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Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 Review: Office laptop with an AMD chip and new design

Top performance thanks to Ryzen.

The 15.6-inch office laptop from Lenovo comes with the redesigned housing and only AMD CPUs. We examine the second generation of the ThinkPad E15 with a Ryzen 7 processor.
AMD Business Laptop Renoir ThinkPad Ryzen (Zen) Windows

The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 features a new, compact design with smaller screen bezels. Currently, the E15 Gen.2 is only available with AMD processors. As of yet, there are no second-generation E15 models with Intel CPUs. Lenovo offers a student discount for the model that we are reviewing, which has the following designation: 20T9S00K00. Students and teachers can pick up this model of the E15 Gen.2 for 700 Euros (~$832). It features a Ryzen 7 CPU with a Vega 7 iGPU, 16 of RAM, 512 GB of solid state storage and an IPS display. However, it does not include an operating system. This same model with an OS costs about 870 Euros (~$1035) without the student discount.

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00 (ThinkPad E15 Gen2 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U 8 x 2 - 4.1 GHz, 30 W PL2 / Short Burst, 28 W PL1 / Sustained, Renoir-U (Zen 2)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, Core: 1600 MHz, RAM: 1333 MHz
Memory
16 GB 
, Dual-channel, DDR4-3200, 1 slot, 40 GB max
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, B156HAN02.1, IPS, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU, 512 GB 
, 444 GB free
Soundcard
AMD Raven/Renoir/VanGogh/Cezanne - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm audio jack, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18.9 x 365 x 240 ( = 0.74 x 14.37 x 9.45 in)
Battery
45 Wh Lithium-Ion
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: streo, Keyboard: chiclet-style, Keyboard Light: yes, 65W PSU, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.8 kg ( = 63.49 oz / 3.97 pounds), Power Supply: 350 g ( = 12.35 oz / 0.77 pounds)
Price
705 Euro
Links
Lenovo homepage
Lenovo notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Potential competitors

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Price
83.9 %
v7 (old)
11 / 2020
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
R7 4700U, Vega 7		1.8 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.1 %
v7 (old)
03 / 2020
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
i7-10510U, Radeon RX 640		1.8 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.9 %
v7 (old)
11 / 2020
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7		1.9 kg21 mm15.60"1920x1080
84 %
v7 (old)
10 / 2020
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
i5-10310U, UHD Graphics 620		1.8 kg23 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.6 %
v7 (old)
07 / 2020
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
R7 4700U, Vega 7		1.8 kg19 mm15.60"1920x1080
83.3 %
v7 (old)
04 / 2020
SCHENKER VIA 15
R5 3500U, Vega 8		1.4 kg17 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case - AMD E15 is now more compact

All in all, the design of the ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 is quite similar to that of the first-generation E15 models, which are still available, but only with Intel CPUs. The housing is made of the same materials. However, the screen bezels of the E15 Gen.2 are smaller, and the device itself is more compact. The height (18.9 mm) has not changed. In day-to-day use, it is difficult to notice any difference between the second-gen and first-gen models of the E15. In terms of the weight, the E15 Gen.2 is comparable to other competing devices. Here, only the Schenker Via 15 stands out with its relatively low weight of 1.4 kg (3 lbs).

The chassis is still made of plastic and the display lid of aluminium. The display lid is very susceptible to fingerprints, which is why it will have to wiped clean quite often. The rigidity of the E15 Gen.2 is on a normal level for this kind of device.  

Size Comparison

❌
366 mm / 14.4 in 250 mm / 9.84 in 21 mm / 0.827 in 1.9 kg4.2 lbs368 mm / 14.5 in 245 mm / 9.65 in 18.9 mm / 0.744 in 1.8 kg3.95 lbs365 mm / 14.4 in 257 mm / 10.1 in 19 mm / 0.748 in 1.8 kg4.07 lbs365 mm / 14.4 in 240 mm / 9.45 in 18.9 mm / 0.744 in 1.8 kg3.97 lbs359 mm / 14.1 in 236 mm / 9.29 in 23 mm / 0.906 in 1.8 kg3.97 lbs356 mm / 14 in 234 mm / 9.21 in 17 mm / 0.669 in 1.4 kg3.07 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - ThinkPad E15 comes with the bare minimum

The somewhat more compact E15 Gen.2 loses one USB 3.0 port on the left, even though there is plenty of space for such a port there. The selection of ports reflects the overall low price of the laptop. It is similarly poor in both Intel- and AMD-powered models. Models with an Intel chip do not feature a Thunderbolt 3 port, and AMD models come with an HDMI 1.4b output instead of HDMI 2.0. There is an outdated USB 2.0 port on the right side.

