Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 review – Close to Perfection

The positive evolution of ultra-portable devices is undeniable. Now, you can get a 1-kilo machine like the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 with the mighty Core Ultra 9 185H under the bonnet. Despite the compact dimensions, Lenovo has found a way to fit a big 74Wh battery. This, combined with the optional Intel Evo certification is a receipt for long autonomous life. It’s not a surprise that the upgradability is limited because of the thin profile.

Interestingly, if you pop the bottom plate (which makes almost zero sense since only the SSD is replaceable) you’ll find a pretty sizable thermal system, which is rare for such a small machine. That’s good because the 16-core 28W CPU dissipates more heat than a U-series processor and requires significant cooling.

The LA3 chip is here to manage the device’s power for you. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can find the performance presets in the Lenovo Vantage app and the BIOS as well. Hold your horses, this gadget doesn’t have Type-A ports so you have to buy a separate adapter to connect peripheral devices that are based on the older USB standard.

The display of this thing sounds impressive on paper. It’s a 13.5″ 2.8K (2880×1920) screen that could be found with or without touch capabilities. The 3:2 aspect ratio is suitable for work. Still, this machine isn’t cheap but it has many useful features including an IR Web camera with an E-shutter, sound by Harman Kardon, dTPM 2.o chip, and fingerprint reader.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkbook-13x-gen-4/

Contents


Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box

Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 - Specs

  • LEN135WQ+ (INT3480)
  • Color accuracy  1.2  0.9
  • HDD/SSD
  • up to 1000GB SSD
  • RAM
  • up to 32GB
  • OS
  • Windows 11 Pro, DOS, Windows 11 Home
  • Battery
  • 74Wh
  • Body material
  • Aluminum, Magnesium alloy
  • Dimensions
  • 292.9 x 205 x 12.9 mm (11.53" x 8.07" x 0.51")
  • Weight
  • 1.00 kg (2.2 lbs)
  • Ports and connectivity
  • 3x USB Type-C
  • 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
  • Card reader
  • Ethernet LAN
  • Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax
  • Bluetooth
  • 5.1
  • Audio jack
  • 3.5mm Combo Jack
  • Features
  • Fingerprint reader
  • optional
  • Web camera
  • FHD IR with E-shutter, fixed focus, with ToF sensor
  • Backlit keyboard
  • optional
  • Microphone
  • Four Array Microphones with smart noise-cancelling
  • Speakers
  • Stereo Speakers, 2x 2W woofers + 2x 2W tweeters, Dolby Atmos, sound by harman/kardon, Smart Amplifier (AMP)
  • Optical drive
  • Security Lock slot

All Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 configurations

#CommissionsEarned

Drivers

All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkbook-series/thinkbook-13x-g4-imh/downloads

What’s in the box?

In the package, we found the laptop itself fitted in a small box for extra protection. Our machine isn’t bundled with a charger but the retail devices come with a 65W Type-C adapter.


Design and construction

The sleek dual-tone design lines of the Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 haven’t changed much compared to the 2-year-old Gen 2 sibling. There are a few changes here and there like the position of the Power button and the limited max angle of opening. We tried to twist the lid, we pushed down hard the keyboard, and the chassis remained impressively rigid. This is one of the most solid devices that we have ever tested!

The lid feels light, the hinges aren’t stiff, and that’s why you can open this device easily with one hand. The Luna grey iterations are made of aluminum and they are heavier (up to 1.23 kg with touch panel) compared to the magnesium variants in a Seashell color which have an amazing starting weight of just 1 kg! The touchscreen-based laptops have Corning Gorilla Glass which adds a few extra grams. The profile for all models is the same – 12.9 mm.

The high-res HDR display is surrounded by incredibly thin bezels. The “hump” on top helps you to properly grip the lid before opening it and it also houses a 1080p IR Web camera for Windows Hello. Optionally, the protrusion could have Pogo pins for connecting the detachable Lenovo Magic Bay Light. This gadget is useful for video calls in a darker environment because it provides more light around your face.

