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Lenovo ThinkPad E470 (HD-Display, HD 620) Laptop Review

Display from the Stone Age. Lenovo's ThinkPad E470 is an affordable ThinkPad with its largest user base among students and home office users. We have already reviewed this laptop in review earlier this year. However today we are reviewing a model with slightly worse hardware in order to explain, why you should not get this notebook in this particular configuration. Ever!

For the original German article, see here.

Earlier this year we had the ThinkPad E470 under review. Back then it was the first ThinkPad featuring the brand-new Kaby Lake microprocessors. Our verdict was that not only it works surprisingly well as an affordable office and business notebook, but it is also capable of running games thanks to its GeForce 940MX GPU. Today, we are reviewing a different SKU with much slower hardware. Instead of a GeForce GPU and a FHD display today’s review unit features only Intel’s integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 and an HD panel.

As well as the other E470 SKU we have also decided to include the more expensive ThinkPad T470,  the HP ProBook 440 G4, the Dell Latitude 14 3470, and the Acer TravelMate P249-M in this comparison. Lenovo does not sell this particular configuration as preconfigured SKU, but a similarly customized model would set you back around $800 in the US.

Details regarding case, connectivity, and input devices can be found in our previous E470 review.

Lenovo ThinkPad E470 (ThinkPad E470 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-7200U 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 111 PPI, NT140WHM-N41, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U Premium PCH
Storage
SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G), 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5mm combo audio jack, Card Reader: 4-in-1 SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.4 x 339 x 242 ( = 0.88 x 13.35 x 9.53 in)
Battery
45 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: 2 W stereo, Keyboard: 6-row chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 45 W charger, Lenovo Connect2, Lenovo App Explorer, Lenovo Companion, Lenovo Settings, McAfee LiveSafe, Microsoft Office Trial, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.87 kg ( = 65.96 oz / 4.12 pounds), Power Supply: 200 g ( = 7.05 oz / 0.44 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

346 mm / 13.6 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 30.4 mm / 1.197 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs342 mm / 13.5 inch 243 mm / 9.57 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 1.8 kg3.99 lbs343.2 mm / 13.5 inch 239 mm / 9.41 inch 20.3 mm / 0.799 inch 1.7 kg3.75 lbs339 mm / 13.3 inch 242 mm / 9.53 inch 22.4 mm / 0.882 inch 1.9 kg4.12 lbs336.6 mm / 13.3 inch 232.5 mm / 9.15 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.7 kg3.67 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

left: charger, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0 Type-A
left: charger, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0 Type-A
right: SD card reader, combo audio jack, USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, Kensington lock
right: SD card reader, combo audio jack, USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, Kensington lock
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
666 MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
413 MBit/s -38%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
621 MBit/s +21%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
512 MBit/s

Display

subpixel geometry BOE NT140WHM-N41
subpixel geometry BOE NT140WHM-N41
no backlight bleeding
no backlight bleeding

The display is the most obvious difference between the two E470 models reviewed by us. Lenovo sells the E470 with two different panels: a FHD IPS panel (1920x1080) and an HD TN panel (1366x768). Both displays are matte.

According to Lenovo’s specification sheet, the HD display is supposed to deliver 220 nits, and while strictly speaking, it only got that bright in a single spot on the left side of the display. On average, the BOE panel reached only 208 nits - despite the fact that it was not the worst display in our test group it was still pretty poor. The FHD equipped E470 was almost 30 nits brighter.

A TN panels biggest (and arguably only) advantage is its complete lack of backlight bleeding. This is also true of the E470’s HD TN display; we did however find a different and more serious problem: PWM flickering at a low frequency of only 200 Hz for all brightness levels below 90%. Thus, the display is not only too dim, but can potentially also cause major headaches. Literally.

