19 Nov
Blog

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 Review: An E-Ink Experiment

Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen 2 review

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2

RRP $ 1,696.00

"The Lenovo ThinkPad Plus Gen 2 is just fast enough for productive users and has reasonable battery life, but its e-ink display stands out as a unique and useful feature."

advantages

  • Innovative e-ink panel

  • Excellent IPS main display

  • Very good keyboard and touchpad

  • Good build quality

  • Thin and light

disadvantage

  • Expensive

  • There is a lack of performance

  • Insufficient connectivity

If you're an avid reader like me, e-ink is magical. You will likely appreciate the way e-ink makes reading more comfortable, while causing far less eye strain and putting a minimal drain on battery life.

But is there any application that goes beyond simple e-readers? Lenovo has been at the forefront of experimenting with e-ink, and its latest creation embeds a 12-inch e-ink display right on the lid of a laptop called the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2. The laptop is an upgraded version of the thin and light ThinkBook 13x, a device for small businesses.

I tested a high-end configuration of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 with a Core i7-1160G7 and a 13.3-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) display that came at a premium price of US $ 1,696 -Dollars is being sold. Like the ThinkBook 13x, it is a bit overpriced for a basic business laptop. However, the e-ink screen may be worth the premium for anyone looking to read e-books, write notes on a more comfortable display, or take lots of notes without running out of battery.

E Ink display

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 in e-ink mode.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

We'll start with the e-ink display, because that's what sets this laptop apart, of course. It's a 12-inch panel compared to the previous generation's 10.8-inch version – it takes up more space on the lid, with large bezels that would have looked normal on a standard display just a few years ago. The e-ink screen is 16:10 like the main display and sharp at the same WQXGA resolution.

It's also not backlit, so like all e-ink screens, it can only be used with direct lighting. There will be more to that shortly, but in general, it's a good thing. It's designed to protect your eyes from the blue light that standard displays emit and, in theory, make it less tiring to use for long reading sessions.

In order to be able to use the e-ink display comfortably, I needed a lot of ambient light.

The e-ink display works just like the one you find on the Amazon Kindle and other specialty e-book readers. Its image is made up of tiny black and white particles that electronically align themselves in the right direction to create a grayscale image. As such, the display will freeze until it is updated, which takes noticeably time and causes the typical warping effect you get with the technology. This makes the display suitable, for example, for showing documents and other information, for reading e-books and for taking notes. It doesn't work well for watching video or any other thing that requires a fast refresh rate.

When the laptop is idle or turned off, the static image offers some personalization – you can choose your own wallpaper that will become the aesthetic of the lid. When enabled, by default you will be presented with a number of panels of customization information, such as: B. Your Outlook calendar (if configured), the weather, a notebook, and customizable buttons to open supported applications.

I was able to add and run every application I had installed on the laptop, including the full suite of Office apps, Google Chrome, and the Kindle reader for PC, although not every application works well with e-ink technology. Gaming is certainly out of the question, and you should avoid apps that require immediate response to input.

If I bought the laptop, I would upgrade to Windows 11, join the Windows Insider Program, and install the Android version of the Kindle app. That would give me a huge e-book reader that is as good as a Kindle without lighting.

The e-ink display of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 in tablet mode. Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

And for me there is the catch. In order to be able to use the e-ink display comfortably, I needed a lot of ambient light. My home office, which is normally lit by indirect sunlight, did not have enough light by default. I had to actively turn on a lamp just above the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2's e-ink display to get a clear view of the image. It's the same with my Kindle Paperwhite, where the lights are switched off and don't knock on the e-ink display itself. It's just that the technology requires good lighting, and that limits its usefulness.

If you want to take something to the beach at the same time (in a plastic bag or something to protect it from the sand) the display looks amazing in direct sunlight. In fact, that's one of the e-ink display's greatest strengths. It gives you something to use when outside or in an unusually bright setting. Standard laptop displays are rarely bright enough to beat the Southern California sun, and I can imagine using the e-ink display on such occasions for things like email triaging, web browsing, and of course, e-booking. To use reading.

draft

Close-up of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 webcam.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 shares an almost identical case with the ThinkBook 13x, a thin and light brother of the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2. Chassis. The ThinkBook 13s is a bit more solid than the other two, which have a slight bend in the lid, while the keyboard deck and lower case are solid. This bending is a little more worrying about the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 given its e-ink display.

The Dell XPS 13 is an example of a more rugged 13-inch laptop, as is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 benefits from the same military durability tests as all ThinkBook and ThinkPad laptops.

In terms of size, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 and ThinkBook 13x are equally wide and deep thanks to identical 16:10 13.3-inch displays with small bezels. The ThinkPad 13x is slightly thinner at 0.51-inches and lighter at 2.49 pounds than the 0.55-inch and 2.56-inch ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 – likely due to the e-ink display. The ThinkBook 13s is only slightly thicker at 0.59 inches and heavier at 2.78 pounds.

The XPS 13 is slightly smaller in width and depth, measuring 0.58 inches and 2.8 pounds, while the ThinkPad X1 Nano is slightly thicker at 0.68 inches and the lightest of them all at 2.14 pounds. If you're sticking an e-ink screen onto a clamshell laptop, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 is a relatively thin and light candidate.

