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Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Laptop Review: small, light, and 4G compatible

13-inch workhorse. The Lenovo ThinkPad X390 is followed by ... the ThinkPad X13. Lenovo has changed the name of its small office laptops using a new naming scheme, but the new laptop remains true to the strengths of its predecessors. We show what buyers of the 13-inch laptop can expect in our review.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Lenovo ThinkPad X13

With the ThinkPad X13, Lenovo switched to Intel's Comet Lake generation. However, this is the biggest innovation that comes with the changed name. For more information on the case, the input devices, and the speakers, please refer to the review of the structurally identical Lenovo ThinkPad X390.

Our current test model must not only compete with its predecessor, but also with similarly equipped competing devices. These devices are listed in the table below, but more laptops from our database can be added to the comparison in each section. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE (ThinkPad X13 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-10210U 4 x 1.6 - 4.2 GHz, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Memory
16 GB 
, Dual Channel
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 166 PPI, Lenovo B133HAK01.1, IPS, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, 512 GB 
, 437 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: kombinierter 3,5-mm-Klinkenanschluss, Card Reader: microSD, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP - I219-V gBE (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16.9 x 312 x 217 ( = 0.67 x 12.28 x 8.54 in)
Battery
48 Wh Lithium-Ion
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 1-Watt, Stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 65-watt charger, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.287 kg ( = 45.4 oz / 2.84 pounds), Power Supply: 364 g ( = 12.84 oz / 0.8 pounds)
Price
1300 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
88 %
08/2020
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
1.3 kg16.9 mm13.30"1920x1080
90.3 %
05/2019
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1.3 kg16.9 mm13.30"1920x1080
88.8 %
03/2020
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
1.2 kg14.8 mm13.40"1920x1200
85.1 %
05/2020
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
859 g17.9 mm13.30"1920x1080
87.4 %
06/2020
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250
1.3 kg14.6 mm13.90"3000x2000

Case - Sturdy and compact 13-inch laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Lenovo ThinkPad X13

Size comparison

312 mm / 12.3 inch 217 mm / 8.54 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.3 kg2.84 lbs311.9 mm / 12.3 inch 217.2 mm / 8.55 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.3 kg2.83 lbs309 mm / 12.2 inch 212 mm / 8.35 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 859 g1.894 lbs304 mm / 12 inch 217 mm / 8.54 inch 14.6 mm / 0.575 inch 1.3 kg2.95 lbs296 mm / 11.7 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.2 kg2.62 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Features - Mobile laptop with Thunderbolt 3

The connectivity of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 also remains mostly unchanged. However, the USB Type-C port and Thunderbolt 3 port (2x PCIe lanes with a top speed of 20 Gbit/s), both of which can also be used to charge the laptop, are new and impressive.

Left side: 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C (which can be used to charge the laptop), 1x Thunderbolt 3, miniEthernet, 1x USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI 1.4b, combined 3.5mm audio jack
Left side: 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C (which can be used to charge the laptop), 1x Thunderbolt 3, miniEthernet, 1x USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI 1.4b, combined 3.5mm audio jack
Right side: smartcard reader, 1x USB 3.0 Type A, Kensington lock
Right side: smartcard reader, 1x USB 3.0 Type A, Kensington lock

MicroSD card reader

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - microSD card reader
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - microSD card reader

The microSD card reader is on the back of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 and can only be opened with a SIM needle. The test with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference memory card shows that the read and write speeds are now significantly lower than they were on the ThinkPad X390. With write speeds of 37.3 MB/s and read speeds of 52.1 MB/s, the microSD card reader is now up to 53% slower.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
157 MB/s +321%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
79.1 MB/s +112%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
78.1 MB/s +109%
Average of class Office
  (8 - 196.8, n=50, last 2 years)
55.6 MB/s +49%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
37.3 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
195.6 MB/s +275%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
86.5 MB/s +66%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
85.4 MB/s +64%
Average of class Office
  (26.4 - 173.2, n=44, last 2 years)
65.2 MB/s +25%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
52.1 MB/s

