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Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 Laptop Review: Ultraportable workstation with a very bright 4K screen

Well-known laptop with a new screen. We are already familiar with the Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 even though this is the first time we have it in our hands. This may sound like a contradiction, however, we are familiar with all the aspects of the ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 except for one: The factory-calibrated UHD display that is supposed to be brighter than all other ThinkPad screens.

15.6-inch ThinkPads are not as well liked as their smaller 14-inch counterparts. However, things are different in the workstation segment. Recently, we reviewed the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s, and now we are taking a look at its bigger brother ThinkPad P15s Gen 1.

Just like the smaller P14s, the Lenovo ThinkPad P15s uses the same design as other laptops in the current ThinkPad T series. The ThinkPad T15 is the latest sibling model. Because there were no changes in terms of design, connectivity and input devices, we forewent including the information contained in the pertinent sections in this review. Readers can find all relevant information in our review of the ThinkPad T590

In addition to the ThinkPad T15 and its direct predecessor Lenovo ThinkPad P53s, we compare the ThinkPad P15s to the ZBook Firefly 15 G7, which is a direct competitor from HP.

Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Processor
Intel Core i7-10510U 4 x 1.8 - 4.9 GHz, 51 W PL2 / Short Burst, 25 W PL1 / Sustained, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA Quadro P520 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1493 MHz, Memory: 1502 MHz, 25 W TDP, GP108, 452.56, Optimus
Memory
32 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 1x SO-DIMM, 16 GB on-board
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 282 PPI, MNF601EA1-1, IPS LED, glossy: no, HDR, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, 1024 GB 
, M.2 2280, PCIe NVMe, 903 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC3287
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP - I219-V gBE (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.1 x 365.8 x 248 ( = 0.75 x 14.4 x 9.76 in)
Battery
57 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p w/Infrared & ThinkShutter
Additional features
Speakers: 2W stereo, Keyboard: 6 row Chiclet w/Numpad, Keyboard Light: yes, 65 W USB-C Charger, Lenovo Vantage, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.83 kg ( = 64.55 oz / 4.03 pounds), Power Supply: 354 g ( = 12.49 oz / 0.78 pounds)
Price
2059 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Likely Competitors

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
82.5 %
01/2021
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
i7-10510U, Quadro P520
1.8 kg19.1 mm15.60"3840x2160
82.7 %
10/2020
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
i7-10610U, Quadro P520
1.8 kg19.2 mm15.60"3840x2160
81.2 %
11/2019
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
i7-8565U, Quadro P520
1.9 kg19.95 mm15.60"1920x1080
87.2 %
07/2020
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
i7-10510U, GeForce MX330
1.8 kg19.95 mm15.60"3840x2160

Size Comparison

365.8 mm / 14.4 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.9 kg4.15 lbs365.8 mm / 14.4 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.8 kg4.05 lbs365.8 mm / 14.4 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 19.1 mm / 0.752 inch 1.8 kg4.03 lbs359.5 mm / 14.2 inch 233.6 mm / 9.2 inch 19.2 mm / 0.756 inch 1.8 kg3.88 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Left side: USB C 3.2 Gen 1 port, Thunderbolt 3 port, miniEthernet/Docking port, USB A 3.0 port, HDMI output, 3.5-mm audio jack, microSD card reader
Left side: USB C 3.2 Gen 1 port, Thunderbolt 3 port, miniEthernet/Docking port, USB A 3.0 port, HDMI output, 3.5-mm audio jack, microSD card reader
Right side: Smartcard reader, USB A 3.0 port, RJ45 Ethernet port, Kensington lock
Right side: Smartcard reader, USB A 3.0 port, RJ45 Ethernet port, Kensington lock
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Workstation
  (54.8 - 200, n=17, last 2 years)
95.8 MB/s +22%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
78.8 MB/s 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
78.5 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
78.2 MB/s 0%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Workstation
  (78.6 - 262, n=17, last 2 years)
133.6 MB/s +56%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
87.2 MB/s +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
85.5 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
84.4 MB/s -1%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
1421 MBit/s +22%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1163 (1043min - 1246max) MBit/s
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s 0%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1016 (596min - 1247max) MBit/s -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
739 (671min - 839max) MBit/s -36%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
642 MBit/s -45%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1576 (1259min - 1688max) MBit/s +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1544 (769min - 1615max) MBit/s
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
1385 MBit/s -10%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s -18%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1137 (568min - 1726max) MBit/s -26%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
612 MBit/s -60%
769819869919969101910691119116912191269131913691419146915191569Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1518 (769-1615)
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1163 (1043-1246)
ColorChecker
3.4 ∆E
15.3 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
8.2 ∆E
13 ∆E
6.8 ∆E
20.1 ∆E
4.2 ∆E
9.3 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
9.3 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
21.9 ∆E
10 ∆E
16.1 ∆E
11.7 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
10 ∆E
9.7 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
10.3 ∆E
13.9 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE: 10.03 ∆E min: 2.3 - max: 21.93 ∆E

