Lenovo ThinkPad X13 review: AMD 4000 PRO processors are the main draw to this mid-range business laptop
Source: Windows Central
The Lenovo ThinkPad X lineup — non to be dislocated with the high-end ThinkPad X1 lineup that includes the X1 Carbon, X1 Extreme, and X1 Yoga — is meant to entreatment to those who want a thin and lite business laptop with actress security features and coveted ThinkPad immovability. X-series laptops, which include standard and Yoga versions of the ThinkPad X390, ThinkPad X395, and ThinkPad X13 (which I'grand reviewing here), are a lot closer to Lenovo'due south T-series devices than the expensive X1 line. The X13 starts at an affordable cost, it's sized to travel, and information technology's packing hardware cut out for productivity work. I've been using a ThinkPad X13 with AMD Ryzen 4000 PRO CPU for well-nigh a week to see what it's all near and, ultimately, whether or not it'southward worth a buy among all the best AMD Ryzen laptops out at that place.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Bottom line: The first-gen ThinkPad X13 doesn't really offer annihilation new, but information technology does bring outstanding performance from AMD Ryzen 4000 PRO CPUs. If you value performance, typing comfort, and durability over all else, this should brand for a tempting 13-inch laptop that starts at well less than $1,000.
Pros
- Starts at a low cost
- AMD Ryzen 4000 PRO brings the power
- Excellent keyboard
- Lots of ports
- Wi-Fi 6 and optional LTE connectivity
Cons
- Poor audio
- Stale blueprint
- No Thunderbolt 3
- Battery life could be better
ThinkPad X13 at a glance
Source: Windows Central
Lenovo supplied Windows Central with a review unit of the first-gen ThinkPad X13. Information technology'southward packing an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U processor (CPU), 8GB of DDR4 RAM that is soldered to the board, a 256GB M.ii PCIe NVMe solid-country bulldoze (SSD) that can be upgraded afterward purchase, and integrated AMD Radeon Vega 6 graphics. The 13.3-inch display is touch-enabled. Altogether, this exact model costs about $975 after applying Lenovo's instant coupon savings. Otherwise, it retails for about $1,624.
Baseline models get as depression as a Ryzen three PRO 4450U CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB SSD, and 13.iii-inch non-touch on Hd display, starting at around $684. This is best reserved for bulk enterprise buys; if yous're ownership for yourself, at to the lowest degree go with the FHD resolution.
Going all out, with a Ryzen vii PRO 4750U CPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and 13.three-inch FHD display with Privacy Guard costs closer to about $one,774 after a large Lenovo discount. Otherwise, information technology's regularly priced at nearly $2,956.
Here's a await at the verbal specs establish in the model I was sent for review.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Bone | Windows 10 Pro |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U 6 cores, 12 threads Up to four.0GHz |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4-3200MHz Soldered |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Vega 6 Integrated |
| Storage | 256GB M.two PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Display | 13.3 inches 1920x1080 (FHD) IPS, anti-glare Touch on |
| Ports | 2 USB-C three.2 (Gen ii) Two USB-A three.two (Gen ane) HDMI ii.0 Ethernet extension connector microSD bill of fare reader Nano-SIM (optional) 3.5mm sound Smart Card reader (optional) |
| Audio | Dual 1W speakers Dolby Audio |
| Wireless | Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax Bluetooth 5.1 4G LTE-A (optional) |
| Camera | Forepart-facing 720p ThinkShutter privacy |
| Security | Fingerprint reader |
| Battery | 48Wh |
| Dimensions | 12.28 x eight.55 x 0.67 inches (311.9mm 10 217.2mm x xvi.9mm) |
| Weight | From 2.84 pounds (1.28kg) |
Nothing much new
ThinkPad X13 design and features
Source: Windows Central
The first-gen ThinkPad X13 is unmistakably a Lenovo business laptop, with its magnesium-aluminum chassis and black stop. It's been put through myriad durability tests to prove it tin can withstand a life of travel, however it'due south relatively thin and light for a 13-inch device. It measures 0.67-inches thin and weighs in at ii.84 pounds (1.28kg) for a touch-brandish model. It'due south easy to bear under an arm, clip into a briefcase, or slide into a backpack.