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 has almost identical aesthetics to the ThinkBook 13x, with slightly tapered edges on the sides and a rounded back edge on the case. It's the darker Storm Gray color compared to the silver Cloudy Gray on our Thinkpad 13x test device, and it has a comfortable, soft coating on the keyboard deck that the ThinkPad 13x lacks. Overall, the design is tasteful and no-nonsense, following a current trend towards minimalist designs that I noticed.

Of course, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 does not share the two-tone lid of the ThinkBook 13x, but instead has the E-Ink display. The XPS 13 is slimmer and more elegant, but the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 stands out even more thanks to its unique lid.

Two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 and a 3.5 mm audio jack on the left side of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2.

Power button on the right side of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2.

Just like the ThinkBook 13x, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 is a challenge when it comes to connectivity. There are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 and a 3.5mm audio jack, and that's it. It's the same unfortunate compromise in connectivity that is required to produce a thinner case. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 offer wireless connectivity. An interesting option that is available on certain models (and not on my test unit) is wireless charging. These versions come with pogo pins on the bottom of the case connected to a $ 200 wireless charging kit – just place the laptop on the pad and you can charge without plugging it in. That is a nice comfort.

power

Like the ThinkBook 13x, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 is equipped with an energy-saving 11th generation Intel Core CPU, in this case the Core i7-1160G7. It also runs with up to 15 watts compared to the 28-watt Core i7-1165G7, which is more popular in thin and light laptops. That promises longer battery life, but slower performance. I didn't notice any slowdowns during my tests, but my verification process isn't very demanding. The 16GB of RAM and swift 512GB SSD helped keep things moving, and that's how I found the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 fast enough for most productivity workers.

My benchmark results weren't impressive. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 took third place in Geekbench 5, ahead of the ThinkBook 13x and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable. The Handbrake result, which reflects how long it takes to encode a 420MB video as H.265, was the last time, although the results improved from 303 seconds to 206 seconds when I used the Lenovo utility to switch from standard to performance mode – faster but still behind the pack.

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 took penultimate place in the Cinebench R23 test, beating only the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, and its multi-core test jumped from 3,949 to 4,254 when I enabled performance mode. In the PCMark 10 Complete Benchmark, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 was more competitive and took third place. The results were decent in both the essentials and productivity areas of the benchmarks and not as competitive in the content creation area.

Overall, the benchmarks confirmed my subjective experience: The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 is fine for a reasonable productivity workflow, but demanding users and particularly creative professionals will want to look for their primary laptop elsewhere. As with the ThinkBook 13x, Lenovo chose a low-power CPU to better fit into the thinner case, and it was a poor compromise.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 (Core i7-1160G7) 1396/5115 303 1377/3949 4861 1580
Lenovo ThinkBook 13x (Core i5-1130G7) 1337/4863 271 1282/4037 4590 1363
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (Core i5-1135G7) 1406/5379 178 1357/5502 4668 1511
Lenovo ThinkPad X12 detachable (Core i5-1130G7) 1352/4796 185 1125/3663 4443 926
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1185G7) 1549/5431 204 1.449 / 4.267 3,859 1,589
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (Core i7-1165G7) 1327/5201 170 1469/4945 5147 1776
Samsung Galaxy Book (Core i5-1135G7) 1401/5221 175 1361/5391 4735 1584
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (Ryzen7 5700U) 1184/6281 116 1287/8013 5411 1247

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 does surprisingly well in the 3DMark Time Spy test. However, that didn't carry over to our Fortnite test, which only managed 18 frames per second (fps) at 1200p and epic graphics. This is not a gaming laptop.

Main display

I mentioned that the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 and ThinkBook 13x are almost identical outside of the former's e-ink display, and I noticed this similarity when I started working with the main 16:10 IPS display. It looked the same to me, with the same high resolution, the same dynamic and natural colors and the same deep contrast (for an IPS display). I couldn't tell the two apart when I looked at them side by side.

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 has an excellent IPS display that creative types can operate in no time at all.

According to my colorimeter, these are actually the same panels. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 was bright at 418 nits, had a slightly above average color width at 76% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB, very accurate colors at a DeltaE of 1.03 (1.0 or less is excellent) and a strong contrast at 1,440 :1. The ThinkBook 13x achieved 417 cd / m², the same color width, a DeltaE of 1.04 and a contrast of 1,430: 1. Lenovo has opted for an excellent display for both devices. The 4K display of the Dell XPS 13 was equally good with 420 cd / m², 79% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB, an accuracy of 1.3 and a contrast of 1,360: 1.

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 has an excellent IPS display.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 has an excellent IPS display that creative types can operate in no time at all. The colors aren't wide enough to be a full-time creative laptop, but the colors are accurate and the contrast is high enough for less demanding developers to get some work done. It's more than good enough for productive users, and Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) support makes for great Netflix and Amazon Prime Video bingeing.

Two downward facing speakers handle audio, and I found them to be a bit louder on the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 than on the ThinkBook 13x – but not by much. The mids and highs were nice and clear with no distortion, but the bass was missing. Headphones would be preferred for enjoying Netflix and listening to music, but the sound quality was fine for the occasional YouTube video.