Left: USB-C 3.1 Gen.1 (Power Delivery + DisplayPort over USB), USB-A 3.1 Gen.1 (AlwaysOn), HDMI 1.4b, 3,5-mm audio jack
Left: USB-C 3.1 Gen.1 (Power Delivery + DisplayPort over USB), USB-A 3.1 Gen.1 (AlwaysOn), HDMI 1.4b, 3,5-mm audio jack
Right: USB-A 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, Kensington Security Slot
Right: USB-A 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, Kensington Security Slot

Communication - Wi-Fi 6 thanks to an Intel module

The ADM model of the ThinkPad E15 uses a Wi-Fi 6 module from Intel. The AX200 supports all current Wi-Fi standards as well as Bluetooth 5.1. In our standardised Wi-Fi test with the reference-grade router from Netgear (Nighthawk RAX120), the E15 Gen.2 achieved good data transfer rates. We did not encounter any issues during our Wi-Fi test.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1492 (1313min - 1761max) MBit/s +70%
SCHENKER VIA 15
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1287 (1206min - 1352max) MBit/s +47%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (447 - 1645, n=127)
1104 MBit/s +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
895 (483min - 1131max) MBit/s +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
878 (678min - 893max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
680 (373min - 727max) MBit/s -23%
iperf3 receive AX12
SCHENKER VIA 15
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1413 (983min - 1471max) MBit/s +23%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1394 (1125min - 1461max) MBit/s +21%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (523 - 1684, n=128)
1191 MBit/s +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1149 (972min - 1253max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1124 (1055min - 1195max) MBit/s -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
951 (932min - 963max) MBit/s -17%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
811 (593min - 853max) MBit/s -29%
67877887897810781178Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1150 (972-1253)
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø878 (678-893)

Webcam

ColorChecker
4.7 ∆E
8.6 ∆E
9 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
8 ∆E
9.3 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
8 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
4.4 ∆E
2.4 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
2.7 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
2.6 ∆E
3.1 ∆E
2.2 ∆E
3.5 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
10.9 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00: 5.65 ∆E min: 2.16 - max: 10.9 ∆E

Maintenance - Significant differences inside

Once the bottom cover is removed, the differences inside between the E15 Gen.1 and the E15 Gen.2 become apparent. The 2.5-inch drive bay has been replaced with an additional M.2 slot. There is also an additional heatpipe inside. In order to get to the RAM, the additional coverings will have to be removed.

ThinkPad E15 Gen.2
ThinkPad E15 Gen.2
ThinkPad E15 Gen.1
ThinkPad E15 Gen.1

Input Devices - Solid ThinkPad keyboard

Despite its low price, the E15 offers a good keyboard with a numeric pad. Typing on the E15 feels quite satisfying, thanks to a very clear actuation point. Moreover, the keyboard also offers a backlight, which is why typing in dimly lit environments should not be a problem. The power button is located above the keyboard and features an integrated fingerprint sensor.

The keyboard also comes with the TrackPoint, which is a hallmark feature of ThinkPads. Moreover, there are three hardware buttons below the space key. Once users get used to operating the little red nob, moving the cursor with it will be quite easy. Buyers can also use the ClickPad for this. It can be clicked in the lower half. The sound that it produces is very deep and satisfying. Because of the additional numeric pad, the ClickPad was moved slightly to the left, which is why it might take some time for certain users to get used to it.

Eingabegeräte
Eingabegeräte

Display - E15 with a matte Full HD screen

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
Visible screen bleeding in the lower right corner and at the bottom of the screen
Visible screen bleeding in the lower right corner and at the bottom of the screen

The ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 features a matte Full HD IPS display. However, the panel of the E15 Gen.2 comes from AUO as opposed to BOE. There might be some natural variation, but this should not be much of a problem, especially given the fact that Lenovo sources screens from different manufacturers for almost all of its models.

The specifications sheet betrays the fact that the E15 Gen.2 is a low-end device. It claims a screen brightness of 250 cd/m², but in reality the brightness is slightly lower. The black value and the contrast ratio are quite good. However, white colours appear somewhat grainy and there is some noticeable screen bleeding in the lower right corner and along the bottom of the screen. All in all, the display is good enough for a cheap office notebook. Howbeit, in very bright rooms it might not be bright enough to comfortably read. There is no PWM flickering.