The edge-to-edge keyboard is kind of a mixed bag. It looks great by the way. However, the “Up” and “Down” Arrows are too small. The main issue of the board is the short key travel. It’s not too bad but let’s say that this machine isn’t meant for the pro typists out there. The unit is well-illuminated and it supports Smart sense tech which sensor could activate the backlight depending on the lighting condition of your room.

The glass touchpad is pleasantly sizable for this kind of small form factor. Our notebook is equipped with the optional Haptic pad. Its touch sensing is awesome and tracking feels great. The main con is the loud-ish clicks.

Nothing unusual on the bottom panel – a ventilation grill, three rubber feet, and a pair of speaker cutouts. The heat is being exhausted through two vents on the back. The hinge cover is placed on top of them and it blocks the heat from reaching the display during max CPU loads.

Ports

On the left side, there is a Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 port and an Audio combo jack. We can spot one more Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 port on the right followed by a Power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader, an E-shutter switch, and another Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 port. The three Type-C connectors support 40 Gbps data transfer, as well as PowerDeliver 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4.

The left USB port can be set to 9V3A for charging external devices such as smartphones.


Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4LEN135WQ+ (INT3480)
Diagonal13.5 inches (34.3 cm)
Panel TypeIPS
Resolution2880 x 1920 pixels
Max Refresh Rate120 Hz
Aspect Ratio3:2
Pixel Density256 PPI
‘Retina’ DistanceGreater than or equal to 34 cm

Viewing Angles

Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.

Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.

Color Coverage

The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.

Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 can show:

Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content

Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.

In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 96% of the sRGB color gamut and 76% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

(Fig.1) Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 covers 76% of the DCI-P3 gamut

Brightness and Contrast

The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 488 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 468 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 9%.

The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6970K.

The contrast ratio is 1290:1.

Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation

The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 181 nits (Windows slider = 63%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.

DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.

Color Accuracy

Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.

Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.

For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.

Before our calibration of the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4, the Average color accuracy was 1.2 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 0.9 dE (Fig. 3).

(Fig. 2) Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 in its factory condition

(Fig. 3) Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 with our display profile

Comparison in the sRGB color space.

Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Gaming profile aims to deliver:

Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile

Visibility in dark scenes

Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.

The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Design and Gaming profile activated.

On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.

You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.

Response time (Gaming capabilities)

We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.

We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 19.5 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.

After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.

Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)

Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.

In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.

The light from the backlight of the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.

Health Impact: Blue light emissions

Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.

If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.

Health Impact: Screen Reflectance

Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.

The reflectance of the Thinkbook 13x’s screen is 68.6 GU.

High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU


Get our profiles

Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 configurations with LEN135WQ+ (INT3480), 2880 х 1920, IPS panel.

*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].

Read more about the profiles HERE.

In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.

Office Work

Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.

Design and Gaming

This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.

Health-Guard

Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.

Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount

Sound

The speakers of the Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 (4x Harman Kardon speakers) produce high-quality sound. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear without any significant deviations.


Performance: CPU, GPU

All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Also, the “Performance” preset is selected in the Lenovo Vantage app.

The “Super Boost” mode is applied in the BIOS.

CPU options

This machine can be found with Intel Core Ultra 5 125H or Core Ultra 9 185H.

The notebook in front of us has a 185H chip.

Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.

Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)

Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.

Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)

GPU options

All laptops of this Lenovo series are iGPU-only devices.

Our one relies on the Intel Arc (8-Cores) for graphics tasks.

Gaming tests

Counter-Strike 2HD 1080p, Low (Check settings)HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings)HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings)
Average FPS203 FPS140 FPS52 FPS

Gears 5Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
Average FPS72 FPS51 FPS40 FPS32 FPS

[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop

You can make your laptop Faster. LaptopMedia has tested thousands of models in the last 15 years, and we have yet to see a notebook that couldn't be made more powerful through modifications.

That's why we decided to bundle everything we know about how to achieve this in an Easy-to-Follow, Step-by-Step, and Laboratory-Tested, all in one project.

