Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 vs Framework Laptop 13 Comparison

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Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4

13.5 inches | January 2024

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Framework Laptop 13

13.5 inches | May 2022

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Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 vs Framework Laptop 13 Comparison Overview

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Framework Laptop 13

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Framework Laptop 13

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In this review, we will be comparing Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Laptop 13, two laptops from Lenovo and Framework. Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 was introduced to market in January 2024 and Framework Laptop 13 was launched in May 2022. There is 20 months difference between Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Laptop 13 so it would still give an advantage to younger Thinkbook 13x Gen 4.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Framework Laptop 13 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 Key Specs

Launched in January 2024
13.5" TouchScreen - IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
GPU: Intel Arc iGPU (8-Cores)
16GB Ram
293.5 x 205.3 x 12.9 mm (11.56 x 8.08 x 0.51 inches)
Weight: 1.15 kg (2.54 lbs)

Framework Laptop 13 Key Specs

Launched in May 2022
13.5" IPS LCD, 3:2 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 1240P
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
8GB Ram
296 x 229 x 15.85 mm (11.65 x 9.02 x 0.62 inches)
Weight: 1.3 kg (2.87 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Laptop 13 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 over Framework Laptop 13

Weight	1.15 kg vs 1.30 kg	0.15 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~90.1% vs ~80.1%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	4.1 mm vs 5.3 mm	1.2 mm thinner bezels
Refresh Rate	120 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
Screen PPI	256 ppi vs 201 ppi	More pixels per inch
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Interact with your fingers
Screen Resolution	2880 x 1920 pixels vs 2256 x 1504 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
sRGB Color Space	100% vs 97.1%	Wider sRGB Color Space Coverage
Max Brightness	500 nits vs 400 nits	Brighter Screen
CPU Fabrication Process	7 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	5 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	5.76-6.02 TFLOPS vs 1.41 TFLOPS	Flexible cable positions
Charging Port Position	Left, Right vs -	Faster RAM Type
RAM Type	LPDDR5X vs DDR4	3D Surround Sound Support
Dolby Atmos Speakers	Yes vs No	Better Sound capture
Number of Microphones	4 vs 2

Reasons to choose Framework Laptop 13 over Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4

Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs No	More RAM Options
Bluetooth	v5.3 vs v5.2	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Number of USB-C Ports	4x USB 4.0 vs 2x USB 4.0	Connect more device at the same time
HDMI Port	1x HDMI 2.0 vs No	Connect to external monitors directly via HDMI cable
Display Port	Yes vs No	Option to use Display port to connect to external monitors
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs No	Connects to the local network via Ethernet RJ45
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader

Common Strengths of Framework Laptop 13 and Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4

Launch Dates	January 2024 vs May 2022	Both laptops are recent models
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6E vs v6E	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs Yes	Easy Login with Fingerprint Sensor
Thunderbolt Port	v4 vs v4	Fast data and power transfer via Thunderbolt Port
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 vs Framework Laptop 13: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and the Framework Laptop 13.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.15 kg (2.54 lbs)	1.3 kg (2.87 lbs)
Surface Area	603 cm2 (93.4 inches2)	678 cm2 (105.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~90.1%	~80.1%
Side Bezel Thickness	~4.1 mm	~5.3 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.09 kg/inch	0.10 kg/inch
	0.198 lbs/inch	0.22 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Silver

Comparison of the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and the Framework Laptop 13 External Dimensions

Weight

Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 weighs 1.15 kg (2.54 lbs), whereas the Laptop 13 weighs 1.3 kg (2.87 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. The weight difference between the two laptops is not significant.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 1.15 kg

Framework Laptop 13 1.30 kg

Min 0.85 kg

Average 1.22 kg

Max 1.64 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 12.90 mm

Framework Laptop 13 15.85 mm

Min 7.90 mm

Average 15.38 mm

Max 19.30 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 is 0.09 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Framework Laptop 13 is 0.10 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 vs Framework Laptop 13: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core Ultra 9 185H	Intel Core i5 1240P Intel Core i7 1260P Intel Core i7 1280P Intel Core i5 1340P Intel Core i7 1360P Intel Core i7 1370P AMD Ryzen 5 7640U AMD Ryzen 7 7840U
Base Frequency	3.9 GHz	1.7 GHz
Turbo Frequency	5.1 GHz	4.4 GHz
Number of Cores	Arc Graphics (8-	12
Number of Threads	22	16
L3 Cache	24 MB	12 MB
Integrated GPU	Arc Graphics (8-Cores)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (80EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	7 nm	10 nm
Cinebench 23 (Single)	2055	1516
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	18640	9305

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Framework Laptop 13.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 1240P

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Intel Arc iGPU (8-Cores)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU)
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	W	15 W
Type	Integrated	Integrated
FLOPS	5.76-6.02 TFLOPS	1,408 GFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Type	LPDDR5X	System Shared
Memory Speed	8.4 Gbps	System Shared
Shading Units Cores	128	640
TMUs	8	40
ROPs	4	20

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 has a FLOPS value of 5.76-6.02 TFLOPS whereas the Framework Laptop 13 ' has a FLOPS value of 1.41 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	16GB 32GB	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	2x8 GB	1x8 GB
RAM Clock	8400 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5X	DDR4
Upgradable	No	Yes
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

With a larger RAM capacity of 16 GB, the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 offers an advantage for multitasking and resource-intensive applications compared to the Laptop 13's RAM capacity of 8 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4	Framework Laptop 13
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✔ Good performance.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	74 Wh	55 Wh 61 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Ion
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left, Right	-
Charge Power	65 W	60 W

Moreover, the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 boasts a larger battery capacity of 74 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Laptop 13's55 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 74 Wh

Framework Laptop 13 55 Wh

Min 38.00 Wh

Average 53.1 Wh

Max 80.00 Wh

STORAGE
The Laptop 13 offers a larger max storage capacity of 4 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4's storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	1	1
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 vs Framework Laptop 13: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Framework Laptop 13 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Both Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Laptop 13 screens have the same size of 13.5".The total usable screen area of the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 is 543cm² / 84inch² whereas the Laptop 13's total usable screen area is 543cm² / 84inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 features a higher pixel density with 256 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 256 ppi

Framework Laptop 13 201 ppi

Min 118 PPI

Average 186 PPI

Max 338.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 offers a higher refresh rate of 120 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 offers a higher maximum brightness of 500 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 13.0-13.9 inches

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 500 nits

Framework Laptop 13 400 nits

Min

30 nits

Average 438 nits

Max 1000.00 nits

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 vs Framework Laptop 13 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6E), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Neither Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 nor Laptop 13 has USB-A ports.
Both Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Laptop 13 have USB Type-C ports. Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 has 2x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports, while Laptop 13 has 4x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Both Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Laptop 13 are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HDMI
Laptop 13 features an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.0) for connecting to external monitors. Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 does not have an HDMI port.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Laptop 13 is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 and Laptop 13 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6E	v6E
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5.3
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	No	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 4.0	4x USB 4.0
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	No	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	1x v1.4
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	Yes
SD CardReader	No	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	No	No