Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 laptop review: One of the best subnotebooks apart from the keyboard
Models from the ThinkBook series are primarily aimed at business customers who do not want to spend the high prices of ThinkPads on their employees. The new ThinkBook 13x G4 is a compact subnotebook that may also interest individual buyers as it offers decent performance, a large battery, a high-resolution 3:2 IPS display with a matte surface and an aluminum chassis for for around $1,100.
Our test model of the ThinkBook 13x G4 bears the model number 21KR0008GE and comes with the Core Ultra 5 125H, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD storage and a 2.8K display (2880 x 1920) for $1,106.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90.1 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE Ultra 5 125H, Arc 7-Core | 1.2 kg | 12.9 mm | 13.50" | 2880x1920 | |
| 86.5 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Core | 1.2 kg | 15.3 mm | 13.40" | 1920x1200 | |
| 92.4 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2024 | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU M3, M3 10-Core GPU | 1.2 kg | 11.3 mm | 13.60" | 2560x1664 | |
| 86.6 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2024 | MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Core | 967 g | 16.9 mm | 13.30" | 2880x1800 | |
| 89.5 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2024 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 R7 PRO 7840U, Radeon 780M | 1.2 kg | 13.99 mm | 13.30" | 2880x1800 | |
| 91.9 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2023 | HP Dragonfly G4 i7-1365U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.1 kg | 16.3 mm | 13.50" | 1920x1280 |
Case - ThinkBook with aluminum chassis
Fundamentally, the design of the ThinkBook 13x G4 does not differ from its cheaper siblings as the silver-grey case has a two-tone lid with large lettering and looks very plain upon first sight. While the cheaper models, such as the ThinkBook 16 G6, usually only have an aluminum screen lid and the rest of the case is made of plastic, the ThinkBook 13x G4 also uses aluminum for the base unit. The sides of the base unit are polished and the device has a very high-quality appearance overall. The base unit is not tapered at the sides, which makes the device appear somewhat bulkier than it actually is.
Like all other models, Lenovo uses a camera hump, which looks very large here. It doesn't look nice, but at least it helps when opening the lid. Two things are noticeable when opening the lid: the very narrow screen edges and the significantly limited opening angle of a maximum of 135 degrees compared to the ThinkPads. Nevertheless, the hinges themselves are well adjusted and hold the lid securely in place apart from a minimal amount of rocking when adjusting the angle. Despite the thin design, the lid is very stable and we were unable to elicit any image errors or distortions. The stability of the base unit is excellent and only the middle keyboard area yields slightly under pressure. No creaking noises were detected. The workmanship also gives no cause for criticism.
As previously described, the ThinkBook 13x G4 appears somewhat thicker due to its design, but appearances are deceptive and at a height of just 12.9 mm, it is one of the thinnest devices in our comparison group and only undercut by the MacBook Air M3. Then again, the Lenovo laptop takes up less space on the desk than the Air M3 and is also one of the most compact models overall, so it can easily be stowed away in any bag. However, at 1.2 kg, it is also one of the heaviest devices here and the 65-watt plug-in power supply adds another 191 grams. The official data sheet also mentions a magnesium model with a weight of around 1 kg, but we were unable to find a corresponding configuration.
Equipment - 3x Thunderbolt 4
Lenovo equips the ThinkBook 13x G4 with three fast USB-C ports, including Thunderbolt 4. The positioning seems a little unusual at first, but turns out to be quite practical in practice. One of the ports is on the front right, where you can easily connect USB sticks, and the device can be charged on both sides. However, adapters are required for USB-A devices and there is no card reader either. There are optional models with Lenovo's Magic Bay connection, in which case the camera hump is thicker and equipped with pogo pins. Optional accessories such as a 4K webcam can then be connected here.
Communication
A WiFi 7 module is not yet installed in the ThinkBook 13x G4, but the well-known AX211 module from Intel is. This supports WiFi 6E as well as Bluetooth 5.3. In tests with our Asus reference router, the transfer rates were very high and stable. We also had no problems with signal stability.
| Networking | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Webcam
The 1080p webcam in the upper display frame does its job, but you shouldn't expect miracles. There is also an IR sensor for facial recognition via Windows Hello.
Maintenance
We were surprised when we opened the case: although the base plate can be easily removed, the options for maintenance are massively limited. The battery is attached to the base cover and connected to the mainboard with a ribbon cable, which is also screwed in place. This is also described in the maintenance manual, but the procedure may prove cumbersome for inexperienced users.
