Lenovo ThinkBook 14 evaluation: Caught previously and paying for it

Finest Costs At this time: Lenovo ThinkBook 14

How a lot are you keen to sacrifice for a laptop computer with tons of ports?

The ThinkBook 14 is more likely to check the dedication of even essentially the most dedicated port-fiends. It has Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, a full-sized HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a 4-in-1 SD card reader, all in a laptop computer below $1,000. Sadly, it additionally falls approach behind the competitors in efficiency and battery life.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Specs

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14’s specs are relatively fundamental. It has an Intel Core 5 210H which, although it does present eight cores (4 efficiency, 4 environment friendly), depends on cut-back Intel Graphics and lacks an NPU. The mannequin I reviewed additionally caught to Wi-Fi 6, as an alternative of the newer Wi-Fi 7 customary, and had a small 256GB stable state drive.

• Mannequin quantity: 21SG000FUS
• CPU: Intel Core 5 210H, 8 cores with 12 threads
• Reminiscence: 16GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Graphics
• NPU: None
• Show: 14-inch 1920×1200 60Hz 300-nits
• Storage: 256GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe stable state drive
• Webcam: 1080p 30fps digicam with privateness shutter
• Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps / USB-C with Energy Supply 3.0 and DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB-C 10Gbps, 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45), 1x 4-in-1 SD card reader
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 45 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.34 x 8.82 in x 0.69
• Weight: 3.0 kilos
• Working System: Home windows 11 Dwelling
• Value: $949.99 MSRP / $828.99 typical retail (CDW)

Lenovo’s pricing doesn’t mirror the laptop computer’s fundamental {hardware}. The configuration I examined carries an MSRP of $949.99 on enterprise-focused retailer CDW, although it’s extra steadily offered for $828.99. Even then, the ThinkBook’s specs are lackluster in comparison with alternate options just like the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED or Dell 14 Plus.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The ThinkBook line is Lenovo’s entry-level enterprise and enterprise sub-brand. It’s designed to supply some advantages of ThinkPad laptops at a lower cost level. The ThinkBook 14 fulfills that mission in some areas, however design isn’t certainly one of them.

I’ll give the Thinkbook credit score for one factor: it’s distinctive. The 2-tone silver show lid and distinguished ThinkBook branding is much less subdued than opponents like Dell’s Professional and Acer’s Travelmate line-up.

Open the laptop computer, nonetheless, and it’s clearly constructed to a finances. Plastic is the fabric of selection. The chassis principally resists flex however can really feel squishy throughout the center of the keyboard.

It’s additionally relatively gentle at three kilos. That’s good for portability however underscores the laptop computer’s finances really feel. I assumed it felt a bit hole, as if a lot of the inside was empty (which, to be clear, isn’t the case).

None of that is surprising for a Home windows laptop computer priced below $1,000, however patrons can do higher. Asus Zenbook, Dell Plus, and Lenovo IdeaPad laptops have a tendency to supply a extra enticing and premium design for the cash.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

Whereas it may not look premium, the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 has a fantastic keyboard that’s typically higher than most Home windows laptops and positively stable for a laptop computer below $1,000. The keyboard is spacious, supplies good key journey, and advantages from a crisp, snappy key really feel. Just a few keys, like Backspace, are a bit smaller than on a full-sized keyboard, nevertheless it’s a spacious and pleasing expertise general.

The ThinkBook 14 I examined had a keyboard backlight, nevertheless it’s not customary, so maintain that in thoughts when searching for the laptop computer. The backlight was unimpressive, nevertheless it did the job.

The touchpad measures only a hair below 5 inches vast and three inches deep, which is typical for a 14-inch Home windows laptop computer. It was responsive in my testing and, importantly, by no means picked up on undesirable inputs whereas typing. Just a few opponents, just like the Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 13.8 and Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, supply a bigger touchpad (although, to be truthful, Microsoft’s Floor is far more costly).

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Show, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

Most Lenovo ThinkBook 14 configurations, together with the one I examined, ship with a 14-inch 1080p IPS show. An non-compulsory touchscreen is on the market, too, and it’s additionally a 14-inch 1080p IPS panel.

The show is a bit disappointing general. It’s marketed with a most brightness of 300 nits and, in my testing, barely exceeded that. That’s not vivid for a laptop computer and it may make the display troublesome to view in brighter rooms. Outside use will show practically unimaginable on a sunny day.

