Verdict - ThinkPad E16 G3 is a really good office laptop
The new third generation of the ThinkPad E16 is a really good office laptop and our review did not show any real weaknesses, especially considering the low price. The chassis was revised and is now completely made of aluminum, which has a positive effect on the thickness as well as the weight. The stability is good, even though there is still a gap compared to more expensive devices like the ThinkPad T16, for example.
The Intel model uses an Arrow Lake processor, and our model offers sufficient CPU performance. The GPU performance on the other hand is pretty low and if you plan to play some games after the work is done, you should select one of the faster CPU options, which include much faster iGPUs. You get Thunderbolt 4 and a Wi-Fi 7 module is available as well. Thanks to two slots for RAM as well as SSDs, it is easy to expand the storage and you can upgrade to 128 GB RAM.
The optional WQHD panel with 120 Hz also convinced with good image quality and it is definitely worth the additional charge of 70 Euros. The battery runtimes are better than before and very good overall.
Our special edition for students is obviously very interesting in terms of pricing, but the regular price in Lenovo's online store is still very fair at 1050 Euros. Even if you go for a faster processor and more RAM, the ThinkPad E16 G3 is still less expensive and superior in pretty much every respect compared to the Asus ExpertBook B5, for example.
Pros
Cons
Price and Availability
You can configure the new ThinkPad E16 G3 directly in Lenovo's online shop starting at $923.
Table of Contents
- Verdict - ThinkPad E16 G3 is a really good office laptop
- Specifications
- Case - Lenovo now uses an aluminum chassis
- Connectivity - ThinkPad E16 supports Thunderbolt 4
- Input Devices - Good keyboard
- Display - WQHD with 120 Hz and VRR
- Performance - Arrow Lake with up to 128 GB RAM
- Emissions
- Energy Management - Long battery runtime
- Notebookcheck Rating
- Potential Competitors in Comparison
Lenovo updated its affordable office laptop ThinkPad E16 and equips the new G3 model with a revised chassis, modern Arrow Lake processors from Intel as well as new display options. Our test unit is the student version for 899 Euros (including Windows 11 Home), which is equipped with the Core Ultra 5 225U, 16 GB RAM, a 1 TB SSD, as well as the new 16-inch WQHD screen with 120 Hz and VRR. The regular price directly from Lenovo is 1049 Euros for our review configuration.
Specifications
Case - Lenovo now uses an aluminum chassis
The typical ThinkPad design is unchanged and the camera bump is also still present, but Lenovo equips the ThinkPad E16 G3 with a new chassis. It is not only slimmer, but also lighter than before. Both the lid as well as the base unit are made of aluminum and the device looks premium. However, the surfaces quickly attract fingerprints.
The stability is good in general and only the center area of the keyboard can be pushed in a bit. We were not able to provoke creaking sounds when we tried to twist the base unit though. The lid is quite flexible, but there were no picture distortions. The hinges are a bit too light and there is some wobbling. All in all, the performance of the E16 G3 is not bad, but more expensive models like the ThinkPad T16 have an advantage in this regard.
All the comparison devices are quite similar in terms of their footprint, and the E16 G3 is not too heavy at 1.7 kg. The 65W power adapter tips the scale at 307 grams.
Connectivity - ThinkPad E16 supports Thunderbolt 4
The port situation of the new ThinkPad is good with sufficient USB ports and even a Thunderbolt 4 port. Our review unit is not equipped with a Wi-Fi 7 module, but the AX211 module from Intel (Wi-Fi 6E) offers decent transfer rates. According to the spec sheet, there are also Wi-Fi 7 modules available. There is also a Gigabit Ethernet port. The 1080p webcam does its job, but the quality is not great. There is also a mechanical shutter as well as an IR sensor for facial recognition. Even though this is not a Copilot+ laptop, the device supports studio effects for the webcam as well as live captions. There is no card reader.
| Networking | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Maintenance
The bottom cover is secured with a couple of Philips-head screws (only loosen them, not remove by force) and is easy to remove. The maintenance options of the ThinkPad E16 G3 are very good, because in addition to the two RAM slots, there are also two SSD slots. The M.2-2242 slot is used by default, so you can use the M.2-2280 slot for storage expansion. The Wi-Fi module as well as the battery (screwed) can also be replaced if necessary and it is easy to clean the fan.
