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Lenovo ThinkPad E490 (i5-8265U, SSD, FHD) Laptop Review

Successful work horse. The ThinkPad E490 scores with a quiet or silent operation, very good input devices, simple maintenance options, and a long battery life. In addition, the device stands out with a good price-performance ratio. The test unit that was made available to us can be purchased for slightly more than 700 Euros (~$780; currently $678 in the US for a similar model).

The ThinkPad E series from Lenovo represents an affordable entry into the world of business notebooks. With the ThinkPad E490 we have a current 14-inch model of the series in our test lab. Externally, the E490 shows no changes to the preceding generation. The only changes are inside, where the E490 models are equipped with Whiskey Lake processors (predecessor: Kaby Lake). Our test unit does not have a dedicated graphics card. The review of a correspondingly equipped sibling model will follow shortly. The ThinkPad does not lack competitors, and we can mention the HP ProBook 440 G6 and 445 G6, the Dell Latitude 3490, and the Acer TravelMate P2410-G2 here.

Since the ThinkPad E480 and E490 models share an identical build, we will not discuss the case, connections, input devices, and speakers again here. You can find the corresponding information in our review of the ThinkPad E480.

Update September 16th: The rating drops from 89% to 86% due to our rating update from v6 to v7. For more information, please see this article. 

Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE (ThinkPad E490 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-8265U 4 x 1.6 - 3.9 GHz, Whiskey Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 1100 MHz, single channel, 25.20.100.6577
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2666, single channel, two storage slots (both occupied)
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Lenovo NV140FHM-N49, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake Z390 (Cannon Lake-H)
Storage
SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG, 213 GB free
Soundcard
Conexant CX11880 @ Intel Cannon Point-LP PCH - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: audio combo port, Card Reader: microSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.9 x 329 x 242 ( = 0.78 x 12.95 x 9.53 in)
Battery
45 Wh, 4050 mAh Lithium-Ion, 11.1 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, McAfee LiveSafe (trial version), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.8 kg ( = 63.49 oz / 3.97 pounds), Power Supply: 358 g ( = 12.63 oz / 0.79 pounds)
Price
730 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

342 mm / 13.5 inch 236 mm / 9.29 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 1.8 kg3.97 lbs339 mm / 13.3 inch 242 mm / 9.53 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 1.8 kg4.02 lbs329 mm / 13 inch 242 mm / 9.53 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 1.8 kg3.97 lbs329 mm / 13 inch 242 mm / 9.53 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 1.8 kg3.94 lbs328 mm / 12.9 inch 238 mm / 9.37 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 1.7 kg3.73 lbs324.2 mm / 12.8 inch 237.7 mm / 9.36 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.6 kg3.43 lbs324.2 mm / 12.8 inch 237.7 mm / 9.36 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.6 kg3.53 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 14 5495
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
116.6 MB/s +56%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.1 MB/s +3%
HP ProBook 445 G6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.1 MB/s +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
76.3 MB/s +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
76.1 MB/s +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
74.8 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
73.8 MB/s -1%
Average of class Office
  (8 - 196.8, n=50, last 2 years)
55.6 MB/s -26%
Dell Latitude 3490
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.6 MB/s -68%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
21.76 MB/s -71%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
20.9 MB/s -72%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
16.8 MB/s -78%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 14 5495
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
203.2 MB/s +138%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
87.3 MB/s +2%
HP ProBook 445 G6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85.6 MB/s 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
85.2 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
83.6 MB/s -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
82.8 MB/s -3%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.9 MB/s -4%
Average of class Office
  (26.4 - 173.2, n=44, last 2 years)
65.2 MB/s -23%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25 MB/s -71%
Dell Latitude 3490
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.4 MB/s -71%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.3 MB/s -71%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.45 MB/s -72%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Office
  (280 - 1332, n=6, last 2 years)
810 MBit/s +20%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
676 MBit/s
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
670 MBit/s -1%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
613 MBit/s -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
602 MBit/s -11%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
565 (533min - 587max) MBit/s -16%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
541 (318min - 616max) MBit/s -20%
Dell Latitude 3490
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
536 (538P1) MBit/s -21%
HP ProBook 445 G6
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
527 (323min - 637max) MBit/s -22%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
524 MBit/s -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
332 MBit/s -51%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
300 MBit/s -56%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Office
  (348 - 1690, n=6, last 2 years)
852 MBit/s +46%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
659 MBit/s +13%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
633 MBit/s +9%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
632 MBit/s +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
582 MBit/s
Dell Latitude 3490
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
580 (584P1) MBit/s 0%
HP ProBook 445 G6
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
577 (462min - 630max) MBit/s -1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
551 (441min - 572max) MBit/s -5%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
505 MBit/s -13%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
452 (329min - 553max) MBit/s -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
306 MBit/s -47%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
304 MBit/s -48%

Display - IPS on board

The matte 14-inch display of the Lenovo E490 has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The display offers a good contrast ratio (1326:1), and while the brightness (294.6 cd/m²) is okay, it barely misses our target set at 300 cd/m². Nonetheless, the ThinkPad offers the brightest display within our comparison field, and at the same time it also is the model with the best brightness distribution.

