Tested: I expected a lot from this Lenovo laptop and got very little back

Price When Reviewed

$3,079

Best Prices Today: Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6

$1939

Qualcomm actually shook issues up in 2024 when it launched its Snapdragon X Elite chips alongside Windows for ARM. The promise was efficiency and effectivity. While that efficiency was sometimes laborious to see due to compatibility points, the effectivity made itself obvious once I examined the Snapdragon-powered Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 and noticed it run for nearly 24 hours in our battery take a look at.

When I noticed that Lenovo was introducing an Intel model, the potential was thrilling: extra constant efficiency and compatibility alongside that tremendous battery life. Unfortunately, potential is tough to appreciate, and the Intel-powered ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 struggled. It could also be quicker, nevertheless it ran as lengthy, and by some means it earned an nearly doubled price ticket. When opponents just like the HP EliteBook X G1a and Asus Vivobook S 14 provide extra for much less, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 finally ends up feeling prefer it has little or no advantage.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Specs

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V
• Display: 14-inch 1200p IPS, Anti-glare
• Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 5MP + IR
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4, 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x Kensington Nano 
• Networking: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Windows Hello fingerprint, facial recognition
• Battery capability: 58 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.3 x 8.6 x 0.66 inches
• Weight: 2.79 kilos
• MSRP: $3,079 as-tested ($3,079 base)

At the time of writing, Lenovo solely lists a pair of various configurations for the Intel-powered ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. Our take a look at configuration really isn’t amongst them, because it options simply 512GB of storage whereas the obtainable fashions each embody 1TB PCIe Gen 5 SSDs. If it had been configured with 1TB of storage, the unit examined right here would value $3,079 and in any other case have all of the above specs.

Lenovo additionally affords a $3,429 mannequin with a largely related configuration besides it bumps as much as an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V chip whereas swapping out the show for a touchscreen mannequin with a far decrease coloration gamut and decrease brightness.

While these are the configurations obtainable now, Lenovo seems to have extra deliberate. A product specification reference sheet mentions 10 completely different CPU choices, reminiscence starting from 16GB to 64GB, extra IPS shows and a sharper OLED show, and even an alternate grey coloration. 

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Mark Knapp

Familiarity is the secret for this model of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. It bears the identical title as the model I tested late last year for a cause — nearly nothing has modified externally (or internally for that matter), save an important CPU change.

This mannequin is available in the identical blacked out, coated aluminum chassis that’s develop into such a staple of the ThinkPad line. Like its Snapdragon-powered counterpart, this mannequin weighs little at simply 2.79 kilos. It’s not as skinny as may be, nevertheless it’s nonetheless compact and feels pretty sturdy, exhibiting deal much less flex within the show than some thin-and-light laptops.

It stands with two small rubber ft on the entrance and a large rubber foot on the again. These ought to present greater than satisfactory clearance for air to achieve the only consumption fan on the underside of the laptop computer, which is tucked away beneath a small part of grille. The remainder of the bottom is in any other case flat, stable, and unadorned. 

The prime floor of the keyboard deck is slightly busier. It options the ThinkPad brand engraved into one nook. Speaker grilles flank both aspect of the keyboard, with the precise grille slightly smaller than the left as the ability button cuts into its house. That energy button additionally doubles as a fingerprint scanner. 

The show has a large hinge that holds the show firmly in place. There’s an additional lip constructed onto the show lid for opening the laptop computer up, however the hinge is simply agency sufficient and the bottom of the laptop computer simply gentle sufficient that one-handed doesn’t work out.

The little lip on the prime of the show has the webcam and IR system for Windows Hello facial recognition constructed into it, and there’s a {hardware} digital camera shutter as nicely. When slid into place, this covers the digital camera with a little bit of plastic that has a crimson dot on it, so it’s straightforward to see when the digital camera is roofed and disabled.

The lid of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 additionally options little adornment, nevertheless it features a ThinkPad brand in a single nook with a crimson, illuminated dot within the “i” of “ThinkPad,” and a silver Lenovo badge alongside one edge.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Mark Knapp

Like its Snapdragon-counterpart, the keyboard on this laptop computer is nice however not wonderful. The keys aren’t firmly stabilized, to allow them to wiggle on the edges, resulting in a mushier really feel that stands in the best way of consistency. They nonetheless profit from a slight contour and good spacing, making all of it the better to really feel them out and stay centered for fast touch-typing, however I struggled to go a lot past 100 phrases per minute with out seeing my typing accuracy sink as I handled missed faucets. 

