Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5)
Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5)

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

excellent build quality

powerful AMD processor

high-resolution display

sustainable materials used

compact and lightweight

higher price point

no HDMI port

limited upgradeability

average battery life

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
82 % - Design
83 % - Display
85 % - Performance
84 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 33.66 cm x 23.25 cm x 1.995 cm 29.94 cm x 19.96 cm x 1.399 cm
Weight 1.65 kg 1.19 kg
Case Material Glass-fibre reinforced plastic, polyphenylene sulfide Aluminium (top), aluminium (bottom)
Colour Black Black (bottom), arctic grey (top)
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Screen Size (Type) 14" 13.3" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 (HD) 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Image Brightness 220 cd/m² 400 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 100% sRGB
Features Anti-glare Anti-glare, 178° viewing angle, Low Power, 91.6% screen-to-body ratio
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
CPU Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 8250U / 1.6 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 6650U / 2.9 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 3.4 GHz 4.5 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 6-core
Cache 6 MB 16 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Features Hyper-Threading Technology, integrated memory controller, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, Intel Smart Cache -
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
RAM 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) 16 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 32 GB -
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM LPDDR5 SDRAM
Speed 2400 MHz 6400 MHz
Rated Speed 2400 MHz 6400 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin -
Slots Qty 2 -
Empty Slots 1 -
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 500 GB HDD SATA 6Gb/s / 7200 rpm 256 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics 620 AMD Radeon 660M
Max Monitors Supported - 2 external monitor(s)
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Camera Features ThinkShutter camera privacy IR camera, Windows Hello, e-camera shutter
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3287 Realtek ALC3306
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio Premium High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2
Wireless Controller Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 - M.2 Card Qualcomm NFA725A
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet -
Ethernet Controller Intel I219-V -
Compliant Standards - DASH
Features - Dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation 4G -
Technology LTE -
Controller FIBOCOM L830-EB - M.2 Card -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Technology Lithium Ion Lithium polymer
Installed Qty 2 -
Battery Capacity (Size) 24 Wh 51.5 Wh
Battery Life Up to 14.4 hours Up to 22.8 hours
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 45 Watt 65 Watt
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, buttonless touchpad Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, haptic feedback, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Slots 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free) -
Interfaces USB 3.1 Gen 1
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 1
USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3)
HDMI
Dock
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN
2 x USB4 (supports DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader 4 in 1 (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Card, SDXC Card) -
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition Windows 11 Pro - English
Software Included - Glance by Mirametrix
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (20L5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 (21D2)
Dockable Yes -
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter USB-C power adapter
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip with Microsoft Pluton, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type Kensington security slot -
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) -
Features Administrator password, hard drive password, power-on password, ThinkVantage Active Protection System, MIL-STD-810G tested Administrator password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password, USB FIDO (Fast Identity Online) device integration, pen upgradable, certificate based BIOS authentication
Compliant Standards RoHS RoHS, TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes Yes
EPEAT Compliant - EPEAT Gold
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 8 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Limited warranty - battery - 1 year
Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Extended warranty - 3 years - on-site - response time: next business day
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