Input devices - Haptic touchpad, but weak keyboard
The keyboard is one of the weak points of the ThinkBook 13x G4, as the key travel is very short and the typing experience not very comfortable. The keystrokes themselves are precise and not too loud, but if you type a lot and are used to a keyboard with greater key travel, you should test the input before buying if possible. The layout is straightforward and there is now also a co-pilot key, although the vertical arrow keys are quite small. A two-stage white backlight, which can also be activated automatically via a sensor, is available.
A haptic touchpad is available for pointer control, which provides feedback via vibration motors. This works very well, but the clicking noise could be a little quieter. The advantage of this solution is that you can click anywhere on the pad and get the same feedback. The gliding properties of the glass surface are excellent. At 12 x 7.5 cm, there is enough space for movements/gestures.
Display - 2.8K IPS with 120 Hz
Lenovo forgoes an OLED screen on the ThinkBook 13x G4 and instead installs a high-resolution IPS panel in 3:2 format. Thanks to the resolution of 2880 x 1920, all content is very sharp and the colors vivid, even if not at OLED level. Overall, the subjective picture quality is very good, as bright areas do not appear grainy and movements benefit from the increased frequency. The absence of PWM flickering is also a major advantage and the response times are also inconspicuous. Both the brightness and the color temperature are automatically adjusted via a sensor.
The average brightness is 513 cd/m² and the black level slightly higher at 0.38 cd/m², but this still results in a very good contrast ratio. Halos are not a major problem and the panel also supports HDR content, but the maximum brightness is still 540 cd/m².
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 539 cd/m²
Contrast: 1418:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86, calibrated: 0.7
ΔE Greyscale 2.2 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
67.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE LEN135WQ+, IPS, 2880x1920, 13.5" | Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 SHP1593, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.4" | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU IPS, 2560x1664, 13.6" | MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo ATNA33AA07-0, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.3" | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 ATNA33AA02-0, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.3" | HP Dragonfly G4 Chi Mei CMN13C0, IPS, 1920x1280, 13.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 4% | 28% | 33% | 33% | 3% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 65.5 | 69.4 6% | 98.4 50% | 99.9 53% | 99.7 52% | 68.4 4% |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.3 | 97.8 1% | 99.9 3% | 100 3% | 100 3% | 98.3 1% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 67.7 | 71.7 6% | 87.9 30% | 97.8 44% | 97.3 44% | 70.4 4% |
| Response Times | -87% | -70% | 92% | 88% | -112% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 27.3 ? | 43.2 ? -58% | 34.5 ? -26% | 1.54 ? 94% | 2.1 ? 92% | 48.8 ? -79% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 12.8 ? | 27.6 ? -116% | 27.2 ? -113% | 1.44 ? 89% | 2.2 ? 83% | 31.3 ? -145% |
| PWM Frequency | 240 ? | 60.1 ? | ||||
| Screen | -40% | 1% | -11% | 7% | -9% | |
| Brightness middle | 539 | 429 -20% | 525 -3% | 404 -25% | 372 -31% | 408.8 -24% |
| Brightness | 513 | 407 -21% | 506 -1% | 407 -21% | 375 -27% | 399 -22% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 90 1% | 92 3% | 98 10% | 99 11% | 90 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.38 | 0.28 26% | 0.42 -11% | 0.32 16% | ||
| Contrast | 1418 | 1532 8% | 1250 -12% | 1278 -10% | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.4 | 2.6 -86% | 1.4 -0% | 2.1 -50% | 0.88 37% | 2.02 -44% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.5 | 6.6 -89% | 2.8 20% | 4.3 -23% | 3.22 8% | 3.84 -10% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.7 | 1.4 -100% | 0.61 13% | |||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.2 | 4 -82% | 2 9% | 1.2 45% | 1.2 45% | 2.3 -5% |
| Gamma | 2.19 100% | 2.23 99% | 2.2 100% | 2.16 102% | 2.18 101% | 2.2 100% |
| CCT | 6710 97% | 7332 89% | 6876 95% | 6465 101% | 6326 103% | 6203 105% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -41% /
-37% | -14% /
-4% | 38% /
20% | 43% /
29% | -39% /
-21% |
* ... smaller is better
The display is already well adjusted ex works and our analysis with the professional CalMAN software (X-Rite i1 Pro 2) only shows a minimal blue cast, which is not noticeable in practice. All colors are already below the important DeltaE-2000 threshold of 3 compared to the sRGB reference color space, so calibration is not absolutely necessary. We were able to improve the display somewhat with our own calibration (the corresponding profile is available for free download above) and also eliminate the minimal color cast. The sRGB color space is almost completely covered, so the ThinkBook is suitable for video and image editing.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 8.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 30 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 27.3 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 12.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 14.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 34 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.3 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8437 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The bright and matte IPS panel performs very well outdoors, although direct sunlight and its reflections (see image) should of course be avoided. There are also no issues with viewing angle stability.