Sustainability
The ThinkPad E16 G3 offers multiple environmental certificates (like Energy Star 9.0, EPEAT Gold) and Lenovo advertises a CO2 compensation of 0.5 tons for the device. However, there is no information about the CO2 footprint or the use of recycled materials. Lenovo provides a maintenance manual and the packaging can be recycled.
Input Devices - Good keyboard
The ThinkPad still offers a spill-water resistant keyboard with a dedicated numeric keypad. Lenovo does not specify the key travel, but it should be around 1.4-1.5 mm and typing experience is very comfortable overall. The key strokes are not too loud and the feedback is precise, so even long texts are no problem. There is a two-stage illumination, but it cannot be activated automatically. The power button is sitting on the right side above the keyboard and also accommodates the fingerprint scanner.
In addition to the clickpad, you can also use the red TrackPoint with the additional buttons. The TrackPoint works well once you get used to it and the corresponding buttons offer even feedback without clattering. Because of the dedicated buttons, the size of the clickpad is limited (11.5 x 6.7 cm) and it is shifted towards the left. The gliding capabilities are good, and the mechanical clicks are not too loud.
Display - WQHD with 120 Hz and VRR
Lenovo offers two different displays for the ThinkPad E16 G3. In addition to the default Full-HD screen with a brightness of 300 nits (60 Hz, with and without touch), you can get a WQHD panel (2560 x 1600 pixels, 16:10) with a brightness of 400 nits, 120 Hz, VRR as well as full sRGB coverage for an additional charge of 70 Euros. Our review device is equipped with the latter and the subjective image quality is very good: contents are sharp, colors rich and even bright surfaces do not look grainy despite the matte surface. There is visible clouding on black contents and maximum brightness, but there is no PWM flickering and the response times are surprisingly fast for an office laptop. There is no brightness sensor, but the panel is still great for productive tasks.
The maximum brightness is 445 nits in the center (420 nits on average), which is also reached on battery power. The black value is okay at 0.33 cd/m² and the maximum contrast ratio is almost 1400:1.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 446 cd/m²
Contrast: 1352:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.83, calibrated: 1.3
ΔE Greyscale 1.7 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
73.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
71.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.2
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 MNG007DAB-1, IPS, 2560x1600, 16", 120 Hz | Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA NE160QDM-NX4, IPS, 2560x1600, 16", 144 Hz | Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV Samsung ATNA60BX03-0, OLED, 3200x2000, 16", 120 Hz | Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML LEN160WUXGA, IPS, 1920x1200, 16", 60 Hz | HP EliteBook 865 G10 InfoVision IVO3E94 (X160NV42 R0), IPS, 1920x1200, 16", 60 Hz | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE MNG007QS1-3, IPS, 1920x1200, 16", 60 Hz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -4% | 25% | -40% | 2% | -44% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 71.3 | 68.5 -4% | 99.9 40% | 41.6 -42% | 72.8 2% | 39.4 -45% |
| sRGB Coverage | 99.1 | 98.3 -1% | 100 1% | 61.2 -38% | 99.9 1% | 58.2 -41% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 73.5 | 69.4 -6% | 98 33% | 43 -41% | 75 2% | 40.7 -45% |
| Response Times | -190% | 94% | -113% | -325% | -135% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 12.6 ? | 35.6 ? -183% | 0.4 ? 97% | 18.4 ? -46% | 48 ? -281% | 23.7 ? -88% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 5.9 ? | 17.5 ? -197% | 0.6 ? 90% | 16.5 ? -180% | 27.6 ? -368% | 16.6 ? -181% |
| PWM Frequency | 120 ? | 550 | ||||
| Screen | -48% | 3318% | -198% | -84% | -182% | |
| Brightness middle | 446 | 413 -7% | 407 -9% | 321.2 -28% | 865 94% | 364 -18% |
| Brightness | 420 | 408 -3% | 405 -4% | 319 -24% | 724 72% | 344 -18% |
| Brightness Distribution | 90 | 94 4% | 98 9% | 92 2% | 47 -48% | 91 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.33 | 0.2 39% | 0.001 100% | 0.37 -12% | 0.34 -3% | 0.25 24% |
| Contrast | 1352 | 2065 53% | 407000 30004% | 868 -36% | 2544 88% | 1456 8% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 3.6 -140% | 2.27 -51% | 8.7 -480% | 4.86 -224% | 6.7 -347% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.4 | 7.1 -196% | 4.46 -86% | 19.85 -727% | 11.58 -383% | 21.4 -792% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.3 | 1.5 -15% | 2.17 -67% | 1.82 -40% | 1.05 19% | 5.3 -308% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 4.6 -171% | 2.3 -35% | 9.2 -441% | 8 -371% | 4.9 -188% |
| Gamma | 2.2 100% | 2.25 98% | 2.231 99% | 2.83 78% | 2.66 83% | 2.2 100% |
| CCT | 6829 95% | 7461 87% | 6443 101% | 6200 105% | 6636 98% | 6010 108% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -81% /
-59% | 1146% /
2152% | -117% /
-152% | -136% /
-100% | -120% /
-146% |
* ... smaller is better
