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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 offers a premium build with a high-quality screen that's excellent for general use and has a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, making it suitable for light gaming and multimedia tasks. Its performance is solid for everyday tasks and it has a good balance of portability and battery life. However, it's priced higher and has limited upgradeability. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is more budget-friendly, providing a competitive performance for everyday tasks and good battery life. It also has a high-resolution display with a wider color gamut, which is beneficial for content creation and professional work. While it may not match the Surface Laptop's premium feel, it offers more ports for connectivity and has a more traditional aspect ratio, which some users might prefer for productivity. It's a well-rounded choice for those who need a reliable laptop for work and general use, with the added versatility of additional ports. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
- The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
- Excellent portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
7.2
13.5in
SIZE
13.3in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Cost
$1,200
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a price of $1,200 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.8
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.4
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.7
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.7
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
Very Good
Excellent
13.5in
SIZE
13.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkBook 13s to have excellent portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" | Lenovo ThinkBook 13s |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2024 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.66'' | 11.7'' x 8.3'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.04 lbs | 2.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.13" | 11.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.78" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 135H | 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 | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.5" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2256 x 1504 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 336 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.7/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 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 | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
See more
Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chin | July 2021
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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