I Recommend This Lenovo Thinkpad To Remote Workers - And It's On Sale For A Limited Time

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Lenovo's fifth-generation ThinkPad T14s is disposable now for $2,649.
• It's a peculiarly hardy laptop and boasts coagulated artillery life.
• However, nan Intel chipset delivers puts a headdress connected high-end performance.

Lenovo is holding a caller clearance waste for nan ThinkPad T14s Gen 5. The guidelines exemplary has dropped to $1,214, its lowest value yet.

Lenovo has seven chopped ThinkPad categories connected its website, each pinch a unsocial style. The T Series, for example, specializes successful "highly durable" business laptops pinch agelong artillery lives. No different exemplary exemplifies this conception than nan fifth-generation ThinkPad T14s.

Also: This compact laptop dock streamlined my workspace - and it's bargain 1 get one

When I took nan instrumentality retired of nan box, nan first point I noticed was really hefty it was. It's not a dense instrumentality - nan machine weighs a small complete 3 pounds - but for a ThinkPad, it is uncharacteristically thick. Lenovo seemingly decided to springiness this exemplary an particularly durable shape factor, 1 that reminds maine of rugged laptops for illustration nan Panasonic Toughbook 40 Mk2. While it's not arsenic durable arsenic that beast, it's tougher than your mean mobile computer.

The model's chassis is wholly aluminum, and according to Lenovo, it has been "tested against 12 military-grade certification methods and complete 26 procedures." It tin past aggravated vibrations, utmost temperatures, sand, and, apparently, fungi. I wasn't capable to hit nan laptop up during my testing, but you tin consciousness comfortable knowing that nan ThinkPad will propulsion done reliable spots.

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Regarding different creation aspects, it has a wonderful-feeling keyboard. The keys are somewhat indented, guiding your fingers toward nan center, and are evenly spaced. These 2 factors activity together to create a comfortable experience. I besides admit nan placement of nan speakers; They beryllium connected either broadside of nan keyboard facing up truthful nan audio output won't beryllium muffled.

Additionally, I want to outcry retired ThinkPad's brushed metallic aesthetic. There's thing ace unsocial astir it; I conscionable for illustration really it looks. It gives nan instrumentality a chopped look that sets it isolated from different models successful its line.

Multiple cables to Belkin dock

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

There are a fewer issues. Sadly, it did not walk nan one-finger test. Lifting nan lid lifts nan full laptop. You person to clasp down nan little half to unfastened it. And nan trackpad is beautiful small. I didn't person excessively overmuch problem operating nan cursor, but I expect immoderate users will.

Its artillery life is rather solid. During my trial runs, nan ThinkPad lasted a small nether 11 hours connected a azygous charge. That is simply a decent runtime arsenic you tin beryllium assured it'll past a afloat day's work. Lenovo's instrumentality makes up for its mean artillery life pinch accelerated recharge times. It goes from zero to a 50% complaint successful astir 30 minutes.

Lenovo gave nan ThinkPad an Intel Core Ultra 125U processor, a chipset designed to prioritize power ratio complete performance. As seen successful nan tablet below, this is not peculiarly powerful hardware. The exemplary falls importantly down the Gen 6 ThinkPad T14s.

The fifth-generation laptop whitethorn struggle pinch dense workloads, though it tin tackle lightweight tasks. As portion of testing, I opened 50 browser tabs moving aggregate videos, GIFs, euphony tracks, web pages, and a Netflix movie simultaneously. Everything ran without a hitch; load times were almost non-existent. 

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In summation to my accustomed tests, I've begun a caller one: Geekbench AI, which measures a laptop's expertise to tally instrumentality learning models. Lenovo's ThinkPad earned a apical quantized people of 10,860. This number appears to beryllium connected nan little end. According to Geekbench's logs, nan people indicates nan laptop's AI output is akin to nan capacity recovered connected midrange laptops for illustration nan Dell Inspiron 16 7640, yet it isn't priced arsenic 1 (more connected this later).

ZDNET connected Lenovo ThinkPad T14s

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Other notable features see a 5MP webcam and a WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200 pixels) touchscreen. The camera is rather bully -- a must for anyone connected virtual meetings each time -- pinch a highest solution of 1440p astatine 30FPS. The framework complaint was smooth, and Windows Studio Effects ensures your look stays successful nan mediate of nan screen. On-screen colors looked alternatively pale, however, but I deliberation that's much of an rumor pinch nan display.

Also: I'm a Windows user, but nan MacBook Air M4 could beryllium my caller superior laptop astatine this price

Speaking of which, nan surface is good for what it delivers. Thanks to nan precocious resolution, images are crystal clear, but it's not supported by immoderate picture-enhancing software, truthful ocular output is not peculiarly vibrant. There is simply a metallic lining -- nan solid is covered successful an anti-glare coating, helping support visibility nether nonstop sunlight.

ZDNET's buying advice

Prices for nan ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 commencement astatine $2,709, pinch nan configuration I reviewed starting at Best Buy for $2,120. In my opinion, this value is simply a alternatively large ask. Luckily, location are plentifulness of options: The sixth-generation ThinkPad T14s is overmuch cheaper and performs better. Lenovo besides has nan ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 disposable for $1,316 and boasts akin specs to nan T14s Gen 5. 

These 2 devices aren't rather arsenic durable, however, since they merge c fibre successful their designs successful bid to beryllium much lightweight. If you're looking for sheer durability and artillery power, nan ThinkPad T14 is simply a coagulated choice. Otherwise, immoderate of nan different ThinkPads mightiness get you much bang for your buck.