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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers higher screen quality with a Mini LED display and a more potent built-in GPU, making it suitable for demanding tasks and ensuring excellent visuals for creative work. Its battery life is longer, but it comes with a heftier price tag and is less portable due to its weight. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is more affordable and lightweight, offering better portability and a touch screen. It has a quality keyboard and is equipped with more RAM out of the box, but its battery life isn't as extensive, and its display and graphics performance are less impressive than the MacBook's. The ThinkPad leans more toward general business use, whereas the MacBook Pro is geared towards professionals in creative and engineering fields needing high performance and superior display quality. 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 (Late 2023)
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- 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
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its M3 processor and Mini LED display, offers exceptional screen quality, making it ideal for design work that requires accurate color representation; its superb build quality and quiet operating noise also make it suitable for engineering environments. In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, equipped with a Ryzen 7 processor and more RAM, may offer slightly better multitasking capabilities for engineering tasks, and its excellent portability and keyboard quality are advantageous for on-the-go professionals, despite a lower screen resolution and lower color space coverage than the MacBook Pro.
Content Creation
8.4
7.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 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
8.2
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 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 (Late 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
7.0
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 likely offers a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and color accuracy, making it ideal for general use and professional engineering and design tasks that require precise color rendition, but a lower refresh rate limits its effectiveness for 3D content which often benefits from smoother motion. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, while also having a high-quality screen suitable for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design with good color coverage, falls short in gaming and 3D performance due to a screen not optimized for high refresh rates, which are critical for those applications. Thus, for users focused on general and professional work, both laptops perform well, but for those more interested in 3D applications, neither would be the optimal choice.
Battery
17.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 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
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.5
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 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
$1,499
$1,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has a price of $1,499 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.8
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) excels in general use due to its M3 processor, 8 GB of RAM, high-resolution Mini LED screen, and extended battery life, but at the cost of being less lightweight. Conversely, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, double the RAM at 16 GB, and an IPS touchscreen, offers considerable portability with good battery life, making it a strong contender for general use as well.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.3
4.5/10
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 (Late 2023) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 with its higher screen refresh rate and a more powerful GPU is better suited for 3D applications, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, despite having a capable CPU and GPU, has a lower screen refresh rate and also runs Windows, which means it supports a wider range of popular games that cannot run on Macs.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,499 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.4 lbs | 2.78 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.31" | 11.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.71" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 69.6 Wh | 51.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.2" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 489 nits | 379 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Brian Westover | September 2022
"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 (Late 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.
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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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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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