We analyzed the default color profile with the professional CalMAN software and the results are very good. There is a minor blue cast in combination with a slightly too cool color temperature, but it is hardly visible with the naked eye. The color deviations on the other hand are already very low. We managed to improve the grayscale performance with our own calibration (the corresponding profile can be downloaded for free in the box above). Combined with the full sRGB coverage, the panel is also suited for pictured/video editing.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5.9 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 16 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 12.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 6.6 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 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 24 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.1 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| 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 8350 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The outdoor performance of the matte display is very good, but you should avoid direct sunlight or reflections from other light sources. The viewing angle stability is also good.
Performance - Arrow Lake with up to 128 GB RAM
Lenovo offers the ThinkPad E16 G3 with AMD or Intel processors. Our Intel SKU is available with different Arrow Lake processors and our review unit is equipped with the Core Ultra 5 225U, but you can also get the Core Ultra 5 225H (+70 Euros) or the Core Ultra 7 255H (+220 Euros). Thanks to the two SO-DIMM slots, you can install up to 128 GB RAM. Discrete graphics cards are not available.
Review Settings
As per usual for ThinkPad models, Lenovo's power profiles are directly linked to the Windows power settings. We performed the following benchmarks and measurements in the Best Performance mode.
Processor - Core Ultra 5 225U
Intel's Core Ultra 5 225U from the Arrow Lake generation offers 2 fast Performance cores, 8 Efficiency cores as well as 2 Low Power Efficiency cores. This makes a total of 12 cores and 12 threads. The processor can consume up to 52 Watts for short periods and will stabilize at around 35 Watts. The CPU performance is sufficient for many office tasks, while the optional Core Ultra 5 225H (which we recently tested in the ExpertBook B5) is about 25 % faster at comparable power limits. The Core Ultra 7 255H would be even faster. The performance does not drop on battery power and more CPU benchmarks are available in our Tech section.
Cinebench R15 Multi loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
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 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (1577 - 20399, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (618 - 2098, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (590 - 8086, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (229 - 807, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (246 - 3132, n=85, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (98 - 315, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average of class Office (163 - 1956, n=84, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (7532 - 76886, n=85, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Average of class Office (2972 - 6497, n=84, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Geekbench 6.4 / Multi-Core | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (662 - 14990, n=92, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Geekbench 6.4 / Single-Core | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (457 - 2925, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (1018 - 14192, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (510 - 2121, n=84, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Average of class Office (1.72 - 22.4, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average of class Office (41.1 - 129.6, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Average of class Office (0.4098 - 1.135, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (763 - 31245, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average of class Office (4113 - 125394, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (287 - 5398, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average of class Office (8185 - 115197, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average of class Office (404 - 18321, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average of class Office (2075 - 66922, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (7254 - 155900, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (78 - 1366, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (432 - 17834, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (4814 - 55359, n=83, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
System Performance
The ThinkPad is a very responsive device in daily situations and we did not experience any problems during the review period. The benchmark results are okay, and you will not notice the single-channel memory configuration in practice, either.