215
cd/m²
180
cd/m²
207
cd/m²
221
cd/m²
209
cd/m²
216
cd/m²
216
cd/m²
199
cd/m²
209
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
NT140WHM-N41 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 221 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 208 cd/m² Minimum: 25 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 81 %
Center on Battery: 215 cd/m²
Contrast: 360:1 (Black: 0.58 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.12 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 9.86 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
58% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.43% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.13% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.37
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
NT140WHM-N41, , 1366x768, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
N140HCA-EAB, , 1920x1080, 14.00
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
AUO1E3D, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Chi Mei N140HGE-EAA, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Innolux N140BGE, , 1366x768, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
N140HCA-EAB, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Display
5%
-4%
-3%
3%
6%
Display P3 Coverage
39.13
41.23
5%
37.6
-4%
38.15
-3%
40.21
3%
41.6
6%
sRGB Coverage
58.3
61.4
5%
56.6
-3%
56.7
-3%
60.5
4%
61.9
6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
40.43
42.67
6%
38.85
-4%
39.48
-2%
41.55
3%
43.06
7%
Response Times
-55%
-36%
-30%
-47%
-69%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
44 ?(22, 22)
40.8 ?(22, 18.8)
7%
43.2 ?(21.2, 22)
2%
44 ?(23, 21)
-0%
47 ?(25, 22)
-7%
41.6 ?(20.4, 21.2)
5%
Response Time Black / White *
14 ?(8, 6)
30.4 ?(8.4, 22)
-117%
24.4 ?(7.2, 17.2)
-74%
16 ?(10, 6)
-14%
26 ?(18, 8)
-86%
34 ?(9.6, 24.4)
-143%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(90)
50 ?(10)
-75%
Screen
24%
4%
13%
-4%
41%
Brightness middle
209
244
17%
216
3%
249
19%
206
-1%
306
46%
Brightness
208
231
11%
203
-2%
238
14%
193
-7%
287
38%
Brightness Distribution
81
89
10%
83
2%
87
7%
87
7%
88
9%
Black Level *
0.58
0.37
36%
0.47
19%
0.41
29%
0.48
17%
0.3
48%
Contrast
360
659
83%
460
28%
607
69%
429
19%
1020
183%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
8.12
6.41
21%
8.98
-11%
9.09
-12%
11
-35%
6.2
24%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
15.18
13.4
12%
14.07
7%
14.64
4%
19.57
-29%
13.6
10%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.86
5.94
40%
9.61
3%
9.92
-1%
11.51
-17%
5.8
41%
Gamma
2.37 93%
2.28 96%
2.63 84%
2.42 91%
2.23 99%
2.04 108%
CCT
10218 64%
6101 107%
11265 58%
11177 58%
13671 48%
6277 104%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37
39.3
6%
35.9
-3%
36.5
-1%
38.46
4%
39.62
7%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
58
61.1
5%
56.7
-2%
56.7
-2%
60.61
5%
61.44
6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-9% / 10%
-12% / -3%
-7% / 2%
-16% / -8%
-7% / 20%

* ... smaller is better

colors
colors
saturation
saturation
gray scales
gray scales

The display’s high black level of 0.58 nits and its low contrast ratio of only 360:1 are proof that Lenovo went for a rather cheap TN panel here. Accordingly, blacks are gray instead, overall image quality seems somewhat blurry due to the display’s low resolution, and as is quite common for TN panels it also suffers from a noticeable blue tint.

As expected, sRGB and AdobeRGB color space coverage is very poor, and the display is not suitable for any kind of work where color accuracy is the key.

sRGB: 58%
sRGB: 58%
Adobe RGB: 37%
Adobe RGB: 37%
outdoors (overcast)
outdoors (overcast)

We consider 200 nits the absolute minimum for a display  to be usable outdoors. The E470’s panel barely hits that mark, but thanks to its matte surface is therefore somewhat usable outdoors. However, it is uncomfortably dark, even in the shade, and do not even think about ever using it in the sun.

Display Response Times

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
14 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8 ms rise
↘ 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 29 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 69 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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 detected 200 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

A TN panel’s biggest drawback is its viewing angles. Even the best TN panels are unable to keep up with IPS displays, and our review unit was equipped with a poor TN panel to boot. This means that inverted colors or fading, especially when tilting the display forward or backward. Horizontal viewing angles are slightly better, but nowhere near what we are used to from IPS panels.