Read more about it here:
[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop

[eBook Guide] How to MAX OUT your Laptop

🛠️ GPU Modifications: vBIOS, Overclocking, Undervolting
⚙️ Building Fast/Reliable RAID configuration
💻 Hardware upgrade tips for best results
🖼 Display enhancing
💾 OS Optimization for best performance


Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life

Max CPU load

In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.

Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; Average LP E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power

Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (45W Base Power)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 42.72 GHz @ 2.25 GHz @ 1.48 GHz @ 75°C @ 57W2.80 GHz @ 2.37 GHz @ 1.59 GHz @ 91°C @ 60W2.34 GHz @ 2.06 GHz @ 1.32 GHz @ 79°C @ 42W
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 9 (16″)3.71 GHz @ 3.00 GHz @ 1.93 GHz @ 76°C @ 108W4.03 GHz @ 3.25 GHz @ 2.06 GHz @ 92°C @ 115W3.52 GHz @ 2.88 GHz @ 1.82 GHz @ 82°C @ 80W
Alienware x16 R23.99 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 2.49 GHz @ 83°C @ 149W3.79 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 2.49 GHz @ 88°C @ 145W3.44 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 2.49 GHz @ 92°C @ 124W
MSI Stealth 16 AI Studio A1V3.60 GHz @ 2.99 GHz @ 1.85 GHz @ 71°C @ 90W3.56 GHz @ 2.98 GHz @ 1.85 GHz @ 78°C @ 90W3.16 GHz @ 2.69 GHz @ 1.67 GHz @ 86°C @ 72W
Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 (PTN16-51)3.43 GHz @ 2.87 GHz @ 1.85 GHz @ 71°C @ 83W3.54 GHz @ 2.95 GHz @ 1.90 GHz @ 81°C @ 85W3.29 GHz @ 2.70 GHz @ 1.79 GHz @ 82°C @ 70W
Alienware m16 R23.94 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 2.02 GHz @ 85°C @ 115W3.42 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 2.40 GHz @ 93°C @ 110W3.45 GHz @ 2.92 GHz @ 1.84 GHz @ 85°C @ 78W
MSI Stealth 14 AI Studio A1V3.76 GHz @ 3.00 GHz @ 1.92 GHz @ 74°C @ 95W3.74 GHz @ 2.97 GHz @ 1.91 GHz @ 80°C @ 95W3.62 GHz @ 2.88 GHz @ 1.85 GHz @ 92°C @ 90W
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (N6506) “Full-speed fan mode”3.79 GHz @ 3.25 GHz @ 2.16 GHz @ 91°C @ 114W3.16 GHz @ 2.85 GHz @ 2.49 GHz @ 95°C @ 86W3.26 GHz @ 2.57 GHz @ 1.70 GHz @ 73°C @ 65W
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (N6506) “Performance fan mode”3.74 GHz @ 3.08 GHz @ 1.88 GHz @ 82°C @ 114W3.47 GHz @ 3.22 GHz @ 2.41 GHz @ 94°C @ 106W3.02 GHz @ 2.35 GHz @ 1.59 GHz @ 72°C @ 60W
ASUS Zenbook DUO (UX8406)3.13 GHz @ 2.54 GHz @ 1.68 GHz @ 78°C @ 64W2.55 GHz @ 2.25 GHz @ 1.39 GHz @ 90°C @ 53W2.09 GHz @ 1.88 GHz @ 1.00 GHz @ 78°C @ 35W

The clocks under max processor loads are just decent but since that’s a 13-incher configured with a Core Ultra 9 185H, we can call it a day. On the bright side, the frequencies are always higher than the official Intel base ones. In medium loads, the CPU temperature hits 91°C which isn’t that good.

Comfort during full load

The noise during heavy CPU loads in “Performance” mode is average which is fine considering the Core Ultra 9 chip and the super compact chassis.

When the internals are pushed to their limits, the hot spot on the keyboard reaches 45°C. We measured the same temperature on the bottom bezel of the display in the zone close to the rear exhaust vent.

Switching down to the “Adaptive Power mode” lowers the noise as well as the clocks.

