Hands on with the only Intel Core Ultra X7 laptops with upgradable RAM: Lenovo's singular new ThinkPad T14 G7 and T16 G5

LPCAMM2 is also more expensive at the moment, but there is a reason why Lenovo chose it: Only with this type of RAM is it possible to offer the Intel Panther Lake X7 CPUs with upgradeable RAM, as those CPUs require fast LP memory. This makes the T14 Gen 7 and T16 Gen 5 the only laptops on the market to have the fast ARC GPUs with 12 Xe3 units and user-replaceable RAM at the same time. The Panther Lake CPUs will run at 30 W TDP in the new T14 and T16, which is a higher base TDP than older T series models were able to provide.

So far, the only other laptop series with LPCAMM2 has been the ThinkPad P1 / T1g (available on Amazon) series, a very expensive workstation line - so the T14 G7 and T16 G5 are the first mainstream laptops with this technology. For users who prefer the traditional SO-DIMM option, it is also still available: If you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad laptops with the AMD Ryzen AI 400 option, they will have two SO-DIMM slots instead.

Repairability: The big focus of the new T series

Lenovo could have chosen to solder the LP RAM, but went with the LPCAMM2 because it is the modular, repairable solution. In general, the ThinkPad T series has embraced this even more than before, as it is not just the RAM that is modular. Once the bottom cover is removed, the battery can be removed by pushing two little release tabs, no tools needed.

Additionally, the critically important USB-C charging ports are now modular and user replaceable. Lenovo even went es far as making the fan a seperate part from the heatsink, allowing users to clean the fan without having to repaste the CPU. And Lenovo thought of some nice details as well: Once the final screw of the bottom cover, the center one between the hinges, has been opened, the bottom cover pops off in the middle section by itself - no spudger needed. Overall, it is no surprise the T14 Gen 7 and T16 Gen 5 scores 10/10 on the iFixit repairability score.

Design: Blue ThinkPads, new hinges, metal lid and ThinkPad keyboard gets a questionable makeover

On the outside and the first glance, the new T series does not look that different from its predecessors, but there are many small changes: The screen lid is now flat again, the Lenovo logo on the lid has a different styling. A bigger design change: The T14 Gen 7 and T16 Gen 5 adopt the wider bar-hinge design. This enables smaller screen bezels, as the Wi-Fi antennas are now embedded in the hinge instead of the top of the screen. Plus, the new hinges enable one-handed opening.

Lenovo also goes in a new direction in terms of colors and materials. While the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 5 now sports a new aluminum, metal display lid, which seemed pretty sturdy in our hands-on, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 7 is optionally available in a dark blue. The new color is more subtle than the old grey option. According to Lenovo, the color was selected among many other colors as the most popular by users, narrowly beating out a dark red option. The dark blue looked good to us, but the material seemed to be pretty susceptible to smudging - an old problem with ThinkPads.

Changes to the ThinkPad keyboard are not very popular among long time ThinkPad users, but Lenovo has changed the keyboard again. This time, the typing feel and key travel stays as it is, but the styling of the keyboard has changed, with centered printing and a new font. This is the only change that we found questionable, as there was nothing wrong with the old font of the ThinkPad keyboard - the new one even seems slightly worse in terms of usability, as the lettering is smaller with thinner lines and less easily readable. Unfortunately, this change seems to be one Lenovo is rolling out among the entire portfolio.

If you are looking for more information on the specifications and release date of the new T series ThinkPads, we detailed that in our article about the announcement of the T14 Gen 7 and T16 Gen 5.