their next motorcar .