Keyboard and touchpad

Close-up of the keyboard and pen on the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo has two keyboards that it uses on most of its laptops, the iconic version of the ThinkPad range and the equally recognizable, but not quite as famous, version on laptops like the IdeaPad and ThinkBook. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 has the latter keyboard, of course, and it has the same molded keycaps, wide key spacing, and snappy switches that make for a comfortable floor movement. There isn't much travel, however, which makes the keyboard a little less suitable for long typing sessions than the HP Specter and Dell XPS series keyboards.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has an upgraded version of the same basic keyboard with even faster switches, and it's unfortunate that it didn't make it into the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2. The three-level backlight is bright and consistent, but it's the lowest setting, and the keyboard is splash-proof with call buttons for video conferencing – two small business nods to it.

The touchpad is just big enough to be comfortable, with a non-slip surface that enables sensitive and precise swiping. It's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, which means all Windows 10 multi-touch gestures are supported. The display was touch and pen capable and supported the Lenovo active pen that comes with the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 and docks in a slot on the right side of the case. The pen isn't as convenient to use on the main display, but it works well with the e-ink panel and allows for taking notes that look a lot more like ink on paper.

Use the pen to draw a line on the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Passwordless login under Windows 10 Hello is provided by a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button. It worked well during my tests and helps wake up the laptop and log in with the lid closed, which activates the e-ink display. Notice that a dialog box appears on the e-ink panel offering you to continue working or to put the laptop to sleep when you close the lid. It's a nice touch that makes it easy to switch to e-ink mode.

Battery life

The e-ink display of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 offers 52 watt hours of battery life, a little less than the 56 watt hours of the ThinkBook 13s and another compromise in favor of a thinner case. Inside is a low-power processor but a high-resolution display so I wasn't sure what battery life to expect. My impressions were also influenced by the results I saw on the similarly configured ThinkBook 13x, which were downright mixed.

In our web browser test, which ran through a number of complex websites, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 lasted 7.75 hours, about 40 minutes less than the ThinkBook 13x. That's not a bad score, but we see more thin and light laptops exceed 10 hours on this test. The ThinkBook 13s lasted 9.3 hours, the Dell XPS 13 4K was worse with 6.3 hours.

In our video test replaying a local 1080p movie trailer, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 only achieved 12.75 hours, less than the 15.57 hours of the ThinkBook 13x and more than the 10.5 hours of the Dell XPS 13. Note that the ThinkBook 13x played very choppy videos during the test, suggesting that it may not have booted up enough to get a smooth video and thus wrongly increased its score. The ThinkBook 13s lasted 13.4 hours in the video test.

I also used the PCMark 10 Applications battery test to see how the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 fares as a productivity device. It reached 9.25 hours which is a good score close to the 10 hours we want to see in this test. The ThinkBook 13x lasted 8.5 hours, while the ThinkBook 13s reached 11.5 hours and the XPS 13 4K 8.7 hours. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which shows how hard a laptop works when not connected, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 lasted 2.25 hours, less than the 2.75 hours of the ThinkBook 13x and about the same the ThinkBook 13s. The XPS 13 4K reached 3.5 hours, which suggests it throttles quite a bit during the test, but I didn't notice any chops in its video.

All in all, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 had decent battery life for a thin and light laptop. It should get you through a full day of work which is the standard we like to see. Obviously, using the e-ink display gives you significantly longer battery life, although our benchmark suite isn't designed to test this display technology.

Our opinion

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 is simply judged to be a thin and light notebook and doesn't offer any convincing features to recommend it. It's very similar to the ThinkBook 13x in that regard – yes, it's slightly thinner and lighter than its bigger brother, the ThinkBook 13s, but it's also slower, has less battery life, and lacks the connectivity of the larger device. Those are unfortunate compromises for just a tiny bit less thickness and weight.

Throw in the e-ink display, however, and that changes the dynamics. It's not for everyone, but if you are an e-ink lover and want to use your laptop in bright light environments while taking a break from your eyes, then this is a great feature. It offers just enough value to make the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 a standout laptop for those looking to take advantage of this unique feature.

Are there alternatives?

If you don't care about the e-ink display, the ThinkBook 13s is the better choice. It's less expensive and does the same small business features, it's faster with better battery life, and has better connectivity. There are two versions to choose from, with the Gen 2 running with either Intel or AMD or the slightly updated AMD Gen 3-only model.

Again, the Dell XPS 13 remains a better alternative if you aren't interested in the e-ink panel. The XPS 13 isn't more expensive but has a superior and better looking build, is faster and more durable depending on the display, and you get the option of an incredible 3.5K OLED display.

If a convertible 2-in-1 is more your thing – and you don't care about the e-ink display either – then the Specter x360 14 from HP is a good option. It looks even better, has an excellent 3K OLED display in the preferred aspect ratio of 3: 2, and is better built. You spend the same money but get more value.

How long it will take?

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 has enough build quality that you can be confident that it will last for years and its components are state-of-the-art. The one-year warranty is always disappointing and care should be taken with the e-ink display.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you use the e-ink panel for longer reading and note-taking sessions. It's a competent thin and light laptop with some tradeoffs, but the e-ink display beats it.

