The ThinkBook 13x Gen4 is Lenovo’s latest iteration of the ThinkBook series. This compact, 13-inch laptop provides a smaller profile solution to meet the demands of high productivity settings. Armed with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor, the latest Intel Arc integrated graphics solution and 16GB of RAM, the ThinkBook 13x aims to be the go-to mobile solution for professionals on the go.
The aluminum unibody chassis looks premium and offers a sturdy-feeling laptop experience. Weighing only 2.71 lbs, it is comparable in weight to the MacBook Air M2, with a slightly smaller footprint of 11.53” x 8.07”x0.51”, albeit a bit thicker. It’s a well-laid-out, compact design that makes it incredibly mobile and easy to carry.
While many of the standard laptop design elements are present, such as a backlit keyboard and decently sized touchpad, the ThinkBook 13x also features a fairly unique additional physical feature. It comes in the form of the Lenovo Magic Bay connector located at the top of the screen bezel. This magnetic attachment point acts as a mount for several different expansion accessories. We were provided with the Magic Bay Light that acts as a softbox while on a video call.
“Weighing only 2.71 lbs, it is comparable in weight to the MacBook Air M2, with a slightly smaller footprint.”
It’s an interesting piece of tech. The 13x automatically detects when the light is magnetically mounted and offers to open the light settings. While the overall brightness of the light can be adjusted, the automatic mode does a fairly solid job at gauging when to activate and how bright to set the light. As to how well it functions in a completely darkened room, it is serviceable. It does offer some fill light to better illuminate the face and reduce overall shadow. Ideally, the light should be used in conjunction with other room lighting as it seems to serve better to remove shadows as the primary light source.
As for IO, this is an area where the ThinkBook 13x unfortunately followed Apple’s lead. While the USB Type-C ports are all Thunderbolt 4 enabled with 40GB transfer speeds, there are only three of them and one headphone/mic jack. It’s disappointing that many devices still rely on USB Type-A for functionality. While I appreciate the desire for minimalism, It does leave users fumbling with dongles and adapters to make use of even most 2.4GHz wireless devices, such as mice and headphones.
Thankfully, if you lean into Bluetooth devices such as earbuds or office mice, you’ll have no problem with the Bluetooth 5.3-enabled Thinkbook 13x. It has no problem handling multiple devices simultaneously, and connecting everything is a simple affair. On the note of connection, the ThinkBook 13x is WiFi 6E powered and offers top speeds over wireless networks.
The ThinkBook 13x also includes 4 Harman Kardon speakers and a 4-microphone array ideal for video meetings. The mics provided solid coverage during testing, making it possible for a few people to easily huddle around the ThinkBook for a video meeting, with everyone being heard well. As for the speakers, they produced an impressively loud listening experience that didn’t sound distorted or blown out. Considering the size of the unit and how little extra room there is for speakers, they are impressive.
The display on the 13x is quite impressive, offering an interesting 2.8K (2880 x 1920) resolution. This IPS panel offers a 120Hz refresh and impressive 500 nits brightness, making it quite serviceable even outdoors in direct sunlight. It is also touchscreen-enabled and responds seamlessly to tactile engagement. As for viewing, everything looks bright and sharp, making it ideal for viewing spreadsheets and video content alike. Despite not being an OLED, the ThinkBook’s display produces a beautiful on-screen image.
Shifting to hardware, the ThinkBook 13x attempts to balance performance with power. Equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor (also available in an Ultra 9 version), the ThinkBook 13x scores 2196 on single-core testing and 10903 on multi-core testing through Geekbench. This translates to a middle-of-the-pack productivity processor experience that offers solid multitasking and surprising results with higher processor requirement programs.
“The display on the 13x is quite impressive, offering an interesting 2.8K (2880 x 1920) resolution.”
Productivity tasks such as spreadsheet work, programming, and office administration can all be easily handled on the ThinkBook 13x. If you need a compact productivity machine for everyday office work, the 13x will easily handle anything you throw its way. Where things get interesting is when you push it to perform at a level typically reserved for higher-performance laptops.
While testing, I ran it through a 4K video editing test on Davinci Resolve. Using some stock 4k footage, it could handle editing impressively well. While it was necessary to scale down the live preview during editing, if given a few seconds, it could easily handle transition edits or even create fusion clips. Again, it isn’t the fastest at performing these tasks, but once title cards and transitions had live rendered (taking only a few extra seconds to do so), the ThinkBook 13x could then work with them smoothly and without issue. Even during rendering at 4K, the render time was much faster than I assumed, considering the unit’s specs.
For science, I also ran tests with both Diablo 4 and DOOM Eternal on the ThinkBook 13x. While the latter struggled to maintain a steady 30fps, often dipping into the mid-teens for fps, Diablo 4 ran surprisingly well, easily maintaining 30fps even in areas with higher mob density. While the ThinkBook 13x is not designed to be a gaming rig, it’s a testament to the efficiency of the integrated ARC GPU. When paired with the 16GB (up to 32 GB), the ThinkBook 13x can handle almost every productivity situation it will find itself in.
“While the ThinkBook 13x is not designed to be a gaming rig, it’s a testament to the efficiency of the integrated ARC GPU.”
As for cooling, the ThinkBook 13x includes active fan cooling with intake located at the bottom of the unit and exhaust out the back under the screen bezel. The 13x gets warm when performing more demanding tasks, such as rendering, specifically along the top of the keyboard, which correlates with the exhaust system. When using the unit over the past couple of weeks for everyday work tasks, there was never a moment where the unit felt overly warm to use. In everyday use, the unit remains cool to the touch.
The ThinkBook 13x also features a 74Wh battery with rapid charge functionality. On average, the ThinkBook 13x easily handled a day of productivity work with battery to spare. More demanding tasks such as video streaming did reduce that time significantly, but even so, I found that if I started the day on a full charge, I never needed to plug in during the work day. While usage needs will vary, the ThinkBook 13x should have no problem getting you through a workday with ease.
The ThinkBook 13x is a solid addition to the Lenovo productivity lineup. It offers great value for dollars with a premium aluminum chassis, solid hardware and a compact form factor. A lack of IO is unfortunate, and while possible, the unit might struggle to keep up with more demanding tasks such as high-end video editing or 3D rendering. For everyday productivity tasks, though, the ThinkBook 13x is a solid offering for professionals on the go.
