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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers a larger screen and a solid processor suitable for everyday tasks and light engineering work, but has less memory than the ThinkPad Z13, which may limit multitasking and more complex applications. The ThinkPad Z13, on the other hand, is more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, has more memory for better performance in intensive tasks, a higher resolution and brighter screen for sharper images and better viewing experience, and a slightly more powerful processor which could enhance performance for engineering, 3D, or machine learning work. Both have adequate storage, touchscreens, and are priced similarly, making the ThinkPad Z13 a better choice for more demanding applications and portability, while the IdeaPad 1 15" could be favorable for those preferring a larger display and who can manage with slightly less memory. 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 IdeaPad 1 15"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.6
7.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers superior performance with a better processor and GPU for engineering and design tasks, alongside a high-quality screen with greater brightness, color space coverage, and contrast, beneficial for detailed visual work. Although the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a fair performance setup for engineering, it lacks the advanced display features and slightly lower performance specs, which makes it less optimal than the ThinkPad Z13, despite being more portable with a larger screen.
Screen Quality
6.4
7.0
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The IdeaPad 1 15" offers satisfactory visuals for everyday tasks due to its resolution and acceptable brightness but falls short for more color-sensitive work like engineering and design, and the lower refresh rate hinders gaming experiences. The ThinkPad Z13 displays sharper and more vibrant images suitable for professional tasks requiring accurate color representation, though it also isn’t ideal for 3D gaming due to its limited refresh rate. Essentially, the IdeaPad is fine for casual use, but the ThinkPad shines for color-critical work, with neither being tailored for the high refresh needs of gaming enthusiasts.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$999
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
6.1
6.3
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers fair performance for gaming and 3D applications because it has an integrated Vega 8 GPU and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which can handle casual gaming but might struggle with more demanding titles. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 also provides fair gaming capabilities with its more advanced AMD Radeon 680M graphics, higher screen resolution, and similar 60Hz refresh rate, which means it can deliver better visuals but might not fully satisfy the requirements for intensive gaming experiences.
Content Creation
7.4
7.8
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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
7.3
7.7
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$741 | $999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.57 lbs | 2.78 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 11.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.29" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 42 Wh | 51.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 379 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
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."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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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