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Lenovo ThinkPad 13-20GKS01100

Specifications

Lenovo ThinkPad 13-20GKS01100
Lenovo ThinkPad 13-20GKS01100 (ThinkPad 13 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-6200U 2 x 2.3 - 2.8 GHz, Skylake
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 520, Core: 950 MHz, 20.19.15.4326 WHQL
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2133, 1/2 slots free, up to 32 GB
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 166 PPI, LP133WF2-SPL1, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN256HCHP, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Skylake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headset, Card Reader: 4-in-1 (MMC, SD, SDHC, SDXC)
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-V (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.8 x 322.2 x 222.8 ( = 0.78 x 12.69 x 8.77 in)
Battery
42 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 3 cells, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 11.6 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD-Webcam
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, 2x 2-Watt, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 45-Watt PSU, Quick-start guide, Warranty information, Lenovo Tools, Office 365 (trial), McAfee LiveSafe (trial), OneDrive, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.436 kg ( = 50.65 oz / 3.17 pounds), Power Supply: 288 g ( = 10.16 oz / 0.63 pounds)
Price
850 Euro

 

Pricecompare

Average Score: 79.82% - good
Average of 11 scores (from 11 reviews)
price: 70%, performance: 69%, features: 59%, display: 77% mobility: 75%, workmanship: 75%, ergonomy: 89%, emissions: 90%

Reviews for the Lenovo ThinkPad 13-20GKS01100

86% Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Ultrabook Review | Notebookcheck
The perfect entry-level ThinkPad? Lenovo's new ThinkPad 13 is primarily targeted at the educational sector. The Ultrabook is supposed to combine a compact chassis with familiar ThinkPad qualities but also stay much more affordable than the business models at the same time. Does it work or did Lenovo save money at the wrong end?
70% Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Review
Source: NDTV Gadgets English Archive.org version
While you won't be able to pick this specific model up right now, we're told that refreshed ThinkPad 13s with Intel's Kaby Lake CPUs are only a few weeks from hitting our shores. You can expect the price range to be from Rs. 62,000 to Rs. 75,000, depending on the configuration you select. The best part is that the refreshed units will have backlit keyboards, something we sorely missed here. There should be variants with touchscreens too, so it's definitely worth waiting a little while.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/30/2017
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 70% performance: 70% display: 70% workmanship: 70%
73% Lenovo Thinkpad 13 Review
Source: Think Digit English Archive.org version
The Thinkpad 13 is a very practical laptop, which has been designed to be an everyday ultrabook and it serves this purpose well. However, it’s for those who want the Thinkpad brand only. If not, the Asus Zenbook Flip offers better value for your money.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 01/17/2017
Rating: Total score: 73%
90% Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Review
Source: Laptop Mag English Archive.org version
With long battery life, a sharp screen and an awesome keyboard, the ThinkPad 13 is a productivity powerhouse with an affordable price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/28/2016
Rating: Total score: 90%
80% Lenovo ThinkPad 13
Source: Laptop Mag English Archive.org version
The ThinkPad 13 is a light, portable Chromebook with an excellent keyboard and a battery that lasts throughout the workday. Its big weakness is its screen, which simply isn't vivid. If you're looking for a better display and don't need the business features, go for the Dell Chromebook 13 (starting at $429), which also has even more endurance than Lenovo's offering, with battery life over 13 hours long.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/04/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
80% Lenovo ThinkPad 13
Source: PC Mag English Archive.org version
If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive laptop that's capable of lasting the four years of a college education or a similar amount of time to write off the costs on the tax forms for your business, the Lenovo ThinkPad 13 should be at the top of your list. It's capable of surviving military-grade testing, has a speedy processor for doing real work and forward-looking technology including USB-C, and comes with Windows 10 Pro—and does it all for less than $550.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/02/2016
Rating: Total score: 80%
90% Lenovo ThinkPad 13
Source: Computer Shopper English Archive.org version
The base build of the ThinkPad 13 comes with Winddows 10 Home edition, but if you want the remote-desktop and other abilities of Win 10 Pro (including the ability to revert back to Windows 7), that upgrade is just $30. Beyond the OS and Lenovo’s helpful ThinkPad utilities, pre-installed software is nil—which we like, especially in a PC likely destined for business use.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/08/2016
Rating: Total score: 90%
79% Lenovo ThinkPad 13
Source: CNet English Archive.org version
A travel-friendly, tough business laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad 13 delivers essentials for work or school. Budget laptops get no glory and ones made for business, even less so. But, they're the ones a lot of us buy for day-to-day tasks at the office, at home or at school, so when a good one comes around, you know it because it stands out from the crowd.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/03/2016
Rating: Total score: 79% performance: 70% mobility: 70%
70% Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Review
Source: Notebookreview.com English Archive.org version
In terms of performance, the base model of the ThinkPad 13 will get enterprise users where they need to go, so long as their line of work doesn’t involve particularly heavy lifting (e.g. graphics or video editing). And while that may not sound like a ringing endorsement, that’s about as much as you can expect to get out of a machine that’s priced relatively modestly on Lenovo’s website at $611.10 MSRP. At that price, there’s a little bit of room to make an upgrade or two where you think you might need it.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/26/2016
Rating: Total score: 70%
70% Lenovo Thinkpad 13
Source: Digital Trends English Archive.org version
There’s a lot to like about the ThinkPad 13. The form factor manages to be simultaneously lightweight and sturdy, the input devices are top-tier, and the battery life is great. The ThinkPad 13 proves you can buy a good laptop for around $600. You can customize things a little, of course. If you want better performance, $150 upgrades it to an Intel Core i5-6300U processor.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/19/2016
Rating: Total score: 70%
90% Lenovo ThinkPad 13
Source: Laptop Mag English Archive.org version
The ThinkPad 13 has several key advantages that, taken by themselves, would make it an extremely compelling choice. Some would buy the laptop because it has a full-HD screen, an SSD and solid performance, all for just over $600 -- a bargain even when compared to consumer-market laptops.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/27/2016
Rating: Total score: 90%