Editor's recommendations



17 Nov
Blog

Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Review: Thinner, Lighter, Less Capable

The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x sits at an angle on a desk /

Lenovo ThinkBook 13x

RRP $ 2,000.00

"The Lenovo ThinkPad 13x is a small business notebook that costs more than it's worth."

advantages

  • Thin, light and durable housing

  • Very good IPS display

  • Competent productivity performance

  • Good keyboard and touchpad

disadvantage

  • Inconsistent battery life

  • Insufficient connectivity

  • Way too expensive

Lenovo's ThinkPad series offers a wealth of company-specific features that make them great business laptops for businesses. But for many smaller businesses and remote office workers, a ThinkPad is overkill.

This is where the ThinkBook comes in – it contains a handful of features that appeal to small businesses and avoid costly extras. We tested the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 and found it a solid choice for its target market. With the ThinkBook 13x, Lenovo has now introduced a new version that promises the same features in a thinner and lighter case.

I tested the next entry-level version of the ThinkBook 13x with a Core i5-1130G7 and a 13.3-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS touch display, which is currently at $ 2,000. That's significantly more money than the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 ($ 780) and the AMD-based ThinkBook 13s Gen 3 ($ 1,340) that Lenovo also recently released. Yes, the ThinkBook 13x is a bit thinner and lighter, but at the cost of too many compromises and at a price that is far too high.

draft

The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x is tilted backwards.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ThinkBook 13x looks very similar to the ThinkBook 13s. It has a silver chassis (Lenovo calls it Cloud Gray, but a darker Storm Gray is available) with tapered edges on the sides and a rounded rear edge. It's a very minimalist design – something I've been seeing a lot more lately – with an aesthetic flourish that is a two-tone finish on the lid that is attractive and helps the laptop not to get boring. It's not as streamlined and sleek as the Dell XPS 13, but the ThinkPad 13x has its own unobtrusive charm.

Thanks to a combination of an aluminum lid and an aluminum-magnesium alloy housing, the ThinkPad 13x is robust. The lid bends a little under sufficient pressure, but the keyboard deck and the lower chassis resist bending. It is almost on par with the ThinkPad 13s and just behind the XPS 13 and Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Nano.

Lenovo subjected the ThinkBook 13x – like all ThinkBooks and ThinkPads – to military tests for durability. This is one of those business features that you won't find in Lenovo's consumer products. Lenovo has also added its self-healing BIOS, a feature usually found on ThinkPads, to ensure easy recovery from a corrupted or hacked BIOS. That's also something the company's consumer laptops don't have.

As mentioned earlier, the ThinkBook 13x is primarily intended to be a thinner and lighter version of the ThinkBook 13s – including the newer AMD-based Gen 3 version, which has the same dimensions as the Gen 2. Both laptops are almost identically wide and deep, thanks to the minimal bezels around their larger 16:10 displays.

But the ThinkBook 13x is 0.51 inches thick and weighs 2.49 pounds compared to the ThinkBook 13s at 0.59 inches and 2.78 pounds. This is a significant difference, but it is questionable whether it is enough to warrant serious compromises (more on that later). The XPS 13 is a little less wide and deep, measuring 0.58 inches and 2.8 pounds, and the ThinkPad X1 Nano is thicker at 0.68 inches but even lighter at 2.14 pounds.

On the left side of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x there are two USB-C ports and a headphone jack.

Power button on the right side of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x.

Connectivity is severely limited with just two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 (one of which is used to charge the laptop) and a 3.5mm audio jack. That's it – no HDMI, no USB-A, no SD card reader. This is a shame for a business laptop.

The ThinkBook 13s, on the other hand, has two out of three, with a full-size HDMI and two USB-A ports. Such limited connectivity is not worth a savings of just 0.08 inches thick.

The latest connectivity standards Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 take care of the wireless tasks.

power

The bezels and the webcam of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x up close.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

My test device was the 11th with the Intel Core i5-1130G7. It also runs at slower clock speeds, which means it should achieve better battery life, but performance suffers. The ThinkBook 13x appeared to be pretty fast during my testing and as I wrote this review, but its benchmark results indicated that it was power efficient. You can also choose a Core i7-1160G7, which should be a bit faster, while the 16GB of RAM in my test unit is the maximum that is available.

In Geekbench 5, the ThinkBook 13x was the second slowest in our comparison group – only the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable with the same CPU was slower. The ThinkBook 13x does particularly poorly in our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video as H.265. However, when I used Lenovo's utility to switch from Smart Cooling mode to Extreme Performance mode, the laptop completed the test in a more competitive 196 seconds. Oddly enough, our handbrake test was the only one where switching to performance mode made any significant difference.

Looking at the rest of our benchmarks, the same trend persisted. The only outliers were the PCMark 10 Complete Score, in which the Dell XPS 13 performed worse, and the 3DMark Time Spy test, in which the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 with Radeon graphics was slower. Perhaps most notably, the ThinkBook 13x was slower than the thicker and heavier ThinkBook 13s Gen 2, which means you are trading performance for minimal size and weight reductions when choosing between these otherwise similar devices.

