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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with a lower midrange price, is often less expensive than the MSI Prestige 15. It offers better portability, a slightly smaller but higher resolution display with a touchscreen, and longer battery life, making it suitable for general use, especially if mobility and battery are priorities. However, the MSI Prestige 15, with its midrange price, comes with a dedicated graphics card, a larger screen, and is typically more suitable for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and casual gaming, despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life. Both laptops have the same RAM and storage, but the Prestige 15's higher color coverage may appeal to creatives needing color accuracy. 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
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 15
- The MSI Prestige 15 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13.
Key differences
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
60Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 15 for general use, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Prestige 15 have high-resolution displays with bright panels, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. Both laptops offer wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation for professionals in engineering and design who rely on precise color work. However, their screens lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D modeling, leading to a less optimal experience in these areas.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 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
3.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the MSI Prestige 15 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
7.8
7.5
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
379.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a balance optimized for general use with a powerful CPU, sufficient RAM, high-quality screen, and robust battery life, all packaged in a highly portable form. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 15 also features a strong CPU and ample RAM, complemented by a larger screen and dedicated graphics, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life, all of which influence its suitability for general use tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.3
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Prestige 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 with its AMD Radeon 680M GPU is suitable for casual gaming and basic 3D applications, offering a standard screen refresh rate and good screen quality, but it may not handle high-end gaming or complex 3D tasks as well as dedicated gaming systems.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.2
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Prestige 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD Ryzen CPU and AMD Radeon GPU, offers strong performance and a higher-quality screen, particularly for tasks where touch functionality and color accuracy are essential, while the MSI Prestige 15 steps up with an Nvidia GTX GPU suited for graphics-intensive applications but has a slightly lower screen color accuracy and no touch screen. Although both have equal RAM, the MSI is less portable due to a larger form factor and heavier weight, but it compensates with a longer battery life, while the Lenovo has a more compact and lighter build but a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.8
7.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Prestige 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
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Prestige 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.
Cost
$1,000
$1,044
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Prestige 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 | MSI Prestige 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,044 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14.1'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.78 lbs | 3.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.59" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 9.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51.5 Wh | 82 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 379 nits | 298 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.1/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Prestige 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | December 2022
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 or the MSI Prestige 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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