Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is one such machine, and it feels incredibly small.
That’s not to say it’s any worse than a real computer. It features an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU for powerful productivity performance, an OLED display, typical ThinkPad build quality, and a new Z-series look and feel. The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 offers a solid small laptop option, but considering all the new hardware coming in 2024, the updates feel a bit behind the times.
Lenovo’s pricing and configurations are constantly changing, which means you’ll want to check its website and retail partners for the latest pricing. But as of this writing, Lenovo’s entry-level ThinkPad Z13 configuration costs $1,241 and comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 7540U CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 13.3-inch WUXGA non-touch IPS display. While 256GB of storage is a bit low for most people, it’s a good value.
Fully configured, this laptop costs $2,348 and comes with a Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U, 64GB of RAM (Ryzen 7 only), a 2TB SSD, and a 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED display.
Just as good-looking as the original Like the larger ThinkPad Z16 Gen 2, the 13-inch update retains the same all-aluminum chassis as the original breakthrough model and features an improved aesthetic. Visually, the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 looks more like the Apple MacBook Air than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3.
It comes in Arctic Gray, a more conservative silver-gray finish, or Linen Fiber Bronze, with the lid made from sustainable woven linen fiber. The flax fiber model appears to have a superior finish, while my review model is the more conservative version.
It’s attractive, but it no longer stands out compared to the likes of the latest Dell XPS 13 . You’ll notice the reverse notch at the top of the display, which allows for the same thin top bezel as Dell’s competitors when it comes to mounting modern webcams and infrared cameras.
Open the laptop and you’ll find the usual all-black keyboard and palmrest, with only the red TrackPoint knob in the middle of the keyboard breaking up the color scheme. This matches the red LED “i” on the ThinkPad logo on the lid , helping the device stay relevant to the entire ThinkPad family.
Connectivity is a weak point, but no worse than other modern 13-inch laptops. You’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack, but that’s about it. Wireless connectivity is now officially behind Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 , as we’re now seeing laptops support the new Wi-Fi 7 standard. If you want always-connected internet, there’s the option of a nano-SIM card slot and LTE cellular support.
You can choose between the 6-core/12-thread AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 754oU or the 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U. Both run between 15 and 30 watts, making them power-competitive with Intel’s latest 28-watt Meteor Lake Core Ultra CPUs. They are AMD’s latest mobile business-ready CPUs, featuring Microsoft’s Pluton Secure Processor and AMD Profiles for extra securityAs we saw in our CPU-intensive benchmark suite, the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is
competitive with Intel’s latest chipsets in multi-core applications and even wins in single-core tests. ThinkPad integrates its performance tuning features into the standard Windows performance settings, and selecting performance mode has a greater impact than usual.
Since the cooling system uses relatively quiet fans, I didn’t notice much of a difference in fan noise as performance increased, but performance improved by 35 to 60 percent.
Overall, the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 delivers excellent productivity performance, even competing with slightly larger laptops like the 14-inch Asus Zenbook 14X OLED with a 45-watt Intel Core i7.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 showing the display
If you unpack and open a laptop with an OLED display, you’ll love the bright, dynamic colors and jet blacks. If you don’t like this display, few other displays will satisfy you. The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2’s 13-inch 16 :10 2.8K OLED panel is no exception.
The only downside to the display is its 60Hz refresh rate, which is becoming increasingly old-school at a time when 120Hz displays were becoming the high-end laptop standard. Whether you actually notice the difference is debatable, but by the numbers, the ThinkPad’s panel lags a bit behind.
If you don’t need the same clarity or display quality, you can also choose between a touch or non-touch FHD+ IPS panel. You’ll get longer battery life on your
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 laptop battery (which some people will appreciate ) , and you’ll spend less. I recommend the OLED option because I love a crisp display and high dynamic range (HDR) video – something the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is really good at producing.
Best for business usersThe ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 delivers solid productivity performance, a sturdy and attractive build, and a great keyboard, touchpad, and display. None of these laptops stand out, though, with some 13-inch laptops offering the same features while others come with more modern AI components.
Where the ThinkPad stands out is that it supports enhanced security and manageability, wixh will appeal to enterprise buyers. I can highly recommend this laptop to these users, and the typical consumer should consider this upcoming laptop for their next machine.
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