Lenovo ThinkBook 13s (Gen 2) evaluation: Finances ThinkPad
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 specs
Value: $729 ($819 as reviewed)
CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7
GPU: Iris Xe
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD
Show: 13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel touchscreen (16:10)
Battery: 9:13
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
Measurement: 11.8 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
Weight: 2.8 kilos
If the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the Cadillac of enterprise laptops then the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 is a Chevy. It is cheaper, much less thrilling however, given the worth distinction, extra sensible for most individuals. Geared towards small and medium enterprise homeowners, the ThinkBook 13s strips away luxurious options discovered on pricier fashions and focuses on issues most. To that finish, powering this 13-inch laptop computer are speedy eleventh Gen Intel Core processors with Iris Xe graphics. Quick efficiency (except for the sluggish SSD) is coupled with spectacular {hardware}, together with a colourful high-res show and a sturdy aluminum chassis.
Nevertheless, for each leap ahead, the ThinkBook 13s takes a couple of steps again. Whereas its Core i5 CPU is speedy, the 256GB SSD is sluggish, and the two,560-by-1,600-pixel 16:10 touchscreen could be unbelievable if it weren’t so dim. Then there may be the port choice, which is nice however missing an SD card reader. These flaws may be neglected, however the shallow keyboard is the thorn within the facet of anybody who has typed on a ThinkPad earlier than. Nonetheless, the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 is a strong possibility for individuals who need a high quality enterprise laptop computer at an affordable worth.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 worth and configurations
The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 is back-ordered on many web sites, together with Lenovo.com, on the time of writing. Amazon, CDW, Lenovo and some others inventory the ThinkBook 13s so we suggest procuring round to see the place it’s out there (Amazon at present has 2-day delivery on some configs).
These on a decent finances can go for the $729 base mannequin, which has a Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The mannequin I reviewed prices $819 and comes with a 13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel touchscreen together with a Core i5-1135G7, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. For $977, you may improve to a Core i7-1165G7 CPU and a 512GB SSD.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 design
There is not a lot to say concerning the ThinkBook 13’s design. It’s a grey anodized aluminum slab with giant dark-gray ThinkBook branding on the lid and a Lenovo T-shirt tag brand on the sting. Look intently and you will spot a refined dual-tone divide throughout the decrease half of the lid. I want Lenovo had gone a step additional as a result of the colour variations are virtually indiscernible.
Open the ThinkBook and you will be greeted by extra “Mineral Grey” surfaces on the deck. Chrome trim across the touchpad, energy button (which doubles as a fingerprint sensor) and the outer fringe of the lid add some class to a somewhat generic design.
It might not seem like a lot, however the ThinkBook feels nice. Its chunky sandblasted surfaces are strong and the only bar-style hinge retains the lid from wobbling if you faucet on it. Higher but, the display folds again flat so you may get the proper angle when the laptop computer is on bumpy surfaces.
Considerate options not discovered on different laptops embrace the entrance lip, which makes it straightforward to open the lid with one finger (your different hand nonetheless wants to carry the bottom down). I additionally like the massive, simply identifiable fingerprint sensor, and the “ThinkBook” branding on the entrance edge reveals Lenovo is not solely pleased with its ThinkPads.
The ThinkBook 13 is not any X1 Carbon in terms of portability. At 2.8 kilos and 11.8 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches, the Lenovo is about the identical measurement because the HP Envy 13 (12.1 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches) and Apple MacBook Air (12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches, 2.8 kilos) and predictably smaller than the 14-inch HP EliteBook 840 G7 (12.7 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches, 3 kilos).
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 safety and sturdiness
Safety measures defending your delicate knowledge from leaving the ThinkBook 13 embrace a fingerprint sensor embedded within the energy button. The massive round floor is simple to identify and makes logging into Home windows 10 Professional a breeze.
One other essential function is the TPM 2.0, a chip that protects encryption keys and credentials from unhealthy actors. It is such an vital protection mechanism that Microsoft made it a requirement for upgrading to Home windows 11 when the OS arrives later this yr.
There is no such thing as a IR digicam for facial recognition, however a sliding webcam cowl brings peace of thoughts when your video name ends.