It’s not a fantastic show for shade and distinction, both. Motion pictures and video games look muted and washed-out and viewing the show in a darkish room will reveal noticeable “IPS glow,” which casts a silver-gray sheen over the show.

The current proliferation of inexpensive OLED panels has decreased the enchantment of fundamental IPS shows like that discovered within the ThinkBook 14. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1, and Samsung Galaxy Book4 Professional all present extra colourful and wealthy OLED shows and, at present pricing, they’re aggressive with the ThinkBook 14.

Audio efficiency is a draw back for the ThinkBook 14. The laptop computer has easy downward-firing audio system that wrestle to supply enough quantity and rapidly develop into muddy in music, motion pictures, and video games. The audio system are nice for podcasts and video calls, however that’s about it.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Most Lenovo ThinkBook 14 configurations ship with a 1080p webcam able to recording as much as 30 frames per second and a dual-array microphone. This can be a typical configuration for a laptop computer offered in 2025, and it supplies good video high quality and audio high quality for video calls. A bodily privateness shutter is included.

An IR digicam with assist for Home windows Hiya can also be obtainable however wasn’t on the laptop computer I reviewed. It did have a fingerprint reader, nonetheless, which was bundled into the facility button. It labored about in addition to normal. The fingerprint reader is usually responsive however could wrestle if touched barely off-center or with greasy, damp, or soiled arms.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

I’ve principally ragged on the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 to this point, and for good purpose. It’s behind the competitors in a number of areas.

However if you need ports? Oh, boy, does the ThinkBook 14 have ports. 

The laptop computer has one Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C port with USB Energy Supply and DisplayPort, plus a second USB-C port that additionally helps energy. It additionally has two USB-A ports, full-sized HDMI, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and even a 4-in-1 SD card reader.

I like Lenovo’s no-compromise strategy. The ThinkBook 14 helps Thunderbolt 4 for quick connections to fashionable shows, storage, and docks, nevertheless it additionally helps USB-A and Ethernet. 

Wi-fi connectivity, however, is a miss. The ThinkBook 14 solely helps Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, however most fashionable laptops have upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

This gained’t be an enormous problem for many customers, since you want a Wi-Fi 7 router or Bluetooth 5.4 gadget to see any distinction. Nonetheless, sticking to older requirements will make the ThinkBook 14’s wi-fi connectivity really feel dated rapidly.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Bloatware woes

We’ll dig into efficiency in a second, however, earlier than we do, I would like to clarify a significant downside I skilled whereas testing the laptop computer.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14, like most Lenovo laptops, ships with a smattering of Lenovo software program. It’s meant to supply all types of performance, from customization of energy profiles to enhancements to video high quality in video calls. Most of that is lumped below Lenovo Vantage, however different providers embrace Lenovo Sensible Assembly and Lenovo Now.

I rapidly observed that the ThinkBook 14 wasn’t performing in addition to anticipated. On nearer inspection, I observed a program referred to as Lenovo Dwell Face Filter was consistently battering the CPU, which appeared to additionally scale back efficiency in benchmark scores.

The answer? I uninstalled software program referred to as Lenovo Sensible Assembly Parts, which apparently included the Dwell Face Filter.

The efficiency and outcomes under have been reached with Dwell Face Filter turned off. Nonetheless, customers who fail to uninstall it may anticipate to see a ten to twenty p.c discount in efficiency. That’s a horrible penalty for pre-installed bloatware and instantly sinks the ThinkBook 14’s hopes of competing in opposition to different laptops.

Lenovo must pay a lot nearer consideration to the habits of software program it ships on its laptops.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Efficiency

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 I reviewed was a barebones configuration with an Intel Core 5 210H processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe 4.0 stable state drive. It’s near essentially the most fundamental model of the ThinkBook 14 obtainable and its solely upgrades—a fingerprint reader and the keyboard backlight—after all don’t have any impression on efficiency.

So, how does the Intel Core 5 210H maintain up? Effectively, not nice, even with Lenovo’s Dwell Face Filter disabled.  