Despite these benchmark results, the ThinkBook 13x offers reasonable productivity performance. I didn't notice any slowdowns during my fairly typical productivity workflow. Discerning productivity users and creative professionals won't be happy, but the ThinkPad 13x will be fast enough for most users.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
Lenovo ThinkBook 13x (Core i5-1130G7) 1337/4863 271 1282/4037 4590 1363
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 (Core i5-1135G7) 1406/5379 178 1357/5502 4668 1511
Lenovo ThinkPad X12 detachable (Core i5-1130G7) 1352/4796 185 1125/3663 4443 926
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1185G7) 1549/5431 204 1.449 / 4.267 3,859 1,589
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (Core i7-1165G7) 1327/5201 170 1469/4945 5147 1776
Samsung Galaxy Book (Core i5-1135G7) 1401/5221 175 1361/5391 4735 1584
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (Ryzen7 5700U) 1184/6281 116 1287/8013 5411 1247

The ThinkBook 13x has Intel Iris Xe graphics, but is a bit slower than the full-speed U-series machines. His 3DMark Time Spy score was the second slowest among Intel computers, only managing 16 frames per second (fps) at 1200p and epic graphics in Fortnite.

This is a few fps slower than the comparison group, but doesn't make a huge difference. Neither of these are gaming laptops, and the ThinkBook 13x is no different. Stick to older titles or prepare to reduce the resolution and graphics quality significantly.

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Close-up of the display of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo has recently switched to larger displays, and the ThinkBook 13x benefits from a 16:10 13.3-inch panel. It runs at a high resolution, namely WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600), which makes it extremely sharp. I found it to be quite bright, with attractive and natural colors and a deep contrast for an IPS display. Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) support made for pleasant Netflix and Amazon Prime Video bingeing.

When I put on my colorimeter, my subjective impressions were verified. The display of the ThinkBook 13x is very bright at 417 cd / m², well above our 300 nit threshold, and offers an excellent contrast of 1,430: 1, significantly better than our preferred 1,000: 1. With 76% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB, its colors were only slightly above the average of the premium notebook, with an accuracy of DeltaE 0.97 (anything below 1.0 is considered excellent).

The display of the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 couldn't keep up and achieved a brightness of 274 nits, a contrast ratio of 920: 1, 77% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB and an accuracy of 1.65. However, the Dell XPS 13 4K display was almost as good with 420 nits of brightness, a contrast ratio of 1,360: 1, 79% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB, and an accuracy of 1.3.

The ThinkBook 13x benefits from a high-quality IPS panel that offers an excellent display for productive work. Creative professionals will want wider colors, but given the high contrast and exceptional color accuracy of the ThinkBook 13x display, it can work even for creative professionals in a pinch. The display is one area where the ThinkBook 13x is better than the 13s.

Two downward facing speakers take care of audio tasks, and they barely produce adequate volume when turned all the way up. There was no distortion, however, and the mids and highs were clear. Bass was lacking, so headphones are a must-have for streaming video and audio.

Keyboard and touchpad

Image of the keyboard and trackpad of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ThinkBook 13x has the same keyboard found on all Lenovo laptops without a ThinkPad. It enjoys molded keycaps with a lot of clearance and a familiar layout, but there isn't much wiggle room. The switches are snappy, with a noticeable floor movement, but not as precise as the HP Specter range of keyboards or Dell's XPS. I also found the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro keyboard even snappier thanks to newer switches that apparently weren't used here.

The keyboard is of course backlit, has three brightness settings (one of which is barely visible) and it's also splash-proof – another of those business features that Lenovo has removed from the ThinkPad range to differentiate the ThinkBook from its consumer laptops . Another nod to business users are call buttons on the keyboard for managing video conferencing.

The touchpad is medium in size and takes up most of the space on the palm rest. It has a slightly grippy surface that provides tactile feedback when swiping, and the Microsoft Precision touchpad support means that all multi-touch gestures are well supported by Windows 10. The keys were light, clicky, and quiet. The touch display responded too, and I was glad to see it.

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by a fingerprint reader built into the power button on the right side of the case. It was quick and responsive, and I found it convenient to turn on the laptop and log in. There's a physical ThinkShutter switch that blocks the webcam, which is common on Lenovo laptops.

Battery life

The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x sits upright on a desk /Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The battery capacity decreased slightly from 56 watt hours for the ThinkBook 13s to 53 watt hours for the ThinkBook 13x. Both have high-resolution displays and the ThinkBook 13x has a less powerful processor. I had expected the same or maybe a little better battery life from the thinner and lighter model.

I didn't get it, at least not consistently. Instead, I saw battery results that were somewhat exceptional. In our web browsing test of the cycles through some complex websites, the ThinkBook 13x managed almost 8.5 hours, compared to the ThinkBook 13s with 9.3 hours. These are average values, but we like to see 10 hours or more on this test.

In our video test replaying a local 1080p movie trailer, the ThinkPad 13x lasted a solid 15.75 hours, much better than the ThinkBook 13s, which got around 13.4 hours. These are both strong stats, but we don't usually see that big a discrepancy between the web and video tests. I noticed that the video was choppy at times during the ThinkBook 13x test, which meant the laptop wasn't running fast enough to play the video smoothly, which certainly added to its endurance. For a further comparison, the Dell XPS 13 4K only managed 6.3 hours in the web test and 10.5 hours in the video test.