And also you need not fear concerning the ThinkBook when it is within the palms of your little one or on a climbing journey as a result of it handed a dozen military-grade sturdiness assessments.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 ports
Port choice is first rate, however lacking a couple of vital elements together with an SD card reader.
On the left facet are a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C charging port, an HDMI enter and a headphone jack subsequent to an LED energy indicator.
On the best facet, you will discover two USB 3.2 Sort ports and a Kensington lock slot.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 show
There’s a lot to like concerning the ThinkBook’s 13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel touchscreen (WQXGA) show, however a low max brightness is a fly within the ointment. As for the great, the 13-inch panel has a 16:10 facet ratio for extra vertical house if you’re crunching numbers or studying net pages. Additionally, the between-1080p-and-4K decision makes even effective particulars look sharp, and the panel is lots colourful for if you’re enjoyable off the clock.
I loved watching the trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage on the ThinkBook 13. Particulars had been so sharp that I might learn a wished poster pinned to a wall behind detective Mulligan and see the tendons in Carnage’s hideous physique. Colours had been comparatively vivid as properly; ketchup spraying throughout Tom Hardy’s face added a lighthearted pop of scarlet to an in any other case gloomy clip. I simply want the display had been brighter to higher showcase these hues. At the very least the matte end helps with out of doors viewing.
Based on our colorimeter readings, the ThinkBook 13s’s panel covers 86% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut, making it extra colourful than these on the MacBook Air (81%), Envy 13 (80%), EliteBook 840 G7 (78%) and the laptop computer common (80%).
These vibrant tones do not get the highlight they deserve as a result of the ThinkBook can solely attain 267 nits of brightness, properly under the 356-nit common. It’s also dimmer than the Envy 13 (361 nits), the MacBook Air (366 nits) and the EliteBook 840 G7 (378 nits).
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 keyboard and touchpad
Mood your pleasure — that is no ThinkPad keyboard. It jogs my memory of the Yoga 9i besides even shallower. The low-profile keys really feel stiff, and subsequently, do not provide the similar satisfying bounce-back you are rewarded with on a ThinkPad.
But when velocity issues greater than consolation then you definately may not thoughts. These backlit keys have a low actuation pressure so that you need not apply a lot stress earlier than shifting on to the following letter, and a faint “click on” lets when a keystroke has been registered.
The keys are properly sized and spaced and the format does not throw any curveballs (the Fn and Ctrl keys are even within the appropriate place!). My solely gripe is that the arrow keys aren’t organized in an inverted-T so discovering them by contact is not as easy.
I typed at 109 phrases per minute with a 95% accuracy charge on the 10fastfingers.com typing check, each of which match my typical averages.
The 4.1 x 2.7-inch touchpad is on the smaller facet and I do not love the textured end — silky glass is my most popular floor. Nonetheless, executing Home windows 10 gestures like pinch-to-zoom was a cinch. Those that depend on the pointing stick to maneuver the cursor must splurge on a ThinkPad for that little rubber nub.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 audio
One other compromise made to maintain the ThinkBook 13’s worth down is utilizing twin audio system positioned on the underside panel versus the quad setup on fashionable ThinkPad fashions. The audio produced by the ThinkBook 13s is first rate, but it surely will not exchange a correct set of laptop audio system. After I listened to Foxing’s “Go Down Collectively” the vocals had been crisp and the devices balanced however the presentation appeared distant, particularly when the audio system had been on a flat floor. At max quantity, the audio system crammed my bed room with out distorting however needless to say instrumentally complicated songs sound claustrophobic at excessive volumes.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 efficiency
The Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU and 16GB of RAM within the ThinkBook 13s dealt with my each day workload with ease so don’t fret about lacking out on a Core i7 processor until you want absolutely the quickest speeds. I loaded 20 Google Chrome tabs, 4 of which performed 1080p YouTube movies whereas one other pair ran Twitch streams within the background. The ThinkBook was fast on its toes; I solely observed the slightest hesitation loading sure webpage graphics and that was as I streamed the ladies’s Olympic soccer last between Canada and Sweden.
On the Geekbench 5.4 general efficiency check, the ThinkBook 13s scored a 5,363, ending forward of the EliteBook 840 G7 (4,357, Core i7-10810U) and Envy 13 (4,930, Core i5-1135G7). The class common sits just under the Lenovo at 5,251.
