Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (AMD) review
Our Verdict
The ThinkPad X13 is a compact, fast productivity laptop that'south a little light on frills.
For
- Solid speedy performance
- Excellent keyboard
- Serious durability
- Plenty of ports
Against
- Lackluster battery life
- Brandish's on the dim side
Tom's Guide Verdict
The ThinkPad X13 is a compact, fast productivity laptop that's a petty calorie-free on frills.
Pros
- +
Solid speedy performance
- +
Excellent keyboard
- +
Serious durability
- +
Plenty of ports
Cons
- -
Lackluster battery life
- -
Brandish's on the dim side
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is the first generation of the venerated laptops featuring AMD Ryzen processors. This change means that Lenovo is investing in fries outside of Intel's hallowed halls for the long haul, and it'south hoping that you'll come along for the ride.
The AMD chip inside the X13 can do everything an Intel Core i7 equivalent can, similar render video, edit photos, and fire through various applications at one time. And though its integrated graphics card means it can't compete with the all-time gaming laptops when it comes to playing games, y'all tin load your favorite MMO and play in between answering emails.
As you lot'll run into in our Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review, this laptop is a semi-customizable, somewhat rugged business-focused machine. Yous tin choose from three tiers of AMD Ryzen chips and several unlike memory and storage options, starting under $1200. If y'all're looking for a piece of work laptop that tin can handle the load, you might find yourself a bargain here.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review review: Price and configurations
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 with AMD Ryzen compages is available in several configurations. You can choose betwixt either of the three major third-generation processors, starting with the entry-level Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U starting at $683 (currently at a big discount from its $1,140 MSRP).
There's also the higher-finish $1,433 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U (which has an MSRP of $ii,600). The machine I reviewed features the mid-tier AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U, 8GB of RAM and has 256GB of SSD storage and while it's typically $ane,999, Lenovo's auction pricing knocks information technology down to $1,119 — so look out for offers. The graphics bill of fare on all models is an integrated AMD Radeon. Lenovo also offers up to 1TB of SSD storage.
All the ThinkPad X13 models come with an anti-glare xiii.three-inch brandish, though there are options here. You tin can choose between HD or Full Hard disk, but but the latter is available with a touchscreen. You lot can likewise pay actress for a brandish that's brighter at 500 nits and includes an anti-glare Privacy Guard.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (AMD) came out in late summer/early fall 2020.
While we don't know when the next ThinkPad X13 volition come out, we did get our hands on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga. It'due south the thinnest ThinkPad always, and one of the best laptops of CES 2021.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Pattern
The ThinkPad X13'south signature black exterior makes for a basic, concern-first design. Lenovo says its aluminum chassis passes a diverseness of armed forces-class durability tests, making information technology resistant to life's everyday laptop follies. Unfortunately, it's not resistant to fingerprints, with the 13.iii-inch matte touchscreen display taking the brunt of the smudge. You'll want to continue a wipe handy.
Lenovo packs a bit into the ThinkPad X13'due south compact packet, including two options for mouse input, a virtually full-featured keyboard, and Dolby Audio stereo speakers. Information technology's light for a business laptop, weighing a mere 2.8 pounds, similar to the Dell XPS 13 (2.6 to 2.8 pounds, getting heavier when yous add a touchscreen). It's a tad lighter than the 3-pound 13-inch MacBook Pro.
As per the ThinkPad's signature look, at that place's a protective bezel effectually the rim of the laptop'south display. It takes away screen space, but it's to help reinforce a bit of stability into the overall build.
I found the ThinkPad X13 comfy to use while lying on the burrow but preferred it propped upward on the table and docked for maximum productivity because of its pocket-size size. The X13'southward dimensions are 12.3 x 8.6 ten 0.seven inches; it's not likewise broad to slide into a tote bag, and if you're not also stuck on the slim-factor, information technology's only a tad thicker than the XPS xiii and the MacBook Pro (both 0.half dozen inches thick).