PCMark 10: Score | Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content Creation
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| Performance Rating | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV -4! | |
| Average of class Office | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average of class Office (2463 - 7683, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (5575 - 20841, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (3041 - 10415, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (2049 - 11501, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (348 - 1923, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (393 - 1870, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (319 - 2169, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Average of class Office (258 - 2017, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (121 - 455, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (80 - 328, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Average of class Office (391 - 1966, n=88, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (n=1) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 6156 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (7158 - 108783, n=84, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Average of class Office (7325 - 127282, n=84, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (7579 - 117935, n=84, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (n=1) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Average of class Office (7.6 - 185.2, n=81, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
Our standardized latency test (web browsing, 4K YouTube playback, CPU load) shows that the test unit with the current BIOS version has some issues with real-time audio software.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
The ThinkPad E16 G3 offers two M.2-slots, which are attached via PCIe 4.0 x4. Lenovo ships the device with a compact M.2-2242 SSD, in our case the 1 TB version of the SK Hynix PVC10 (895 GB free after the initial set-up). The performance of the SSD is very good and also stable under sustained workloads. You get another M.2-2280 slot, so it is very easy and cheap to expand the storage capacity. More SSD benchmarks are listed here.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
One drawback of our test unit is the integrated graphics adapter with the designation Intel Graphics. It uses 4 Xe cores and it is sufficient for standard office tasks, but it is currently the slowest Intel iGPU you can get. Combined with the single-channel memory configuration, the overall GPU performance is very low. This obviously affects the gaming performance as well. If you intend to play some games after work, you should at least get the Core Ultra 5 225H, which is equipped with the significantly faster Arc Graphics 130T. The latter is around 60 % faster in the case of the ExpertBook B5 and even the old Radeon 660M in the ThinkPad E16 G2 is around 25 % faster. The GPU performance is stable under sustained workloads, but you are pretty much limited to minimum details while gaming and many modern titles cannot be played smoothly at all. Streaming services are probably the only alternative. The performance is not reduced on battery power.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 5022 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 3607 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1737 points | |
Help | ||
| Blender / v3.3 Classroom HIP/AMD | |
| Average of class Office (296 - 1133, n=11, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Blender / v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Average Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (527 - 1156, n=22) | |
| Average of class Office (245 - 3964, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Blender / v3.3 Classroom oneAPI/Intel | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Average Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) (338 - 423, n=8) | |
| Average of class Office (204 - 416, n=6, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (6.65 - 29.6, n=47, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV | |
| Average of class Office (3.98 - 47.8, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 865 G10 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 | |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra FPS chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 97.9 | 84.8 | 19.7 | 7.73 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 95.3 | 80.9 | 37.8 | 49.9 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 35 | 19.3 | 14.9 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 43.3 | 33.4 | 28.2 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 68.6 | 28.1 | 22.5 | 22.1 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 17.9 | 14.2 | 12.4 | 12.2 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 18.7 | 15.4 | 12.6 | 11.4 |
| F1 24 (2024) | 34.2 | 30.3 | 23.5 |
Emissions
System Noise
Lenovo only uses one fan, and it is usually turned off for simple workloads. If you really stress the device, the fan will reach up to 40 dB(A) for short periods, before it eventually levels off at around 35 dB(A). According to the parts number, SKUs with the faster processors (Core Ultra 5 225H/Core Ultra 7 255H) use the same cooling unit, so the TDP values as well as the fans noise should be comparable. Our test unit did not have issues with any other electronic noise.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.6 / 24.6 / 24.6 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 30.8 / 40.5 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.6 dB(A) | ||