255
cd/m²		247
cd/m²		246
cd/m²
226
cd/m²		249
cd/m²		221
cd/m²
230
cd/m²		245
cd/m²		230
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
B156HAN02.1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 255 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 238.8 cd/m² Minimum: 2.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 252 cd/m²
Contrast: 1132:1 (Black: 0.22 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 4.4
ΔE Greyscale 5.1 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
57.7% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.69% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
57.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.42% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.48
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
B156HAN02.1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
NV156FHM-N48, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.6"		Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
B156HAN02.1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
BOE0869, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AUO, B156HW02, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		SCHENKER VIA 15
Chi Mei CMN15E8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"
Display
3%
-1%
0%
-1%
77%
Display P3 Coverage
38.42
40.25
5%
37.93
-1%
38.74
1%
37.92
-1%
68.7
79%
sRGB Coverage
57.8
57.7
0%
57
-1%
56.6
-2%
57.1
-1%
99.8
73%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
39.69
41.59
5%
39.19
-1%
40.02
1%
39.18
-1%
70.9
79%
Response Times
-11%
-2%
-2%
15%
16%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
46.8 ?(22.8, 24)
49.6 ?(24.4, 25.2)
-6%
48 ?(24.4, 23.6)
-3%
44 ?(23, 21)
6%
41 ?(22, 19)
12%
38.4 ?(18.8, 19.6)
18%
Response Time Black / White *
31.2 ?(17.6, 13.6)
36 ?(18.8, 17.2)
-15%
31.2 ?(17.2, 14)
-0%
34 ?(18, 16)
-9%
26 ?(15, 11)
17%
26.8 ?(15.2, 11.6)
14%
PWM Frequency
1250 ?(99)
1000 ?(90)
25910 ?(30)
Screen
-6%
10%
12%
10%
43%
Brightness middle
249
283
14%
249
0%
258
4%
282
13%
296
19%
Brightness
239
258
8%
240
0%
229
-4%
264
10%
273
14%
Brightness Distribution
87
81
-7%
89
2%
74
-15%
88
1%
81
-7%
Black Level *
0.22
0.22
-0%
0.15
32%
0.16
27%
0.19
14%
0.25
-14%
Contrast
1132
1286
14%
1660
47%
1613
42%
1484
31%
1184
5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.7
7.9
-18%
5.9
12%
5.61
16%
5.56
17%
1.7
75%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
19.7
23.6
-20%
21.7
-10%
19
4%
19.07
3%
2.9
85%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.4
5.8
-32%
4.8
-9%
4.5
-2%
0.8
82%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.1
6.6
-29%
3
41%
2.77
46%
3.57
30%
2.1
59%
Gamma
2.48 89%
2.18 101%
2.32 95%
2.27 97%
2.61 84%
2.31 95%
CCT
7277 89%
5735 113%
6838 95%
6198 105%
6895 94%
6759 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
36.6
37
1%
36.1
-1%
36
-2%
36
-2%
64.7
77%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
57.7
57.1
-1%
56.8
-2%
56
-3%
57
-1%
99.8
73%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-5% / -5%
2% / 7%
3% / 7%
8% / 9%
45% / 46%

* ... smaller is better

Right of the box, the IPS panel provides a poor colour reproduction. Moreover, the screen suffers from a blueish colour cast as our analysis with X-Rite's i1Pro spectrophotometer and CalMAN software reveals. The colour cast can be removed through calibration. However, this comes at the cost of a slight drop in brightness. The poor colour reproduction and poor colour space coverage make the E15 unfit for any sort of professional photo/video editing.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Colour accuracy
CalMAN: Colour accuracy
CalMAN: Grayscale after calibration
CalMAN: Grayscale after calibration
CalMAN: Saturation after calibration
CalMAN: Saturation after calibration
CalMAN: Colour accuracy after calibration
CalMAN: Colour accuracy after calibration

Display Response Times

ℹ
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
31.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17.6 ms rise
↘ 13.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 83 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
46.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22.8 ms rise
↘ 24 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 79 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

The matte screen surface helps quite a bit outdoors, but the low display brightness still remains a problem. The screen is only legible under an overcast sky. The viewing angles of the IPS panel are on a good level.

In direct sunlight
In direct sunlight
In direct sunlight
In direct sunlight
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - 8 cores and SSD

Processor - E15 with a Ryzen 7 4700U

Lenovo offers several AMD processors for the E15 Gen.2, amongst which is the very fast Ryzen 7 4800U with 8 cores and 16 threads. Our review device features the Ryzen 7 4700U, which comes with 8 cores and 8 threads. Readers can learn more about it here.

The TDP fluctuates between 30 and 28 watts, and the maximum all-core frequency amounts to 3.3 GHz. This is why the ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 is twice as fast as the E15 with a Core i7 CPU in the multi-core benchmarks. The Ryzen 7 chip in the HP ProBook 455 is also somewhat slower, because it has a lower TDP. 

However, the E15 Gen.2 cannot maintain its full performance under continuous load as the results of our Cinebench multi-core loop show. 

On battery power, the TDP is limited to 28 watts, which is why the performance is slightly lower. All in all, the processor is powerful enough for an office notebook.

07515022530037545052560067575082590097510501125120012751350Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U: Ø1069 (991.33-1139.11)
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø537 (533-579)
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U: Ø1390 (1364.86-1409.74)
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK Intel Core i5-10310U, Intel Core i5-10310U: Ø526 (511.31-545.63)
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U: Ø905 (890.95-1068.26)
SCHENKER VIA 15 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø668 (665.42-677.39)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 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 (Single Core)
Average of class Office
  (229 - 766, n=92, last 2 years)
603 Points +27%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
476 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (448 - 478, n=9)
467 Points -2%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
462 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
461 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
438 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
438 Points -8%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
317 Points -33%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Office
  (590 - 5980, n=92, last 2 years)
3605 Points +28%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
3302 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
2814 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (2401 - 3095, n=9)
2698 Points -4%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
2601 Points -8%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1540 Points -45%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
1327 Points -53%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
1290 Points -54%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (98 - 284, n=94, last 2 years)
230 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
182 Points
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
181 Points -1%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (176 - 185, n=11)
180.3 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
180 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
174 Points -4%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
173.4 Points -5%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
144 Points -21%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (246 - 2642, n=95, last 2 years)
1559 Points +37%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
1410 (1364.86min - 1409.74max) Points +24%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1139 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (801 - 1253, n=12)
1091 Points -4%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1050 Points -8%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
682 (572.66min - 672.25max) Points -40%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
586 Points -49%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
546 (511.31min - 545.63max) Points -52%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
886 Seconds * -96%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
810 Seconds * -79%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
680 Seconds * -50%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
537 Seconds * -19%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (407 - 537, n=8)
480 Seconds * -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
452 Seconds *
Average of class Office
  (208 - 1956, n=94, last 2 years)
425 Seconds * +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
344 Seconds * +24%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Office
  (2972 - 6687, n=94, last 2 years)
5253 MIPS +18%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
4611 MIPS +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4470 MIPS
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
4453 MIPS 0%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
4398 MIPS -2%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (4208 - 4470, n=8)
4361 MIPS -2%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4208 MIPS -6%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3540 MIPS -21%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
39579 MIPS +29%
Average of class Office
  (7532 - 65460, n=95, last 2 years)
38697 MIPS +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
30794 MIPS
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (26652 - 33890, n=8)
30273 MIPS -2%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
27219 MIPS -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
17312 MIPS -44%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
17014 MIPS -45%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
16335 MIPS -47%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Office
  (510 - 1995, n=94, last 2 years)
1588 Points +37%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
1225 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1159 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (1101 - 1168, n=8)
1134 Points -2%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
1122 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
1117 Points -4%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1109 Points -4%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
777 Points -33%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Office
  (1018 - 11980, n=93, last 2 years)
7572 Points +29%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
5869 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (4792 - 6502, n=8)
5630 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
5456 Points -7%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4853 Points -17%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
3749 Points -36%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
3408 Points -42%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
2543 Points -57%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Office
  (1.72 - 18.7, n=92, last 2 years)
10.5 fps +21%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
9.32 fps +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
8.68 fps
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (6.79 - 10.1, n=8)
8.44 fps -3%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
6.79 fps -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
4.6 fps -47%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
4.15 fps -52%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
4.02 fps -54%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
115.7 s * -103%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (55.5 - 115.7, n=8)
68.2 s * -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
63.8 s * -12%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
61.3 s * -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
57.1 s *
Average of class Office
  (31.3 - 129.6, n=92, last 2 years)
53.6 s * +6%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
0.763 sec * -24%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel Core i5-10310U
0.707 sec * -15%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.666 sec * -9%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
0.651 sec * -6%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
  (0.598 - 0.651, n=8)
0.618 sec * -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
0.617 sec * -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
0.613 sec *
Average of class Office
  (0.4244 - 1.135, n=91, last 2 years)
0.548 sec * +11%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
182 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1139 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
76.5 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
2814 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
476 Points
Help

System Performance

Thanks to a fast CPU and a PCIe SSD, the E15 Gen.2 feels very responsive in day-to-day use. We did not encounter performance any issues during our review.

PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2463 - 7344, n=86, last 2 years)
5624 Points +23%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
5023 Points +10%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (4527 - 5307, n=8)
4898 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00
4639 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
4560 Points
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
4527 Points -1%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10310U, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
4155 Points -9%
SCHENKER VIA 15
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
3646 Points -20%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5575 - 20841, n=86, last 2 years)
10106 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
9601 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
9559 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (8303 - 9559, n=8)
9009 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00
8761 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10310U, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
8659 Points -9%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
8303 Points -13%
SCHENKER VIA 15
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
7351 Points -23%
Productivity
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
8567 Points +60%
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10415, n=86, last 2 years)
7735 Points +45%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (5348 - 7945, n=8)
7201 Points +35%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00
6974 Points +30%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10310U, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
6886 Points +29%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
6805 Points +27%
SCHENKER VIA 15
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
5555 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
5348 Points
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (2049 - 9773, n=86, last 2 years)
6345 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
5037 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (4459 - 5495, n=8)
4947 Points -2%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
4459 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00
4436 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
4181 Points -17%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10310U, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
3265 Points -35%
SCHENKER VIA 15
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
3223 Points -36%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (4252 - 4830, n=7, last 2 years)
4559 Points +8%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (4015 - 4402, n=6)
4220 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
4207 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00
4158 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
4045 Points -4%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
4015 Points -5%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00
5435 Points +81%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
5142 Points +71%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
5101 Points +69%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (3010 - 5361, n=5)
4806 Points +60%
Average of class Office
  (2900 - 5526, n=7, last 2 years)
3761 Points +25%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
3010 Points
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00
5381 Points +15%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
5215 Points +12%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (4436 - 5215, n=4)
4733 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
4671 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4207 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4671 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
3010 points
PCMark 10 Score
4560 points
Help

DPC Latencies

LatencyMon: overview
LatencyMon: overview
LatencyMon: drivers
LatencyMon: drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - LatencyMon - Highest measured interrupt to process latency

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices - E15 with an M.2-2242 SSD

The ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 has an SSD with an unusual form-factor (M.2-2242). However, the small storage device is a fast M.2 SDD from Samsung (PM991) with a capacity of 512 GB. Only 444 GB thereof is available to the user. There is also an unoccupied M.2-2280 slot inside, which can be used to expand the storage capacity.

Primary M.2-2242 SSD
Primary M.2-2242 SSD
An unoccupied M.2-2280 slot
An unoccupied M.2-2280 slot
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU		Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU		Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00		Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI		HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU		SCHENKER VIA 15
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB		Average Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
5%
38%
-15%
-8%
46%
-1%
Write 4K
104.9
144.4
38%
156.5
49%
121
15%
141.9
35%
164.5
57%
129.5 ?(102.8 - 148.1, n=8)
23%
Read 4K
46.54
52.3
12%
48.72
5%
42.39
-9%
37.25
-20%
46.88
1%
45.1 ?(37.6 - 52.3, n=8)
-3%
Write Seq
1333
946
-29%
2147
61%
1034
-22%
998
-25%
2659
99%
1172 ?(946 - 1333, n=8)
-12%
Read Seq
1565
1608
3%
1809
16%
1063
-32%
1233
-21%
2623
68%
1496 ?(1145 - 1615, n=8)
-4%
Write 4K Q32T1
437.2
592
35%
393.8
-10%
351.4
-20%
338.4
-23%
310.9
-29%
448 ?(382 - 592, n=8)
2%
Read 4K Q32T1
498.9
397.7
-20%
496.1
-1%
334.3
-33%
431.1
-14%
351.2
-30%
415 ?(336 - 528, n=8)
-17%
Write Seq Q32T1
1315
1364
4%
3093
135%
1059
-19%
1367
4%
3236
146%
1397 ?(1315 - 1456, n=8)
6%
Read Seq Q32T1
2340
2301
-2%
3394
45%
2290
-2%
2355
1%
3547
52%
2307 ?(2085 - 2365, n=8)
-1%
Write 4K Q8T8
877
Read 4K Q8T8
518
AS SSD
2%
49%
-11%
-10%
48%
-2%
Seq Read
1934
1918
-1%
2203
14%
1172
-39%
1929
0%
2817
46%
1917 ?(1706 - 2012, n=8)
-1%
Seq Write
1198
802
-33%
2253
88%
678
-43%
1199
0%
2392
100%
1061 ?(802 - 1268, n=8)
-11%
4K Read
47.08
49.89
6%
45.51
-3%
47.35
1%
43.9
-7%
53.5
14%
45.7 ?(32.4 - 50.3, n=8)
-3%
4K Write
132.8
151.7
14%
140.4
6%
115.7
-13%
116.2
-12%
129.4
-3%
140.2 ?(100.8 - 189.1, n=8)
6%
4K-64 Read
866
830
-4%
1672
93%
786
-9%
897
4%
1280
48%
854 ?(830 - 870, n=8)
-1%
4K-64 Write
872
736
-16%
2040
134%
718
-18%
801
-8%
1649
89%
780 ?(485 - 872, n=8)
-11%
Access Time Read *
0.116
0.095
18%
0.067
42%
0.049
58%
0.069
41%
0.041
65%
0.1031 ?(0.065 - 0.126, n=8)
11%
Access Time Write *
0.03
0.025
17%
0.027
10%
0.034
-13%
0.033
-10%
0.034
-13%
0.03488 ?(0.02 - 0.078, n=8)
-16%
Score Read
1106
1072
-3%
1938
75%
951
-14%
1134
3%
1616
46%
1091 ?(1063 - 1117, n=8)
-1%
Score Write
1125
968
-14%
2406
114%
902
-20%
1037
-8%
2018
79%
1027 ?(708 - 1144, n=8)
-9%
Score Total
2771
2545
-8%
5338
93%
2326
-16%
2723
-2%
4446
60%
2643 ?(2286 - 2787, n=8)
-5%
Copy ISO MB/s
1258
1287
2%
1055
-16%
1409
12%
1310 ?(982 - 1543, n=5)
4%
Copy Program MB/s
411.2
529
29%
520
26%
70.2
-83%
453 ?(276 - 582, n=5)
10%
Copy Game MB/s
945
1113
18%
1055
12%
254.9
-73%
924 ?(681 - 1148, n=5)
-2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
4% / 3%
44% / 45%
-13% / -13%
-9% / -9%
47% / 47%
-2% / -2%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
DiskSpd
hddimg
Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2340 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1315 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 498.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 437.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1565 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1333 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 46.54 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 104.9 MB/s