In the PCMark 10 Applications battery test, which is the best indicator of battery life, the ThinkBook achieved 13x 8.5 hours, less than the average of more than 10 hours we saw in this test. The ThinkBook 13s reached 11.5 hours and the XPS 13 4K reached 8.7 hours. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, the ThinkBook 13x lasted 2.75 hours, which is slightly more than two hours longer than the ThinkBook 13s and 3.5 hours less than the XPS 13 4K. This test seems to show how hard a laptop works on battery power, and the ThinkBook 13x seems to be quite throttling. That would help explain the choppy video.

Overall, the ThinkBook 13x should get you through a full day if your productivity load isn't too high. But you might want to have your charger handy just in case. And if you want your video bingeing to go smoothly, you should turn on Performance Mode which is likely to cut your viewing time significantly.

Our opinion

The ThinkBook 13x is a difficult notebook to evaluate. In and of itself, it's a nice little machine that's thin and light enough to toss in a backpack and barely even notice it's there. However, it's only 0.07 inches thinner and only 0.29 pounds lighter than the ThinkBook 13s, which shares the same design, basic features, better performance and battery life, and more ports. Are these tiny differences in thickness and weight enough to justify the tradeoffs?

I do not think so. The ThinkBook 13x doesn't offer enough to recommend it over its bigger brother, especially at the current price of $ 2,000. If it were as light as the ThinkPad X1 Nano and cheaper, it might make more sense, but it looks like the ThinkBook 13s is a better choice.

Are there alternatives?

I've already said it: the ThinkBook 13s is a superior alternative. It provides far better value for small business users with greater expandability, faster performance, and better battery life. For a little more money, you can go with either AMD or Intel in the Gen 2 version, or AMD just with the slightly updated Gen 3 model.

The Dell XPS 13 is another solid choice. Yes, you forego the military tests on durability, but the XPS 13 is undoubtedly quite durable, and you also lose the spill-resistant keyboard and self-healing BIOS. But you get a better built, faster, more stylish, and all around better laptop.

Finally, the HP Specter x360 14 is an excellent option if you are considering a convertible 2-in-1. It looks better, is faster, and has superior construction, and its OLED display is spectacular, with deep black colors and wide, accurate colors.

How long it will take?

The ThinkBook 13x is built well enough to promise years of service and its components are state-of-the-art. As usual, the one-year warranty is disappointing, especially for a notebook aimed at small business users who may need extended support expect.

Should you buy it?

No. The ThinkBook 13x is a nice laptop, but it's incredibly overpriced right now and just doesn't justify buying it against its (very marginally) bigger brother, the ThinkBook 13s, even at a more reasonable price.

Editor's recommendations



04 May
Blog

Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2: A Small Business Laptop

lenovo thinkbook 13s gen 2 review gen2 1

Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2

"The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 offers solid performance at a solid price."

  • Fast productivity performance

  • Good battery life

  • Solid build quality

  • A few welcome security extras

  • Attractive aesthetics

  • Flat keyboard

  • The touchpad could be bigger

  • Bad graphics performance

Lenovo's first attempt at building a laptop specifically for small businesses – the ThinkBook 13s – stalled a bit. It was a serviceable 13-inch machine, but it didn't have many tangible benefits for the target market. Now it's the second round that the company is releasing the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2, which aims to bring the laptop up to date.

I have a mid-range configuration of the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 priced at $ 819 with an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), and a 13.3-inch model tested 16:10 IPS display with WQXGA resolution (2560 x 1600).

Lenovo managed to iron out some of the obvious shortcomings of the original, making the ThinkBook 13s a solid option for buyers buying a laptop under $ 1,000.

design

The original ThinkBook 13s was a very conservatively designed laptop that lacked outstanding aesthetic features – and it looks more like Lenovo's consumer line than the business-minded ThinkPads. The Gen 2 model looks similar, but Lenovo has made some important changes. First, the bezels are much thinner and look more modern when the lid is open. Second, the lid now has an anodized aluminum area that creates a slight two-tone effect on top. It looks great and spices up what is otherwise an ordinary looking silver laptop. It's not as sharp as non-business laptops like the Dell XPS 13 or the HP Specter x360 14, but it has its own laid-back charm.

These thinner bezels make for a laptop that, despite its larger display that tends to make a laptop deeper, is smaller in all dimensions than its predecessor. It's not as small as the XPS 13, which has even smaller bezels, but it's a good size for a 13-inch laptop. This time it's also thinner at 0.59 inches compared to 0.63 inches and lighter at 2.78 pounds compared to 2.9 pounds. That's almost identical to the 0.58-inch, 2.8-pound XPS 13. While the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 feels bigger than the XPS 13, it's still a fairly small and lightweight laptop for the class.

Another improvement over the previous model is the longevity feel of the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2. Both passed the Mil-spec 810G test, but the newer model has fewer bends in the lid and bends in the keyboard deck. This time everything is aluminum, too, while the original uses aluminum in the lid and an aluminum-magnesium alloy in the bottom. I find the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 to feel just as sturdy as the XPS 13, which is kudos as the latter is a standard for well-built laptops.