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 Graphics 4-Core, Ultra 5 225U, SK Hynix PVC10 HFS001TEM4X169N | Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA Arc 130T, Ultra 5 225H, Micron 2500 MTFDKBA512QGN | Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV Radeon 760M, R5 8640U, Micron 3400 MTFDKBA512TFH 512GB | Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML Graphics 4-Core, Ultra 5 125U, SK hynix HFS512GEJ4X112N | HP EliteBook 865 G10 Radeon 780M, R9 PRO 7940HS, SK hynix PC801 HFS001TEJ9X101N | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE Radeon 660M, R5 7535HS, Samsung PM9C1a MZAL81T0HDLB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 8% | -21% | 14% | 6% | 4% | |
| off / environment * | 24.6 | 23.2 6% | 25 -2% | 23.1 6% | 23 7% | 24.6 -0% |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.6 | 23.2 6% | 26 -6% | 23.1 6% | 23 7% | 24.6 -0% |
| Idle Average * | 24.6 | 23.2 6% | 29 -18% | 23.1 6% | 23 7% | 24.6 -0% |
| Idle Maximum * | 24.6 | 23.2 6% | 39 -59% | 23.1 6% | 23 7% | 24.6 -0% |
| Load Average * | 30.8 | 26.3 15% | 45 -46% | 23.2 25% | 29.17 5% | 28.2 8% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 40.5 | 35.4 13% | 43 -6% | 29.2 28% | 36.3 10% | |
| Load Maximum * | 40.5 | 38.8 4% | 45 -11% | 32.6 20% | 39.46 3% | 36.3 10% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 38.91 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The surface temperatures of the base unit stay very cool during light workloads and the keyboard does not get hot even when you really stress the device, so typing is never an issue. There is a hot spot in the upper central area of the bottom, where we measure up to 48 °V. Due to the position, however, you can still use the ThinkPad on your lap. Our stress test with combined CPU/GPU load shows that the SoC briefly consumes up to 58 Watts and then stabilizes at 35 Watts for the next couple of minutes. Over the course of the test, the consumption fluctuates between 27-35 Watts.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.5 °C / 103 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 48.6 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.2 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) 3: The average temperature for the upper side is 31.7 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the class Office.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.9 °C / 82.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.6 °C / 81.7 F (-0.3 °C / -0.5 F).
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) | Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA Intel Core Ultra 5 225H, Intel Arc Graphics 130T | Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV AMD Ryzen 5 8640U, AMD Radeon 760M | Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) | HP EliteBook 865 G10 AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS, AMD Radeon 780M | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, AMD Radeon 660M | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 3% | -14% | 14% | -11% | 7% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 39.5 | 40.7 -3% | 48 -22% | 33.2 16% | 45 -14% | 42.6 -8% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 48.6 | 47.8 2% | 60 -23% | 41.2 15% | 50 -3% | 43.3 11% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 27.3 | 26 5% | 28 -3% | 23.4 14% | 30 -10% | 24.1 12% |
| Idle Bottom * | 29.1 | 27 7% | 31 -7% | 26.6 9% | 34 -17% | 24.9 14% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Good speakers are usually not a requirement for office laptops, but the two stereo modules (2 Watts each) of the ThinkPad surprised us in a positive way. Yes, they lack some bass and power, but the quality is otherwise good and the maximum volume is sufficient.
Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 13% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 83% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 9.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 13% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 83% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 33% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 9% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 16% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
HP EliteBook 865 G10 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.09 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 28% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 65% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 25% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 32% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management - Long battery runtime
Power Consumption
The idle power consumption is slightly higher than before due to the brighter 120 Hz screen and we measure up to 11 Watts. We measure up to 67 Watts under load, which is the limit of the power adapter, but the consumption will level off at around 45 Watts after a short while. All in all, the provided 65W adapter is sufficient.
| Off / Standby | 0.26 / 0.54 Watt |
| Idle | 6.9 / 11.1 / 11.3 Watt |
| Load |
