Lenovo ThinkPad X13 AMD vs. Intel: Which is a better buy?

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 AMD
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 AMD (Image credit: Windows Central)

These two laptops are quite similar, with only minor differences between AMD and Intel systems. Both will deliver a solid business laptop foundation with the power to tackle productivity work, but there are some things to watch out for when buying one of these devices.

ThinkPad X13 AMD vs. Intel tech specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 ThinkPad X13 (AMD)ThinkPad X13 (Intel)
ProcessorAMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450UAMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650UAMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750UIntel Core i3-10110UIntel Core i5-10210UIntel Core i5-10310UIntel Core i7-10510UIntel Core i7-10610U
RAMUp to 32GBDDR4-3200MHzSolderedUp to 16GBDDR4-2667MHzSoldered
GraphicsIntegratedRadeon VegaIntegratedIntel UHD
StorageUp to 1TBM.2 PCIe NVMe SSDUpgradeableUp to 1TBM.2 PCIe NVMe SSDUpgradeable
Display13.3 inches1366x768 (HD)1920x1080 (FHD)Touch, non-touchPrivacyGuard (optional)13.3 inches1366x768 (HD)1920x1080 (FHD)Touch, non-touchPrivacyGuard (optional)
PortsTwo USB-C 3.2Two USB-A 3.2HDMI 2.0Ethernet extensionmicroSD card reader3.5mm audioNano-SIM (optional)Smart Card reader (optional)USB-C 3.2Thunderbolt 3HDMI 1.4Ethernet extensionmicroSD card reader3.5mm audioNano-SIM (optional)Smart Card reader (optional)
AudioDual 1W speakersDolby AudioDual 1W speakersDolby Audio
WirelessIntel AX200 Wi-Fi 6Bluetooth 5.1LTE-A (optional)Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6Bluetooth 5.0LTE-A (optional)
CameraFront-facing 720pThinkShutterIR camera (optional)Front-facing 720pThinkShutterIR camera (optional)
SecurityFingerprint reader (optional)dTPM 2.0Kensington lock slotFingerprint reader (optional)dTPM 2.0Kensington lock slot
Battery48Wh48Wh
Dimensions12.3 x 8.6 x 0.69 inches(312mm x 217.2mm x 16.9mm)12.28 x 8.55 x 0.66 inches(312mm x 217.2mm x 16.9mm)
WeightFrom 2.84 pounds (1.28kg)From 2.84 pounds (1.29kg)

Design and features

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 AMD

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

First-gen models of the ThinkPad X13 use a familiar template, with magnesium-aluminum chassis, black finish, and extra durability certifications to ensure they'll withstand use and abuse outside of what you might find in a standard office. If you're hard on your laptop, ThinkPads have a better chance of surviving than your standard Ultrabook.

Weight and dimensions are the same across Intel and AMD platforms. This is a rather compact laptop that's not hard to take with you on the move. And with optional LTE-A connectivity, you can stay connected in more places. Both laptops have comfortable ThinkPad keyboards with cupped keys and perfect spacing, and both include the TrackPoint system above a Precision touchpad. If you primarily use the red pointing nub and physical buttons, no issues here.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Ports are physically the same, though the Intel model sees one of its USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 3. That means you're going to be able to connect the best laptop docking stations for a powerful workstation. The USB-C port on the AMD model will still work well with some docks, but that extra performance is missed.

Both laptops have optional IR cameras and fingerprint readers, and both have webcam shutters for some extra privacy. Speakers are the same across platforms and do alright for calls and media, but don't expect anything special. Wi-Fi 6 is also packed into each laptop for fast, reliable wireless internet.

The same display options can be had with either AMD or Intel hardware. A low-end HD option with 250 nits brightness costs the least, and it's recommended that you move up to FHD for a much better picture. At 1080p, there are three options, including non-touch with 300 nits brightness, touch with 300 nits brightness, and non-touch with PrivacyGuard filter and 500 nits brightness. If you often work on sensitive documents in public, that last option is no doubt what you want.

Performance and price

The real difference between these laptops lies in their CPU platforms. AMD's Ryzen 4000 mobile CPUs are outstanding chips, with the PRO versions bringing extra security, multithreading, and manageability. And while similar Intel CPUs will still generally win in a single-core battle, Ryzen wins out in raw performance when using everything it has.

Take a look at some synthetic benchmarks to see how the CPUs measure up.

Geekbench 5.0 (CPU) (Higher is better)

Swipe to scroll horizontally
DeviceCPUSingle coreMulti core
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (AMD)Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U1,1024,780
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5)i7-10610U1,1944,008

Cinebench (R20) (Higher is better)

Swipe to scroll horizontally
DeviceCPURange
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (AMD)Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U2,368 to 2,380
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5)i7-10610U1,319 to 1,364

You can get up to a Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U chip paired with 32GB of DDR4-3200MHz RAM, whereas the Core i7 model is capped at 16GB of slower DDR4-2667MHz RAM. And don't think the lesser performance from the Intel model means it's going to cost less. A system with Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and FHD non-touch display costs about $1,241 at Lenovo after a coupon code, while a model with Intel Core i7 CPU and otherwise similar specs costs about $1,489 after a similar coupon is applied.

Go with AMD for more affordable performance

If you value performance at a lesser cost and don't absolutely need Thunderbolt 3 connectivity or Intel's vPro platform, the AMD-powered ThinkPad X13 is recommended. If neither of these laptops is exactly what you're looking for, our collection of the best Windows laptop options has plenty more picks.

Cale Hunt
Contributor

Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.