The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is preferred for general use over the ASUS Zenbook 14 due to its better portability, longer battery life, and higher quality of keyboard and screen, which are crucial for everyday tasks. While both laptops have solid build quality and manage heat and noise well, the ThinkPad Z13 edges out with a more vibrant and higher quality display and twice the RAM, which is invaluable for multitasking and general performance.
Software Development
7.2/10
7.7/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is somewhat better.
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
8.3/10
7.0/10
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14's crisp resolution and panel type offer vibrant colors and clarity, while its brightness ensures comfortable viewing in various lighting conditions, outpacing the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13. In engineering and design tasks, the Zenbook stands out again with wider color gamuts, rendering more accurate colors essential for precise work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which could lead to less fluid motion and slower response times, with the panel type and resolution only partially compensating for this drawback.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$300
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
7.2/10
7.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook 14's OLED screen and high contrast provide vibrant visuals for design work, while its Intel CPU and integrated GPU support engineering applications; however, lesser RAM may limit multitasking capacity compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, which boasts a stronger AMD CPU, more RAM for complex tasks, and a crisp IPS touchscreen, though with less screen color accuracy than the ASUS. The ThinkPad Z13, being lighter and slimmer, also offers better portability while maintaining high-quality input devices and lower operating noise, aligning well with on-the-go engineering and design needs.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.8/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for content creation.
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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"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 ASUS Zenbook 14 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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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