It took the ThinkBook 12 minutes and 21 seconds to transform a 4K video to 1080p decision utilizing the Handbrake app. This earned it the silver medal forward of the EliteBook 840 G7 (15:29) and Envy 13 (17:29) but it surely fell behind the MacBook Air (9:15). Every of those notebooks outpaced the premium laptop computer common (13:06).
Crippling in any other case strong efficiency is the ThinkBook 13’s sluggish 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD, which duplicated a 25GB file at a charge of 244.3 megabytes per second. We anticipate such pedestrian tempo from a finances laptop computer, not one meant for enterprise customers. For comparability, the EliteBook 840 G7 (554.9 MBps, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD) and Envy 13 (256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD) waltzed previous the ThinkBook, which did not hit the common (661.5 MBps).
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 graphics
Intel Iris Xe built-in graphics are an enormous enchancment from the UHD graphics of previous, supplying you with sufficient oomph to rapidly export 4K information or stream high-res movies. That stated, it nonetheless does not exchange a devoted graphics card for enjoying fashionable video games at excessive graphics settings.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm at 1080p was barely playable on the ThinkBook, operating at 32 frames per second (a body faster than the common). That is, nonetheless, an enormous enhance from the Iris Xe and UHD graphics within the Envy 13 (18 fps) and EliteBook 840 G7 (12 fps).
We obtained comparable outcomes operating the 3DMark Fireplace Strike check, during which the ThinkBook 13s scored 4,172, properly forward of the Envy 13 (3,709) and EliteBook 840 G7 (1,291). The common, lifted by gaming laptops, is 9,252.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 battery life
In a yr when enterprise laptops are acing our Laptop computer Magazine Battery Check, the ThinkBook 13s scores a B-. The laptop computer lasted for 9 hours and 13 minutes throughout steady net searching with the display set to 150 nits.
Sadly, that will get it a last-place end in opposition to the EliteBook 840 G7 (9:23), Envy 13 (11:15) and MacBook Air (14:41). The Lenovo did, at the least, beat the class common of 8:33.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 webcam
Any hope that the additional house afforded by the webcam notch would convey higher image high quality was dashed once I opened the digicam app. Darkish, grainy, and all the opposite adjectives used to explain your fundamental 720p laptop computer webcam apply right here.
My shirt was extra orange than crimson in a selfie I snapped and the dearth of element meant my beard seemed like a brown blob. If there’s one saving grace, it is that the digicam did a superb job of exposing the daylight streaking in by means of a window behind me. Nonetheless, you’ll want to use an exterior webcam for convention calls.
Lenovo ThinkBook Gen 2 warmth
The underside of the ThinkBook 13s ran heat in our warmth check, hitting 104 levels Fahrenheit after we performed a 15-minute, 1080p video. Fortuitously, the factors of contact together with your pores and skin — the keyboard (92 levels) and touchpad (82 levels) — stayed under our 95-degree consolation threshold.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 software program and guarantee
Resourcefully bundled right into a single app, Lenovo’s in-house instruments may be accessed inside the Lenovo Vantage software program. Right here, you will discover system specs, guarantee data, a fast hyperlink to downloading the newest drivers and BIOS, and a dashboard together with your reminiscence, processor and storage utilization.
Put in on the ThinkBook 13s is Home windows 10 Professional with a couple of pre-installed apps courtesy of Microsoft. These embrace Groove Music, Paint 3D and Xbox Sport Bar.
The ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 ships with a one-year guarantee. See how the model fared in our Tech assist showdown and Greatest and worst manufacturers particular stories.
Backside line
The ThinkBook 13s is a wise possibility for enterprise customers on a decent finances. For lower than $1,000, you get a modern aluminum chassis, quick efficiency, a high-res 13.3-inch show and an honest port choice. There are some downsides, just like the shallow keyboard and card slot omission, however these may be resolved with equipment.
In the event you can stretch your finances for a ThinkPad X1 Carbon, we suggest you do it. Lenovo’s flagship is the perfect enterprise laptop computer round for a purpose. Not solely is it lighter than the ThinkBook, but it surely has quad audio system, a a lot better keyboard and lengthy battery life. However don’t fret if you do not have the funds as a result of the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 makes for a pleasant different.
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