Display: ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 features a very bright 4K IPS panel

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
Backlight bleeding (intensified in this shot)
Backlight bleeding (intensified in this shot)

The P15s Gen 1 and its sibling model ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 come with different 15.6-inch 16:9 screens. The cheaper screen options are identical (a 300-nit touchscreen and a 250-nit display without touch support). However, the Lenovo ThinkPad P15s comes with a 4K panel with an advertised brightness of 600 cd/m², whereas the ThinkPad T15 comes with a UHD panel with a maximum brightness of only 500 cd/m². All display options offer a matte surface and are based on IPS technology.

According to our measurements, the UHD panel of the ThinkPad P15s has an average brightness of 608 cd/m². It is more than 100 cd/m² brighter than the 4K panel in the ThinkPad T15. The 2160p screen of the ThinkPad P15s is also 200 cd/m² brighter than that of the ZBook Firefly 15 G7. This panel, which is known as MNF601EA1-1, is, in all likelihood, the brightest panel in a ThinkPad ever and is also used in other current ThinkPads in the P series and in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3.

600
cd/m²
638
cd/m²
625
cd/m²
603
cd/m²
628
cd/m²
585
cd/m²
608
cd/m²
616
cd/m²
573
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
MNF601EA1-1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 638 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 608.4 cd/m² Minimum: 14.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 623 cd/m²
Contrast: 1653:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.2
ΔE Greyscale 3.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.4% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
85.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
98.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
85.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.22
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
MNF601EA1-1, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
LGD064F, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Lenovo LEN40BA, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NE156QUM-N66, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Display
-17%
-52%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
85.8
68.8
-20%
39.58
-54%
80.7
-6%
sRGB Coverage
99.4
97.7
-2%
57.6
-42%
98.1
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
98.7
69.8
-29%
40.89
-59%
95.5
-3%
Response Times
-15%
-29%
7%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
42 ?(20, 22)
44 ?(21.2, 22.8)
-5%
51.2 ?(24.4, 26.8)
-22%
42 ?(21.2, 20.8)
-0%
Response Time Black / White *
24.8 ?(12.4, 12.4)
30.8 ?(16.4, 14.4)
-24%
33.6 ?(18, 15.6)
-35%
21.6 ?(10, 11.6)
13%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-9%
-82%
-5%
Brightness middle
628
381
-39%
260
-59%
489
-22%
Brightness
608
382
-37%
243
-60%
501
-18%
Brightness Distribution
90
92
2%
88
-2%
91
1%
Black Level *
0.38
0.21
45%
0.18
53%
0.35
8%
Contrast
1653
1814
10%
1444
-13%
1397
-15%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.3
3
-30%
6
-161%
3
-30%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.9
5.2
-6%
19.2
-292%
5.1
-4%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.2
1.5
-25%
4.3
-258%
0.8
33%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.8
3.5
8%
4.2
-11%
4
-5%
Gamma
2.22 99%
2.26 97%
2.49 88%
2.24 98%
CCT
6914 94%
7254 90%
6865 95%
7400 88%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
85.6
64.3
-25%
37.6
-56%
84.7
-1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.4
97.5
-2%
59.2
-40%
98.1
-1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-14% / -11%
-54% / -69%
-0% / -3%

* ... smaller is better

Colour accuracy
Colour accuracy
Grayscale
Grayscale
Saturation
Saturation
Colour accuracy (after calibration)
Colour accuracy (after calibration)
Grayscale (after calibration)
Grayscale (after calibration)
Saturation (after calibration)
Saturation (after calibration)

The screen of the Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 has been calibrated at the factory. This is likely only the case for the UHD panel, which is quite colour-accurate straight out of the box. However, this does not mean that it is perfect: Dark tones appear somewhat greyish, because the black value is quite high. The contrast ratio (1600:1) is very good, though, thanks to a high screen brightness. The panel also supports HDR, which means that the ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 can properly display HDR content.

Thanks to a wide colour gamut, the Lenovo notebook can be used for colour-critical work such as video and image editing. The P15s Gen 1 covers 99.4 % of the sRGB colour space and 85.6 % of AdobeRGB. The wide colour gamut is the main advantage when compared to the cheaper Full HD options. The P15s Gen 1 comes with several pre-configured colour profiles. This is not the case with other ThinkPads.

sRGB: 99.4 %
sRGB: 99.4 %
AdobeRGB: 85.6 %
AdobeRGB: 85.6 %
Outdoor use (under an overcast sky)
Outdoor use (under an overcast sky)

Thanks to a matte surface and high maximum brightness, the display of the P15s Gen 1 is legible in indirect sunlight. In the shade or under an overcast sky, the screen is easy to read.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
24.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12.4 ms rise
↘ 12.4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 52 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18071 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The Lenovo laptop offers very good viewing angles, because it features an IPS panel.

Performance: Old components hold the Lenovo laptop back

According to the specifications sheet, the P15s Gen 1 offers almost the full array of Intel’s Comet Lake CPUs, from the quad-core i5-10210U to the hexa-core i7-10810U. However, the hexa-core models are nearly impossible to get. Moreover, there are no models with AMD chips, which is why you can only get a ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 with a quad-core CPU. All P15s Gen 1 models come with an Nvidia Quadro P520, which works in tandem with the Intel UHD Graphics 620 through Nvidia’s Optimus GPU-switching technology.

When it comes to RAM, there are two options: 8 or 16 GB of soldered-in DDR4 2666 RAM. There is also a SO-DIMM slot, which supports sticks with a maximum capacity of 32 GB. This means that the maximum amount of RAM for the ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 is 48 GB. There is an M.2-2280 slot for long-term storage devices.

CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z SPD
CPU-Z SPD
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
HWiNFO
HWiNFO
GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics 620
GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics 620
 

Processor

The Intel Core i7-10510U is a quad-core Comet Lake-based CPU. The four cores can clock up to 4.8 GHz. However, the base clock is 1.8 GHz. To find out how the Intel chip stacks up against other processors, go to our CPU comparison page

The maximum power draw of the ThinkPad P15s Gen 1’s processor, which has a nominal TDP of 15 watts, amounts to roughly 50 watts. However, the CPU can only draw this much power over a short period of time. When the CPU is not boosting, it is limited to 25 watts, and once the CPU starts to overheat, the power consumption drops to around 17 watts. 

This actually explains fluctuations that we saw in our Cinebench loop. Interestingly enough, the identically built ThinkPad T15 with the same CPU performs slightly better in this test. All in all, the difference is marginal and we wish that there were P15s models with AMD's Ryzen CPUs.

The CPU does not throttle when running on battery power.

0255075100125150175200225250275300325350375400425450475500525550575600625650675700725750Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø634 (593.24-703.32)
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7 Intel Core i7-10610U, Intel Core i7-10610U: Ø653 (629.17-674.89)
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø624 (521.26-694.16)
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00 Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø689 (632.32-756.56)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Workstation
  (1669 - 9329, n=28, last 2 years)
5730 Points +258%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
1636 Points +2%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
1624 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
1602 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (1015 - 1897, n=38)
1412 Points -12%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Workstation
  (528 - 816, n=28, last 2 years)
679 Points +45%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
474 Points +1%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
469 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
467 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (362 - 497, n=37)
437 Points -6%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Workstation
  (706 - 3625, n=27, last 2 years)
2343 Points +233%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
757 (632.32min - 756.56max) Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
703 (593.24min - 703.32max) Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
686 (568.11min - 688.08max) Points -2%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
675 (629.17min - 674.89max) Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (482 - 856, n=45)
666 Points -5%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Workstation
  (166.2 - 301, n=27, last 2 years)
254 Points +37%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
191 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
188.3 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
185 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (113 - 202, n=42)
178.4 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
178 Points -4%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (628 - 1051, n=31)
796 Seconds * -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
703 Seconds *
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
699 Seconds * +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
680 Seconds * +3%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
674 Seconds * +4%
Average of class Workstation
  (137 - 684, n=27, last 2 years)
253 Seconds * +64%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Workstation
  (4777 - 6670, n=27, last 2 years)
5891 MIPS +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
4815 MIPS +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
4788 MIPS +2%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
4783 MIPS +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
4693 MIPS
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (3747 - 4981, n=31)
4591 MIPS -2%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Workstation
  (20087 - 99351, n=27, last 2 years)
60746 MIPS +216%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
20096 MIPS +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
19247 MIPS
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
18860 MIPS -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
18137 MIPS -6%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (12196 - 21298, n=31)
17704 MIPS -8%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Workstation
  (1474 - 2095, n=27, last 2 years)
1816 Points +51%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
1261 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
1232 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
1206 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (977 - 1287, n=31)
1197 Points -1%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Workstation
  (5022 - 17487, n=27, last 2 years)
11509 Points +157%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
4622 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
4484 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
3850 Points -14%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (2474 - 4484, n=31)
3687 Points -18%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Workstation
  (5.09 - 26, n=27, last 2 years)
16.9 fps +223%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
5.66 fps +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
5.4 fps +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
5.24 fps 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
5.24 fps
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (3.41 - 6.04, n=31)
4.65 fps -11%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
66 s *
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
60.2 s * +9%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (50.7 - 77.8, n=27)
59.9 s * +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
54.5 s * +17%
Average of class Workstation
  (36.5 - 95.2, n=27, last 2 years)
48.5 s * +27%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (0.637 - 0.81, n=28)
0.68 sec * -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.648 sec * -2%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Intel Core i7-10610U
0.643 sec * -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.637 sec *
Average of class Workstation
  (0.3876 - 0.594, n=27, last 2 years)
0.4665 sec * +27%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
703 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
110 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
185 Points
Help

System Performance

Earlier generations of ultraportable workstations offered subpar levels of system performance when they were paired with a 4K display. This was the case with models that featured dual-core processors. Fortunately, this is not the case with the ThinkPad P15s. Despite its UHD screen, it feels very responsive and performs very well in the PCMark benchmarks.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Workstation
  (5488 - 8587, n=27, last 2 years)
6843 Points +48%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Quadro P520, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4623 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (4171 - 4623, n=2)
4397 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Quadro P520, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8
4374 Points -5%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Quadro P520, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
4096 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
3861 Points -16%
Essentials
Average of class Workstation
  (9151 - 12197, n=27, last 2 years)
10513 Points +16%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (9100 - 9494, n=2)
9297 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Quadro P520, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
9100 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Quadro P520, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8
8612 Points -5%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Quadro P520, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
8414 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
7935 Points -13%
Productivity
Average of class Workstation
  (7846 - 10820, n=27, last 2 years)
9113 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Quadro P520, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8
7345 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Quadro P520, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
7234 Points
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Quadro P520, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
6883 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (6426 - 7234, n=2)
6830 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
6379 Points -12%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Workstation
  (5399 - 13947, n=27, last 2 years)
9196 Points +126%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Quadro P520, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4075 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (3229 - 4075, n=2)
3652 Points -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Quadro P520, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8
3591 Points -12%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Quadro P520, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
3221 Points -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
3088 Points -24%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Quadro P520, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8
3840 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (3459 - 3805, n=2)
3632 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Quadro P520, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3459 Points
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Quadro P520, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
3311 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
2971 Points -14%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Quadro P520, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8
5140 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (4500 - 5356, n=2)
4928 Points +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Quadro P520, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4500 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
4456 Points -1%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Quadro P520, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
4298 Points -4%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3459 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4281 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4500 points
PCMark 10 Score
4623 points
Help

DPC Latencies


LatencyMon
LatencyMon
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Quadro P520, i7-10510U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3172 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

The ThinkPad P53s was the last ultraportable workstation with a 2.5-inch drive bay. The ThinkPad P15s comes with a single M.2-2280 SSD. The NVMe SSD has a storage capacity of 1 TB, which should be more than enough for most users. Our storage benchmarks reveal that the Samsung PM981a offers superb data transfer rates.

Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
Average Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-2%
5%
-4%
1%
Write 4K
142.8
133.1
-7%
195.9
37%
159.1
11%
139.7 ?(76.2 - 229, n=36)
-2%
Read 4K
47.51
51.6
9%
74.9
58%
55.6
17%
49.9 ?(34.3 - 75.5, n=36)
5%
Write Seq
2051
1986
-3%
1194
-42%
1435
-30%
2036 ?(776 - 2975, n=35)
-1%
Read Seq
2219
2208
0%
2309
4%
1435
-35%
2014 ?(973 - 2639, n=35)
-9%
Write 4K Q32T1
470.6
462.3
-2%
507
8%
512
9%
461 ?(268 - 656, n=36)
-2%
Read 4K Q32T1
419.5
400.2
-5%
624
49%
541
29%
499 ?(289 - 730, n=36)
19%
Write Seq Q32T1
3011
3074
2%
1206
-60%
2682
-11%
2903 ?(788 - 3033, n=36)
-4%
Read Seq Q32T1
3563
3268
-8%
3091
-13%
2902
-19%
3479 ?(2853 - 3568, n=36)
-2%
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3563 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 3011 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 419.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 470.6 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2219 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2051 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 47.51 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 142.8 MB/s

Continuous read rate: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Card

The Nvidia Quadro P520 is a Pascal-based GPU. This chip is outdated. Quite recently, it was replaced by the Nvidia Quadro T500. The P520 is the slowest mobile Quadro GPU that is still available on the market.

This is why it is not surprising that the ThinkPad P15s performs only half as well as the average workstation. In the productivity benchmark SPECviewperf 13, the P15s performs even worse than that. When running on battery power, the performance of the Lenovo workstation is 55 % lower.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Workstation
  (7432 - 54334, n=27, last 2 years)
23544 Points +455%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NVIDIA GeForce MX330, Intel Core i7-10510U
4616 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
4273 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
4243 Points
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (3870 - 4277, n=6)
4150 Points -2%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
4128 Points -3%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Workstation
  (4816 - 35868, n=28, last 2 years)
16313 Points +397%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NVIDIA GeForce MX330, Intel Core i7-10510U
3581 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
3410 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
3281 Points
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (3030 - 3410, n=6)
3221 Points -2%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
3215 Points -2%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Workstation
  (1882 - 16218, n=28, last 2 years)
6389 Points +524%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NVIDIA GeForce MX330, Intel Core i7-10510U
1059 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
1043 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
1024 Points
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (918 - 1043, n=6)
999 Points -2%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
997 Points -3%
SPECviewperf 13
Solidworks (sw-04)
Average of class Workstation
  (91.8 - 227, n=26, last 2 years)
151.8 fps +151%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
62.8 fps +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
60.5 fps
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (37.3 - 63.5, n=6)
56.6 fps -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
56.4 fps -7%
Siemens NX (snx-03)
Average of class Workstation
  (48.9 - 551, n=26, last 2 years)
242 fps +386%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
49.83 fps
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
49.5 fps -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
49.42 fps -1%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (36.4 - 52.1, n=6)
47.9 fps -4%
Showcase (showcase-02)
Average of class Workstation
  (24.8 - 190.3, n=26, last 2 years)
82.5 fps +468%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
14.56 fps 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
14.52 fps
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (12.6 - 14.6, n=6)
14 fps -4%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
13.98 fps -4%
Medical (medical-02)
Average of class Workstation
  (34.5 - 176.2, n=26, last 2 years)
90.2 fps +366%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
19.34 fps
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
19.06 fps -1%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (6.8 - 19.3, n=6)
15.5 fps -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
9.85 fps -49%
Maya (maya-05)
Average of class Workstation
  (77.5 - 449, n=26, last 2 years)
220 fps +437%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
40.97 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
40.74 fps -1%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
40.31 fps -2%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (30.8 - 41.2, n=6)
39.2 fps -4%
Energy (energy-02)
Average of class Workstation
  (7.71 - 109.7, n=26, last 2 years)
41.2 fps +5251%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
6.55 fps +751%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (0.72 - 6.57, n=6)
2.7 fps +251%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
0.83 fps +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
0.77 fps
Creo (creo-02)
Average of class Workstation
  (76.8 - 398, n=25, last 2 years)
205 fps +469%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
45.17 fps +25%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (27.8 - 45.2, n=6)
37.6 fps +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
36.25 fps +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
36.01 fps
Catia (catia-05)
Average of class Workstation
  (99.5 - 409, n=26, last 2 years)
231 fps +375%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
48.59 fps
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
48.08 fps -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
47.78 fps -2%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (27.7 - 48.7, n=6)
44.7 fps -8%
3ds Max (3dsmax-06)
Average of class Workstation
  (61.6 - 284, n=25, last 2 years)
155.8 fps +516%
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10610U
34.3 fps +36%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
  (20 - 34.3, n=6)
27.4 fps +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-10510U
25.31 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, Intel Core i7-8565U
25.17 fps -1%
3DMark 11 Performance
4613 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3015 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1154 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The laptop is too anaemic for 4K gaming. However, even at lower resolutions, the P15s Gen 1 struggles to handle AAA titles. The Quadro GPU is simply not meant for gaming.

low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 61.9 26.3 18.7
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 135 118 33.4 20.9 22.6
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 64.5 24.5 18.4 11.1
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 41.5 12.9
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 72.3 19.9 9.19

Emissions: ThinkPad P15s gets very hot

System Noise

In idle operation, the fan stands still. When the fan kicks in, it seems to always operate at a set speed. With the fan on, we measured a sound pressure level of 35.5 dB(a), which is not very loud, but still audible. 

Unfortunately, the ThinkPad P15s suffers from coil whine. Susceptible individuals may find it annoying, especially since it is audible even at a normal distance from the laptop.

Noise Level

Idle
29.2 / 29.2 / 29.2 dB(A)
Load
35.5 / 35.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM-1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.2 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.331.233.630.22529.729.528.928.73129.231.131.329.94030.530.429.128.75029.726.934.6266325.925.126.727.88024.92424.324.910024.526.226.425.512523.524.523.622.616022.623.424.222.420022.322.223.621.225021.724.921.622.531527.324.119.720.240020.720.21818.450022.321.217.617.663022.321.2171780023.322.117.517.3100025.323.316.616.6125026.124.216.116.3160022.620.815.716.2200023.721.615.916.3250025.523.115.816.5315025.323.116.117400023.521.416.717.4500020.118.417.117.5630018.41817.317.9800017.91817.818.21000018.318.218.218.51250018.618.418.318.51600018.618.718.718.6SPL35.533.729.229.5N2.321.21.3median 22.6median 21.6median 17.6median 17.9Delta2.52.41.71.4hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE

Temperature

Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)
Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)

The surface temperatures of the Lenovo ThinkPad T15 peaked at about 60 °C (140°F). The Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 gets even hotter with the surface temperatures on the underside reaching almost 65 °C (149°F).

The stress reveals that the cooling system of the ThinkPad P15s is not powerful enough to keep both the CPU and the GPU sufficiently cool at the same time. The GPU can maintain its clocks for more than an hour, but the CPU can maintain the TDP of 25 watts only for a few minutes. Eventually, the GPU clocks settle at about 7 watts.

In the 3DMark 11 benchmark, which we conducted right after the stress test, the ThinkPad P15s scored only roughly 4000 points in the physics section instead of roughly 10000 points. This is a 60-% drop in peformance. This means that users of the Lenovo laptop might experience thermal throttling even in day-to-day use.