Communication

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 can establish wireless connections using WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. An integrated LTE modem is also available at an additional cost. With our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router, the 13-inch laptop achieves very good download speeds of 1,573 Mbit/s. This means that the X13 leads in our test field in download speeds, but when it comes to upload speeds, it falls back into the middle of our test field. That said, with an average upload speed of 756 Mbit/s, the ThinkPad X13 still has fast WLAN speeds and does better than its predecessor.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1484 (1301min - 1644max) MBit/s +96%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
1338 (1304min - 1355max) MBit/s +77%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s +54%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
906 MBit/s +20%
Average of class Office
  (280 - 1332, n=6, last 2 years)
810 MBit/s +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
756 (654min - 835max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
681 MBit/s -10%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1573 (1352min - 1701max) MBit/s
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1460 MBit/s -7%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
1293 (628min - 1379max) MBit/s -18%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s -20%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1257 (668min - 1414max) MBit/s -20%
Average of class Office
  (348 - 1690, n=6, last 2 years)
852 MBit/s -46%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
646 MBit/s -59%
62867872877882887892897810281078112811781228127813281378142814781528157816281678Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1573 (1352-1701)
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331 Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1256 (668-1414)
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7 Intel Wireless-AC 9560; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1272 (628-1379)
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø756 (654-835)
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331 Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1484 (1301-1644)
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7 Intel Wireless-AC 9560; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1338 (1304-1355)

Webcam

The webcam of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 takes pictures with the widespread but very low 0.9MP quality. This quality is just about sufficient for video conferences in well-lit rooms. 

As our test chart shows, scenes captured by the webcam are a bit blurry, and details are only moderately recognizable. The ColorChecker Passport also reveals that colors in the webcam's photos are usually too bright, though gray and black tones appear darker than they should be.

ColorChecker
6.5 ∆E
5.8 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
1.7 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
0.9 ∆E
8.8 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
3.3 ∆E
2.8 ∆E
4.1 ∆E
3.1 ∆E
2.5 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
2 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
10.9 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
6.8 ∆E
5 ∆E
4.4 ∆E
4.5 ∆E
10 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE: 5.86 ∆E min: 0.89 - max: 12.71 ∆E

Display - Full HD with strong colors

Sub-pixel Array
Sub-pixel Array
Screen bleeding
Screen bleeding

Lenovo uses a 13.3-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 in the ThinkPad X13 we used for our test. With a maximum brightness of 359 cd/m², it is not as bright as the display of the previous model and cannot keep up with the competing devices we selected. The illumination of 90% is on par with comparable laptops.

According to our measurements, Lenovo does not use PWM for brightness control, so users with sensitive eyes do not have to worry about difficulties using this laptop. 

