For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is a strong contender. It offers a high-performance Intel i7 processor and a powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, ensuring smooth handling of demanding applications. The 16-inch screen with a 165Hz refresh rate and 2560 x 1600 resolution is ideal for fast-paced gaming and detailed visual work, though it's not a touchscreen. Its robust build and advanced cooling system manage heat effectively during intensive sessions. However, it's heavier and less portable than the ThinkPad Z13.
On the other hand, if you prioritize portability, battery life, and a high-quality keyboard, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is the way to go. It's lighter, thinner, and has a longer battery life, making it excellent for on-the-go productivity. The Z13's AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon 680M GPU deliver solid general performance and can handle light gaming or graphic design tasks. The touch-enabled 13.3-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio is sharp and color-accurate, suitable for everyday use and business presentations. While it may not excel in intensive gaming or heavy engineering tasks like the Legion Pro 5i, it offers a premium build quality, an exceptional keyboard, and a robust set of features tailored for business users and general consumers. 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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
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
8.5/10
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 5i (2024) is very 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
8.7/10
7.3/10
9.8/10
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 5i (2024) 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
8.1/10
7.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
3.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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 5i (2024) 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 5i (2024) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,450
$1,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) has a price of $1,450 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) are both good for general use.
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.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.8/10
9.8/10
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 5i (2024) 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
7.7/10
7.7/10
9.8/10
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 Legion Pro 5i (2024) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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 5i (2024) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
"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 5i (2024) 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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