IDG / Matthew Smith

The ThinkBook 14 was off to a nasty begin in PCMark 10, the place it hit a mixed rating of simply 5,060. That’s a relatively low end result which places the ThinkBook behind opponents just like the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1, Framework Laptop computer 12, and Acer Aspire 14 AI. Asus’ older Zenbook 14 OLED, in the meantime, runs away from the pack—which is an enormous downside for all aggressive laptops, as that mannequin is on the market on-line for about $850.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake outcomes have been equally unimpressive. Although the CPU has eight cores general, solely 4 are efficiency cores, and the ThinkBook 14 appears to have hassle sustaining efficiency over lengthy durations. That places it on the rear of the pack.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Cinebench 2024 is not any extra favorable, as soon as once more putting the ThinkBook 14 behind the pack. The laptop computer fails to maintain a excessive stage of efficiency over the check’s period, which tanks the rating. It makes the benchmark painful to run, because it takes a very long time to finish.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Graphics efficiency isn’t a energy for the Lenovo ThinkBook 14, both. The Intel Core 5 210H sticks with Intel Graphics, which has simply 48 execution models and a prime clock pace of 1.4GHz, and the execution models (EUs) are of an older technology. By comparability, the Intel Arc 140V graphics within the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Version present 64 of Intel’s newest EUs with a max clock of 1.95GHz.

Put merely, the ThinkBook 14 ain’t it relating to graphics, falling a tad behind the Framework Laptop computer 12’s Intel UHD graphics and the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1’s AMD Radeon 840M. Even video games from the PS4/Xbox One console technology gained’t run easily with out important cuts to graphics element and backbone.

In abstract, the ThinkBook 14 isn’t a performer. A lot so that you just could be questioning what, precisely, is up with the Intel Core 210H that powers it.

That’s query, and it’s price mentioning that the ThinkBook 14 seems to be considerably behind different laptops with the Intel Core 210H. These laptops, which embrace the Asus Vivobook V16 and Dell Inspiron 16 Plus, are bigger. Additionally they ship with bigger energy adapters (150 and 100 watts, respectively). That leads me to take a position the ThinkBook 14’s smaller configuration, powered by a 65-watt adapter, is a bit starved for energy.

Regardless of the case, the outcomes have been clear—and to not the ThinkBook’s profit.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Battery life and portability

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14’s specs don’t look promising relating to battery life, because the laptop computer has a comparatively small 45 watt-hour battery–whereas that’s much like a MacBook Air 13, it’s smaller than many 13-inch and 14-inch Home windows laptops, which are likely to land within the 50 to 70 watt-hour vary.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Consequently, the ThinkBook’s portability was disappointing. The laptop computer endured eight hours and 43 minutes, which is barely sufficient to deal with a full workday.

And, if something, I feel the battery life check—which makes use of a 4K file of the quick movie Tears of Metal—was extra charitable than my real-world expertise. A two-hour go to to a neighborhood espresso store usually left me with lower than 50 p.c of a cost remaining.

Consider, too, that this end result was achieved with Lenovo’s persistent Dwell Face Filter software program uninstalled. With it put in, the ThinkBook 14’s battery life was simply six hours and 28 minutes.

I do have one good factor to say concerning the ThinkBook 14’s portability. I just like the USB-C energy adapter. It’s a compact 65-watt charger that’s gentle and simple to tote in any bag that may match the laptop computer. Some opponents at this value level nonetheless use brick-style adapters, so it’s good to see a compact charger included.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 is a laptop computer caught previously. From its show to its design, to its battery life and efficiency, nothing about it feels fashionable. Even its perks are countered by trade-offs that don’t work to its profit.

It has the bodily connectivity {that a} prosumer or frequent flier may need to hook up with something they encounter on the highway, nevertheless it lacks the efficiency and battery life to be a fantastic journey companion. It has a keyboard that’s nice for lengthy typing classes, however the show is usually too dim to simply see what’s on display.

The actual downside, nonetheless, is that it faces opponents that do higher in practically each metric, other than connectivity. That’s what finally sinks the laptop computer’s fortunes: should you’ve received about $800 to spend, you’ve no scarcity of a lot better choices, from the Asus’ Zenbook 14 to Lenovo’s personal Ideapad fashions. And that’s to say nothing of Apple’s MacBook Air 13, which, should you’re happy with MacOS, is faster, lighter, delivers much better battery life.