Foreign Reviews

Lenovo Thinkpad 13 – Действуй Уже Сегодня!
Source: Notebook-Center.ru RU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Decent hardware; good IPS display; equipped SSD.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/09/2016

Comment

Model: The Lenovo ThinkPad 13-20GKS01100 is an entry-level laptop suitable for basic everyday tasks. It features up to an Intel Dual Core i5-6200U 2.8 GHz 3 MB cache CPU, 8 GB DDR3L-1600 RAM, an 256 GB M.2 SSD and an Intel HD 520 Graphics. As the laptop belongs to the ThinkPad series, it features a TrackPoint in the center of the keyboard, a unique feature of the ThinkPad family. Its matte 13,3 inch IPS FHD display features a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The Lenovo ThinkPad 13-20GKS01100 measures in at 32.24 x 22.28 x 1.98 cm (width x depth x height) and weighs 1.44 kg. Windows 10 Home Premium 64 bit is pre-installed. Thus, you do not need to buy an operating system separately. The connectivity includes an Intel Dual Band Wireless AC 8260 Combo Adapter for WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2, 3 USB 3.0 ports, an USB Type C port, a HDMI port, a microphone / headphones combo jack and a 4-in-1 card reader for MMC, SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards.

Series: Built for students, business people and also anyone with the demand of an affordable productivity laptop, “The first generation of the Lenovo ThinkPad 13 debuted in 2016 as an affordable 13-inch ultrabook with much of the traditional ThinkPad DNA, but without the traditional high price”, ComputerShopper stated. Lenovo released the 2nd generation of the ThinkPad 13 series in 2017. It is supposed to be better, and more powerful than its predecessor and should make most users somewhat satisfied. This version is upgraded to Intel Core CPUs of the 7th generation and brings new features like touch screen, backlit keyboard, and even the USB Type-C connectivity. This ultrabook is considered as a perfect everyday laptop for multi-purposes.

Design

Talking about the Lenovo ThinkPad 13’s design, the ComputerShopper commented: “The ThinkPad 13 doesn’t stray much from the matte-black ThinkPad formula, unless you opt for the silver edition that sports a brushed-aluminum lid”. Also, page GottaBeMobile showed their mind that matte black plastic dominated the outer shell of the ThinkPad 13 2017: “Even still, it is as rugged as the other ThinkPad notebooks, even if it doesn’t feel cool to the touch or high-end. When closed, the lid has just ThinkPad logo and a status indicator that lets you know when it is sleeping”. Otherwise in either shade, regarding page LaptopMag, the ThinkPad 13 weighs a reasonable 3.17 pounds, which makes it light enough to carry anywhere and quite a bit more portable than 14-inch competitors like the ThinkPad T470 with 3.5 pounds. Similarly, “The ThinkPad 13 is reasonably thin (0.78 inch) and light (3.2 pounds) for a budget ultraportable”, said ComputerShopper. Yet, there is a problem discovered by this page that desirable options push the laptop into a price range where elite 2-pound, half-inch thick devices vie for your shopping attention. As a remark of page NotebookReview, not much has changed when it comes to the second generation of Lenovo ThinkPad 13’s design: The company is still playing it safe with a tone down clean professional aesthetic. “Built to satisfy both corporate IT departments and clumsy consumers, the ThinkPad 13 can pass 12 different MIL-SPEC durability tests, including those for extreme temperatures, shocks, vibration and sand blast” (LaptopMag).