The X13 nails what I would consider the ThinkPad design essentials, but when I heard "kickoff-generation," I was expecting a chip more flair or at least something only a bit out of the ordinary. This is ultimately just a 13-inch ThinkPad that could hands exist mistaken for another if non for the internal functioning hardware. It's about heresy to advise Lenovo messes with the ThinkPad recipe, but mixing things up a bit to set the X13 apart from its siblings would take me a whole lot more excited for its arrival.
Source: Windows Central
Ane thing Lenovo doesn't want to exercise is mess with the keyboard. As is the case with pretty much every ThinkPad, the cupped keys, aplenty travel, and perfect spacing brand a return here. If you're someone who types all mean solar day every day, this laptop isn't going to allow you down. It would be dainty to see the board stretch closer to the laptop's edges — a pattern trend I love — only I presume in Lenovo'due south instance that deep primal travel doesn't play well with the ample port selection along the edges.
I don't ofttimes use information technology, but the TrackPoint system is included above the Precision touchpad. It has the usual 3 physical buttons and a red pointing nub. Another trend I love in mod laptops is the blown-upwards size of touchpads, and I retrieve the X13 could do good. Depth is fine for a thirteen-inch device (peculiarly when room is saved for the physical TrackPoint buttons), but width could be expanded to ameliorate accommodate those of united states who ignore the red pointing nub.
Despite the meaty build, the X13 retains generous port option. It includes two USB-C three.i (Gen 2) with 1 doubling equally a charging port, two USB-A 3.2, HDMI two.0, a microSD card reader and Nano-SIM tray, 3.5mm audio, Ethernet extension (which requires a split adapter for full RJ45), and an optional Smart Bill of fare reader for those enterprise buys.
It'd be great to accept total Thunderbolt 3 here, but that privilege is reserved for the Intel-based X13 models. At least yous tin still connect something like the CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock to create a bonafide workstation. Accept a await at more than of the best laptop docking stations if it's non quite what you're looking for.
Source: Windows Central
Audio from the dual 1W down-firing speakers is nothing to get excited nigh. Yous'll exist able to hear meetings and videos fine, but don't expect to gear up the laptop down and blast music. At high volume, there is some distortion, and it overall sounds a flake hollow. It's nearly what you'd look from a business organisation laptop at this price.
As for the photographic camera, it comes standard with a front end-facing 720p option, and you can add, with certain display options, an IR camera for facial recognition. The standard photographic camera is not bad at all for video conferencing. For some extra privacy, a webcam shutter is included. It's a feature I beloved and 1 I wish to see on more laptops. An optional fingerprint reader is built into the right palm rest, and it works as it should with snappy logins.
Rounding out the features is Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for fast wireless speeds. The laptop is also bachelor with optional 4G LTE connectivity for those who need to stay in touch on when Wi-Fi isn't available.
It gets the job washed
ThinkPad X13 display
Source: Windows Primal
You tin cull from four unlike 13.iii-inch display options when configuring your ThinkPad X13, starting with a depression-finish 720p (Hard disk) pick with 250 nits brightness, TN panel with narrow viewing bending, and low color reproduction. Moving up to 1080p (FHD) and IPS console, yous can get a not-touch or touch pick (both with 300 nits) or a not-touch option with Privacy Guard and 500 nits effulgence. They all have an anti-glare coating to help with working in well-lit spaces.
I received the FHD touch display to test. Using a Datacolor SpyderX Pro colorimeter, I measured 97% sRGB, 75% AdobeRGB, and 75% DCI-P3 color reproduction. These are decent numbers for a laptop in this price range, and information technology's going to fare well for productivity and business organisation-oriented tasks. It also hitting 324 nits brightness, going equally depression equally iii.4 nits. I just wish in that location was an option to bump up to even 1440p.
The bezel effectually the brandish is rather chunky, and I'd love to see an aspect ratio switch for some of these laptops. Even moving to 16:10 and cut out some of the mentum would make a huge difference.
The real selling betoken
ThinkPad X13 performance and battery
Source: Windows Primal
The master reason many people will gravitate towards this laptop is no doubt the inclusion of AMD Ryzen 4000 mobile CPU options. These are the PRO fries, which come with extra security and management perks typical for business organisation laptops. They're substantially AMD'south respond to Intel vPro. The Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U in my review unit has six cores, 12 threads, and a boost clock upwardly to 4.0GHz, yet information technology maintains only a 15W TDP. It's likewise boasting Radeon Vega 6 integrated graphics, which puts information technology ahead of similar Intel integrated options.