BOE NT140WHM-N41 viewing angles
BOE NT140WHM-N41 viewing angles

Performance

The best way to describe our review unit’s hardware is “neither fish nor fowl.” Given its low price, the terrible HD display is not really a big surprise. Apart from that, however, our review unit was equipped quite nicely: a Core i5, a 256 GB SSD, and 8 GB DDR4-2133 RAM (32 GB max). Cheaper options are available as well, with an i3-7100U, 4 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB HDD at the bottom of the barrel. In this configuration, the E470 will only set you back a mere $540. However, if you are planning on spending a little more, make sure to invest your money in the FHD display.

HWiNFO
HWiNFO
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z SPD
CPU-Z SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
LatencyMon
LatencyMon

Processor

Most of our readers should be quite familiar with Intel’s Core i5-7200U, which seems to be installed in every other notebook reviewed by us. The 15 W Kaby Lake dual-core CPU (four threads thanks to Hyperthreading) was made for Ultrabooks but can be found in much larger and thicker notebooks as well. It runs at a base clock speed of 2.5 GHz and turbo boosts up to 3.1 GHz. Additional information and comparisons can be found in our CPU benchmark list.

In order to simulate sustained CPU load we run Cinebench R15’s multi-core benchmark in a loop for 30 minutes. The CPU was capable of maintaining its high initial performance, which indicates that Lenovo has provided the E470 with an adequate cooling solution.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

Comparing the E470 to the other notebooks in our test group yielded no surprises. The Core i5-7200U performed exactly as fast as we would have expected and was capable of maintaining its high 3.1 GHz turbo boost in the Cinebench test.

Unfortunately, performance is reduced slightly on battery and we were only able to achieve a score of 270 to 300 points.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
161 Points +28%
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
Intel Core i7-7500U
145 Points +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel Core i5-7200U
126 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Intel Core i5-7200U
126 Points
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Intel Core i5-6200U
117 Points -7%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Intel Core i3-6100U
97 Points -23%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
735 Points +127%
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
Intel Core i7-7500U
335 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel Core i5-7200U
326 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Intel Core i5-7200U
324 Points
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Intel Core i5-6200U
294 Points -9%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Intel Core i3-6100U
250 Points -23%
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
39.97 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
324 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
126 Points
Help

System Performance

Thanks to its SSD, its 8 GB of RAM, and the Core i5 the notebook runs smoothly at all times and never stalled or stuttered. This subjective impression was further reinforced by its decent PCMark performance.

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
3674 Points
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
GeForce 930MX, i7-7500U, SanDisk SD8SNAT256G1002
3614 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
3546 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3507 Points -5%
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3472 Points -5%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
HD Graphics 520, 6100U, Toshiba MQ01ACF050
3074 Points -16%
Work Score Accelerated v2
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
GeForce 930MX, i7-7500U, SanDisk SD8SNAT256G1002
4837 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
4834 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4667 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
4642 Points -4%
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4463 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
HD Graphics 520, 6100U, Toshiba MQ01ACF050
3982 Points -18%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3674 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4834 points
PCMark 10 Score
3144 points
Help

Storage Devices

We are already familiar with the 256 GB SanDisk X400 SSD from our previous E470 review, and apart from some minor variations the performance was identical. The X400 is a standard SATA III SSD whose performance is adequate for its price. The ThinkPad T470's PCIe SSD was much faster, but also much more expensive.

Lenovo ThinkPad E470
SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
SanDisk SD8SNAT256G1002
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Toshiba MQ01ACF050
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-0%
-14%
7%
-92%
117%
Read Seq
454.2
476.5
5%
491.2
8%
510
12%
108.9
-76%
1155
154%
Write Seq
438.1
458.7
5%
322.2
-26%
267.2
-39%
103.2
-76%
1076
146%
Read 512
304.6
346.4
14%
310.1
2%
347.6
14%
811
166%
Write 512
343.7
291.1
-15%
276
-20%
267.5
-22%
862
151%
Read 4k
34.15
35.15
3%
19.57
-43%
33.12
-3%
0.362
-99%
55.5
63%
Write 4k
75.1
78.8
5%
77.8
4%
95.9
28%
0.946
-99%
134.6
79%
Read 4k QD32
284.2
276
-3%
146.3
-49%
392.8
38%
0.721
-100%
496.2
75%
Write 4k QD32
208.8
178.3
-15%
241.4
16%
266.4
28%
0.901
-100%
425.4
104%
SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G)
Sequential Read: 454.2 MB/s
Sequential Write: 438.1 MB/s
512K Read: 304.6 MB/s
512K Write: 343.7 MB/s
4K Read: 34.15 MB/s
4K Write: 75.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 284.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 208.8 MB/s