324
cd/m²
332
cd/m²
327
cd/m²
344
cd/m²
359
cd/m²
346
cd/m²
348
cd/m²
348
cd/m²
346
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Lenovo B133HAK01.1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 359 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 341.6 cd/m² Minimum: 5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 360 cd/m²
Contrast: 1710:1 (Black: 0.21 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.3
ΔE Greyscale 7.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.9% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.85
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Lenovo B133HAK01.1, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
LP133WF7-SPB1, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
SHP14CB, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.40
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Toshiba TOS508F, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
JDI LPM139M422A, LTPS, 3000x2000, 13.90
Display
-1%
7%
1%
2%
Display P3 Coverage
66
65.3
-1%
71.5
8%
66.9
1%
66.6
1%
sRGB Coverage
96.2
95.9
0%
99.4
3%
97.6
1%
99.4
3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.2
66.6
-1%
73.5
9%
67.8
1%
68.6
2%
Response Times
-13%
-14%
-13%
1%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
52.8 ?(26, 26.8)
57.6 ?(28.4, 29.2)
-9%
60 ?(28.4, 31.6)
-14%
54.8 ?(26, 28.8)
-4%
49.6 ?(23.6, 26)
6%
Response Time Black / White *
29.2 ?(16.8, 12.4)
34 ?(18.4, 15.6)
-16%
33.2 ?(16.4, 16.8)
-14%
35.6 ?(19.2, 16.4)
-22%
30.8 ?(14, 16.8)
-5%
PWM Frequency
2500 ?(20)
23810 ?(24)
29070 ?(40)
Screen
18%
21%
16%
30%
Brightness middle
359
356
-1%
619
72%
482
34%
557
55%
Brightness
342
336
-2%
591
73%
452
32%
532
56%
Brightness Distribution
90
88
-2%
91
1%
91
1%
87
-3%
Black Level *
0.21
0.16
24%
0.35
-67%
0.4
-90%
0.33
-57%
Contrast
1710
2225
30%
1769
3%
1205
-30%
1688
-1%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.7
3.6
46%
3
55%
1.85
72%
1.4
79%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.9
5.5
50%
8.2
25%
3.08
72%
2.5
77%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.3
1.1
15%
1
23%
1.2
8%
0.7
46%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
7.4
4.7
36%
5.2
30%
2
73%
2
73%
Gamma
2.85 77%
2.48 89%
2.14 103%
2.1 105%
2.14 103%
CCT
6309 103%
6374 102%
6340 103%
6822 95%
6689 97%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61.7
61.3
-1%
66.9
8%
62.5
1%
62.5
1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
95.9
95.7
0%
99.3
4%
97.7
2%
99.5
4%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
1% / 11%
5% / 14%
1% / 10%
11% / 21%

* ... smaller is better

Color space coverage (sRGB) - 95.9%
Color space coverage (sRGB) - 95.9%
Color space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 61.7%
Color space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 61.7%

With a color space coverage of 95.5% (sRGB) and 61.7% (AdobeRGB), the Lenovo ThinkPad X13's coverage is not excellent, but it is still very good. Since the display also has a decent contrast ratio of 1710:1 and a good black value of 0.21 cd/m², colors appear very rich, and black tones look deep. 

The CalMAN analysis also shows that the display has an increased Delta-E-2000 deviation of 10.9 ex-works when compared to its predecessor. This deficiency can be addressed with calibration. The corresponding ICC file can be downloaded from the window above; the link is at the bottom of the list right next to the display brightness distribution graphic.

CalMAN - Color accuracy
CalMAN - Color accuracy
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Color accuracy (calibrated)
CalMAN - Color accuracy (calibrated)
CalMAN - Colorscale (calibrated)
CalMAN - Colorscale (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation (calibrated)

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 can be used outdoors. With its matte screen, the display's brightness is sufficient to display image content legibly even in direct sunlight.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - Outside use
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - Outside use
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - Outside use
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - Outside use

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
29.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16.8 ms rise
↘ 12.4 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 75 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
52.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 26.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 88 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The ThinkPad X13's IPS panel has very stable viewing angles. Image content can be viewed from almost any angle without being distorted or displayed with inaccurate colors.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - Viewing angle stability
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - Viewing angle stability

Performance - Stuck at Whiskey Lake level

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is aimed at mobile business users. The performance is suitable for a wide range of office applications, and it can even be used for simple image editing. Prospective buyers can choose between different hardware configurations; our test model with an Intel Core i5-10210U and a 256 GB SSD alongside 16 GB of RAM is the medium configuration. Lenovo also offers an AMD version of the X13.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - CPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - HWInfo
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - HWInfo
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - GPUz
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 - GPUz
 
 

Processor

The Intel Core i5-10210U installed in the laptop is a quad-core processor from the Comet Lake generation and has clock rates between 1.6 and 4.2 GHz. Compared to the Whiskey Lake generation, which includes the Intel Core i5-8265U in the Lenovo ThinkPad X390, it is possible to achieve a higher turbo clock rate. How long this can be maintained, however, depends largely on the cooling system.

