Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 review – Performance and Portability with Thermal Trade-offs
The manufacturer describes the ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 as “portable with lightweight, compact design & maximized connectivity”. Yes, this is a thin and light 13-inch gadget that also offers a pretty good port selection for its size. We also have reviewed the 14-inch sibling which may look almost the same, but both laptops aren’t that similar when the bottom plates are opened. The L13 model is offered just with 15W Intel Meteor Lake CPUs. The 28W variants are reserved for the bigger models. Also, the memory here is soldered while the L14 comes with a pair of SODIMMs. Still, all that sounds normal for such a small notebook.
You get a choice of four 1200p IPS panels (one of them is a touchscreen). All are 60Hz units which is okay since that’s a business device, not a gaming powerhouse. The main difference between the panels is the sRGB coverage.
We bought almost the base configuration of this Lenovo series with a Core Ultra 5 125U, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It may not sound impressive on paper, but the machine is fast and responsive for daily tasks and the fan isn’t intrusively loud which is great.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-l13-gen-5-intel/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 (Intel) - Specs
- Display
- 13.3”, WUXGA (1920 x 1200), IPS
- HDD/SSD
- up to 1000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 32GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home, DOS
- Battery
- 46Wh
- Body material
- Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 305 x 218 x 17.23 mm (12.01" x 8.58" x 0.68")
- Weight
- 1.23 kg (2.7 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
- 1x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- 1x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 2.1 (4K@60Hz)
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- optional
- Web camera
- FHD 1080p + IR hybrid, with privacy shutter, fixed focus
- Backlit keyboard
- optional
- Microphone
- Dual-microphone array, far-field, Dolby Voice
- Speakers
- 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Dolby Audio
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
- Kensington Nano Lock
All Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 (Intel) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/bm/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-l-series-laptops/thinkpad-l13-gen-5-type-21lb-21lc/downloads
What’s in the box?
The box contains the laptop itself, a bunch of manuals, and a 45W or 65W Type-C adapter. Certain machines come with USB-C adapters for VGA, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and USB-A connections
Design and construction
Aside from the missing protrusion on the top of the lid, the ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 and the L14 model are almost twins in terms of design. The smaller machine features an all-aluminum build. Both the lid and the base are solid. We spot a small amount of flex above the touchpad but that’s normal. The portability seems great since this compact fella has a profile thickness of 17.23 mm and 1.23 kg weight. This notebook can be found in Black or Grey color. Still, the matte surface isn’t exactly fingerprint-proof.
Curiously, you can open the lid with one hand but you have to do it slowly. Even then, the front of the base will jump up a few times.
The thick bezels that surround the 1200p screen are old-school thick.
The 720p Web camera with a privacy shutter and a temporal noise reduction tech is positioned on top of the screen. You can also opt for a 1080p unit that supports facial recognition for Windows Hello.
A flat opening is possible.
Despite the small form factor, the Arrow keys of the spill-resistant keyboard are decently sized. The others are big, with long travel which makes the board comfortable for typists out there. Unfortunately, the backlight isn’t standard for all machines. The rounded Power button doubles as an optional fingerprint reader. The already legendary TrackPoint is positioned in the middle of the keyboard. It’s tied with the trio of keys above the touchpad.
Speaking of which, the Mylar pad is well-sized (56 x 115 mm) and it has a smooth surface. The accuracy is also good.
When you turn over the machine, you’ll spot a ventilation grill, three rubber feet, and two speaker cutouts. The heat is pushed through a vent on the rear. The lower screen bezel is almost placed on top of it. That’s why not much hot air makes its way to the display during 100% CPU loads.
Ports
On the left side, there is an optional Nano-SIM card slot, a 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 port that supports DisplayPort 2.1 (for up to 5K@120Hz external screens), a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and an Audio combo jack. The other side houses a Kensington Nano Security Slot, a 20 Gbps USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2×2) port with DisplayPort 1.4 functionality, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with an Always On function, and an HDMI 2.1 for up to 4K@60Hz external displays. The optional Smart card reader is on the front.
Both Type-Cs offer PowerDelivery 3.0.
Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 | N133JCA-EEK (LEN41A0) |
| Diagonal | 13.3 inches (33.8 cm) |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| Max Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
| Pixel Density | 170 PPI |
| ‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 51 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 ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 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 ThinkPad L13 Gen 5: 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 54% of the sRGB color gamut and 43% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 covers 54% of the sRGB gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 330 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 309 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 14%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6780K.
The contrast ratio is 1310:1.
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 184 nits (Windows slider = 81%) — 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 ThinkPad L13 Gen 5. 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 ThinkPad L13 Gen 5, the Average color accuracy was 5.7 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Office profile, it lowered to 3.7 dE (Fig. 3).
(Fig. 2) Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 in its factory condition
(Fig. 3) Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 with our display profile
Comparison in the sRGB color space.
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Office 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 Gaming and movies 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 = 17.7 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 ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 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 ThinkPad L13 Gen 5’s screen is 52.2 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 ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 configurations with N133JCA-EEK (LEN41A0), 1920 x 1200, 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
When we subjectively listen to a sound file through the built-in speakers, the sound quality offered by Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 is relatively good. However, the low, mid and high frequencies have slight deviations in clarity.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Also, the “Scheme for AC” in the BIOS is set to “Maximize Performance”.
CPU options
This device is offered with Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 5 135U, Core Ultra 7 155U, or Core Ultra 7 165U.
Our laptop has a 125U chip.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
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 devices of this Lenovo series rely on iGPUs.
In our case, that’s the Intel Graphics (4-Cores).
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
| Counter-Strike 2 | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 91 FPS | 64 FPS | 26 FPS |
| Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 38 FPS | 24 FPS | 20 FPS | 16 FPS |
Storage performance
Our notebook has a 512GB KIOXIA KBG6AZNV512G. It’s decently fast and the thermals under max stress are pleasantly low (just 47°C).