Continuous read speed: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Card - Vega 7 with dual-channel RAM

GPU-Z Vega 7
GPU-Z Vega 7

The Ryzen 7 processor ships with the fast integrated Radeon RX Vega 7 chip, which can reach its full potential, thanks to dual-channel RAM. In the synthetic 3DMark benchmarks, the iGPU is actually faster than the dedicated Radeon RX 640 in the ThinkPad E15 Gen.1. The Vega 7 graphics chip is powerful enough for all multi-media applications.

On battery power, the GPU performance does not decline and we saw no performance drops in the Fire Strike stress test (99.2 %).

3DMark 11 | 3DMark
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1468 - 13132, n=89, last 2 years)
6812 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
5422 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (3353 - 6249, n=58)
5054 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
4998 Points -8%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4019 Points -26%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
3993 Points -26%
SCHENKER VIA 15
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3174 Points -41%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10310U
1843 Points -66%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (7982 - 58068, n=63, last 2 years)
26873 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
25720 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (13713 - 31437, n=43)
23324 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
19479 Points -24%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
16972 Points -34%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10310U
8821 Points -66%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (736 - 9375, n=91, last 2 years)
4867 Points +37%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
3561 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
3279 Points -8%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (1772 - 4037, n=62)
3189 Points -10%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
2425 Points -32%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
2407 Points -32%
Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10310U
1146 Points -68%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Office
  (313 - 4109, n=90, last 2 years)
1603 Points +56%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1027 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
  (496 - 1249, n=57)
991 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
990 Points -4%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
742 Points -28%
Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U
728 Points -29%
3DMark 11 Performance
5732 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
109340 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
19224 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3206 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1167 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 can run some games smoothly, but only on low settings and at low resolutions. Both E15 models achieve similar frame rates in video games.

lowmed.highultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 67 21
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 102 85.4 56 52.3 13.5
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 44.8 35.7 31.2 16.5
Far Cry 5 (2018) 48 21
F1 2019 (2019) 80 32 29 23

Emissions - Quiet and hot

System Noise

Just like other ThinkPads, the E15 Gen.2 is very quiet. Even under load, the fan noise is not very loud. However, it is rather high-pitched, which is why it feels louder than it actually is. When idle and under low load, the E15 Gen.2 is usually completely silent. We did not hear any abnormal sounds such as coil whine coming from our review device.

Noise Level

Idle
29.4 / 29.4 / 30.2 dB(A)
Load
31.1 / 32.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
  
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.4 dB(A)
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU		Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU		Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
Vega 7, R7 PRO 4750U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00		Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10310U, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI		HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU		SCHENKER VIA 15
Vega 8, R5 3500U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
Noise
-4%
-2%
11%
-6%
-4%
off / environment *
29.4
29.2
1%
29.7
-1%
24.5
17%
30.7
-4%
29.4
-0%
Idle Minimum *
29.4
29.2
1%
29.7
-1%
24.5
17%
30.7
-4%
29.6
-1%
Idle Average *
29.4
29.2
1%
29.7
-1%
24.5
17%
30.7
-4%
29.6
-1%
Idle Maximum *
30.2
31.7
-5%
30.3
-0%
24.5
19%
30.7
-2%
29.6
2%
Load Average *
31.1
34.8
-12%
31
-0%
30.1
3%
33.9
-9%
33.4
-7%
Witcher 3 ultra *
32.2
Load Maximum *
32.2
34.8
-8%
34.3
-7%
33.9
-5%
36.8
-14%
38.1
-18%