Our Cinebench R15 long-term test shows that the Core i5-10210U in the ThinkPad X13 briefly achieves very high multi-core performance, which is well above the peak performance of the Core i5-8265U. However, the performance drops sharply immediately afterwards to the level of the ThinkPad X390's Intel's Core i5-8265U. As a result, switching from the X390 to the X13 will result in nothing more than a brief increase in CPU performance. 

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel Core i5-10210U: Ø571 (548.08-726.48)
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00 Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø569 (552-686)
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD Intel Core i5-1035G1, Intel Core i5-1035G1; Ultra-Performance: Ø526 (443.49-666.89)
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD Intel Core i5-1035G1, Intel Core i5-1035G1; Optimized: Ø528 (367.46-659.7)
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331 Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel Core i5-10210U: Ø479 (475.43-482.26)
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7 Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø466 (456.98-589.46)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Office
  (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years)
553 Points +58%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
425 Points +21%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
412 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (322 - 428, n=30)
407 Points +16%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
403 Points +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
351 Points
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Office
  (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years)
3055 Points +103%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1533 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
1505 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (722 - 1820, n=30)
1279 Points -15%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
1121 Points -26%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
1087 Points -28%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +29%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
171 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
167 Points
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
166 Points -1%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
166 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (134 - 174, n=35)
165.6 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
Intel Core i5-8265U
158 Points -5%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +90%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
726 (548.08min - 726.48max) Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
Intel Core i5-8265U
686 (552min - 686max) Points -6%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
667 Points -8%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
659 Points -9%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (320 - 790, n=35)
609 Points -16%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
590 (456.98min - 589.46max) Points -19%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
479 (475.43min - 482.26max) Points -34%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
959 Seconds * -25%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
918 Seconds * -20%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (585 - 1339, n=24)
859 Seconds * -12%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
766 Seconds * -0%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
765 Seconds *
Average of class Office
  (214 - 2844, n=121, last 2 years)
543 Seconds * +29%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Office
  (2233 - 6687, n=122, last 2 years)
4967 MIPS +15%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
4742 MIPS +10%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
4415 MIPS +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
4315 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (3504 - 4467, n=24)
4205 MIPS -3%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4087 MIPS -5%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Office
  (4226 - 62349, n=121, last 2 years)
34257 MIPS +91%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
18535 MIPS +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
17978 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (10920 - 21679, n=24)
16808 MIPS -7%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
16346 MIPS -9%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
15667 MIPS -13%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Office
  (510 - 1974, n=123, last 2 years)
1452 Points +33%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1229 Points +12%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
1096 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
1093 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (949 - 1133, n=27)
1071 Points -2%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
977 Points -11%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Office
  (1018 - 11980, n=123, last 2 years)
6503 Points +53%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4372 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
4256 Points
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
3576 Points -16%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (2079 - 4256, n=27)
3570 Points -16%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
2636 Points -38%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Office
  (1.55 - 17.4, n=121, last 2 years)
9.04 fps +93%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
4.68 fps
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (2.36 - 6.28, n=24)
4.31 fps -8%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4.27 fps -9%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
4.01 fps -14%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
3.88 fps -17%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (49.6 - 80.3, n=18)
61 s * -13%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
60.6 s * -13%
Average of class Office
  (31.3 - 117.5, n=121, last 2 years)
57.3 s * -7%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
56.1 s * -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
53.8 s *
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (0.658 - 0.901, n=24)
0.733 sec * -4%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
0.722 sec * -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.706 sec *
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.704 sec * -0%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.642 sec * +9%
Average of class Office
  (0.4244 - 1.397, n=120, last 2 years)
0.593 sec * +16%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
726 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
58.6 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
167 Points
Help

System Performance

In the PCMark 10 for system performance benchmark, the ThinkPad X13 with Intel's Core i5-10210U took a good second place in our test field. The results are slightly better than the average of other laptops we tested with this hardware configuration, so users can expect smooth system operation. Programs and folders are opened without delay, and there were no micro stutters or similar issues in our tests.