The X13 was able to cut through everything I threw its fashion, including Photoshop, word processing, heavy web browsing, messaging, spreadsheets, and video streaming. It's not really meant to be a gaming PC, simply y'all can enjoy some light titles when you lot're not hard at piece of work, thanks to those Vega integrated graphics. I ran some synthetic benchmarks to see exactly how the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U system compares to other laptops we've recently reviewed.
Geekbench 5
Geekbench 5.0 (CPU) (Higher is better)
| Device | CPU | Unmarried cadre | Multi core |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (AMD) | Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U | ane,102 | 4,780 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen five) | i7-10610U | 1,194 | 4,008 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s (AMD) | Ryzen 7 4750U | 1,135 | 5,782 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s (Intel) | i5-10310U | 1,143 | 3,734 |
| Acer Swift 3 (Intel) | i7-1065G7 | 1,302 | 3,891 |
| Acer Swift 3 (AMD) | Ryzen 7 4700U | 1,131 | 4,860 |
| Acer Spin 3 (SP314-54N) | i5-1035G1 | 1,185 | 3,524 |
| HP Envy x360 | Ryzen 5 4500U | 1,100 | 4,564 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 | Ryzen 5 4500U | 1,087 | 4,570 |
| Surface Laptop three 15 | Ryzen 5 3580U | 769 | 2,720 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | i5-10210U | 1,069 | three,754 |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | i3-10110U | i,015 | 2,111 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 xiv | i5-10210U | one,094 | 3,767 |
| Samsung Galaxy Volume Flex | i7-1065G7 | 1,317 | iv,780 |
| Dell XPS 13 (9300) | i7-1065G7 | i,284 | 4,848 |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 | i7-1065G7 | 1,336 | 4,893 |
| HP Elite Dragonfly | i7-8665U | 1,125 | 2,942 |
| Surface Laptop 3 thirteen.v | i5-1035G7 | i,177 | four,413 |
| HP Spectre x360 13 | i7-1065G7 | 1,006 | three,402 |
Equally usual, comparable Intel mobile chips outperform AMD in single-cadre scores. Just one time you get into multi-core, the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U really shines. I as well ran an OpenCL examination with Geekbench 5, returning a ten,477 score for the integrated Vega 6 graphics. To compare, Intel UHD graphics in the Cadre i7-10610U CPU hit a score of just five,943.
PCMark
PCMark 10
| Device | Score |
|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (AMD) | 4,849 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5) | four,170 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s (AMD) | 4,659 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s (Intel) | 4,214 |
| Acer Swift 3 (Intel) | 4,135 |
| Acer Swift 3 (AMD) | 4,861 |
| Acer Spin 3 (SP314-54N) | 3,674 |
| HP ENVY x360 | 4,755 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 fourteen | 4,759 |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 (AMD) | 4,006 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 | iii,202 |
| Surface Book 3 15 | 4,393 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | 4,899 |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | four,008 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 | four,941 |
| Samsung Galaxy Volume Flex | 3,924 |
| Dell XPS 13 (9300) | 4,524 |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 (Intel) | 4,604 |
| Dell XPS xiii two-in-ane | 4,554 |
| HP Spectre x360 xiii | 4,261 |
| HP Elite Dragonfly | iii,716 |
| LG gram 17 | 4,157 |
PCMark 10 does a good task of measuring how well a laptop birthday performs standard productivity work. A neat score here, trouncing enough of Intel Cadre i7 systems.
Cinebench
Cinebench (R20) (Higher is better)
| Device | CPU | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (AMD) | Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U | 2,368 to 2,380 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5) | i7-10610U | 1,319 to one,364 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s | Ryzen 7 4750U | iii,064 to iii,070 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s | Core i5-10310U | 1,273 to 1,402 |
| Acer Swift 3 (Intel) | Core i7-1065G7 | 1,229 to 1,236 |
| Acer Swift iii (AMD) | Ryzen vii 4700U | 2,391 to ii,428 |
| Acer Spin 3 (SP314-54N) | Cadre i5-1035G1 | i,329 to i,479 |
| HP Envy x360 | Ryzen 5 4500U | 2,053 to two,100 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 fourteen | Ryzen 5 4500U | two,388 to 2,397 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | Core i5-10210U | 1,137 to 1,442 |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | Core i3-10110U | 924 to 929 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 fifteen | Core i7-10510U | 1,415 to ane,613 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 14 | Core i5-10210U | ane,450 to 1,535 |
| LG gram 17 | Core i7-1065G7 | one,079 to 1,199 |
| Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T) | Core i7-1065G7 | 1,361 to ane,400 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | Xeon Eastward-2276M | two,686 to ii,701 |
Running Cinebench R20 multiple times in a row can show whether or not a laptop volition suffer from thermal issues. No issues for the ThinkPad X13, and an excellent score to boot.