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Ports
The ThinkPad X13 has a myriad of ports for a laptop of this size. It has two USB 3.i Type-C ports for charging the estimator and connecting adapters, and 2 standard USB iii.ane Type-A ports for peripherals and wink drives. At that place'south likewise an HDMI 2.0 port for hooking up to a monitor, a headphone jack, and a Kensington-style lock port for tethering it to a desk. A majority of the ports are on i side of the laptop for easy docking.
The MacBook Pro and XPS 13 only offer USB-C ports, though Dell throws in a USB-C to A adapter.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Display and affect screen
The ThinkPad X13's 13.3-inch 1080p IPS brandish is a solid laptop screen for working and zoning out. The matte stop might seem a little antiquated in this mean solar day and age of crystal clear, loftier-resolution displays. But the trade-off is a screen y'all can more easily see in direct sunlight or with vivid backlighting.
In our testing, the X13'south display reproduced near 102.1 pct of the sRGB color gamut. Its color spectrum isn't as vibrant or as saturated as the latest MacBook Pro (114%), ending up closer to the XPS 13 (107.v%). Yous'll nevertheless watch Netflix specials and peruse colored spreadsheets in exactly the palette they're meant to be seen. But I noticed even while watching merch hauls on YouTube that in that location was a slight lack of vibrancy in color compared to my external monitor. The well-nigh noticeable color disparity is with deep blacks, which don't appear as deep, exacerbated past the matte display. Information technology'southward sufficient for streaming content, but noticeable when playing games.
The ThinkPad X13'south console'southward biggest flaw is its not-that-bright dim brandish, which peaks at just 278 nits. The XPS thirteen (417 nits) is much brighter, as is the 13-inch MacBook Pro's (485 nits).
The ThinkPad X13 has a lower resolution display, offer a mere 1920 ten 1080 screen resolution compared to the MacBook Pro'due south 2650 x 1600 screen resolution and Dell XPS 13'due south 1920 x 1200 screen resolution. The disparity isn't immediately noticeable when continued to an external display, but on the XPS thirteen's screen, desktop space gets chop-chop chaotic in its native resolution.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Audio and cameras
I wouldn't commonly suggest that you smash out a laptop'southward speakers, but I welcome you to do it on the ThinkPad X13. The laptop's Dolby speakers were impressively bassy and able to selection up on the variables in tone on some intricate Anjunabeats trance mixes. Of course, this is still a laptop, and the strain becomes noticeable the further up yous continue the volume dial. I besides found that because sound protrudes somewhat from the bottom of the device, it tends to get a bit muffled if the X13 is sitting on your lap. Invest in a pair of headphones if yous want something more immersive.
I appreciate whatever laptop that puts the webcam where it belongs: square in the eye, right above the display. The X13's 720p photographic camera is sufficient for logging on to let your Zoom call know y'all're at your desk-bound. It's low resolution enough that I wouldn't apply information technology to conduct the phone call or any other virtual briefing. The camera isn't even fun for taking the occasional selfie, and in some cases where a headshot is required for a badge or virtual meeting contour, information technology might leave you looking a little pixelated.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Keyboard, touchpad
If you've never typed on a ThinkPad, in that location's an adjustment period to using the X13's keyboard setup. Despite the X13'due south comfortable keyboard, you'll take to learn to live with the Function key stacked next to the Control push button. My pinky frequently confused the 2. Everything else with the keyboard layout works, including the narrow strip of function keys across the pinnacle that human action every bit quick toggles for things like volume and brightness control. Lenovo even managed to sneak in navigational keys like Page Up and Down, though they're dissever throughout the keyboard's right side. It'south nice to see them available, as they're incredibly helpful for coding and configuring virtual machines, and they're not keys you typically find on a laptop.
You'll besides have to determine how y'all want to use the combination TrackPoint and trackpad offering. The TrackPoint is a holdover from the early days of business concern laptops, and there are plenty who prefer information technology. But for those who don't—and I certainly did non, as I didn't even like the TrackPoint back in the 90'southward—the TrackPoint is a permanent fixture sitting affluent in the eye of the keyboard. Information technology tin be distracting, but I was able to ignore information technology after a while.