Our CPU benchmark list below shows what performance other laptops achieved in this test. 

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5312 Points +27%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
4217 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
4184 Points
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4122 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3448 - 4353, n=28)
3988 Points -5%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3861 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
3832 Points -8%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9781 Points +8%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
9335 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
9027 Points
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
8568 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (7172 - 10000, n=28)
8499 Points -6%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
8190 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
7982 Points -12%
Productivity
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7439 Points +10%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
7334 Points +8%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
7317 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6792 Points
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
6766 Points 0%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5980 - 7317, n=28)
6663 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
6273 Points -8%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5732 Points +77%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3281 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
3243 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2289 - 4463, n=28)
3057 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
3050 Points -6%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
2980 Points -8%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
2621 Points -19%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (2304 - 4830, n=12, last 2 years)
4261 Points +12%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3988 Points +5%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3841 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
3789 Points
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
3641 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
3629 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3182 - 4284, n=21)
3605 Points -5%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
5114 Points
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
5039 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
4896 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (4286 - 5114, n=21)
4879 Points -5%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4832 Points -6%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4599 Points -10%
Average of class Office
  (1854 - 5610, n=12, last 2 years)
3746 Points -27%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3789 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5114 points
PCMark 10 Score
4184 points
Help

DPC latencies

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 showed increased DPC latencies in our test, which can lead to interruptions in real-time applications.

LatencyMon - Statistics
LatencyMon - Statistics
LatencyMon - Drivers
LatencyMon - Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
2108 μs * -153%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i5-1035G1, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
1368 μs * -64%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
832 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Mass storage

Lenovo installed a 512 GB SSD from Samsung in the ThinkPad X13, but it performs a little slower than average in our storage benchmarks when compared to other laptops. However, the differences are minimal, so users will still benefit from the SSD's very good read and write speeds.

Our HDD/SSD benchmark list shows what performance other storage devices were able to achieve in our tests.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
Average Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-12%
-8%
3%
7%
5%
Write 4K
131.1
120.7
-8%
121.9
-7%
164.1
25%
165.6
26%
140.8 ?(82.2 - 203, n=34)
7%
Read 4K
45.48
58.5
29%
50
10%
49.34
8%
50.2
10%
48.6 ?(35.8 - 65.5, n=34)
7%
Write Seq
2042
1491
-27%
1497
-27%
1777
-13%
1905
-7%
2106 ?(931 - 2896, n=33)
3%
Read Seq
2259
2760
22%
2111
-7%
1752
-22%
1669
-26%
2099 ?(1136 - 2754, n=33)
-7%
Write 4K Q32T1
429.1
237.5
-45%
365.9
-15%
401.1
-7%
474.6
11%
451 ?(326 - 640, n=34)
5%
Read 4K Q32T1
370.7
336.1
-9%
384.6
4%
498.7
35%
508
37%
482 ?(332 - 707, n=34)
30%
Write Seq Q32T1
2963
1512
-49%
2748
-7%
2988
1%
3007
1%
2903 ?(934 - 2994, n=34)
-2%
Read Seq Q32T1
3564
3154
-12%
3119
-12%
3544
-1%
3556
0%
3511 ?(3246 - 3568, n=34)
-1%
Write 4K Q8T8
1065
914 ?(384 - 1444, n=2)
Read 4K Q8T8
891
1017 ?(981 - 1052, n=2)
AS SSD
-2%
-20%
1%
26%
2%
Seq Read
2714
2689
-1%
2328
-14%
2067
-24%
2737
1%
2412 ?(1658 - 3078, n=36)
-11%
Seq Write
1374
1462
6%
1137
-17%
2444
78%
2530
84%
1983 ?(1200 - 2724, n=36)
44%
4K Read
51.2
63.8
25%
48.07
-6%
55.8
9%
54
5%
53.1 ?(42.1 - 63.1, n=36)
4%
4K Write
135.7
139.8
3%
120.6
-11%
124.6
-8%
152.5
12%
131.1 ?(96.5 - 196.7, n=36)
-3%
4K-64 Read
962
865
-10%
899
-7%
1601
66%
2011
109%
1201 ?(585 - 1666, n=36)
25%
4K-64 Write
1420
1041
-27%
1220
-14%
1696
19%
1260
-11%
1726 ?(1311 - 2009, n=36)
22%
Access Time Read *
0.043
0.037
14%
0.085
-98%
0.048
-12%
0.066
-53%
0.05525 ?(0.035 - 0.079, n=36)
-28%
Access Time Write *
0.028
0.024
14%
0.033
-18%
0.091
-225%
0.024
14%
0.05394 ?(0.018 - 0.151, n=36)
-93%
Score Read
1284
1198
-7%
1180
-8%
1864
45%
2339
82%
1495 ?(843 - 2013, n=36)
16%
Score Write
1693
1328
-22%
1455
-14%
2065
22%
1666
-2%
2055 ?(1598 - 2377, n=36)
21%
Score Total
3579
3095
-14%
3189
-11%
4908
37%
5191
45%
4303 ?(2927 - 5307, n=36)
20%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-7% / -6%
-14% / -15%
2% / 2%
17% / 18%
4% / 3%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3564 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2963 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 370.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 429.1 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2259 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2042 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 45.48 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 131.1 MB/s