Battery

Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 74Wh battery pack lasts for around 17 hours and a half of video playback. Given the high-res OLED display, the result is very good! To achieve that, you have to apply the “Battery saver” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the Lenovo Vantage app.



Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance

To have a sneak peek at the internals of this compact notebook, you have to undo six Torx-head screws. Use a lever tool or your thumb to lift one of the zones close to the top edges to create a gap. Insert a thin plastic tool in the same corner, and pry the side, front, and other side. Pop the other edge as well. The middle exhaust vent on the back is attached to the bottom panel. Pop the left and the right zones of the rear and then work your way around the central part. Don’t lift the front.

Raise the plate from the back and flip it over carefully.

Now we can see the whole motherboard.

Here’s how the bottom plate looks on the inside.

Undo the two screws that hold the battery connector and gently disconnect it.

Wear gloves to avoid short circuits.

The 74Wh battery is glued to the metal bottom plate. The capacity is enough for around 17 hours and a half of video playback.

The memory is soldered. Still, you get up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-8400 MHz RAM in dual-channel which is more than enough for regular home or office work. For storage, there is just a single M.2 slot compatible with 2242 Gen 4 SSDs. The preinstalled NVMe drive is covered with a heat shield. There is tape on top, be careful while peeling it off because you can tear the cover just like we did.

Sadly, there is no additional cooling for the SSD.

The vapor chamber thermal system houses a sizable central contact plate, two large fans, and a pair of top-mounted heat sinks.


Verdict

The Lenovo Thinkbook 13x Gen 4 is a highly impressive laptop with few shortcomings. This is a mind-blowingly solid light and thin machine. Our device with a Core Ultra 9 185H isn’t going to top any benchmark charts but the CPU performance is still good because the frequencies remain decent even in longer stress. In this scenario, the keyboard doesn’t get excessively hot and the fans aren’t noisy. The comfort under max processor loads is adequate.

What about the upgrade options? Well, you can replace the SSD. The port selection impresses with its three Thunderbolt 4s but the lack of Type-A connectors could be a no-go for some people. The spill-resistant keyboard has well-spaced big keycaps which unfortunately offer short travel. On the flip side, the optional Haptic touchpad is a joy to use.

The high-res 2.8K IPS display (LEN135WQ+ (INT3480)) is great for professional color-sensitive work. It has a 3:2 aspect ratio, 96% sRGB coverage, and 488 nit max brightness. Thanks to the optimizations of our “Design and Gaming” profile, the color accuracy is enhanced to an average dE result of 0.9 which is a superb score.

Last but not least, the battery life is amazing – more than  17 hours of video on a single charge. The Thinkbook 13x could impress future buyers with its out-of-this-world build quality, snappy performance for its class, and great PWM-free display.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkbook-13x-gen-4/

Pros

  • The aluminum chassis is built like a tank
  • The fans are non-intrusive during max CPU loads
  • Precise glass touchpad
  • Compact and light (12.9 mm / up to 1.23 kg)
  • Lighter magnesium version is also available (1 kg)
  • Good performance given the form factor
  • Up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-8400MHz RAM
  • PWM-free display (LEN135WQ+)
  • 3:2 aspect ratio and wide viewing angles (LEN135WQ+)
  • 96% sRGB coverage + accurate colors with our “Design and Gaming” profile (LEN135WQ+)
  • 488 nits of max brightness (LEN135WQ+)
  • 2880 x 1920 resolution + 120Hz refresh rate (LEN135WQ+)
  • IR Web camera +  fingerprint reader
  • E-shutter switch
  • Well-lit keyboard with big keycaps and Smart sense backlight
  • 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • Decent clocks in long loads (2.34 GHz / 2.06 GHz for the P and E cores of the Core Ultra 9 185H)
  • Very long battery life (~17 hours of videos)
  • Good comfort under max processor stress
  • Snappy iGPU (140 FPS in CS2 on Medium details)


Cons

  • Short key travel
  • Complicated disassembly (the battery is attached to the bottom panel and the connector is held in place by two screws)
  • High CPU temperatures in medium loads (91°C)
  • No Type-A ports

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