This Lenovo laptop is packed with ports and problems

Price When Reviewed

$949.99

Best Prices Today: Lenovo ThinkBook 14

How a lot are you prepared 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 beneath $1,000. Unfortunately, it additionally falls approach behind the competitors in efficiency and battery life.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Specifications

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14’s specs are reasonably 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 commonplace, and had a small 256GB strong state drive.

• Model quantity: 21SG000FUS
• CPU: Intel Core 5 210H, 8 cores with 12 threads
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Graphics
• NPU: None
• Display: 14-inch 1920×1200 60Hz 300-nits
• Storage: 256GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe strong state drive
• Webcam: 1080p 30fps digicam with privateness shutter
• Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps / USB-C with Power Delivery 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
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Price: $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 ceaselessly bought 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 offer some advantages of ThinkPad laptops at a cheaper price level. The ThinkBook 14 fulfills that mission in some areas, however design isn’t one in every of them.

I’ll give the Thinkbook credit score for one factor: it’s distinctive. The two-tone silver show lid and outstanding ThinkBook branding is much less subdued than rivals like Dell’s Pro 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 reasonably gentle at three kilos. That’s good for portability however underscores the laptop computer’s finances really feel. I believed 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 stunning for a Windows laptop computer priced beneath $1,000, however consumers 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

While it may not look premium, the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 has an important keyboard that’s usually higher than most Windows laptops and positively strong for a laptop computer beneath $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, however it’s a spacious and pleasurable expertise general.

The ThinkBook 14 I examined had a keyboard backlight, however it’s not commonplace, so preserve that in thoughts when looking for the laptop computer. The backlight was unimpressive, however it did the job.

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

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Display, 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 accessible, 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 might make the display screen troublesome to view in brighter rooms. Outdoor use will show practically unimaginable on a sunny day.

It’s not an important show for shade and distinction, both. Movies 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 latest proliferation of inexpensive OLED panels has decreased the attraction 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 Pro 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 offer satisfactory quantity and rapidly turn into muddy in music, films, and video games. The audio system are tremendous 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 is a typical configuration for a laptop computer bought 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 help for Windows Hello 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 ability button. It labored about in addition to typical. The fingerprint reader is commonly responsive however could wrestle if touched barely off-center or with greasy, damp, or soiled fingers.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

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

But in order for you ports? Oh, boy, does the ThinkBook 14 have ports. 

The laptop computer has one Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C port with USB Power Delivery 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 method. The ThinkBook 14 helps Thunderbolt 4 for quick connections to fashionable shows, storage, and docks, however it additionally helps USB-A and Ethernet. 

Wireless connectivity, alternatively, 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 situation for many customers, since you want a Wi-Fi 7 router or Bluetooth 5.4 system to see any distinction. However, 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 elucidate a serious 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 offer all kinds of performance, from customization of energy profiles to enhancements to video high quality in video calls. Most of that is lumped beneath Lenovo Vantage, however different companies embody Lenovo Smart Meeting and Lenovo Now.

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

The answer? I uninstalled software program known as Lenovo Smart Meeting Components, which apparently included the Live Face Filter.

The efficiency and outcomes beneath had been reached with Live Face Filter turned off. However, customers who fail to uninstall it might count on to see a 10 to 20 % discount in efficiency. That’s a horrible penalty for pre-installed bloatware and instantly sinks the ThinkBook 14’s hopes of competing towards different laptops.

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

Lenovo ThinkBook 14: Performance

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 strong 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 influence on efficiency.

So, how does the Intel Core 5 210H maintain up? Well, not nice, even with Lenovo’s Live 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 reasonably low outcome which places the ThinkBook behind rivals just like the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1, Framework Laptop 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 accessible on-line for about $850.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake outcomes had been equally unimpressive. Though the CPU has eight cores general, solely 4 are efficiency cores, and the ThinkBook 14 appears to have bother 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 length, 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 power for the Lenovo ThinkBook 14, both. The Intel Core 5 210H sticks with Intel Graphics, which has simply 48 execution items and a prime clock pace of 1.4GHz, and the execution items (EUs) are of an older technology. By comparability, the Intel Arc 140V graphics within the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition 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 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 determination.

In abstract, the ThinkBook 14 will not be a performer. So a lot so that you just is likely to be questioning what, precisely, is up with the Intel Core 210H that powers it.

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

Whatever the case, the outcomes had 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 Windows laptops, which are inclined to land within the 50 to 70 watt-hour vary.

IDG / Matthew Smith

As a outcome, 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 believe the battery life check—which makes use of a 4K file of the brief movie Tears of Steel—was extra charitable than my real-world expertise. A two-hour go to to an area espresso store usually left me with lower than 50 % of a cost remaining.

Keep in thoughts, too, that this outcome was achieved with Lenovo’s persistent Live 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 in regards to 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 can match the laptop computer. Some rivals 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 connect with something they encounter on the highway, however it lacks the efficiency and battery life to be an important journey companion. It has a keyboard that’s nice for lengthy typing classes, however the show is commonly too dim to simply see what’s on display screen.

The actual downside, nonetheless, is that it faces rivals that do higher in practically each metric, apart from connectivity. That’s what finally sinks the laptop computer’s fortunes: in case you’ve acquired about $800 to spend, you’ve no scarcity of significantly 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, in case you’re pleased with MacOS, is faster, lighter, delivers much better battery life.