Choosing between the HP 17" Laptop and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 involves weighing your needs in portability, performance, and build. The HP's larger screen suits those preferring a bigger display for multitasking or media consumption, and it has a separate numeric keypad, useful for data entry. However, it's heavier and less portable, making the Lenovo a better choice for on-the-go use due to its lighter weight and notably longer battery life. The Lenovo's touchscreen and higher screen resolution benefit users needing precision or involved in creative work, whereas the HP provides robust general use at a typically lower price point. Both handle general use and engineering well, with the Lenovo offering an edge in build quality and keyboard comfort. If gaming isn't a priority but premium business features are, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 also stands out. 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 HP 17" Laptop
The HP 17" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
287.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for general use, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is somewhat better.
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.
Engineering and Design
6.8/10
7.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 17" Laptop with its large 17.3-inch screen and AMD Ryzen 7 processor, combined with Vega 8 graphics, is suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks that require significant screen real estate and processing power. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its Ryzen 7 processor, Radeon 680M graphics, and high-quality 13.3-inch display, offers a better balance between performance and portability, making it ideal for engineering and design professionals on the go.
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is somewhat better.
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
7.1/10
7.7/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and HP 17" Laptop 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
6.6/10
7.0/10
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
287.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13's higher resolution and brightness provide a clear, comfortable viewing experience, while the HP's larger screen offers ample space but at a cost to sharpness and vibrance. Engineers and designers would appreciate the ThinkPad Z13 for its superior color accuracy and wider color gamuts which ensure precision in their work, a level of detail the HP may not match. However, while both laptops have constraints for gaming and 3D tasks due to their lower refresh rates, the ThinkPad's better resolution and panel type partially mitigate this, offering a more enjoyable visual experience than the HP.
Battery
5.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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
Good
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
13.3in
4.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the HP 17" Laptop has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the HP 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$850
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The HP 17" Laptop has a price of $850 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and HP 17" Laptop are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP 17" Laptop and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 both have integrated GPUs - the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U Vega 8 and the AMD Radeon 680M, respectively - which are decent for light gaming and 3D applications, but not as powerful as dedicated gaming GPUs. Both also have a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is adequate for general use but may not be smooth enough for high-level gaming where higher refresh rates offer a more fluid visual experience.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP 17" Laptop and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
"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 HP 17" Laptop or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,795
Recommendations made
21,623
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.