Lenovo ThinkPad X13: nothing new even with the new Intel CPU

When compared to its predecessor, the ThinkPad X390, the biggest innovation of the new ThinkPad X13 is its name. Both the laptops are visually identical, which means buyers can look forward to a high-quality and stable case. The good keyboard and the many security features, including a mechanical webcam lock, are other old strengths that return with the new laptop. 

In our test configuration, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 is equipped with an Intel Core i5-10210U, whose Kaby Lake predecessor, the Core i5-8265U, we examined in the ThinkPad X390. The direct comparison of the CPU performance of both devices shows that the Core i5-10210U can have significantly higher multi-core performance for short spurts. However, its performance drops to the level of the Core i5-8265U when under continuous load.

As a result, users of the newer CPU mostly benefit from better energy efficiency. This is not only reflected in a lower average energy consumption while under load, but also in a slightly longer battery life. The battery life of the X13 is an hour longer than the ThinkPad X390 at 9 hours and 19 minutes while using WLAN.