Lenovo ThinkPad Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 FHD Touchscreen Laptop, Review
The ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 offers classic durability at a renewed price, but its aging specs make it slow. It's a basic machine for a basic budget.
Overview
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 is a solid, no-fuss business laptop. It's built for someone who needs a reliable Windows machine for emails, spreadsheets, and video calls, and doesn't want to think about it. You get the classic ThinkPad keyboard, a touchscreen, and Windows 11 Pro ready to go out of the box. It's not flashy, but it gets the job done. This is a renewed model, so you're getting that ThinkPad durability at a much lower price. For around $314, it's a practical pick if your needs are basic and you value that brand reliability.
Performance
Performance is fine for office work, but don't expect more. The Intel Core i5-1145G7 CPU lands in the 16th percentile, so it's on the slower side compared to modern chips. It'll handle your browser tabs and Office apps without much fuss. The 16GB of RAM is a plus for multitasking. Just know the integrated graphics are weak, scoring in the 18th percentile, so gaming or video editing is off the table. The 512GB SSD is decent, though its 34th percentile ranking means it's not the fastest drive you can get.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Classic, excellent ThinkPad keyboard. 83th
- Good port selection with Thunderbolt 3. 78th
- Windows 11 Pro is great for business features. 74th
- Renewed price makes it a solid value.
Cons
- CPU and overall performance are quite slow. 18th
- The 2.36kg weight is heavy for a 13-inch laptop. 18th
- Display quality is mediocre. 24th
- Not suitable for any kind of gaming or creative work.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core i5 1145G |
| Cores | 4 |
| Frequency | 1.7 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | Integrated |
| Type | integrated |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 16 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR4 |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Display
| Size | 13.3" |
Connectivity
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt |
| HDMI | HDMI |
Physical
| Weight | 2.4 kg / 5.2 lbs |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
Value & Pricing
At $314 for a renewed model, the value is pretty good if your needs align perfectly. You're paying for the ThinkPad build quality, keyboard, and a full Windows 11 Pro license. For basic computing, it's hard to beat at this price. But if you need any semblance of speed or a better screen, you'll quickly feel the limitations of the older hardware.
Price History
vs Competition
This is a world away from competitors like the MacBook Pro or gaming laptops. Those are for power. This is for practicality. A more direct comparison is the ASUS Zenbook Duo, which offers way more innovation with its dual-screen design for not much more money. Even against other ThinkPads, this Gen 2 model is showing its age. You're trading modern performance for the ThinkPad name and a low entry price.
| Spec | Lenovo ThinkPad Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 FHD Touchscreen Laptop, | Apple MacBook Pro Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M5, Silver) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus ASUS - ROG Zephyrus G14 14" 3K OLED 120Hz Gaming | Lenovo Legion Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 Intel Laptop, | MSI Creator MSI Creator M14 A13V A13VF-081US 14" 2.8K Laptop, | HP ZBook HP 14" ZBook Ultra G1a Multi-Touch Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5 1145G | Apple M5 | AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series | Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX | Intel Core i7 13620H | AMD Ryzen AI Max Pro 385 |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 32 | 32 | 16 | 32 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 | 4096 | 1000 | 1024 | 2048 | 1024 |
| Screen | 13.3" | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 14" 2880x1800 | 16" 2560x1600 | 14" 2880x1800 | 14" 2880x1800 |
| GPU | Integrated | Apple (10-Core) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | AMD Radeon |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home (MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business) | Windows 11 Pro |
| Weight (kg) | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Battery (Wh) | - | 72 | - | 80 | - | 74 |
Verdict
Buy this if you need a cheap, dependable Windows laptop for very basic tasks and you love the ThinkPad keyboard. It's perfect for a student on a tight budget, a secondary office machine, or someone who just needs a web terminal. Avoid it if you need speed, a great screen, or plan to do anything more demanding than web browsing.