Lenovo Thinkbook 13s Gen 2 Review Gen2 3

Lenovo Thinkbook 13s Gen 2 Review Gen2

After all, connectivity is a strength with a caveat. There is only one USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support. While this is a good thing, it is also used to power the laptop and therefore cannot be used to connect a peripheral without a dock. You can, however, connect an external display thanks to the full-size HDMI 2.0b port, also on the left. There is also a 3.5 mm audio jack next to it. On the right side there is a Kensington lock port and two USB-A 3.2 ports.

Overall, this is an improvement over the two USB-C ports on the XPS 13 that support Thunderbolt 4. It is noticeable that there is no SD card reader, which is a surprise in view of such an excess of connectivity. Wireless connectivity is cutting edge with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

performance

The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 equips an Intel Core i5-1135G7 quad-core CPU of the 11th generation with eight threads. It was a solid performer when we tested it a few times, and the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 continues that tradition.

As of GeekBench 5, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 is exactly where you'd expect it to be, slightly below the laptops with the faster Core i7-1165G7 and significantly below the Ryzen 7 5800U and the Apple M1. Note that all of the results here are obtained with performance optimization utilities set to "normal" mode. None of the laptops in the comparison group benefited much from their "performance modes" in which such a utility was available (with the exception of the XPS 13 in a test). This is a common feature that in many cases makes me wonder why such utilities all exist.

In our handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video in H.265, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 performed very well for a Core i5 and beat the Dell XPS 13 equipped with a Core i7 (the ThinkBook result in performance mode corresponded). The Asus ZenBook 13 UM325UA took the lead in this test thanks to its Ryzen 7 5800U, which is incredibly fast in multi-core processes. In Cinebench R23, a test that drives the CPU for a longer distance, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 again outperformed its class, outperforming the XPS 13 and the Porsche Design Acer Base RS, which was another fast Core i5 machine.

Next, I ran the PCMark 10 Complete benchmark, where the ThinkPad 13s Gen got a good overall score. The XPS 13 wouldn't complete this test, and the ThinkBook fell behind the Acer Swift 3X with its Core i7-1156G7. However, the Acer Swift 3X also came with Intel's Iris Xe Max graphics, which it could improve on on machines with the standard Intel Iris Xe graphics (including the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2). As with many Tiger Lake laptops, the ThinkBook did much better in the essentials and productivity areas of the PCMark 10 suite than in the content creation area. The ZenBook 13 UM325UA with its Ryzen chip was the champion here.

Geekbench
(single / multiple)		 Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23
(single / multiple)		 PCMark 10 3DMark Time Spy
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2
(Core i5-1135G7)		 1406/5379 178 1357/5502 4668 1511
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1165G7) 1540/5432 201 1449/4267 N / A 1589
Lenovo Yoga 7i (Core i5-1135G7) 1357/4246 207 N / A 4565 913
Asus ZenBook 13 UM325UA
(Ryzen 7 5800U)		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034 1342
Porsche Design Acer Base RS
(Core i5-1135G7)		 1415/5364 181 1380/4973 4682 1504
Acer Swift 3X (Core i7-1165G7) 1551/5847 158 1485/5944 5117 1889
Apple MacBook Air M1 (Apple M1) 1727/7585 N / A 1479/6880 N / A N / A

Overall, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 is a quick productivity workhorse that should keep up with all but demanding creative workflows. Lenovo meets the performance needs of small business owners and a few others.

In terms of games, the ThinkBook did well in the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark. However, this didn't result in my real test with Fortnite. The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 ran at 1920 x 1200 (I couldn't get 1920 x 1080 as an option) and only managed 18 frames per second (fps) in high graphics and 14 fps in epic graphics. Most Tiger Lake laptops achieve at least 30 fps or 23 fps. I ran the test a few times to confirm my results and I have no idea why the ThinkBook does so badly in this game.

display

The original ThinkPad 13s used a 13.3-inch 16: 9 Full HD IPS display (1920 x 1080) that was below average in brightness, colors and contrast. For the second generation, Lenovo improved its game with a larger 13.3-inch 16:10 IPS display with a WQXGA (2560 x 1600) resolution that is more productive for productivity and significantly sharper than the original in a few others improves main areas.

The brightness was not particularly high at 274 nits. We prefer 300 nits or more for good indoor visibility. For example, the Dell XPS 13 4K display has 420 nits. The ThinkPad 13s Gen 2 had wider colors than the original at 77% AdobeRGB (about five percentage points above average) and 100% sRGB. The original was 70% of AdobeRGB and 93% of sRGB, while the XPS 13 4K was slightly better with 79% of AdobeRGB and 100% of sRGB. The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2's color accuracy was good with a DeltaE of 1.65 (less than 1.0 is excellent) compared to the original at 1.4 and the XPS 13 4K at 1.21.

The new model also had a higher contrast ratio of 920: 1, close to our preferred 1000: 1. That beats the 710: 1 of the original, which was disappointing and well below average, but the Gen 2 models still couldn't match the 1360: 1 of the XPS 13 4K. Gamma came into play at 2.1, just a bit brighter than the perfect 2.2.

