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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is significantly less expensive, more lightweight and offers better portability with a high portability score, making it suitable for on-the-go usage and general tasks. It has adequate performance for everyday work and casual use but might not handle intensive tasks like 3D rendering as well as the Z16. Conversely, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, though more expensive, boasts a larger, high-resolution OLED screen, more storage and memory, and a more powerful GPU. This allows for better performance in engineering, 3D work, and higher capability for intensive gaming. Thus, for heavy-duty usage, including more complex computing tasks, the Z16 is a stronger choice at the expense of portability and cost. Both models have backlit keyboards, touchscreens, and are labeled as premium business laptops, but if you value a top-tier screen and have demanding software needs, the Z16 is the better pick, whereas the Z13 should suffice for typical use with the advantage of being lighter and more budget-friendly. 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 ThinkPad Z13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
379.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers balance with good performance, a decent screen, and excellent portability, making it suitable for general use; however, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 excels with a superior CPU, more RAM, and an outstanding display, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life, skewing it towards users who prioritize top-notch performance and screen quality over mobility.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.4
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a more powerful main processor, double the RAM, and a higher-end GPU compared to the Z13, which provides significantly improved performance for engineering and design tasks that require intense processing and graphical power. Additionally, the Z16 offers a larger, higher-resolution OLED screen, which renders better color accuracy and image clarity, benefiting design work, though this comes at the cost of reduced portability and shorter battery life when compared to the lighter, more compact Z13.
Content Creation
7.8
8.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is 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
7.7
8.2
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
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
7.0
8.5
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, while having a display with adequate resolution and brightness along with satisfactory color reproduction, may not meet the needs of gamers or those involved in 3D work due to a lower refresh rate, which results in less fluid motion rendering. On the other hand, the Z16 steps up the game for engineering and design users by offering a wider color gamut, ensuring more precise color accuracy which is critical for professional design tasks, but still may fall short for gaming. Both models lack the high refresh rates required for a smooth gaming experience, which is why they are not optimal for heavy gaming and fast-paced 3D applications.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,000
$1,120
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a price of $1,000 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.7
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a more capable AMD RX 6500M graphics card and a high-resolution OLED screen, which contribute to better gaming and 3D performance compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 that comes with an AMD Radeon 680M GPU and an IPS screen, even though both laptops have the same screen refresh rate.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.78 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.59" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51.5 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 379 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.1/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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