Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 review

A 2022 flagship ultrabook whose graphics claims are actually true

The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 sits near the top of the used ultrabook shelf at $857 — about 130% above the $373 class median — and, unusually for this price bracket, the asking price is backed by the measurements. Its Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U with 64GB of RAM posts a graphics score of 47.63 against a category median of just 3.84, and the verdict finds no serious weak spots at all. No discrete card is listed: the score belongs to the modern integrated graphics of the Ryzen platform itself.

Integrated graphics that clear recommended bars

The graphics score lands in the mainstream tier — top quartile for the class — and the capability checks confirm it rather than flattering it. Overwatch, Grand Theft Auto V and Rainbow Six Siege all clear their recommended (not just minimum) levels, while Photoshop and Visual Studio Code pass with room to spare. Add 64GB of RAM, double the class median, and this is a machine that genuinely handles both play and pro work without a discrete GPU.

The honest trade-off is the price, not the hardware

With no measured weakness on the sheet, the only real objection is what you pay: $857 in a segment where most buyers spend under $400. That premium buys current-generation silicon, a pro-tier memory ceiling, and a chassis that still feels like Lenovo's 2022 flagship rather than a leftover.

Depreciation is real but proportionate

From a $1,400 launch anchor the machine has settled at $857, losing about 10% per year — a faster clip than older business stock, which is the norm for recent premium hardware. The two-year projection lands near $695, a further 19% drop. Buyers planning to resell should factor that in; buyers planning to keep it get a machine whose value erosion is priced into a still-young platform.

What the same money buys elsewhere

Stepping up $85 buys HP's ZBook Studio 15 G8, a true workstation with a discrete GPU — the only clearly stronger alternative nearby. Stepping down, Lenovo's own Yoga Pro 7 at $753 and HP's Envy 17 at $774 are close in price but trail on the measured axes that define this machine.

Bottom line

For a buyer who wants one used laptop that games at recommended settings, edits media, and still works as a serious 64GB business machine, the Z13 Gen 1 is the most complete package in this price band — provided the premium over the median is acceptable. The verdict's "fairly priced for the class" is, for once, an understatement rather than flattery.