Display and Audio

About the display, Lenovo offers two options for user to choose: 1,366 x 768 or 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. As reviewed from the ComputerShopper, stepping up to the optional 1080p panel nets us 10-finger-touch interaction, Full HD resolution, and IPS technology. And on LaptopMag’s test, the ThinkPad 13’s optional 1,920 x 1,080 touch screen delivered sharp images with colors that were accurate, but not overly rich. Besides, “With an average brightness of 307 cd/m², Lenovo ThinkPad 13 (2017) takes the third place, beside Asus Zenbook UX310UA (347 cd/m²) and Dell’s XPS 13 9360 (325 cd/m²)”, page NotebookCheck evaluated. Functionally speaking, NotebookReview supposed that the Lenovo ThinkPad 13’s display was more than satisfactory, but wasn’t exactly ideal for media consumption, and while the color accuracy is solid, saturation is a bit muted and the brightness is somewhat lackluster at 243 nits. Meanwhile, LaptopMag showed another perspective that if we were not watching a pitch-black scene, the display was more than bright enough and colors didn’t fade out, even at 90 degrees to the left or right: “Though most touch screens have glossy panels that reflect a lot of light, the ThinkPad 13’s panel is completely matte”. However, as an evaluation on page NotebookReview, the Lenovo ThinkPad 13’s screen should perform well enough under normal conditions, but we can’t expect perfect visibility outdoors on a sunny day.

Commented about the sound of the ThinkPad 13 (2017), the reviewer on page ComputerShopper said: “The down-firing stereo speakers also do a credible job of delivering enough volume to share around a table, if the machine is placed on a solid surface”. In the same viewpoint, the reviewer from LaptopMag remarked positively that the ThinkPad 13’s dual, front-mounted speakers delivered surprisingly good audio output that was loud enough to fill a medium size room. Lastly, for NotebookCheck, “The sound could muffle audibly on soft surfaces. A hint of stereo can be perceived thanks to their positioning. Overall, the sound of both speakers is quite decent and much better than some older ThinkPads”.

Keyboard and Trackpad

According to Computershopper, the full-size, island-style keyboard on the ThinkPad 13 is second to none in its price class: “The slightly cupped keytops make it easy to slide from one key to the next to hit your marks, and the pressure required to tap a key is spot on”. Particularly, with a deep 2 millimeters of travel and a 63 grams of the force, LaptopMag stated that the ThinkPad 13’s non-backlit keyboard had one of the snappiest, most tactile responses the reviewer had experienced. But because it’s thicker than some of the Lenovo’s other machines, as a review on page GottaBeMobile, there’s more travel for each key: It’s still comfortable but can sometimes feel a tad mushy in case we are not used to it.

“The new touchpad is also pretty darn good. Granted, it’s on the small side compared to the pad on other laptops these days; that’s the trade-off required to accommodate the TrackPoint’s dedicated buttons. But the pad’s low-friction surface is very responsive” (quoted from ComputerShopper). Page NotebookReview also left a comment that the modest size touchpad felt great to use: The smooth frictionless travel, allowing for excellent control and precision. Moreover, this page added that by equipped ELAN drivers, the pad also offered top notch performances, as swipes, clicks, and multi-finger gestures all read flawlessly. And the 2.1 x 3.5 inch, button-less touchpad, following a remark of LaptopMag, was also extremely accurate: “Using Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad driver, the pad handled with Window 10 gestures such as pinch-to-zoom, three finger swipe and four finger tap flawlessly”. On the contrary, the reviewer from page GottaBeMobile said that the touchpad and Trackpoint are as solid as they usually are in other ThinkPads: “I did find myself adjusting the sensitivity of the trackpad. Its default setting didn’t feel that responsive to me”.

Performance

Similar to the display, there are two options of the CPU for users to choose depending on their purposes: the Intel Core i3-7100U or the Intel Core i5-7200U/7300U. Base memory is 4 GB of DDR4 RAM, upgradable to 8 GB or 16 GB. The one and only graphics option is the Intel HD Graphics 620 silicon that is integrated into the Kaby Lake Core-i CPUs (ComputerShopper described the Lenovo ThinkPad 13’s main features). “With its Core i3-7100U, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD, our review configuration of the ThinkPad 13 offered just enough performance for basic multitasking and productivity tasks. When I had over a dozen tabs open in Chrome and was typing this review in Google Docs, I didn’t notice any lag at all”, remarked by LaptopMag. NotebookCheck comments that Lenovo ThinkPad 13 (2017) is a pure office device, and consequently the performance of the integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics unit is only enough to render older games, such as “BioShock”, in minimum settings smoothly. Nevertheless, NotebookReview advised users who want more competitive specs to consider scaling up the Intel Core i5 model with 8 GB of DDR4: “The augmented model will result in a nice boost to over performance and it hits a pretty nice sweet spot between performance and price at around $1000”.