Beyond typing, there are constructive elements to the keyboard. Its white backlights successfully illuminate each the first and secondary legends on the keys. The operate row has distinctly grouped clusters, so you may readily really feel out the keys you need as a substitute of getting to peek down on the keyboard. And as a result of these operate keys are compact, Lenovo was capable of squeeze in Home, End, Insert, and Delete into a further cluster on the top-right nook of the keyboard.

The arrow keys are additionally compact and offset. While their dimension could make them really feel slightly cramped, the offset makes it simpler to entry them and helps keep away from mistaken presses, as they don’t take up house that may in any other case have belonged to the precise Shift key. 

The trackpad is splendidly easy and respectably vast. The bodily buttons to be used with the TrackPoint nib minimize into the touchpad’s vertical house, however they supply a helpful position if you happen to want the nib for navigation.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Display, audio

IDG / Mark Knapp

You don’t get probably the most beautiful, vivid show on the earth from the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, however you get an nearly excellent display screen for productiveness. I measured it reaching precisely the 500-nit brightness degree marketed. Combine that brightness with the unimaginable anti-glare end, and also you’ve acquired a show that’s straightforward to see even in some fairly heinous circumstances. 

The display screen isn’t loopy sharp, however 1920×1200 on a 14-inch display screen nonetheless offers readability even for tiny textual content. The robust distinction, which I measured at 1,900:1 additionally helps with readability. Though coloration is probably not as valuable for productiveness, this show achieved 100 p.c protection of the sRGB coloration house and has an affordable diploma of accuracy, so that you shouldn’t run into problems with internet content material not showing as meant. 

The audio system put out little bit of quantity, greater than sufficient to hearken to speech in movies in a quiet room. But the audio sounds slightly resonant within the chassis at full quantity. The audio system sound a bit cleaner at 50 p.c quantity, and the audio remains to be loud sufficient at this degree. 

This in the end isn’t an ideal leisure package deal, however the mixture of serviceable audio system and a high-visibility show provide wonderful utility.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

IDG / Mark Knapp

As examined, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 comes with a 5MP webcam that additionally helps Windows Hello facial recognition. This is a fast and handy means of logging in. The digital camera can even play some additional safety roles, serving to dim the show if you happen to look away or lock the system if you happen to stroll away by Windows settings. The digital camera itself is nice, providing a pointy image with pure publicity even in barely dimmer environments. 

The microphones come collectively properly with the digital camera, providing clear vocals when recording. They don’t choose up an excessive amount of echo they usually do an honest job eliminating background noise. 

Beyond the digital camera, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 features a fingerprint scanner constructed into the ability button. This works with Windows Hello, however Synaptics’s software program additionally means that you can set whether or not it’s going to present authentication “through all security levels.”

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Connectivity

IDG / Mark Knapp

Like the Snapdragon mannequin, this Intel-powered system has respectable connectivity. It’s basically the identical with two USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm combo jack on the left of the laptop computer and two USB-A ports and a lock slot on the precise. The solely distinction is that the USB-C ports right here help Thunderbolt 4 whereas the opposite mannequin supported USB4 (although each protocols provide 40Gbps speeds)

The laptop computer affords Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, and each have confirmed quick-to-connect and secure in my testing. 

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Performance

This model of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 has a variety of promise for common customers fearful in regards to the limitations of the ARM-based mannequin. The Intel-powered model helps x86-coded software program natively, and that may imply higher efficiency than the opposite system when it depends on translation.

That mentioned, neither model of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is alone out there. The HP EliteBook X G1a affords a equally professional-oriented system and has a aggressive worth at $2,749 as examined. And there’s no ignoring the consumer-focused fashions on the market that don’t include the identical sort of prosumer premiums. This lets fashions that may compete on efficiency are available at significantly decrease costs, just like the $1,199 Asus VivoBook S 14 and $1,499 MSI Summit 13 AI + Evo. 

IDG / Mark Knapp

Overall efficiency is stable. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 strains up properly in opposition to its competitors right here, with in regards to the efficiency I’d anticipate out of a high-end, thin-and-light laptop computer. Hitting 5,000 factors in PCMark 10 is usually signal for on a regular basis efficiency, and better scores solely recommend quicker, snappier experiences and a bit extra muscle for workloads like photograph and video modifying and design work. Much larger scores in 8000s and 9000s are typically the unique area of highly effective workstations and gaming laptops, not fashions operating environment friendly processors like these. 

While general efficiency was good, it’s not too stunning to see the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 lagging behind in brute drive. Our HandBrake encoding take a look at works the system laborious, and the longer the take a look at goes, the extra warmth builds up, and the slower the system will get. Very few thin-and-lights can zip by this take a look at, however with robust thermal administration and an honest processor, they will do an honest job.

