Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard layout

impressive security features

good battery life

portable design

average display brightness

limited graphics performance

noisy under load

higher price point

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

affordable price

large display

ample storage options

decent processor speed

variety of ports

heavy design

average battery life

mediocre display quality

no backlit keyboard

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) and Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
86 % - Design
75 % - Display
80 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
69 % - Design
65 % - Display
65 % - Performance
72 % - Connectivity
65 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) vs. Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Product Type Notebook - 180-degree hinge design Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 30.58 cm x 21.756 cm x 1.81 cm 41.8 cm x 29.26 cm x 2.49 cm
Weight 1.29 kg 2.8 kg
Case Material Polyphenylene sulfide (top), aluminium (bottom) Polycarbonate ABS
Colour Thunder black Onyx black
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Screen Size (Type) 13.3" - IPS 17.3" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 16:9
Image Brightness 300 cd/m² 300 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 72% NTSC -
Features Anti-glare, 170° viewing angle Anti-glare
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
CPU Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) 1235U / 1.3 GHz Intel Core i3 (8th Gen) 8130U / 2.2 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.4 GHz 3.4 GHz
Number of Cores 10-core Dual-Core
Cache 12 MB 4 MB
64-bit Computing - Yes
Platform Technology Intel Evo -
Features Integrated memory controller Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
RAM 16 GB (provided memory is soldered) 4 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported - 16 GB
RAM Type LPDDR5 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM
Speed 4800 MHz 2133 MHz
Rated Speed 4800 MHz 2133 MHz
Form Factor - SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty - 1
Empty Slots - 1
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe) 1 TB HDD SATA 6Gb/s / 5400 rpm
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620
Max Monitors Supported 3 external monitor(s) -
Camera Yes - 1080p Yes
Resolution - 0.3 Megapixel
Camera Features Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus -
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3287 -
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio, Dolby Voice High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Wireless Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1
Wireless Controller Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211 M.2 Card
Network Interface - Gigabit Ethernet
Features Dual stream (2x2) -
WWAN
Generation 4G upgradable -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Technology Lithium polymer Lithium Ion
Battery Capacity (Size) 54.7 Wh 35 Wh
Battery Life - Up to 6 hours
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 65 Watt 45 Watt
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, touchpad
Numeric Keypad - Yes
Keyboard Backlight Yes -
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls Multi-touch touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Slots 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free) -
Interfaces USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB 3.2 Gen 1
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.0 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1
USB-C 3.1 Gen 1
HDMI
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader - 4 in 1 (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Card, SDXC Card)
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence - English Windows 10 Home 64-bit Edition - English
Software Included Glance by Mirametrix, Intel Connectivity Performance Suite Microsoft Office (Trial)
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN) Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter Power adapter
Security Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader, smart card reader -
Security Slot Type Kensington nano security slot Kensington security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features Administrator password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, NVMe password, USB FIDO (Fast Identity Online) device integration, Firmware Resiliency 3.0, certificate based BIOS authentication Administrator password, hard drive password, power-on password
Compliant Standards RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified RoHS
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold -
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 5 °C -
Humidity Range Operating 8 - 95% -
Manufacturer Warranty Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Limited warranty - battery - 1 year
Extended warranty - 1 year - on-site
Limited warranty - 1 year - pick-up and return
Other Comparisons with Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 3 (21BN)
Other Comparisons with Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (81DM)
Other Popular Laptop Comparisons
Other projects: