Buying a Lenovo ThinkPad T490? Skip the 2020 model and go with the 2019 model instead

After having checked out four different configurations of the ThinkPad T490, we can comfortably say that last year's model offers the bigger bang for the buck. The only major differences between the 2019 and 2020 SKUs are the jump from an Intel 8th gen CPU to a 10th gen CPU and integrated Wi-Fi 6 compatibility instead of "only" Wi-Fi 5.

As shown by our charts below, however, the performance differences between the two are so minor that you wouldn't be missing much by going with the older configuration. The fastest 2020 ThinkPad T490, for example, comes with the quad-core Core i7-10510U which is barely any faster than the last generation Core i7-8565U or i7-8665U as found on the 2019 ThinkPad T490. It's too bad that Lenovo doesn't offer the hexa-core Core i7-10710U as an option as that would have made the 2020 model much more lucrative for performance hunters.

Meanwhile, the upgraded Wi-Fi isn't a necessity at the moment especially since most users don't even have Wi-Fi 6 routers to take advantage of the new standard. It's more of a future-proof feature for those who want to stay on top of the latest tech.

Assuming the same configurable options outside of the CPU, the 2020 model costs about $200 more than the 2019 model. We recommend spending those extra bills on one of Lenovo's brighter display options and/or the discrete GeForce MX250 GPU instead for a more tangible upgrade.

Buy Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Core i7-8565U now on Amazon