GPU Performance

Apart from the display, the other big difference between the two E470 models reviewed by us is the GPU. Instead of a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 940MX we only find Intel’s integrated HD Graphics 620 with 24 execute units and shared memory. Further details and benchmarks can be found in our GPU benchmark list.

GPU performance was slightly reduced by the single RAM module resulting in single channel RAM speeds. A minor improvement can be achieved by adding a second RAM module. However, do not expect any miracles: the HD 620 is never going to catch up to the much faster dedicated Nvidia chips. Even the DDR3-equipped 940MX from our other E470 review was between 30 and 100% faster than the HD 620.

Unlike the CPU performance, the GPU performance was not restricted on battery.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
2556 Points +81%
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
2206 Points +56%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1432 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1412 Points
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1343 Points -5%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i3-6100U
1063 Points -25%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
9501 Points +36%
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
9056 Points +29%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
7006 Points
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
6924 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
6824 Points -3%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i3-6100U
5238 Points -25%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
1752 Points +104%
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, Intel Core i7-7500U
1621 Points +89%
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
858 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
818 Points -5%
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
786 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i3-6100U
569 Points -34%
3DMark 11 Performance
1522 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
5502 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
789 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Even older games can only be enjoyed with significantly reduced details on the HD 620. If you happen to be looking for a notebook capable of gaming, the 940MX-equipped SKU would be much more suitable for you. If your requirements are even higher (after all the 940MX is not the fastest kid on the block) you may want to take a look at our gaming top 10 list.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 39.74 23 () 19 ()
Company of Heroes 2 (2013) 21.28
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 15.7

Emissions

System Noise

As is quite common for notebooks equipped with U-series CPUs the fan is completely off under low to medium load. And while it did obviously turn on under heavy load it remained noticeably quieter than on the 940MX-equipped SKU. We found no evidence of coil whining.

Noise Level

Idle
30.5 / 30.5 / 30.5 dB(A)
Load
32.9 / 32.9 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: 30.5 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.532.631.531.132.52532.131.730.430.532.13133.936.233.335.133.94030.630.330.730.630.65030.12928.529.130.16327.927.627.726.927.98026.127.326.826.926.110027.226.226.225.927.212525.725.225.624.325.716024.324.12423.624.320023.523.823.22323.525023.123.322.321.623.131522.523.321.620.822.540021.422.320.720.421.450020.621.319.119.620.663020.721.319.118.520.78002020.818.418.320100019.119.618.21819.1125019.920.917.817.819.9160019.820.717.517.319.8200020.721.517.617.820.7250021.923.217.617.821.9315020.421.618.117.820.4400019.119.618.118.219.150001919.618.318.319630018.71918.618.218.7800018.718.718.518.618.71000018.818.918.718.718.81250018.81918.818.818.8160001919.119.11919SPL32.232.930.630.532.2N1.71.81.51.41.7median 20.4median 21.3median 18.7median 18.6median 20.4Delta221.91.22hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad E470

Temperature

stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)
stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)

The cooling system handles the installed components with ease. This is not only evident by the low overall noise levels, but also the low temperatures. Even under load the case heats up to only 37 °C (~99 °F; 44 °C/~111 °F at a single hotspot around the fan vent). Accordingly, unlike the 940MX-equipped model, the E470 without an Nvidia GPU remained very cool.

Given its low surface temperature, it should be no surprise that the notebook handled our stress test remarkably well. With Prime95 and FurMark running simultaneously the maximum temperature recorded was 66 °C (~151 °F). The CPU was running at a stable 2.7 GHz throughout the entire duration of the 2 hour long stress test, and while it did not utilize its full turbo boost potential it did not throttle.

