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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you value a higher-performing laptop for intensive tasks like engineering and gaming, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is the better choice, though it's heavier which makes it less portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers great general performance and is more portable thanks to its lighter weight and longer battery life, which makes it suitable for business and general use, especially if you need a touch screen. However, the ThinkPad Z13 has less storage capacity and lower performance for 3D rendering or machine learning compared to the Legion Slim 5i. 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 Slim 5i
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- 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
8.0
6.3
8.4/10
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 Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is better suited for gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which provides smoother visuals and enhanced responsiveness. In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its less capable AMD Radeon 680M GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, offers fair performance for gaming and 3D tasks but is not as optimized for these activities as the Legion Slim 5i.
Engineering and Design
8.4
7.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design since it features a high performance Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, which are essential for compute-intensive tasks, and it has a high-quality screen with superior resolution and refresh rate.
Screen Quality
8.0
7.0
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
343.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
If you prioritize clear, sharp, and bright visuals for tasks like browsing or watching videos, both laptops offer solid displays that excel in resolution and brightness, making them ideal for everyday use. Engineers and designers will appreciate the accurate colors provided by their wide color gamuts, ensuring their work looks precise and true to life. However, if gaming or 3D rendering is your focus, the lower refresh rates on both models may lead to less smooth visuals, which could detract from fast-paced and graphically intense experiences.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
343.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
8.0
7.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5i to be 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
7.8
7.7
9.0/10
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 Slim 5i 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.
Cost
$1,055
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a price of $1,055 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
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How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 5i | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,055 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.3'' x 0.99'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 2.78 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 11.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 51.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 343 nits | 379 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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.
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