37.3 / 67.3 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 Ultra 5 225U, Graphics 4-Core, SK Hynix PVC10 HFS001TEM4X169N, IPS, 2560x1600, 16" | Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA Ultra 5 225H, Arc 130T, Micron 2500 MTFDKBA512QGN, IPS, 2560x1600, 16" | Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV R5 8640U, Radeon 760M, Micron 3400 MTFDKBA512TFH 512GB, OLED, 3200x2000, 16" | Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML Ultra 5 125U, Graphics 4-Core, SK hynix HFS512GEJ4X112N, IPS, 1920x1200, 16" | HP EliteBook 865 G10 R9 PRO 7940HS, Radeon 780M, SK hynix PC801 HFS001TEJ9X101N, IPS, 1920x1200, 16" | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE R5 7535HS, Radeon 660M, Samsung PM9C1a MZAL81T0HDLB, IPS, 1920x1200, 16" | Average Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -2% | -6% | 16% | -28% | 22% | 21% | 16% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 6.9 | 4.7 32% | 8 -16% | 4.3 38% | 5.2 25% | 3.6 48% | 3.87 ? 44% | 4.62 ? 33% |
| Idle Average * | 11.1 | 9.7 13% | 10 10% | 8.9 20% | 12.8 -15% | 7.1 36% | 6.92 ? 38% | 7.57 ? 32% |
| Idle Maximum * | 11.3 | 10.1 11% | 15 -33% | 9.1 19% | 14.1 -25% | 8.4 26% | 8.32 ? 26% | 9.04 ? 20% |
| Load Average * | 37.3 | 44.2 -18% | 42 -13% | 31.7 15% | 65 -74% | 39 -5% | 40.1 ? -8% | 42.1 ? -13% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 41.6 | 50.3 -21% | 44.4 -7% | 39.4 5% | 36.6 12% | |||
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * | 40 | 50.9 -27% | 42.8 -7% | 35.2 12% | 35.6 11% | |||
| Load Maximum * | 67.3 | 69.6 -3% | 49 27% | 66.7 1% | 101.44 -51% | 47.5 29% | 65.2 ? 3% | 61.6 ? 8% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 68.2 |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption Cyberpunk / Stress test
Power consumption external screen
Battery Runtime
Lenovo offers two battery sizes (48 & 64 Wh) and our test device is equipped with the larger module, which provides very long battery runtimes. Our Wi-Fi test at 150 nits (65 % of the maximum brightness) and 60 Hz runs for almost 13 hours and still 9 hours at maximum brightness. Our video test even runs for almost 19 hours, while you can drain the battery in around 1.5 hours under load. All in all, the results are very good and noticeably better compared to the previous model. A full recharge takes 89 minutes when the device is turned on (80 % after 58 minutes).
| Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 Ultra 5 225U, Graphics 4-Core, 64 Wh | Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA Ultra 5 225H, Arc 130T, 50 Wh | Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV R5 8640U, Radeon 760M, 54 Wh | Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML Ultra 5 125U, Graphics 4-Core, 45 Wh | HP EliteBook 865 G10 R9 PRO 7940HS, Radeon 780M, 76 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE R5 7535HS, Radeon 660M, 57 Wh | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -31% | -62% | -23% | -5% | 2% | -9% | |
| H.264 | 1127 | 839 -26% | 728 -35% | 771 ? -32% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 769 | 531 -31% | 290 -62% | 528 -31% | 924 20% | 535 -30% | 661 ? -14% |
| Load | 93 | 79 -15% | 86 -8% | 159 71% | 109.9 ? 18% |
Notebookcheck Rating
Lenovo's new ThinkPad E16 G3 is a really good office laptop with a good price-performance ratio. The new 120 Hz screen is well-suited for productive tasks and the battery runtimes are longer than before. Intel's Arrow Lake processor offers sufficient performance, but you can also get faster CPU options (including faster iGPUs). For around 1000 Euros, the ThinkPad E16 G3 is currently one of the best options.
Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00
- 07/16/2025 v8
Andreas Osthoff
Total Sustainability Score: Potential Competitors in Comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 87.3%  | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G3-21SSS00F00 Intel Core Ultra 5 225U ⎘ Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $848.95 Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21... 2. $1,569.01 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 3 2... 3. $1,149.00 Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G2 16" F... List Price: 899€ | 1.7 kg | 17.1 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI IPS |
2. 84.4%  | Asus ExpertBook B5 B5605CCA Intel Core Ultra 5 225H ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 130T ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $108.14 A-Tech 32GB RAM for ASUS Exp... 2. $34.99 Laptop Case Cover Sleeve for... 3. $1,699.99 ASUS ExpertBook B5 Thin & Li... List Price: 1300€ | 1.7 kg | 18 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI IPS |
3. 81.3%  | Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-44-R0XV AMD Ryzen 5 8640U ⎘ AMD Radeon 760M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | List Price: 1000 EUR | 1.2 kg | 13 mm | 16.00" 3200x2000 236 PPI OLED |
4. 83%  | Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G7 IML Intel Core Ultra 5 125U ⎘ Intel Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc) ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: $749.00 List Price: 750 USD | 1.8 kg | 17.5 mm | 16.00" 1920x1200 142 PPI IPS |
5. 85.8% v7 (old)  | HP EliteBook 865 G10 AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 1504 Euro | 1.9 kg | 19.2 mm | 16.00" 1920x1200 142 PPI IPS |
6. 83.8%  | Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 21M5002VGE AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 660M ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: $669.99 List Price: 935€ | 1.9 kg | 21.3 mm | 16.00" 1920x1200 142 PPI IPS |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
