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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Cyborg 15 requires considering your needs and preferences. If your priority is portability and longer battery life for general business use, and you also appreciate a high-quality keyboard, the ThinkPad Z13 is a better fit. However, it has less powerful graphics capabilities, making it less suitable for intensive gaming or 3D tasks. In contrast, the MSI Cyborg 15 offers superior graphics performance with its dedicated graphics card, making it a good choice for gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which affects its portability. Both have similar processing power and storage, but the ThinkPad Z13 has double the RAM of the Cyborg 15, which can contribute to smoother multitasking. 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
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.2
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is only fair.
The MSI Cyborg 15 offers better gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which delivers smoother visuals and can better handle gaming graphics than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13's AMD Radeon 680M GPU and 60Hz screen. While the ThinkPad Z13 has a high-quality screen and capable CPU for general tasks, these components are less suited for the demands of modern games and intensive 3D applications compared to the Cyborg 15's gaming-focused hardware.
Screen Quality
7.0
6.8
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 likely has a high-resolution display with bright and vivid output, making texts and images sharp and clear for general use and engineering tasks, but its lower refresh rate is less suitable for 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial. Its screen probably covers a wider range of colors, satisfying professional design and engineering needs where color accuracy is essential but doesn't offer the high refresh rate gamers need for fluid visuals. Meanwhile, the MSI Cyborg 15 has an adequate screen for various tasks but falls short in both color range for professional work and the high refresh rate for gaming, making it a compromise for users with mixed or less-demanding requirements.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
6.7
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,100
$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 MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.3
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
379.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a well-rounded experience for general use with its higher RAM capacity, exceptional keyboard quality, and excellent build, along with a high portability score due to its lighter weight and compact size, making it ideal for on-the-go users; it is further complemented by a good battery life and superior screen colors. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 focuses on delivering solid performance with a robust CPU and dedicated graphics unit that are well-suited for general tasks, yet it trades off some portability due to its larger size and heavier build, and has a shorter battery life with a lesser focus on screen color accuracy and speaker quality.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 with its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and AMD Radeon GPU offers robust performance for engineering and design tasks, enhanced by a high-quality IPS screen that’s both sharp and color-accurate, making it suitable for precision work in these fields.
Content Creation
7.8
7.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.2
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Cyborg 15 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 ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.78 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.59" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51.5 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 379 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 or the MSI Cyborg 15
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.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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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