With black screen contents you can see some halos, but they are not very noticeable in daily operation. Unfortunately, the display shows some PWM flicker at brightness levels below 99%. The frequency is 1250 Hz, so sensitive people should not be bothered by problems such as headaches or eye problems with this relatively high frequency.

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid
Halos
Halos
311
cd/m²
296
cd/m²
296
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
305
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
281
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
279
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Lenovo NV140FHM-N49 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 311 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 294.6 cd/m² Minimum: 3.5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 305 cd/m²
Contrast: 1326:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 5
ΔE Greyscale 2.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
58.2% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.18% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.85% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.09
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP ProBook 445 G6
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 3490
IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Display
5%
6%
-2%
-3%
5%
1%
2%
Display P3 Coverage
39.85
41.56
4%
41.88
5%
39.21
-2%

38.48
-3%

38.08
-4%
41.53
4%
39.81
0%
40.28
1%
sRGB Coverage
58.6
62.2
6%
62.8
7%
58.8
0%

57.9
-1%

57.2
-2%
62
6%
59.6
2%
60.4
3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
41.18
42.96
4%
43.29
5%
40.52
-2%

39.76
-3%

39.37
-4%
42.94
4%
41.16
0%
41.65
1%
Response Times
642%
639%
10%
22%
-11%
31%
656%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
48.4 ?(25.2, 23.2)
44.8 ?(23.6, 21.2)
7%
44 ?(22.8, 21.2)
9%
44.8 ?(20.4, 24.4)
7%
41.6 ?(22.8, 18.8)
14%
40 ?(23, 17)
17%
36.4 ?(18.8, 17.6)
25%
34 ?(16, 18)
30%
Response Time Black / White *
38.4 ?(21.2, 17.2)
31.2 ?(17.2, 14)
19%
31.2 ?(17.2, 14)
19%
33.6 ?(18, 15.6)
12%
27.2 ?(15.6, 11.6)
29%
26 ?(15, 11)
32%
24 ?(13.2, 10.8)
37%
24 ?(13, 11)
37%
PWM Frequency
1250 ?(99)
25000 ?(30)
1900%
24880 ?(40)
1890%
208 ?(50)
-83%
25000 ?(10)
1900%
Screen
-24%
-7%
-1%
-13%
-3%
-14%
-2%
Brightness middle
305
262
-14%
251
-18%
289
-5%
256
-16%
200
-34%
250
-18%
265
-13%
Brightness
295
245
-17%
231
-22%
271
-8%
238
-19%
196
-34%
241
-18%
239
-19%
Brightness Distribution
90
83
-8%
80
-11%
87
-3%
85
-6%
67
-26%
81
-10%
85
-6%
Black Level *
0.23
0.19
17%
0.19
17%
0.19
17%
0.23
-0%
0.17
26%
0.25
-9%
0.37
-61%
Contrast
1326
1379
4%
1321
0%
1521
15%
1113
-16%
1176
-11%
1000
-25%
716
-46%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.3
7
-32%
5.1
4%
5.6
-6%
6.2
-17%
4.26
20%
5.5
-4%
3.93
26%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
18.9
23.6
-25%
10.6
44%
20.8
-10%
18.2
4%
9.7
49%
23.5
-24%
8.79
53%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
5
4.7
6%
5.2
-4%
4.8
4%
3.13
37%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.3
6.4
-178%
4.5
-96%
2.7
-17%
3.8
-65%
3.15
-37%
3.5
-52%
2.29
-0%
Gamma
2.09 105%
2.14 103%
2.18 101%
1.96 112%
2.5 88%
2.31 95%
2.27 97%
2.33 94%
CCT
6246 104%
6065 107%
6146 106%
6506 100%
6643 98%
6882 94%
7049 92%
6951 94%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37.7
39.5
5%
39.8
6%
37.2
-1%
36.1
-4%
40
6%
37.9
1%
38
1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
58.2
61.9
6%
62.5
7%
58.5
1%
56.9
-2%
62
7%
59.4
2%
60
3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
208% / 106%
213% / 117%
2% / -0%
2% / -7%
-3% / -3%
6% / -6%
219% / 115%

* ... smaller is better

In the state of delivery, the color reproduction can be called average at best. With a DeltaE-2000 color deviation of 5.3, the target (DeltaE < 3) is missed. The display does not suffer from a blue tint. A calibration can bring a slight improvement in the color reproduction: The deviation drops to a value of 5 and the Grayscales are reproduced clearly more balanced. The display is unable to reproduce the AdobeRGB and sRGB color spaces, with the coverage rates being 37.7% (AdobeRGB) and 58.2% (sRGB).