Continuous reading performance: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Card

An Intel UHD Graphics 620 is responsible for displaying the Lenovo ThinkPad X13's graphical content. This integrated GPU is only suitable for simple graphical applications, but it benefits from a dual-channel RAM configuration, which we used in our test configuration. The Lenovo laptop achieves an above-average result in the 3DMark benchmarks, but it has to admit defeat to the integrated UHD Graphics G1 of the Dell XPS 13 9300, which holds the first place position in our test field.

You can see how Intel's UHD Graphics 620 fares in comparison to other graphics cards in our GPU benchmark list.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 12230, n=115, last 2 years)
5878 Points +216%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-10510U
3614 Points +94%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
2578 Points +38%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1862 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1841 Points -1%
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1800 Points -3%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points -6%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (712 - 8815, n=117, last 2 years)
4072 Points +206%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-10510U
2951 Points +122%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
1755 Points +32%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1332 Points
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1293 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1266 Points -5%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points -13%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Office
  (242 - 3186, n=113, last 2 years)
1323 Points +214%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-10510U
881 Points +109%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G1
472 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
421 Points
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
402 Points -5%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points -8%
3DMark 11 Performance
2117 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1210 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
483 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Intel's UHD Graphics 620 is only suitable for simple or older games. The performance is not sufficient for complex 3D titles. Of all the games we tested, only Dota 2 Reborn could be played with a smooth FPS, but this was only possible when not using Full HD resolution or high graphical settings.

The gaming performance that can be expected from Intel's UHD Graphics 620 when playing various games is shown in our GPU games list.

low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 17.9
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 83.7 51.4 22.6 19.9
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 11.49
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 13.2 15.9 14.4
Far Cry 5 (2018) 16

Emissions - A quiet laptop with good speakers

Noise levels

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 cannot be heard when it is idling or being used in office mode. The fans start to produce a hissing noise when the laptop is under heavy load, but this can be suppressed quite well by background noise since the fan noise is only 34 dB(A) loud at a maximum.

We could not detect any other background noise emissions like coil whine from our test device.