Performance - Core Ultra and up to 32 GB RAM
Interestingly, Lenovo only offers the ThinkBook 13x G4 with the Core Ultra 5 125H or with the Core Ultra 9 185H, but the popular Core Ultra 7 155H is not available. You also have to choose the Core Ultra 9 to upgrade from 16 to 32 GB of RAM, both of which come with moderate surcharges.
Testing conditions
As usual, Lenovo offers various power modes and, unlike the ThinkPad models, these are not directly linked to the Windows power settings. The profiles can either be switched via the pre-installed Vantage software or the Fn+Q key combination. We have listed the corresponding TDP values in the table below. For our tests, we used the Auto profile, which is active by default.
| Power mode | TDP | CB R23 Multi | Time Spy Graphics | max. fan volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery saver | 44 -> 18 watts | 5,536 points | 2,471 points | 33.9 dB(A) |
| Auto | 51 -> 28 watts | 9,194 points | 3,248 points | 40.7 dB(A) -> 36.8 dB(A) |
| Performance | 51 -> 35 watts | 12,188 points | 3,382 points | 42.5 dB(A) |
In performance mode, the processor runs significantly longer at 51 watts, while in auto mode it is only a few seconds. If you need maximum CPU performance, this mode is worthwhile. For less demanding tasks in everyday life, you can use battery saver mode without hesitation and benefit from quieter fans.
Processor - Core Ultra 5 125H
The Core Ultra 5 125H in our test device belongs to Intel's current Meteor Lake generation and offers two performance cores less than the widely used Core Ultra 7 155H. The four existing P-cores also achieve a lower maximum clock rate of up to 4.5 GHz. In the ThinkBook, the processor consumes up to 51 watts for a few seconds before stabilizing at 28 watts, which can be clearly seen in our Cinebench loop. This level of performance is perfectly sufficient for everyday tasks, but the results are not really good and the Core Ultra 5 doesn't stand a chance against a Zen4 processor from AMD. Apple's passively cooled M3 also offers better performance, both in single and multi-core tests. In battery mode, the processor can also consume up to 51 watts, but then quickly drops to 25 watts, which is why the performance here is slightly lower than in mains operation (-4%). Further CPU benchmarks are available in our tech section.
Cinebench R15 Multi Sustained Load
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU -9! | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE -1! | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 -2! | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (9194 - 14564, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (1555 - 21812, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (358 - 2165, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (1549 - 1735, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (3673 - 5618, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (579 - 8541, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (622 - 664, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (128 - 826, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (1700 - 2245, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (327 - 3345, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (72.4 - 322, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (235 - 251, n=6) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (159 - 2271, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (228 - 364, n=6) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (11668 - 77867, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (0 - 0, n=2) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2643 - 6442, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (4663 - 5136, n=6) | |
| Geekbench 6.4 / Multi-Core | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2244 - 17489, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (11087 - 11749, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Geekbench 6.4 / Single-Core | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (960 - 3820, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (2199 - 2316, n=6) | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (9696 - 10856, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2557 - 17218, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (726 - 2350, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (1593 - 1699, n=6) | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (9.7 - 16.7, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.97 - 25.1, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (38.5 - 220, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (42.7 - 70.9, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.403 - 1.456, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (0.4898 - 0.53, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (1135 - 32888, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (8430 - 13639, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5218 - 123315, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (43652 - 70880, n=6) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (444 - 5287, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (2047 - 3404, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (77892 - 79986, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (10579 - 115682, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (744 - 18418, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (6588 - 7851, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (3341 - 65433, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (21210 - 35321, n=6) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (45524 - 108402, n=6) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (638 - 161430, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (594 - 994, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (164.9 - 1379, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (610 - 17495, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (4345 - 7221, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (45724 - 49844, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (6569 - 64588, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