All in all, this was a pleasant representation. It's bigger and better for long web pages and Word documents, and its colors were pleasant without being oversaturated. The contrast was high enough that black text appeared on a white background, and with excellent support for Dolby Vision HDR, Netflix's high dynamic range (HDR) content was vastly improved. This isn't a display for creative professionals who need wide and accurate colors, but it's great for everyone else.

The sound was surprisingly loud, and the two down-facing speakers pumped out a serious volume. Unfortunately, at 100% there was some bias that detracted from the experience. If you turn the settings down a bit, you'll still get enough volume to watch Netflix without distortion, and you'll enjoy solid mids and highs, but no bass. A pair of headphones or bluetooth speakers is recommended.

Keyboard and touchpad

Another area where the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 cannot be confused with a ThinkPad is the keyboard. You can find a version here that is much closer to Lenovo's consumer-grade machines like the Yoga line, as it offers a lot less travel and a fairly jarring basic action. The key switches are very light. So if you don't want to use as much pressure to press a key you will like it, but it's almost too easy for me. I didn't find it nearly as precise as the much better keyboards found on the Dell XPS 13 and the HP Specter 2-in-1 series. The keyboard has a few special keys, including keys to start and stop video calls and a special key to access support options. You can also press a button to turn off the microphone, a plus for privacy.

Despite the larger display and relatively small bezels, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 doesn't have as much keyboard deck space as the XPS 13. This is because Lenovo needs more space above the keyboard for the hinge and power button. That said, the touchpad is a decent size, roughly the same as the XPS 13, and it's a Microsoft Precision touchpad that has reliable and precise support for Windows 10 multi-touch gestures. It's a good touchpad that matches the best you'll find in premium laptops – a plus as the ThinkPad 13s Gen 2 is significantly cheaper. In addition, my test device had an attractive touch display, which was welcome.

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by a fingerprint reader built into the power button and worked well. This is a much better solution than a standalone fingerprint reader. With the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2, you can simply press the power button to wake the device and log in. For extra privacy, you can also find Lenovo's ThinkShutter privacy panel for the webcam.

Battery life

The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 has a 56-watt-hour battery, which is significantly larger than the 45-watt-hour battery of the previous model, which only has an average battery life. Our benchmarks have changed since we checked the original, but we can make some comparisons.

First, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 lasted just over nine hours compared to the original's eight hours in our web benchmark, which runs through a number of popular websites. The newer model's score is above average, beating the 6.3 hours on the Dell XPS 13 4K. The Asus ZenBook 13 with the Ryzen 7 5800U lasted almost 16 hours with an OLED display. In our video test of repeating a Full HD Avengers trailer until the battery runs out, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 achieved almost 13.5 hours, which is slightly above average and 2.5 hours longer than the original. The XPS 13 4K lasted 10.5 hours, while the Asus ZenBook 13 lasted 15.5 hours.

I would rate the battery life of the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 as very good.

I also tested using the PCMark 10 battery test which puts a strain on the CPU and GPU (we didn't use PCMark 10 with the original model). The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 barely got it over two hours, which is below several other Tiger Lake laptops, including the XPS 13 4K, which got it almost three hours. We did not test the Asus ZenBook 13 in this test. Finally, I ran the PCMark 10 application test, which is the best indicator of productivity longevity, and the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 held up for 11.5 hours, the fourth highest score we've ever seen. The XPS 13 4K lasted around 8.5 hours, and we again didn't test the Asus ZenBook 13.

I would rate the battery life of the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 as very good. It takes a full day of productivity work when you are not using the CPU and GPU, and you may still have some time to do some evening work. This is a significant improvement over the original ThinkBook 13s, and makes the newer model much better suited for small business owners who may need to work remotely.

Our opinion

The ThinkBook 13s offers largely the same security and support as the original model, which is a definite plus for the target small business market. On top of that, however, it's also faster, has better battery life, and feels better built, which makes it a more compelling business option.

It's not thin or light enough to beat rivals like the Dell XPS 13, but it's also significantly cheaper – another boon for small business owners with cash shortages. In fact, at this price point, it's a compelling option for any laptop buyer, including consumers, who could benefit from a machine that is made to last, be fast, and have a long life.

Are there alternatives?

The Dell XPS 13 is the obvious alternative, offering the same 16:10 display in a smaller package. Performance is similar for both, and the ThinkBook offers better battery life thanks to the lower resolution display. However, Dell does offer a Full HD option which is more competitive here. The XPS 13 is hundreds of dollars more expensive, too.

If you're looking to consider a 2-in-1, the HP Specter x360 14 is a great choice. It's faster, looks better, is just as well built, and features a spectacular OLED display with incredibly deep blacks, high contrast, and wide and precise colors. It's also significantly more expensive than the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2.

How long it will take?

The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 is tough enough to provide years of productive service. It helps that the components are all up to date. You immediately receive a 1 year guarantee. However, Lenovo offers enhanced services for small business owners who need longer coverage and more durability.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The ThinBook 13s Gen 2 doesn't necessarily have more business-centric features than the original model, but it does offer improvements in key areas that small business owners will appreciate.

Editor's recommendations