Noise Level

Idle
29.3 / 29.3 / 29.3 dB(A)
Load
30.7 / 34 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.3 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2030.430.526.830.732.22528.524.527.429.526.73130.427.931.829.830.5402827.228.93128.3502826.326.530.926.66326.124.624.724.224.68025.523.723.624.92410024.624.423.927.724.112522.823.423.523.622.316022.323.122.422.623.120022.222.122.722.923.325022.422.62223.122.431522.120.921.420.621.940021.220.620.219.820.550021.419.619.819.420.363020.320.320.418.419.980021.519.61918.219100022.119.5191819.312502319.719.217.418.3160022.919.718.916.717.7200023.118.718.516.517.5250022.418.817.716.216.9315025.818.717.81616.3400021.417.216.61616.3500018.916.516.215.916.2630017.316.216.11616.2800016.416.1161616.11000016161615.8161250015.815.915.715.8161600015.615.715.615.515.6SPL3430.730.329.329.9N1.91.41.41.21.3median 22.1median 19.6median 19median 17.4median 18.3Delta1.92.52.82.12.9hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

Our measurements show that the ThinkPad X13 can reach surface temperatures of up to 48.4 °C (119.12 °F) when under load. Since the warmest point is on the top of the device and the palm rests only heat up moderately, the 13-inch laptop can be used comfortably even when the device is under load.

During our approximately one hour stress test, the temperatures inside the Lenovo laptop briefly rose to 98 °C (208.4 °F), with the clock rates also briefly falling to 400 MHz. But for the most part, the fans were able to keep the temperature ​​at an average of 70 °C (158 °F) and the CPU clock speed at 1.2 GHz. That said, our CPU's frequency was only slightly above 1 GHz at the end of the test, so it was working at below its base clock speed. Since a scenario like the one in our stress test will almost never occur in typical use, though, users do not have to expect throttling due to high temperatures.

Max. Load
 35.7 °C
96 F
40.6 °C
105 F
47.2 °C
117 F
 
 33.2 °C
92 F
40.4 °C
105 F
48.4 °C
119 F
 
 29.1 °C
84 F
32.3 °C
90 F
35.9 °C
97 F
 
Maximum: 48.4 °C = 119 F
Average: 38.1 °C = 101 F
43.8 °C
111 F
43.6 °C
110 F
36.5 °C
98 F
40.8 °C
105 F
41.4 °C
107 F
36.1 °C
97 F
31.5 °C
89 F
31 °C
88 F
28.1 °C
83 F
Maximum: 43.8 °C = 111 F
Average: 37 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  35.9 °C = 97 F | Room Temperature 20.2 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.1 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.4 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.8 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.4 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (35.9 °C / 96.6 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-8.2 °C / -14.7 F).
Thermal Image - Top Side
Thermal Image - Top Side
Thermal Image - Bottom Side
Thermal Image - Bottom Side

Speaker

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2030.733.92529.528.13129.832.6403134.65030.930.56324.225.78024.926.610027.729.512523.628.316022.635.820022.943.625023.15331520.657.340019.860.850019.460.963018.463.380018.266.410001863.6125017.463.7160016.765.4200016.566.3250016.26331501660.440001659.2500015.957.263001660.180001656.21000015.851.61250015.842.91600015.530.7SPL29.374.6N1.234median 17.4median 59.2Delta2.19.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy management - The Comet-Lake CPU improves the battery life

Energy use

The power consumption of the ThinkPad X13 is on par with other laptops that use similar hardware. Compared to the ThinkPad X390, the lower average power consumption under load is noticeable.

The charger supplied can be connected to the Lenovo laptop via the USB Type-C port and has an output of 65 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.26 / 0.84 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.9 / 5.6 / 8.9 Watt
Load midlight 30.1 / 61.3 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.40
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, LTPS, 3000x2000, 13.90
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
Average of class Office
 