* ... smaller is better

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203431.934.337.832.92529.529.529.827.125.73132.230.930.430.828.84031.728.730.330.528.35031.329.927.327.926.16327.825.124.924.124.68025.125.324.723.223.610024.8262522.62512525.123.422.822.424.416025.522.723.723.223.920023.92323.723.323.825024.923.523.924.125.631522.822.322.221.722.240021.721.621.520.520.550021.522212020.963021.520.720.219.419.780020.62019.31919.4100020.819.518.918.819.3125021.319.61918.118.7160021.520.518.316.617.520002220.817.816.116.8250019.818.217.415.716.4315019.617.616.515.516400019.216.81615.315.8500016.616.115.815.215.6630016.31615.915.315.8800016.215.815.915.215.81000015.815.715.815.115.71250015.715.515.61515.61600015.515.415.414.815.5SPL32.231.130.229.430N1.71.51.41.31.4median 21.3median 20median 18.9median 18.1median 18.7Delta3.433.22.83.2hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

Despite an additional heatpipe, under load the E15 Gen.2 gets just as hot as the E15 Gen.1 with the Intel CPU and dedicated AMD GPU. This can be attributed to a lower fan speed. On the underside, the 60-°C (140 °F) mark is exceeded. The E15 Gen.2 gets too hot for an office notebook. Under load, the bottom of the device becomes too hot to touch. At the top of the chassis, the surface temperatures reach around 45 °C (113 °F). These temperatures are not critical, but are still quite warm.

During our stress test the TDP amounted to 27 watts. The CPU ran at 2.5 GHz and the integrated GPU at 800 MHz. 

Max. Load
 46.5 °C
116 F		45.1 °C
113 F		43.8 °C
111 F		 
 43.5 °C
110 F		44.2 °C
112 F		37 °C
99 F		 
 32.7 °C
91 F		33.9 °C
93 F		27.6 °C
82 F		 
Maximum: 46.5 °C = 116 F
Average: 39.4 °C = 103 F
67.3 °C
153 F		66.5 °C
152 F		52.5 °C
127 F
32.3 °C
90 F		51.8 °C
125 F		50 °C
122 F
26.3 °C
79 F		32.4 °C
90 F		32.8 °C
91 F
Maximum: 67.3 °C = 153 F
Average: 45.8 °C = 114 F
Power Supply (max.)  41 °C = 106 F | Room Temperature 21.1 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.5 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 67.3 °C / 153 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.9 °C / 93 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.6 °C / 81.7 F (-6.3 °C / -11.3 F).
Surface temperatures during the stress test (top)
Surface temperatures during the stress test (top)
Surface temperatures during the stress test (bottom)
Surface temperatures during the stress test (bottom)

Speakers

The two stereo speakers on the underside of the device can only be described as mediocre. They fulfil their purpose and sound good enough for conferences, but they become quickly overwhelmed if you try to use them to listen to music or watch movies. Here we recommend using external speakers or headphones.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.842.22527.133.13130.8374030.539.75027.930.36324.126.18023.225.610022.625.612522.426.516023.233.420023.343.925024.156.831521.759.640020.557.95002057.763019.459.98001962.6100018.860.8125018.167160016.667.1200016.164.7250015.768.4315015.569.5400015.367.9500015.265.9630015.361.7800015.2691000015.167.7125001563.91600014.854.3SPL29.478.4N1.342.5median 18.1median 61.7Delta2.8922.423.222.428.825.728.826.827.926.823.121.923.128.124.728.119.223.719.230.114.130.141.415.241.447.613.847.640.813.140.841.712.841.746.912.446.950.113.950.15611.85660.111.560.163.711.163.768.810.968.867.410.667.463.810.863.868.411.968.470.411.970.468.71268.769.312.869.369.61369.668.313.268.373.113.473.174.113.874.176.714.276.770.914.370.968.414.268.482.224.682.252.10.652.1median 68.3median 12.8median 68.38.41.18.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 56% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 36% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 77% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 25% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 70% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Energy Consumption

When idle, the AMD version of the ThinkPad E15 draws more power than the Intel model. However, under load the AMD variant consumes slightly less power despite providing more performance. The 65-watt power adapter should have no trouble supplying the device with enough energy.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.41 / 0.62 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.2 / 7.8 / 10.7 Watt
Load midlight 45.6 / 51.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
R7 4700U, Vega 7, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
i7-10510U, Radeon RX 640, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.6"		Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
i5-10310U, UHD Graphics 620, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
R7 4700U, Vega 7, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		SCHENKER VIA 15
R5 3500U, Vega 8, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6"		Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7
 		Average of class Office
 
