To decide between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, consider your needs and preferences. The MacBook Pro often offers superior performance and is favored for creative tasks like video editing, while the ThinkPad has a reputation for robustness and may have better keyboard quality, which is preferred for extensive typing and business use. The MacBook may have a better display and longer battery life, but the ThinkPad stands out for its business-friendly features like more ports and often better repairability. If you prioritize MacOS, sleek design, and performance for creative tasks, go for the MacBook Pro. Alternatively, if you value the Windows ecosystem, need a laptop for business-oriented tasks, and may appreciate a wider array of ports, the ThinkPad Z13 could be the right pick. Consider how much you're willing to spend as MacBooks tend to be pricier, and think about portability if you plan on carrying your laptop frequently, as weight and size differ across models. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
8.5/10
7.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.3/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) offers a more powerful CPU and GPU tailored for the demands of engineering and design tasks, along with a superior Mini LED screen that provides better color accuracy and contrast, suited for precise visual work. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, although also well-equipped for such tasks, offers a less color-accurate IPS screen and slightly less powerful graphics, making it comparatively less suited for the most intensive engineering and graphical applications.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.8/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.4/10
7.7/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
7.0/10
14.2in
SIZE
13.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
489.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a high-resolution Retina display with exceptional brightness levels and wide color gamuts such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, making it ideal for design work and general use where color accuracy and image detail are crucial. However, its typical refresh rate, which is lower than specialized gaming or 3D modeling displays, diminishes its appeal for 3D applications where smooth motion is key. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 also has an impressive display with sufficient resolution and color representation for general use and engineering, but similarly falls short for gaming and 3D tasks because of its standard refresh rate.
Battery
13.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.2in
SIZE
13.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$1,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) has a price of $1,700 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023) or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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