The effects on everyday performance were non-existent, and running 3DMark 11 immediately after the stress test yielded the expected scores.

Max. Load
 30.4 °C
87 F
35.6 °C
96 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 29.6 °C
85 F
35.3 °C
96 F
32 °C
90 F
 
 26 °C
79 F
25.1 °C
77 F
26.7 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 35.6 °C = 96 F
Average: 30.5 °C = 87 F
33.8 °C
93 F
37.2 °C
99 F
36.2 °C
97 F
30.1 °C
86 F
37.2 °C
99 F
30 °C
86 F
27.9 °C
82 F
26.2 °C
79 F
25.9 °C
79 F
Maximum: 37.2 °C = 99 F
Average: 31.6 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  41.5 °C = 107 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.5 °C / 87 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 35.6 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.2 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.7 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26.7 °C / 80.1 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (+1 °C / 1.8 F).
heatmap top (idle)
heatmap top (idle)
heatmap bottom (idle)
heatmap bottom (idle)
heatmap top (load)
heatmap top (load)
heatmap bottom (load)
heatmap bottom (load)

Speakers

Given the poor quality of notebook speakers, our expectations were fairly low at this point. No bass, low maximum volume, distortions at higher volume levels, and mushy highs are what we have come to expect in the last few years. And the E470’s speakers fit right in, with no bass to speak of whatsoever and an overall somewhat decent performance. At least they were fairly loud.

As expected, the 3.5 mm headphone jack worked very well.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203331.1332532.530.532.53135.235.135.2403130.631503129.131632926.9298028.226.928.21002825.92812532.324.332.316035.723.635.720043.72343.725053.521.653.531556.320.856.340059.520.459.55005919.65963063.418.563.480082.418.382.4100076.21876.2125073.617.873.6160069.217.369.2200074.317.874.325006917.869315065.317.865.3400059.118.259.1500059.518.359.5630062.918.262.9800052.418.652.41000054.518.754.51250058.118.858.11600055.41955.4SPL84.530.584.5N49.91.449.9median 59.1median 18.6median 59.1Delta6.71.26.73336.432.635.528.436.629.234.626.23225.934.926.138.325.936.924.339.922.741.62245.324.550.52159.519.262.21862.218.668.618.573.420.369.216.56814.66614.962.814.466.514.771.315.160.214.867.11569.915.357.215.257.614.960.914.953.828.879.71.247.3median 16.5median 62.23.18hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkPad E470Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Lenovo ThinkPad E470 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 10.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (14% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 76% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 16% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (13.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 29% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 66% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 37% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 55% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

 Frequency diagram (checkboxes selectable/deselectable!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Our review unit’s power consumption was a bit of a puzzle. We did foresee the 940MX-equipped E470’s higher power consumption under load, that was a given. However, despite the higher resolution display, its power consumption when idle was lower than our review unit’s! In the idle test, the latter turned out to be the least energy efficient notebook of our entire test group.

The 45-W charger is amply dimensioned.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.5 / 0.42 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.2 / 7.6 / 9.9 Watt
Load midlight 31 / 29.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G), TN LED, 1366x768, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
i5-7200U, GeForce 940MX, SanDisk X400 SED 256GB, SATA (SD8TB8U-256G), IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
i7-7500U, GeForce 930MX, SanDisk SD8SNAT256G1002, TN, 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
6200U, HD Graphics 520, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, TN LED, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 14 3470
6100U, HD Graphics 520, Toshiba MQ01ACF050, TN LED, 1366x768, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Power Consumption
-11%
-4%
8%
7%
16%
Idle Minimum *
5.2
2.7
48%
3
42%
3.8
27%
5
4%
3.21
38%
Idle Average *
7.6
5.5
28%
5.4
29%
7.6
-0%
6.8
11%
6.15
19%
Idle Maximum *
9.9
6.5
34%
6.3
36%
8
19%
8.9
10%
6.82
31%
Load Average *
31
44.2
-43%
37.5
-21%
30.5
2%
26.2
15%
28.5
8%
Load Maximum *
29.7
65.2
-120%
61.1
-106%
32.5
-9%
31.8
-7%
34.5
-16%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

charging from hear empty to 100% in roughly two hours
charging from hear empty to 100% in roughly two hours

Unlike the more business-oriented T470 or L470 models, the E470 has only a non-replaceable built-in 45 Wh lithium-polymer battery.