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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 5 125U (15W Base Power) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 | 3.57 GHz @ 2.83 GHz @ 1.68 GHz @ 91°C @ 45W | 3.52 GHz @ 3.18 GHz @ 1.98 GHz @ 100°C @ 48W | 2.32 GHz @ 2.06 GHz @ 1.19 GHz @ 71°C @ 21W |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 (Intel) | 3.95 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 2.03 GHz @ 90°C @ 60W | 3.41 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 2.09 GHz @ 96°C @ 50W | 2.88 GHz @ 2.41 GHz @ 1.39 GHz @ 72°C @ 30W |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 | 3.54 GHz @ 3.00 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 75°C @ 43W | 3.45 GHz @ 2.95 GHz @ 1.77 GHz @ 88°C @ 43W | 2.00 GHz @ 1.89 GHz @ 1.10 GHz @ 67°C @ 21W |
Here, the Core Ultra 5 125U maintains a 3.52 GHz / 3.18 GHz P and E core clock even in medium loads which is a very good result for a small 13-incher. The downside is the 100°C chip temperature! In the long run, the frequencies are hindered to 2.32 GHz / 2.06 GHz – perfectly fine for a compact laptop.
Comfort during full load
The fan isn’t noisy during max CPU stress in “Best Performance” mode. In this scenario, the keyboard doesn’t feel scorching hot to the touch.
In “Best Performance” mode, the fan speed is ~ 4300 RPM when the CPU is pounded with serious stress. The speed is reduced to just 4000 RPM in “Balanced” mode but the latter is kind of useless for heavy-duty work because of the low 1.20 GHz / 1.40 GHz P and E core clocks.
Max CPU Stress “Best Performance”
Max CPU Stress “Balanced”In idle, if the CPU temperature is below 50°C, the fan doesn’t spin at all. When the fan is on, its speed is around RPM 2400 RPM.
Idle fan off “Best Performance”
Idle fan on “Best Performance”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 46Wh battery lasts for around 11 hours of video playback. To achieve that, you have to apply the “Energy Saver” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and set the “Scheme for Battery” to “Balanced” mode in the BIOS.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To see the internals of this small office device, you have to undo eight captive Phillips-head screws. You can also eject the SIM card tray but it’s not exactly necessary.
Pop the top two corners with a thin plastic tool. Then pry the back and the sides. After that, raise the rear until the front clips are released and lift the panel away from the base.
Here’s how the bottom panel looks on the inside.
The battery has a capacity of 46Wh. To remove it, pop up the front of the connector with a lever tool and slightly push the back toward the SSD to release the two small plastic feet from the connector housing. Then, undo the four Phillips-head screws that hold the unit fixed to the chassis. The battery has enough juice for around 11 hours of video playback.
The WWAN slot on the right is for optional 4G LTE connectivity.
Sadly, the memory is soldered. Still, you get up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM which is plenty for normal work. Interestingly, the RAM chips are rated at 7500MHz but they operate at 6400MHz due to platform limitations.
The single M.2 slot compatible with 2280 Gen 4 NVMe drives has a nylon coating on top. The SSD is additionally cooled by a long thermal pad underneath.
The Wi-Fi 6E card is also soldered.
The cooling is basic. It comprises one fan, a single heat pipe, a heat sink, and a heat spreader.
Verdict
The Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 is a capable office machine that offers good comfort even during maximum CPU loads. This reminds us that the processor maintains a pretty high P and E core clock of 3.52 GHz / 3.18 GHz in medium loads but that comes at the expense of a 100°C chip temperature! When the Core Ultra 5 125U is stressed for a long time, the clock reaches 2.32 GHz / 2.06 GHz which is also an adequate result for a small machine.
The 1200p 60Hz display (N133JCA-EEK (LEN41A0)) has 330 nits of max brightness. The screen becomes decently color-accurate when our “Design and Office” profile is applied. The unit is also PWM-free and has wide viewing angles. Its main con is the 54% sRGB coverage.
The ThinkPad L13 may attract future buyers with its four USB ports, optional LTE connectivity, and fine comfort during max CPU stress. The security seems on point thanks to the privacy shutter, the Lock slot, and the dTPM 2.0 chip. Of course, you can order this laptop with tons of optional extras such as an IR Web camera, NFC, Smart card reader, fingerprint reader, and a vPro CPU.
The ThinkPad L13 Gen 5 is a snappy 13-incher with a solid metal chassis, rich port selection, and long battery life.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-l13-gen-5-intel/
Pros
- Solid metal build
- Light and thin (1.23 kg / 17.23 mm)
- Feels snappy for normal work
- The fan isn’t noisy during long max CPU loads in “Best Performance” mode
- PWM-free display (LEN41A0)
- Comfortable viewing angles + 16:10 aspect ratio (LEN41A0)
- 330 nits of max brightness (LEN41A0)
- Web camera with a privacy shutter
- Modern port selection with 4x USB ports
- Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
- Up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM
- vPro CPU, IR Web camera, fingerprint reader, Nano-SIM card slot, Smart card reader, NFC (all are optional)
- The Core Ultra 5 125U sustains a 2.32 GHz / 2.06 GHz P and E-core clock in longer loads
- 3.52 GHz / 3.18 GHz P and E-core clock in medium CPU loads
- The bottom plate can be popped easily
- Well-cooled SSD (KIOXIA KBG6AZNV512G)
- The fan doesn’t spin if the CPU temperature is below 50°C
- 180-degree hinge
Cons
- 100°C CPU temperature in medium loads
- Too many optional features
- Just 1x M.2 slot + soldered Wi-Fi card and memory
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