Power Consumption
-13%
-8%
6%
-43%
-9%
-22%
Idle Minimum *
2.9
3.4
-17%
3.4
-17%
2.8
3%
4.3
-48%
3.81 ?(1 - 12.4, n=259)
-31%
4.27 ?(2.2 - 9.4, n=107, last 2 years)
-47%
Idle Average *
5.6
5.6
-0%
6
-7%
4.9
12%
8.5
-52%
6.94 ?(2.8 - 15.7, n=261)
-24%
7.32 ?(3.8 - 20.6, n=107, last 2 years)
-31%
Idle Maximum *
8.9
8.7
2%
10.2
-15%
9
-1%
12
-35%
8.75 ?(3.8 - 30, n=259)
2%
9.1 ?(4.8 - 23.9, n=107, last 2 years)
-2%
Load Average *
30.1
43.6
-45%
36.6
-22%
31.2
-4%
54.8
-82%
35 ?(8.1 - 51.6, n=259)
-16%
40.4 ?(8.7 - 75.2, n=106, last 2 years)
-34%
Load Maximum *
61.3
65
-6%
49.3
20%
49.4
19%
61.5
-0%
47.5 ?(22 - 96.3, n=261)
23%
57.4 ?(11.1 - 101.4, n=107, last 2 years)
6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
47.1

* ... smaller is better

Battery life

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 achieved a runtime of 9 hours and 19 minutes in our practical WLAN test. This means that it can easily last a full work day without needing to be charged, so users do not need to carry their charger with them. Compared to the ThinkPad X390, the X13 lasted an hour longer.

The laptop's quick charging function can be used with the included 65-watt charger. With this feature, the battery can be fully recharged after about an hour and a half. 

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
9h 19min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness
7h 48min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 44min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 43min
Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad X390-20Q1S02M00
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
i5-1035G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), 52 Wh
Dynabook Portege X30L-G1331
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 i7
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, 57.4 Wh
Average of class Office
 
Battery Runtime
-15%
25%
-11%
1%
-8%
H.264
704
764
9%
866
23%
715
2%
691 ?(348 - 1112, n=40, last 2 years)
-2%
WiFi v1.3
559
499
-11%
703
26%
500
-11%
622
11%
589 ?(272 - 1137, n=107, last 2 years)
5%
Load
163
94
-42%
205
26%
146
-10%
117 ?(56 - 209, n=65, last 2 years)
-28%

Pros

+ good case quality
+ very good input devices
+ good connectivity
+ long warranty period
+ matte and color accurate display

Cons

- inappropriately placed microSD card reader
- CPU's performance is at Whiskey Lake level
- narrower keyboard than other ThinkPads
- RAM cannot be upgraded

Verdict - Known strengths in a known design

Reviewed: Lenovo ThinkPad X13. Test device provided by:
Reviewed: Lenovo ThinkPad X13. Test device provided by:
Campus Point Logo

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 showed its strengths in our test: a high-quality case combined with good input devices and a decent battery life. With its 13.3-inch display, the small laptop is well suited for active users. However, the ThinkPad X390, the X13's predecessor, has already shown us these strengths - so these are not advantages of the new laptop. Those lie elsewhere.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 with an Intel Core i5 processor is more energy efficient than its predecessor, but offers only slightly more performance.

The X13 has better battery life thanks to its more energy-efficient CPU. The new CPU delivers good performance during everyday use, but it quickly drops to the level of the Intel Core i5-8265U in the ThinkPad X390 when under constant load. The system performance of the new laptop is a bit higher overall, but users should not expect a performance increase of more than 10%. As a result, we do not recommend owners of the ThinkPad X390 make the switch to the X13, and if you do not need to maximize battery life and system performance, you might be able to save some money by just buying the previous model.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20T20033GE - 08/13/2020 v7
Mike Wobker

Chassis
89 / 98 → 90%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
72 / 80 → 90%
Weight
72 / 20-75 → 94%
Battery
88%
Display
85%
Games Performance
51 / 78 → 65%
Application Performance
83 / 95 → 87%
Temperature
89%
Noise
97%
Audio
64%
Camera
34 / 85 → 40%
Average
77%
88%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Laptop Review: small, light, and 4G compatible
Mike Wobker, 2020-08-18 (Update: 2020-08-18)