But while power consumption seemed to hint towards a shorter battery life than on the other E470, the opposite was actually the case. Our review unit managed to outperform the other E470 in every single test save for the load test. In our real-life Wi-Fi test it even managed to top the scoreboard.

Charging the E470’s battery from near empty to 100% takes around two hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
18h 32min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge)
8h 00min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
9h 06min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 51min
Lenovo ThinkPad E470
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad E470-20H2S00400
i5-7200U, GeForce 940MX, 45 Wh
HP ProBook 440 G4-Y8B51EA
i7-7500U, GeForce 930MX, 48 Wh
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 41 Wh
Dell Latitude 14 3470
6100U, HD Graphics 520, 41 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
Battery Runtime
-9%
6%
-26%
-19%
1%
Reader / Idle
1112
1043
-6%
1083
-3%
791
-29%
668
-40%
H.264
546
503
-8%
571
5%
361
-34%
623
14%
WiFi v1.3
480
326
-32%
414
-14%
400
-17%
278
-42%
438
-9%
Load
111
124
12%
151
36%
87
-22%
140
26%
110
-1%

Verdict

Pros

+ decent case
+ comfortable input devices
+ decent application performance
+ fast Wi-Fi connection
+ quiet and cool even under load
+ improved battery life

Cons

- no USB Type-C
- only 12 months warranty
- abysmal TN HD display with disgraceful viewing angles
- reduced CPU performance on battery
- low-frequency PWM flickering at brightness levels of less than 90 %
Lenovo Thinkpad E470. Review unit courtesy of Lenovo.
Lenovo Thinkpad E470. Review unit courtesy of Lenovo.

The bottom line is that the E470 is an affordable business notebook, but we cannot recommend this particular configuration that we have reviewed today.

It shares many of its advantages with the other E470: comfortable and decent input devices with the almost legendary ThinkPad keyboard and track point; a solid and well-made case that, while certainly not the prettiest does the job very well; a fast Wi-Fi modem; and solid application performance - all that you can expect from the E470. The only two aspects where today’s review unit bests the other 940MX-equipped E470Lenovo ThinkPad E470 (Core i5, GeForce 940MX) Notebook Review are cooling system and battery life. The lack of Nvidia GPU renders the notebook much cooler and quieter, and the low display resolution results in an improved battery life.

That is, however, the HD display’s only advantage. Otherwise, the display is abysmal: way too high black level, dreadfully narrow viewing angles, and color space coverage not worthy of its name. Furthermore, it also uses PWM for brightness modulation at a very low frequency.

We cannot recommend the particular E470 model in review due to its unbalanced configuration and its abysmal display. Should you be interested in the E470 make sure to get the IPS display.

This alone is enough to deny the E470 a recommendation. Almost $800 is simply too much for a notebook with a display as poor as this. Should you be interested in the E470 make sure to get the FHD IPS display. Either way, the E470 is far from perfect. We do for example, miss a USB-C port and Lenovo’s standard limited warranty of only 12 months is on the short side. We could live with these disadvantages given the notebook’s low price, but the display is a deal-breaker. Also, the device was incapable of delivering its maximum performance on battery, which is why the final score had to be lowered accordingly.

Lenovo ThinkPad E470 - 10/12/2017 v6(old)
Benjamin Herzig

Chassis
81 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
84%
Pointing Device
84%
Connectivity
52 / 80 → 65%
Weight
65 / 20-67 → 95%
Battery
90%
Display
69%
Games Performance
56 / 68 → 82%
Application Performance
88 / 92 → 95%
Temperature
95%
Noise
94%
Audio
66%
Camera
44 / 85 → 52%
Add Points
-2%
Average
69%
81%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad E470 (HD-Display, HD 620) Laptop Review
Benjamin Herzig, 2017-10-14 (Update: 2020-05-19)