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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip, consider your main needs. If you are looking for a more portable and budget-friendly option with solid performance for general use, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is a great choice as it's lighter and less expensive. However, if your work involves engineering, 3D rendering, or you need a more powerful machine with better graphics capabilities, you might prefer the MSI Summit E16 Flip despite its higher price and additional weight. Also, if a larger screen and longer battery life are crucial to you, the MSI Summit E16 Flip will be the better option. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.0
8.0
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a sharp resolution and commendable brightness which benefits general tasks and design work, but it lacks high refresh rates needed for smooth 3D gaming experiences. The MSI Summit E16 Flip boasts similar attributes with strong color accuracy that aids engineering and design endeavors, yet it also falls short for gaming due to its inadequate refresh rates. Both laptops excel in offering vibrant displays for productivity and creative work, but neither is optimized for the demanding refresh requirements of gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip has 8 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
4.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,600.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
379.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 delivers commendable CPU and RAM capabilities for efficient general use, combined with a high-quality screen, light weight, and a substantial battery life that complements its portability. On the other hand, the MSI Summit E16 Flip offers a larger and higher resolution touchscreen with a dedicated GPU, more storage, and versatile 2-in-1 functionality, though it's heavier and has less battery longevity, making it slightly less portable but more suited for demanding applications.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.8
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD Radeon 680M graphics, is less suited for gaming and 3D applications than the MSI Summit E16 Flip, which has a superior Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz compared to the ThinkPad's 60Hz, both factors being very important for a smooth gaming experience. Additionally, the MSI's higher resolution and CPU performance contribute to better screen quality and somewhat better processing capabilities, essential for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.7
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both good for engineering and design.
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.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
7.6
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 | MSI Summit E16 Flip |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.78 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.59" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51.5 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 379 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
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 | 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 Summit E16 Flip
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | October 2022
"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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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