System Performance
In everyday use, the ThinkBook 13x G4 is a fast laptop that processes all inputs without noticeable delays. The benchmark results are in line with expectations and we experienced no issues with system stability during tests.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (4993 - 7788, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (6194 - 6463, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (9363 - 11406, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (9427 - 10697, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5435 - 10623, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (7042 - 8000, n=6) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (8198 - 9506, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5305 - 12442, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (365 - 2038, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (1522 - 1633, n=5) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (364 - 1918, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (1432 - 1594, n=5) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (372 - 2396, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (1683 - 1765, n=5) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (1171 - 1520, n=5) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (312 - 1899, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (156 - 482, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (245 - 263, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (132 - 348, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (227 - 240, n=5) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (560 - 595, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (265 - 1104, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 6293 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (67482 - 87473, n=6) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (14554 - 109035, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (70520 - 76803, n=6) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15948 - 122210, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15709 - 117898, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (63162 - 72443, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (127.3 - 184.8, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (7.2 - 187.8, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latency
In our standardized latency test (web browsing, 4K YouTube playback, CPU load), our test device shows no limitations with its current BIOS version. Although one of the drivers shows a spike, the important "interrupt-to-process-latency" value is low.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage devices
Lenovo installs a compact M.2-2242 SSD with a PCIe 4.0 connection, which in our test device comes from Samsung (PM9C1a) and offers a storage capacity of 512 GB. After the first start-up, 422 GB remains. The transfer rates are okay, but performance does not remain stable under prolonged load. In everyday use, however, this has no effect, as performance is still sufficient (over 3.3 GB/s). Further SSD benchmarks are listed here.
* ... smaller is better
Sustained Read Performance: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card - Arc Graphics with 7 Xe cores
In conjunction with the Core Ultra 5 125H, the slower integrated Intel Arc Graphics with 7 Xe cores is used. Thanks to the fast RAM, graphics performance is very good overall and hardly differs from laptops with the faster 8-core variant that we have tested so far. This also applies to the Dell XPS 13 9340 and MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo. The ThinkPad Z13 Gen2 with the AMD processor and the Radeon 780M is also outperformed in the synthetic tests.
The Radeon 780M still has a slight advantage in the gaming benchmarks, but the ThinkBook 13x G4 is once again ahead of the supposedly faster Dell XPS 13 and MSI Prestige 13. We also did not notice any issues with frame drops during gaming. In general, many older or less demanding titles can be played smoothly at medium to high details in 1080p. With modern titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, however, things get tight, and in addition to reduced resolution or reduced details, upscaling technologies should also be used here.
Graphics performance remains stable under prolonged load and in battery mode. Further graphics benchmarks are available in our tech section.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 11306 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 7500 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 3498 points | |
Help | ||
| Blender / v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (241 - 1127, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Average Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU (391 - 671, n=6) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Blender / v3.3 Classroom METAL | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (103 - 237, n=5, last 2 years) | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
* ... smaller is better
| Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 -1! | |
| Average of class Subnotebook | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (8.5 - 43.7, n=46, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (7.81 - 53, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (11.9 - 44.2, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (17.7 - 70.7, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (13 - 99.5, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (20.7 - 97.1, n=62, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE | |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | |
| Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 | |
| HP Dragonfly G4 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 | |
Witcher 3 FPS chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 116.9 | 106.4 | 32.4 | 14.8 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 126 | 80 | 45 | 23.4 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 93.8 | 83 | 68.4 | 64.9 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 59.8 | 33.4 | 25.3 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 52 | 40.1 | 34.2 | |
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 64 | 37 | 35 | 31 |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 141 | 68 | 54 | 44 |
| F1 23 (2023) | 58.7 | 53.5 | 37.3 | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 23.2 | 19.8 | 16.6 | 14.8 |
Emissions - Excellent speakers
Noise
The two fans usually remain very quiet or deactivated in everyday use and are not bothersome at all, even under high load. We only recorded a maximum value of 40.7 dB(A) for a short time before the fans leveled off at 36.8 dB(A). In performance mode, the maximum is 42.5 dB(A) and 33.9 dB(A) in battery saver mode. No other electronic noises, such as coil whine, were detected.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.5 / 24.5 / 27.1 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 33.3 / 40.7 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.5 dB(A) | ||
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE Arc 7-Core, Ultra 5 125H, Samsung PM9C1a MZAL8512HDLU | Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 Arc 8-Core, Ultra 7 155H, Micron 2550 512GB | MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo Arc 8-Core, Ultra 7 155H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 Radeon 780M, R7 PRO 7840U, SK hynix BC901 HFS001TEJ4X164N | HP Dragonfly G4 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1365U, Micron 3400 MTFDKBA512TFH 512GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -4% | 2% | -5% | 8% | |
| off / environment * | 24.5 | 25.1 -2% | 23.4 4% | 25.1 -2% | 23.3 5% |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.5 | 25.1 -2% | 23.4 4% | 25.8 -5% | 23.5 4% |
| Idle Average * | 24.5 | 25.1 -2% | 26.9 -10% | 25.8 -5% | 23.5 4% |
| Idle Maximum * | 27.1 | 25.1 7% | 26.9 1% | 28.3 -4% | 26.8 1% |
| Load Average * | 33.3 | 37.4 -12% | 32 4% | 28.3 15% | 27.2 18% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 36.8 | 42.5 -15% | 32 13% | 44.8 -22% | 32.7 11% |
| Load Maximum * | 40.7 | 42.5 -4% | 40.3 1% | 44.8 -10% | 35 14% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Lenovo has the surface temperatures of the ThinkBook 13x G4 well under control. The device practically does not heat up at all when idling and under low load, and there is only one hotspot where we measure more than 40 °C under load. This is on the top of the base unit above the keyboard, where you don't touch the device anyway. The maximum temperature on the underside is 39 °C, so you can place the device on your thighs without issue, even under load. In the stress test with combined CPU/GPU load, the SoC quickly stabilizes at 28 watts and remains at this level.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.1 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.2 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.3 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.1 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35 °C / 95 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.3 °C / 84.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.2 °C / 82.8 F (-1.1 °C / -1.9 F).
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU | Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Core iGPU | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU Apple M3, Apple M3 10-Core GPU | MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Core iGPU | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, AMD Radeon 780M | HP Dragonfly G4 Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 4% | 7% | 6% | 2% | 1% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 43.1 | 41 5% | 44.3 -3% | 40.9 5% | 46.2 -7% | 38.6 10% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 39.2 | 43.5 -11% | 43.4 -11% | 40.4 -3% | 48.4 -23% | 40.4 -3% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 28.3 | 25.3 11% | 22.3 21% | 25 12% | 23.2 18% | 28.2 -0% |
| Idle Bottom * | 28 | 25.5 9% | 22.1 21% | 25.5 9% | 23 18% | 29 -4% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
The ThinkBook 13x G4 offers four speakers consisting of two tweeters and two woofers with 2 watts each, which results in excellent sound quality. Here, the ThinkBook can even hold its own against the MacBook Air 13. The bass is somewhat limited compared to larger multimedia laptops, but the result is still very good given the size of the chassis.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (8.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 97% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 2% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 97% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 12% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 85% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 7% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 0.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (1.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy management - Long runtimes
Power consumption
Our consumption measurements show no surprises and, as expected, the high-resolution and bright panel requires slightly more power than the XPS 13 with the 1080p screen, for example. At a maximum of 8.9 watts in idle mode, the consumption is not too high. Under maximum load, the device briefly reaches the limit of the 65-watt power supply, but drops to ~45 watts after just a few seconds and then remains at this level.