Max. Load
 40.6 °C
105 F
48.1 °C
119 F
46 °C
115 F
 
 36.1 °C
97 F
39.5 °C
103 F
46.7 °C
116 F
 
 29.3 °C
85 F
32 °C
90 F
31.9 °C
89 F
 
Maximum: 48.1 °C = 119 F
Average: 38.9 °C = 102 F
58.3 °C
137 F
64.6 °C
148 F
43.4 °C
110 F
52 °C
126 F
49.1 °C
120 F
41.9 °C
107 F
29.2 °C
85 F
28.6 °C
83 F
28.2 °C
83 F
Maximum: 64.6 °C = 148 F
Average: 43.9 °C = 111 F
Power Supply (max.)  43.1 °C = 110 F | Room Temperature 21.3 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.9 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 32 °C / 90 F for the devices in the class Workstation.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.1 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 38.1 °C / 101 F, ranging from 22.2 to 69.8 °C for the class Workstation.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 64.6 °C / 148 F, compared to the average of 41.3 °C / 106 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.6 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 32 °C / 90 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32 °C / 89.6 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-4.2 °C / -7.6 F).
Stress test (top)
Stress test (top)
Stress test (bottom)
Stress test (bottom)

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.631.52528.929.83131.3304029.129.25034.625.36326.725.58024.325.310026.425.212523.625.516024.232.820023.644.525021.65031519.754.24001856.950017.662.26301764.880017.563.4100016.662.7125016.163.8160015.762.9200015.961.2250015.861.7315016.164.3400016.758.2500017.158.9630017.355.4800017.857.21000018.249.81250018.349.11600018.738.8SPL29.273.5N1.232.1median 17.6median 57.2Delta1.79.229.330.725.525.629.32929.427.724.828.123.925.224.823.225.226.821.531.722.141.121.846.521.351.121.354.520.456.119.357.318.759.218.457.118.158.41856.617.356.416.55916.259.315.861.315.660.315.758.915.855.715.65315.553.315.452.415.346.629.370.21.227.1median 18median 56.12.45.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGEHP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 82% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 16% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 18%, worst was 35%
Compared to all devices tested
» 70% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 51% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 36% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 18%, worst was 35%
Compared to all devices tested
» 34% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management: UHD screen drives up power consumption

Energy Consumption

The Lenovo laptop draws more power than the HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7. The ThinkPad P15s has a comparable power draw only when idle. In all other cases, the ZBook is about 30 % more energy-efficient. The main reason for this is the UHD panel in the ThinkPad P15s. The ZBook also comes with a 4K screen, but it is significantly less bright.

The peak power draw is higher than the rated output of the AC adapter. However, because the average power consumption is well below 65 watts this should not be a major problem.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.72 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.5 / 10.8 / 15.1 Watt
Load midlight 64.8 / 69.3 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
i7-10510U, Quadro P520, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
i7-10610U, Quadro P520, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
i7-8565U, Quadro P520, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
i7-10510U, GeForce MX330, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Average NVIDIA Quadro P520
 
Average of class Workstation
 
Power Consumption
16%
23%
-8%
16%
-67%
Idle Minimum *
3.5
3.5
-0%
2.74
22%
4.3
-23%
3.14 ?(2.74 - 3.5, n=6)
10%
7.75 ?(2.6 - 19.5, n=26, last 2 years)
-121%
Idle Average *
10.8
6.7
38%
6.4
41%
13.8
-28%
7.3 ?(4.94 - 10.8, n=6)
32%
12.5 ?(4 - 35.9, n=26, last 2 years)
-16%
Idle Maximum *
15.1
9.6
36%
9.7
36%
16.2
-7%
10.4 ?(7.92 - 15.1, n=6)
31%
18.3 ?(5.6 - 47, n=26, last 2 years)
-21%
Load Average *
64.8
60
7%
55.2
15%
66
-2%
60.7 ?(55.2 - 64.8, n=6)
6%
96.4 ?(47.7 - 182, n=26, last 2 years)
-49%
Witcher 3 ultra *
57.2
49.3
14%
53
7%
Load Maximum *
69.3
68.6
1%
69.4
-0%
67.4
3%
68.9 ?(68.2 - 69.4, n=6)
1%
157.6 ?(60.2 - 311, n=26, last 2 years)
-127%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

When compared to the smaller ThinkPad P14s, the battery capacity of the P15s is higher (57 watts) and is comparable to that of the HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7. Nevertheless, the HP notebook achieves a 10-% longer battery runtime in our Wi-Fi test, because it has a lower power draw. With the screen brightness maxed out, the Lenovo laptop achieves a very poor battery runtime. However, it has a much brighter screen.