Emissions

Generally, during daily activities this notebook is silent, as a review of GottaBeMobile: There’s no gentle hum of a fan when checking email or browsing the web; and more laptops need to be this quiet. According to NotebookCheck, “The casing’s temperature without load is rather inconspicuous. Hot spots are not visible and everything is within an acceptable range with a maximum of 25.6 Celsius degrees. However, the tide turns during maximum load, and it is not only the internal temperatures that climb.“

Battery Life

Discussing the battery issues, the ComputerShopper gave their opinion that the ThinkPad 13 lasted for 12 hours and 11 minutes on looping a video - a locally stored MP4 file containing the full The Lord of the Rings trilogy - with screen brightness set at 50 percent and volume at 100 percent until the system conks out. LaptopMag also recorded that the ThinkPad 13 lasted a strong 9 hours and 8 minutes on the LaptopMag Battery Test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi. This page evaluated: “That time is well above the ultraportable average of 8:14 and the Asus Pro B9440’s mark of 8:26”. “To test battery life, we use Futuremark’s PowerMark benchmark in balance mode. The test consists of a combination of automated web browsing, word processing, gaming and video playback workloads” (NotebookReview’s statement). As a consequence, the Lenovo ThinkPad 13 ran for 6 hours and 5 minutes before shutting off. That means users should be able to expect close to a full day charge with the Lenovo ThinkPad 13, with the battery lasting well over eight hours.

Verdict

In summary, “Thanks to its durable, lightweight design, snappy keyboard and plethora of ports, Lenovo’s ThinkPad 13 is good for business, college students or anyone who wants a productivity machine that costs around $1000 or less” (LaptopMag). With this ultrabook, I suppose that Lenovo made a good laptop aiming to a specific segment with the extremely reasonable price along with the decent features. Even though there are some minor flaws, such as: its display is a bit dim, or the backlit keyboard should be standard option, this notebook still has outstanding details which could make users pleased, like the over 12 hours of battery life, good keyboard, the lightweight, or even an affordable productivity powerhouse. As the final verdict for this laptop, page ComputerShopper concluded: “With its ThinkPad keyboard, rugged shell, and excellent touchpad, the ThinkPad 13 could be an attractive choice for students and small business buyers in stepper-up configurations, as well”.

Press Review by Capuchino Saber

Intel HD Graphics 520: Integrated GPU (GT2) with 24 EUs found on some Skylake CPU models (15 W ULV series).

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.


6200U: Skylake-based ULV dual-core processor for thin notebooks and ultrabooks. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 520 GPU and is manufactured in 14 nm.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.


13.30":

There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.

The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.


Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.

In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.

In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.


79.82%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.


» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

 

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Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

HP Spectre 13-v001ns
HD Graphics 520, Core i7 6500U
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 Chromebook
HD Graphics 520, Core i5 6300U

Devices with the same GPU

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Lenovo Ideapad 330-15IKB-81DC00HKSP
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
HP 15-bs523ns
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.9 kg
HP 250 G6 1XN28EA
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.9 kg
Medion Akoya S6421-MD61009
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.9 kg
Dell Latitude 14 7414-9R2J5
HD Graphics 520, Core i5 6300U, 14.00", 3.6 kg
Asus Vivobook X507UA-EJ215T
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.68 kg
Toshiba Satellite Pro R40-C-132
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 14.00", 1.75 kg
Lenovo V110-15IKB-80TL01B2GE
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.9 kg
HP 15-bs007ns
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
Acer Extensa 2540-312E
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
HP 14-bp021nd
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 14.00", 1.46 kg
HP 14-bp020nd
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 14.00", 1.46 kg
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-310J
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
Asus P541UA-GQ1859T Pro Light
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2 kg
Lenovo Ideapad 320-15ISK-80XH01F0SP
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
Asus VivoBook Max X541UA-GQ1246T
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2 kg
Lenovo Ideapad 110-15ISK-80UD01AWPB
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2 kg
Lenovo Ideapad 110-15ISK-80UD019RSP
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.3 kg
HP 15-bs504ns
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.9 kg
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-388S
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.4 kg
HP 15-bs503ns
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.91 kg
Lenovo Essential V110-15ISK-80TL00A9SP
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 1.9 kg
HP 15-bs091ns
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.1 kg
Fujitsu Lifebook E556
HD Graphics 520, Core i3 6006U, 15.60", 2.2 kg
Current Prices
Stefan Hinum, 2016-05- 5 (Update: 2019-04-30)