As for the trackpad, it's responsive enough to follow a slight finger drag but not too sensitive that a mere brush of your palm produces a simulated positive while typing. I did have trouble tapping between the right and left mouse buttons while dragging and selecting something. I eventually forged a usage pattern wherein I'd interchangeably use the TrackPoints corresponding mouse buttons while dragging with the trackpad. In the cease, I appreciated the flexibility the 2 mouse options offered, only I would have preferred a big, apartment trackpad over this whole rigamarole.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Functioning
The ThinkPad X13 I tested is runs on a six-core 2.1GHz Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U CPU with 8GB of RAM and proved fast and capable. The X13 tin can handle running multiple browsers at once along with apps like Adobe Creative Suite and Discord, and fifty-fifty indie apps, like Joplin and VLC. In item, Lightroom handled simultaneous importing and scrolling of over 300 RAW files, plus editing with ease. Google Chrome was responsive, whether I was playing the Spotify spider web app or using 1 of the dozen extensions I accept plugged in.
In benchmark tests, the ThinkPad X13 performed well in a higher place the Cadre-i5 version of Apple tree MacBook Pro 2020 in GeekBench five, which measures overall performance. The X13 scored 4,935 in the multi-core tests, slightly above the 4,847 from the XPS 13 (Intel Core i7-1065G7 with 16GB of RAM) while the MacBook Pro (Core i5-1030NG7 with 16GB of RAM) scored iv,399.
For storage performance, the ThinkPad X13 managed to transfer over 5GB of files in vi.83 seconds, with a charge per unit of 746.5 MBps. That's faster than the 627 MBps rate from the XPS xiii's 512GB SSD.
Even with the X13's integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega graphics carte du jour, I liked how the Elderberry Scrolls Online looked and performed. I played the game with graphics set to high and though the frame rate hovered around 42 FPS, I experienced no stuttering traversing through the laidback MMO. Whatsoever coincidental gamer tin become their ready through this system configuration.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Battery life
Lenovo promises up to 12 hours with the ThinkPad X13, only on the Tom'south Guide battery test information technology but lasted vii hours and 53 minutes before petering out. That'due south over two hours less than the MacBook Pro 2020 (ten:21), and well-nigh five hours less than the XPS 13's posted time of 12:39.
Anecdotally, the ThinkPad X13's overall battery performance is only okay. Even when I left it on standby for a 24-hour interval or two to focus on something else, I'd return to the ThinkPad X13 with niggling juice. When nosotros tin safely wing once more, the ThinkPad X13 will only make it through an east-to-west coast hop. At the very least, the X13 charges via USB-C, so you can easily plug it into a ability brick if you have one handy.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Heat
I worked on this laptop review during one of California'south worst heat waves, right in the middle of burn down flavor. I never felt uncomfortable using the laptop on my lap, though I ever used it in this style while unplugged. I wasn't able to test it exterior in the estrus, merely it stayed regulated indoors. While idling, the ThinkPad X13 was about 84 degrees Fahrenheit effectually the trackpad and the hottest underneath at 99 degrees. I also tested it while I was charging and playing Elderberry Scrolls Online at the same time. The hottest indicate on the laptop was 110 degrees correct around the 50 central.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: Verdict
I would take liked a laptop like the ThinkPad X13 to bear me through college and my start few years on the job force. It'southward rugged, packs extra keys in the keyboard, and has plenty ports to have adapters coming in and out of it. I appreciate the flexibility of the touchscreen and multiple mouse offerings, even if the combination trackpad and TrackPoint took me a while to go used to. I as well like that the X13 doesn't have up a ton of room; this is the kind of laptop to go if you want information technology docked in a tight space. And you will want it docked because although the thirteen.three-inch touchscreen is viable, you must accept a monitor to make full utilize of the X13's capabilities.
AMD's third-generation Ryzen processors don't offer any noticeable operation difference over Intel'due south brood to the naked eye. It isn't necessarily more affordable either, as this particular configuration will cost you every bit much equally the Dell XPS 13 with a Cadre i5 and similar specifications. As this ThinkPad X13 review has shown, the trade-off is that you get the badge of robustness for lugging effectually a ThinkPad, plus a few other productivity-inclined features you lot won't find on other overly-polished models.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/lenovo-thinkpad-x13-amd
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