Charging time: 160 minutes
Charging time: 160 minutes
SPECviewperf battery test: 93 minutes
SPECviewperf battery test: 93 minutes
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge Chromium)
8h 23min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge Chromium)
4h 36min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 20min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 10min
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE
i7-10510U, Quadro P520, 57 Wh
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G7
i7-10610U, Quadro P520, 53 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
i7-8565U, Quadro P520, 57 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
i7-10510U, GeForce MX330, 57 Wh
Average of class Workstation
 
Battery Runtime
16%
19%
-21%
2%
H.264
500
730
46%
705
41%
483
-3%
693 ?(347 - 1104, n=10, last 2 years)
39%
WiFi v1.3
503
546
9%
517
3%
426
-15%
533 ?(252 - 897, n=26, last 2 years)
6%
Load
130
120
-8%
148
14%
72
-45%
79.6 ?(54 - 118, n=16, last 2 years)
-39%
Reader / Idle
1510
755 ?(319 - 1072, n=6, last 2 years)

Pros

+ very bright 4K screen
+ robust housing
+ great selection of ports
+ very comfortable input devices, keyboard with a numeric pad
+ silent most of the time
+ 3-year warranty

Cons

- no full-size SD card slot
- Thunderbolt 3 port supports only two PCIe lanes
- case is hard to open
- high surface temperatures
- less flexibility without PowerBridge
- problems with DPC latencies
- no AMD Ryzen 4000 option
- coil whine

Verdict: ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 is quite interesting, thanks to its 4K screen

The Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1. Review device provided courtesy of: campuspoint
The Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1. Review device provided courtesy of: campuspoint

We know the Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 well, because we have already reviewed it more than once. However, it went by different names. Having mentioned that, the ThinkPad T590ThinkPad P53s and the ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 have the same design and offer very similar hardware.

This is why our assessment of most aspects remains unchanged: Thanks to its robust housing and comfortable input devices, the ThinkPad P15s is a good professional notebook. However, we would like to see an AMD option, because the Intel CPUs and Nvidia GPUs that the P15s offers are outdated. Moreover, the cooling system of the ThinkPad P15s is not powerful enough to keep it from overheating. Moreover, we also have to mention the presence of coil whine.

What separates the ThinkPad P15s from the aforementioned ThinkPad laptops is the 4K screen. There were and are other models with UHD displays, but none can hold a candle to the level of brightness that the 2160p panel in the ThinkPad P15s can achieve. This also applies to the ZBook Firefly 15 G7, its direct competitor from HP. 

We can only recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 to those who want the following laptop: A low-end workstation with a CAD-capable GPU, which offers the lowest level of performance acceptable in this segment.

There is only a single feature that distinguishes the ThinkPad P15s from the ThinkPad T15 and the ZBook Firefly 15. However, we expect that Lenovo will soon release the ThinkPad P15s Gen 2 with Tiger Lake-based CPUs and the Nvidia Quadro T500. This is why it might be worth it to wait.

Price and Availability

The configuration featured in our review with a 1 TB SSD, 32 GB of RAM and a 4K screen currently retails on Amazon for 2157 Euros (~$2636).

Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen1-20T4000JGE - 01/08/2021 v7
Benjamin Herzig

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
91%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
70 / 80 → 87%
Weight
65 / 10-66 → 98%
Battery
79 / 95 → 83%
Display
92%
Games Performance
61%
Application Performance
85%
Temperature
85 / 95 → 90%
Noise
88 / 90 → 98%
Audio
61%
Camera
23 / 85 → 27%
Average
74%
83%
Workstation - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 1 Laptop Review: Ultraportable workstation with a very bright 4K screen
Benjamin Herzig, 2021-01-10 (Update: 2021-01-10)