Power Consumption
5%
3%
16%
11%
-8%
4%
-0%
Idle Minimum *
4.2
3.2
24%
4.8
-14%
3.6
14%
3.8
10%
5.7
-36%
4.66 ?(2.6 - 8.4, n=52)
-11%
4.52 ?(2.2 - 13.8, n=90, last 2 years)
-8%
Idle Average *
7.8
6.8
13%
8.9
-14%
6.9
12%
7.7
1%
9.1
-17%
7.56 ?(4.8 - 10.7, n=52)
3%
7.45 ?(3.8 - 14.9, n=90, last 2 years)
4%
Idle Maximum *
10.7
9.5
11%
10.5
2%
9.4
12%
10.5
2%
9.6
10%
8.95 ?(5.6 - 13.8, n=52)
16%
9.03 ?(4.89 - 18.6, n=90, last 2 years)
16%
Load Average *
45.6
44
4%
32.9
28%
34.7
24%
32
30%
33.3
27%
38.7 ?(21.6 - 54.9, n=53)
15%
42.3 ?(8.7 - 77.9, n=86, last 2 years)
7%
Witcher 3 ultra *
41.2
Load Maximum *
51.5
66.4
-29%
45
13%
41
20%
45.4
12%
63.6
-23%
51.9 ?(31 - 73.4, n=52)
-1%
61.9 ?(11.1 - 107, n=90, last 2 years)
-20%

* ... smaller is better

Battery life

Even though Lenovo changed the form of the battery in the E15 Gen.2, the capacity remains the same (45 Wh). Because of a higher power draw when idle, the battery runtimes of the AMD model are slightly shorter than those of the Intel variant. In our Wi-Fi test, the E15 Gen.2 lasts 7 hours with the screen brightness set to 150 cd/m² and 6 hours with with the screen brightness maxed out. The Intel model lasts 30 minutes longer in this test. In the video test, the AMD version lasted 9 hours, while the Intel model lasted 10.5 hours. Under load, the battery died after 1 hour, because the processor does not throttle down.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 84.0.522.44)
6h 51min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge 84.0.522.44)
5h 49min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
9h 01min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 59min
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00
R7 4700U, Vega 7, 45 Wh		Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
i7-10510U, Radeon RX 640, 45 Wh		Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00
R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7, 45 Wh		Dell Latitude 15 5510-D90XK
i5-10310U, UHD Graphics 620, 51 Wh		HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
R7 4700U, Vega 7, 45 Wh		SCHENKER VIA 15
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 91 Wh		Average of class Office
 
Battery Runtime
38%
8%
131%
22%
95%
60%
H.264
541
625
16%
508
-6%
402
-26%
716 ?(348 - 1501, n=32, last 2 years)
32%
WiFi v1.3
411
447
9%
408
-1%
637
55%
455
11%
803
95%
612 ?(230 - 1349, n=92, last 2 years)
49%
Load
59
112
90%
78
32%
181
207%
106
80%
117.4 ?(56 - 218, n=56, last 2 years)
99%
Reader / Idle
1410
755
1304 ?(527 - 2296, n=17, last 2 years)

Pros

+ great CPU performance
+ good ThinkPad input devices
+ robust housing
+ upgradable storage
+ Wi-Fi 6

Cons

- no longer has a microSD card slot
- fewer USB ports and even one USB 2.0 port
- dim, colour-inaccurate display
- only one SO-DIMM slot
- very high temperatures on the underside
- offers worse battery life than the Intel-powered E15

Verdict - E15 Gen.2 is a low-priced office laptop that offers a lot of performance

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 review. Device provided courtesy of: Campuspoint
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 review. Device provided courtesy of: Campuspoint

The ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 is a good office laptop, which has a very reasonable price. The somewhat more compact design is a welcome development. However, users will only be able to notice any difference between the second-gen and the first-gen devices in direct comparisons. Because the E15 is an entry-level business notebook, it features a poor selection of ports, which includes an outdated USB 2.0 port.

The display is also rather subpar. The E15 Gen.2 has a matte IPS panel with a passable colour reproduction. However, the screen brightness is very low. 250 cd/m² is often not enough in very bright rooms. Moreover, the display is not accurate enough for professional photo/video editing. 

A lot more performance, but still extremely high temperatures: With the Ryzen 7 4700U, the AMD model is much faster, but Lenovo still needs to improve the screen and the cooling.

When compared to the Intel model, the AMD version offers a lot more performance and the integrated Vega 7 graphics chip can keep up with the dedicated Radeon RX 640 GPU. Under load, we would prefer to hear more fan noise, because 60 °C (140 °F) is simply too high for an office notebook. 

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen2-20T9S00K00 - 11/24/2020 v7 (old)
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
79 / 98 → 81%
Keyboard
91%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
61 / 80 → 76%
Weight
65 / 20-75 → 83%
Battery
76%
Display
79%
Games Performance
63 / 78 → 81%
Application Performance
89 / 95 → 94%
Temperature
84%
Noise
94%
Audio
69%
Camera
31 / 85 → 37%
Average
75%
84%
Office - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 Review: Office laptop with an AMD chip and new design
Andreas Osthoff, 2020-11-26 (Update: 2020-11-26)