For high-performance tasks like gaming or engineering, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is a superior choice due to its powerful processor and high-end GPU which support hardware ray tracing; it also has a larger screen with a higher refresh rate, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13's strengths lie in its exceptional portability with a significantly lighter build, much longer battery life, and a touchscreen display, making it ideal for general use, business applications, and travel; however, its GPU is less suited for intensive 3D or engineering applications. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
6.3/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications because it has a high-performance Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate, which improve graphics rendering and gameplay smoothness. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a more modest AMD Radeon 680M GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, making it less optimal for these tasks despite its good screen quality..
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
7.3/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
7.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 boasts a display with high resolution and brightness, making it very appealing for general use and suitable for detail-oriented tasks in engineering and design due to its wide color gamut. On the other hand, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications, where fluid motion is crucial. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, while also offering a good resolution and suitable brightness for general tasks, and a decent color range for engineering and design work, shares a similar shortfall in refresh rate, affecting its performance in action-packed gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
3.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has 3.5 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
Fair
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,320
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a price of $1,320 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5, with its robust CPU and ample RAM, excels at performance-intensive tasks and gaming, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a balance of good screen quality, portability, and longer battery life, suitable for users who need efficiency and mobility for everyday tasks and business applications.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Software Development
7.6/10
7.7/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
"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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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 Golden, Ph.D
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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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