Expanding Intel Panther Lake to a lower price bracket: Lenovo releases new ThinkBook 14 and 16 G9 IPL laptops

When Intel launched Panther Lake, the big focus of the new release was put on the most expensive CPUs, the stand out processors of the new lineup - namely, the Intel Core Ultra X9 and X7. Those premium CPUs got the press, but they are probably not gonna dominate the market share, seeing as they will be mostly confined to more expensive laptops.

Much further down in the food chain are the regular Panther Lake CPUs, like the Intel Core Ultra 7 355, an eight core chip with a cut down iGPU solution - much less exciting, but it will be much more common, as it powers more affordable laptops, like Lenovo's new ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL and ThinkBook 16 G9 IPL.

Lenovo has announced those two new models without much fanfare via their PSREF database. These are basic SMB (Small and Medium Business) office laptops, with 14- and 16-inch panels respectively. Lenovo offers them with the basic Panther Lake CPUs, ranging from the Intel Core Ultra 5 325 to the Core Ultra 7 355.

Compared with their predecessors, the ThinkBooks of the 8th generation like the ThinkBook 14 G8 (available on Amazon), Lenovo is not changing much, as the design stays identical. Apart from the new CPUs, the newer ThinkBooks sport an additional Thunderbolt 4 port instead of a basic USB-C, and the 14-inch model has a new WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS 120 Hz screen option. Additionally, the battery capacity increases from 60 to 64 Wh on the smaller model, and there is a new 5 Mpix webcam options - older variants were limited to 1080p.

Most important about the new ThinkBooks is the pricing. In Germany, they are already listed at some resellers, with pricing as low as €929 - roughly €400 less than the formerly least expensive Panther Lake laptop.