Maikel Dijkhuizen, Aad Munsterman and Rob Coenraads

Before you purchase a laptop, first examine your computer use. You don’t need such an expensive machine for light tasks such as surfing the internet, video streaming and document editing. This can be done with almost any system, such as a cheap Chromebook. Do you like photo and video editing or play 3D games? Then look for a laptop in a higher price range.

LAPTOP SCREEN
Nowadays, almost every notebook has a slim construction, so you can easily carry it in a laptop bag. Do you like watching films, series or sports matches during your holidays? Then a spacious monitor of 15.6 or 16 inches is very comfortable. This format is also suitable for photo and video editors. Gamers may want to consider a larger 17.3-inch screen. For basic tasks, using a smaller laptop is interesting.

A high resolution gives a sharper image. This makes photos and videos in particular stand out. A full HD screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels is fine for most users. Avid (hobby) photographers and gamers can consider a higher resolution if desired. Furthermore, a monitor with an IPS or OLED panel offers vivid colors and good viewing angles. OLED is also known for its high contrast values.

SYSTEM POWER
The system power determines which tasks you can do on the laptop. Processor speed is especially important for image editing and games. Look at the number of computing cores and the clock frequency. The more the better! For the mentioned tasks, assume at least an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor. Demanding users can also consider a laptop with a Core i9 or Ryzen 9 chipset, although they are more expensive. Furthermore, with an Intel processor, it is preferable to choose a recent calculation module of the 12^e or 13^e generation.

Also check the working memory of the intended laptop. The system stores temporary data from apps here. With sufficient RAM, you can effortlessly use multiple programs at the same time. For heavy applications, at least 16GB of RAM is recommended. Nowadays, every laptop has an SSD as a storage medium. If you want to store a lot of data locally, choose a copy with a lot of storage capacity.

Gamers should look for a laptop with a discrete graphics card. Video games appear on the screen in high quality. Well-known brands such as MSI, Lenovo and ASUS produce special gaming laptops for this target group. They usually have a high-quality video card from Nvidia.

USEFUL EXTRAS
Laptops are available with all kinds of useful extras. Consider, among other things, Wi-Fi 6 support (fast internet), keyboard lighting, a touchscreen and a fingerprint sensor. During your search, determine which functions should not be missing and try to find a suitable laptop.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13A Gen. 1

With its dimensions of 295 by 207 by 14 mm and a low weight of 1.2 kg, the ThinkPad Z13A is very suitable for on the go. The design of the black chassis of our test model is sleek and strong thanks to recycled aluminum. When we open the laptop, we see an embedded keyboard with the well-known red joystick between the keys and a large new touchpad. Above that we see a 13.3-inch 1200dpi IPS screen with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. An 1800dpi OLED touchscreen with 2880 x 1800 pixels is optionally available at an additional cost.

Technology
The workhorse is an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO with integrated 6850U graphics processor with a maximum clock speed of 4.7 GHz. This uses soldered 16GB LPDDR5-6400 memory. The Micron M.2 PCIe SSD offers a storage capacity of 512 GB with read and write speeds of up to 3240 and 3150 MB/sec.

The connections are 2x USB-C 4.0, a 3.5mm audio jack and a slot for a SIM card, so no USB-A. The USB-C ports support up to 40 Gbps as well as DisplayPort 4.1 and PowerDelivery 3.0. An optional adapter is required for more connections such as USB-A, Ethernet LAN or a card reader. Wireless communication is provided up to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 and the operating system is Windows 11 Pro with support for Microsoft Pluton for increased security.

Service
The illuminated and smooth-touch keyboard includes a fingerprint reader and the new glass touchpad with haptic feedback takes some getting used to. The joystick, or formally the trackpointworks as a mouse pointer control and opens a quick menu after two quick presses.

The FHD camera, included in the communication bar that protrudes slightly above the screen, uses infrared, is Windows Hello compatible and ensures lightning-fast login. The image of the lockable webcam looks good and the microphone sound is clear using AI optimization. The laptop sound is produced by two speakers at the bottom via a Dolby Atmos compatible sound system and sounds good with sufficient bass. The accompanying fast charger is 65 watts for the 51.5Wh battery, which is good for more than a working day for standard office work.

Screen and Performance
The matte IPS screen, with a spacious 16:10 display, provides a good, clear image with a maximum brightness of 400 nits and full sRGB color coverage. The refresh rate is 60 Hz. The benchmarks give great results and indicate that the AMD processor is among the top. The SSD achieves good speeds, but compared to other systems, this laptop takes a little longer to boot after power on. During long periods of heavy load, the fans start to make noise and it can become warm at the bottom.

Conclusion
A handy laptop primarily for everyday private or business use with excellent processing power. The configuration of the laptop can be adjusted to your own wishes via the website, including options for various types of screens and memory and storage capacity.

Product: Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1, model 21D20018MH