| Off / Standby | 0.49 / 0.57 Watt |
| Idle | 5.4 / 7.8 / 8.9 Watt |
| Load |
49.4 / 68.8 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE Ultra 5 125H, Arc 7-Core, Samsung PM9C1a MZAL8512HDLU, IPS, 2880x1920, 13.5" | Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Core, Micron 2550 512GB, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.4" | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU M3, M3 10-Core GPU, Apple SSD AP0512Z, IPS, 2560x1664, 13.6" | MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Core, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.3" | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 R7 PRO 7840U, Radeon 780M, SK hynix BC901 HFS001TEJ4X164N, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.3" | HP Dragonfly G4 i7-1365U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Micron 3400 MTFDKBA512TFH 512GB, IPS, 1920x1280, 13.5" | Average Intel Arc 7-Core iGPU | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 13% | 28% | 14% | 1% | 14% | -20% | 7% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 5.4 | 3.8 30% | 1.95 64% | 4.5 17% | 5.8 -7% | 4.1 24% | 6.88 ? -27% | 4.27 ? 21% |
| Idle Average * | 7.8 | 7 10% | 8.7 -12% | 8 -3% | 6.2 21% | 7.5 4% | 9.02 ? -16% | 7.37 ? 6% |
| Idle Maximum * | 8.9 | 7.3 18% | 8.9 -0% | 8.7 2% | 12.7 -43% | 8.2 8% | 12.2 ? -37% | 9.06 ? -2% |
| Load Average * | 49.4 | 52.6 -6% | 34.3 31% | 36.1 27% | 27.2 45% | 35.5 28% | 51.4 ? -4% | 45.6 ? 8% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 44.4 | 38.3 14% | 28.6 36% | 29.7 33% | 54.1 -22% | 37.5 16% | ||
| Load Maximum * | 68.8 | 62.7 9% | 35.4 49% | 65 6% | 61.4 11% | 66.5 3% | 78.3 ? -14% | 68.8 ? -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption Witcher 3 / Stress test
Power consumption with external monitor
Battery life
With its large 74 Wh battery, the ThinkBook 13x G4 achieves good, but not outstanding runtimes in our WLAN test. At 150 cd/m² (corresponding to 56% of the test device's maximum brightness), we measured just under 11.5 hours at 60 Hz and around 10.5 hours at 120 Hz. At full brightness, we still get 9 hours (60 Hz) and 7.5 hours (120 Hz). In the video test at 150 cd/m², the ThinkBook achieves an outstanding 20.5 hours and clearly outperforms all competitors. Under full load and maximum brightness, it ends after just under 2 hours. A full charge takes 113 minutes with the device switched on (80% after 66 minutes). There is also an express charging mode, but this does not provide any advantage with the 65 watt power supply unit.
| Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE Ultra 5 125H, Arc 7-Core, 74 Wh | Dell XPS 13 9340 Core Ultra 7 Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Core, 55 Wh | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU M3, M3 10-Core GPU, 52.6 Wh | MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Core, 75 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 R7 PRO 7840U, Radeon 780M, 51.5 Wh | HP Dragonfly G4 i7-1365U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 68 Wh | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 4% | 22% | 10% | -31% | 53% | -2% | |
| H.264 | 1229 | 1053 -14% | 1044 -15% | 1002 -18% | 967 ? -21% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 684 | 769 12% | 914 34% | 694 1% | 469 -31% | 954 39% | 760 ? 11% |
| Load | 116 | 131 13% | 171 47% | 169 46% | 192 66% | 121.3 ? 5% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict- The ThinkBook 13x G4 is a great subnotebook if you can come to terms with the keyboard
The ThinkBook 13x G4 surprised us because Lenovo offers a very mobile ultrabook with a high-quality metal chassis and a matte 3:2 screen. There are no limitations in terms of workmanship or stability, and you wouldn't expect a metal chassis on a ThinkBook (usually only the lid is made of aluminum). There are three Thunderbolt 4 ports, which sometimes requires adapters in everyday use, but should be sufficient. The maintenance options are limited, however, as the battery is attached to the underside of the chassis.
The performance of the Core Ultra 5 125H is sufficient for everyday use, but does not set any records. In fact, we would have preferred an AMD processor given the power limit of 28 watts. The Core Ultra 9 185H is also available as an option, but only for a hefty surcharge. 32 GB of RAM can also only be combined with the Core Ultra 9. The matte IPS screen with 120 Hz is impressive in every respect. The subjective picture quality is not quite as good as on OLED panels, but there are no reflections and PWM flickering is non-existent. The battery life is perfectly acceptable. A great audio system with four speakers is also integrated.
Lenovo's ThinkBook 13x G4 impresses with a high-quality chassis, great speakers, a good IPS display and long battery life. However, the keyboard has its limitations.
In addition to the meagre maintenance options, including the soldered RAM, the other major weak point on the ThinkBook 13x G4 is the keyboard. Although the keystrokes are firm, the key travel is very limited, which noticeably affects typing comfort. You can certainly get used to the keyboard and it also depends a little on what kind of keyboard you have used before, but this could easily have been avoided with a little more key travel. The keyboard of the Dell XPS 13 9340, for example, is more comfortable, but users have to put up with the unusual layout and the capacitive function keys. Overall, the 13x G4 offers a significantly better price-performance ratio. The Apple MacBook Air M3 remains a strong competitor, offering more performance in combination with passive cooling, but only uses a 60 Hz display.
Price and availability
On Lenovo's US webstore, the base model of the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 starts at $1106.00. Of course, this can be configured with a more powerful CPU, extra RAM and more storage.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 21KR0008GE
- 05/23/2024 v7 (old)
Andreas Osthoff
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