And now for one thing utterly completely different. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x is a chic ultraportable laptop computer for the small enterprise market. And it comes with a helpful little, a removable mild that’s vibrant sufficient to information Frodo by means of Mordor. So it ought to make quick work of these Zoom conferences.
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I’ve reviewed many ThinkBook merchandise over time, nevertheless it’s been some time, and I’ve by no means reviewed, and even seen, a ThinkBook 13x. However as is the case with the costlier ThinkPad household, the X signifies the highest of the road. Extra particularly, ThinkBook X sequence laptops ship high-performance parts, vanguard, ultra-thin designs, and lengthy battery life for many who spend a variety of time on the street.
And there’s solely a single mannequin on this line presently, the ThinkBook 13x I’m reviewing. However the show is greater and higher than its identify suggests. Not solely is it 13.5 inches on the diagonal, nevertheless it’s a 2.8K (2880 x 1920) IPS multitouch panel with a 3:2 facet ratio, elegantly rounded corners—in contrast to with Floor Laptop computer—and presumably the thinnest bezels I’ve ever skilled.
The show throws off a vibrant 500 nits of sunshine and is Eyesafe-certified for low blue mild. However it additionally helps adaptive colour, much like Apple’s True Tone, and Tremendous decision upscaling for movies in Chromium-based net browsers. Better of all, it provides a dynamic, excessive refresh price capabilities that permit it swap on the fly between 60 and 120 Hz.
I favor bigger shows—the larger, the higher, for essentially the most half—however that is a powerful little package deal, a unibody aluminum CNC design within the signature ThinkBook dual-tone grey. It’s curiously heavy for its tiny measurement—about 2.7 kilos—and dense-feeling in consequence. However it additionally exudes high quality: CNC is getting much less frequent nowadays, and it feels virtually luxurious. I believe its giant 74 Whr (watt-hour) battery is contributed as effectively.
Inside, you’ll discover an Intel Core Extremely (“Meteor Lake”) H-series processor, both a Core Extremely 5 125H, as within the assessment unit, or a surprisingly beefy Core Extremely 9 185H that exceeds 5 GHz in Turbo Enhance mode. The 13x could be configured with 16 or 32 GB of 8400 MHz dual-channel LPDDR5x RAM and as much as 1 TB of M.2-based PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage, however the RAM, which is soldered, is tied to the processor selection (as famous beneath). The assessment unit arrived with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
Growth is minimal, in step with the svelte kind issue, and Lenovo was considerate sufficient to supply a minimum of one USB Sort-C port on both sides of the PC. Nearly as good, all three are equivalent USB4 ports, with 40 Gbps of knowledge switch speeds.
On the left, you’ll discover one USB4 Sort-C port, proper on the rear. After which a combo headphone/microphone jack, which, talking of considerate, is properly positioned in the direction of the entrance.
On the left, you’ll see the opposite two USB4 Sort-C ports, and right here, too, a single configuration wherein one is correct on the rear and the opposite is in an uncommon place in the direction of the entrance, beneath the wrist relaxation. There’s an influence button and bodily webcam privateness swap subsequent to the rear USB port as effectively.
Connectivity is predictably trendy—you get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3—however there’s no mobile knowledge possibility, which is shocking for this class of PC.
The AV credentials appear strong between the two.8K show and the 4 Harman Kardon audio system—two upward-firing by means of the keyboard, and two downward-firing—that are backed by Dolby Atmos immersive sound capabilities.
The hybrid work capabilities are extra notable. The fundamentals are there, with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) webcam with Home windows Hiya-compatible facial recognition, and a four-microphone array.
However the bundled Magic Bay Mild, which magnetically attaches to the again of the PC’s communications bar utilizing pogo pins for steering on the prime of the show lid, is what places it excessive.
While you connect it, a Lenovo Sensible Assembly notification seems so you’ll be able to hearth on the sunshine—and it virtually actually looks like hearth—and configure it as wanted. It’s wanted: on Auto, it’s extremely vibrant … and that’s the bottom brightness setting! Based on Lenovo, the Magic Bay Mild emits 150lux of illumination whereas consuming simply 3 watts of energy. And you’ll management the brightness by way of a delicate button on its proper aspect.
Fascinating.
Sensible Assembly additionally consists of all the usual webcam configurations for sensible look, background switching (however not blur), and topic monitoring. (And due to its Meteor Lake processor, the ThinkBook 13x is an AI PC with an entry-level NPU, so that you get primary Home windows Studio Results too.)
The keyboard is the acquainted high-quality and full-sized Lenovo premium keyboard with scalloped keys (straight on the underside row) and two ranges of backlighting with an auto mode.
And you’ll configure the 13x with a ClickPad or a ForcePad, the latter of which, I assume, is a haptic design. The assessment unit has an ordinary ClickPad, which is medium giant given the smallish measurement of the PC. The keyboard and touchpad, as I name it, each appear to work effectively in early testing, however I believe the shape issue will probably be robust on my huge arms.
I don’t have a deal with on battery life but. Lenovo claims it’s all-day, however my Meteor Lake experiences are everywhere, so it’s tough to foretell. There’s a enjoyable little 65-watt USB-C slim charger within the field, and whereas there’s no phrase about quick charging, that’s just about normal nowadays.
Apart from Home windows 11 Dwelling, there’s no crapware per se. Lenovo bundles 4 of its personal utilities, plus a hyperlink to the consumer information, in Begin. And past that’s Dolby Entry and three Intel utilities. That’s it, although the Lenovo Vantage app is chock-full of providers upsells, and also you’ll see the occasional Lenovo banner notification.
The 13x is pricey for a ThinkBook. Costs begin at over $2100, triggering a double-take. For that sum, you get the assessment unit, with its Core Extremely 5 H-series processor, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and your solely {hardware} improve selection is bumping the storage to 1 TB for $121. The Core Extremely 9 H-series improve provides over $580 to the fee, however you’ll be able to then improve the RAM to 32 GB ($161). So you may spend—gulp–$3000 on this mighty mite. The improve from Home windows 11 Dwelling to Professional will set you again one other $80.
Extra quickly.