SSD
CrystalDiskMark (Higher is better)
| Device | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 (AMD) | three,588.86 MB/southward | two,347.23 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5) | 3,567.26 MB/s | two,984.70 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s (AMD) | ii,885.92 MB/south | 2,717.17 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s (Intel) | 3,527.77 MB/s | 2,982.44 MB/s |
| Acer Swift iii (Intel) | one,641.39 MB/s | 1,033.82 MB/south |
| Acer Swift 3 (AMD) | two,161.99 MB/due south | i,214.84 MB/s |
| Acer Spin 3 (SP314-54N) | 1,630 MB/south | 885 MB/s |
| HP ENVY x360 | ane,530 MB/south | 864 MB/due south |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex v 14 | 2,199.x MB/southward | one,017.07 MB/s |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 | 3,405 MB/s | 1,512 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | 3,188.82 MB/s | 1,685.61 MB/southward |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | i,906.78 MB/s | 970.69 MB/south |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Flex | three,376 MB/s | 2,983 MB/due south |
| Dell XPS 13 (9300) | three,000 MB/s | 1,217 MB/due south |
| HP Spectre x360 (Optane) | 2,092 MB/due south | 515 MB/south |
| Dell XPS 13 2-in-ane | 2,400 MB/due south | 1,228 MB/southward |
| HP Elite Dragonfly (Optane) | 2,124 MB/s | 548 MB/s |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 | three,408 MB/s | 2,982 MB/south |
| LG gram 17 (2020) | three,477 MB/s | 2,900 MB/south |
The G.2 PCIe NVMe SSD in the X13 is upgradeable later on purchase, but the stock pick in the review unit was plenty fast.
Battery life is generally applauded in AMD systems. I ran PCMark ten's Modern Function battery rundown test with screen effulgence at 50% to run into exactly how well the 48Wh battery stands up. I got back eight hours and 10 minutes, which is non bad just not ideal. Real usage knocks that number down closer to well-nigh seven hours, meaning you're going to need to bring a charging adapter with you lot when heading to the office.
Starts at a low price
Should you purchase the ThinkPad X13?
Source: Windows Central
Who it's for
- Anyone who needs a compact 13-inch business laptop
- Anyone who doesn't demand a dedicated GPU
- Anyone who wants a comfortable keyboard and lots of ports
- Anyone who wants strong AMD operation
Who it isn't for
- Anyone who needs a dedicated GPU
- Anyone who wants a high-res display
- Anyone who needs something larger than 13 inches
- Anyone who needs all-day bombardment life
The ThinkPad X13 is a new pick added to the X-series line for 2022. Its first generation isn't exactly anything out of the ordinary. You go ThinkPad immovability, a familiar pattern, and plenty of configuration options ranging from very low-finish to rather loftier-terminate (save for the display). And those majority enterprise purchases are no doubt where the ThinkPad X13 will polish. Baseline models are quite inexpensive, but you lot tin can also go with something above $ane,000 if you actually similar the thirteen-inch form factor for a personal device. Just one time you break four figures, switching over to something like the xiv-inch X1 Carbon, starting at near $1,000, might be as well tempting.
Still, the addition of AMD 4000 PRO processor options is really the selling point for the ThinkPad X13. If you value raw processing power and stellar integrated graphics — all at a more affordable price compared to Intel alternatives — in that location is no doubt something to love near this laptop. Yes, the X13 is available with Intel hardware, merely the extra performance and amend cost from AMD really make it hard to side with Team Blueish. If the ThinkPad X13 isn't really what you lot're looking for, take a expect at our roundup of the overall best Windows laptop options available now.
AMD Ryzen 4000 Pro
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
An affordable AMD-powered business laptop
The AMD-powered ThinkPad X13 brings stellar performance thanks to AMD hardware. Boilerplate brandish and bombardment life are marks confronting it, but those who need a powerful, durable thirteen-inch business laptop will exist interested.
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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/lenovo-thinkpad-x13-amd
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