The ThinkPad has neither right here. Its processor is neither extraordinarily quick neither is its modest cooling system very strong. As a end result, we see the ThinkPad get the worst end result right here, and the cooling appears the perpetrator. The ThinkPad makes use of a low-power processor that didn’t have a lot probability retaining tempo with the HP EliteE book’s high-power processor (the tides flip in battery life, although). But The Asus VivoBook and MSI Summit each use the identical processor because the ThinkPad. Their leads right here present the good thing about higher thermals.

IDG / Mark Knapp

The efficiency hole is additional borne out in Cinebench. Earlier variations of Cinebench ran fast CPU duties, and that allow the ThinkPad really come near the VivoBook in single- and multi-core efficiency, and it even noticed the ThinkPad persistently beating the Summit in these checks. But Cinebench R23 pushed it tougher and warmer, and its means to maintain tempo sank it again behind the Vivobook. With Cinebench R24 operating the take a look at for at least 10-minute, warmth is assured, and the ThinkPad’s weaker cooling continues to pull it behind.

Interestingly, it’s in Cinebench that we additionally see the distinction between native x86 and ARM translation, because the Intel-based ThinkPad outperforms the Qualcomm-based in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. But the tides flip in Cinebench R24, which may run on ARM natively. There, the Qualcomm-powered ThinkPad took the lead in multi-core efficiency, even when the Intel mannequin nonetheless had superior single-core speeds. 

That single-core efficiency can also be Intel’s energy. All three Intel machines led with 122-123 factors in single-core efficiency in Cinebench R24. So regardless that the HP EliteE book’s highly effective AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 sped away in multi-core efficiency, it might not promise higher responsiveness in on a regular basis duties. 

IDG / Mark Knapp

The graphics efficiency of all of those programs is middling. While you are able to do some gentle 3D work or gaming on the built-in graphics these include, the efficiency remains to be evening and day between all of those programs and a laptop computer operating even a low-tier discrete GPU just like the RTX 4050. At least the ThinkPad regains some floor on the EliteE book because of its extra succesful Intel Arc 140V graphics and on the MSI Summit, presumably as a result of it’s managing energy to the CPU and iGPU higher. Still, the VivoBook’s efficiency lead (but once more) can’t be ignored. 

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Battery life

When I examined the Qualcomm-powered ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, I used to be amazed to see it provide the perfect battery life I’d ever seen from a laptop computer. It ran for nearly 24 hours. That was nearly sufficient to make up for its efficiency deficits. So the prospect of getting nearly the identical machine however operating on an Intel chip with broader compatibility sounded nice. Alas, the Snapdragon chipset was key to the effectivity.

IDG / Mark Knapp

In our video playback take a look at, the Intel-powered ThinkPad doesn’t even come near the Snapdragon mannequin. It’s nonetheless a really worthy machine, reaching over 19 hours of runtime in our take a look at. And in day-to-day use, it additionally proved able to lasting by the workday. It additionally proved extra environment friendly than the HP EliteE book, which fell simply wanting 11 hours. Unfortunately, the Asus VivoBook and MSI Summit which have posed a lot hassle for the ThinkPad in efficiency additionally pose a risk in longevity, as each lasted simply over 21 hours. It’s not that they’re extra environment friendly, although. The Vivobook has a bigger 75Wh battery and the Summit has a 70-watt hour battery.  

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Conclusion

The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 leads to a clumsy place the place 1. If you care in regards to the high quality of the {hardware}, you’re higher off elsewhere. 2. You care in regards to the efficiency, you’re higher off elsewhere. 3. You care in regards to the battery life, you’re higher off elsewhere. Or 4. If you care about all of these issues, you’re higher off elsewhere.

Plenty of machines beat it in a couple of respect there. The Asus VivoBook S 14 is probably not as nicely constructed, for example, nevertheless it has the lead in efficiency and battery life (plus an OLED show for what it’s value). Meanwhile, the HP EliteE book XG1a might lag behind in battery life, nevertheless it has a pleasant construct, nice show, and largely superior efficiency. 

And all the laptops I’ve in contrast right here have the benefit of being less expensive — together with the EliteE book. At over $3,000 for this configuration, this ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 has an undeniably premium tacked on. Some of that could be chalked as much as enterprise options, however if you happen to’re not in determined want of these, it’s laborious to see the value, particularly subsequent to those rivals. I wouldn’t be shocked to see this ThinkPad get some large reductions (the Snapdragon mannequin has, as have loads of different Lenovo laptops), however except and till it does, it’s going to be laborious to advocate for far more than its helpful matte show.