By using the color profile we are offering, the color reproduction of the display can be adjusted according to our calibration. However, you need to make sure that you have the same display model (manufacturer + model number) as our test unit, otherwise the color reproduction can become worse instead of improving. Often displays from different manufacturers are used within a notebook series.

CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Color Checker (calibrated)
CalMAN - Color Checker (calibrated)
CalMAN - Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation (calibrated)
ThinkPad vs. AdobeRGB
ThinkPad vs. AdobeRGB
ThinkPad vs. sRGB
ThinkPad vs. sRGB

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
38.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21.2 ms rise
↘ 17.2 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. » 96 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
48.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25.2 ms rise
↘ 23.2 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. » 82 % 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 1250 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1250 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1250 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

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.

Lenovo has equipped the E490 with an IPS panel with stable viewing angles, so you can read the screen from any position. Outdoors, reading the screen is only possible when the sun is not too bright.

The ThinkPad outdoors (under a cloudy sky).
The ThinkPad outdoors (under a cloudy sky).
The ThinkPad outdoors (under a cloudy sky).
The ThinkPad outdoors (under a cloudy sky).
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Sufficient for office and Internet

With the Lenovo ThinkPad E490, you get a mobile work notebook in the 14-inch format. It offers more than enough computing performance for office and Internet applications. You have to pay about 700 to 750 Euros (~$780-835) for our test unit, and many other equipment variants are also available. At the time of our test, you can find the most affordable model (519 Euros: Core i3-8145U, 128 GB NVMe-SSD; ~$578, starting from $583 with 500 GB hard drive in the US) in the Lenovo store. However, this model only offers an HD display with unstable viewing angles.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon
Intel XTU
 

Processor

The Core i5-8265U quad-core processor built into the E490 represents Intel's current mid-range CPU from the ULV segment. This model is based on Intel's Whiskey Lake architecture and has a TDP of 15 watts. Lenovo allows increasing this up to 25 watts. The processor strikes a good figure in all the usual application areas and should satisfy the demands of most users. It runs at a basic clock speed of 1.6 GHz, which can be increased via Turbo to 3.7 GHz (all four cores), 3.8 GHz (two cores), and 3.9 GHz (single core).

During the multi-thread tests of the Cinebench benchmarks that we performed, the processor runs at 3 to 3.3 GHz for a short time. After that, the speed drops to 2 to 2.2 GHz. The single-thread tests are run at 3.7 to 3.9 GHz. The behavior is similar in mains and battery operation.

There is no difference between the Whiskey Lake and the Kaby Lake architecture. Thus the Pro-MHz performance is identical. However, the optimized manufacturing process of Whiskey Lake permits higher clock speeds. So the higher operating speeds of the 8265U should ensure a better performance in the CPU tests compared to the predecessor (Core i5-8250U). However, the 8265U of the E490 is only able to gain an advantage in the single-thread tests compared to the 8250U of the E480. In the multi-thread tests, the E480 is slightly ahead. So the i5-8265U is unable to use its Turbo in multi-thread applications to the same extent as the i5-8250U of the E480. 

Multi-thread
Multi-thread
Single-thread
Single-thread

We evaluate whether the Turbo is also used for longer periods by running the multi-thread test of the Cinebench R15 benchmarks in a constant loop for at least 30 minutes. The results drop slightly from the first to the second run and then remain at a constant level. The Turbo is used at a low level.

The Cinebench R15 loop confirms the results of the rest of the CPU tests: The E490 offers a slightly lower multi-thread performance than its predecessor. During the CB15 loop, the Core i5-8265U processor runs at slightly lower speeds than the Core i5-8250U processor built into the ThinkPad E480

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø487 (483.41-509.01)
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø507 (502.8-539.23)
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø535 (519.49-572.2)
HP ProBook 445 G6 AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø510 (500.4-611.72)
Dell Latitude 3490 Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø596 (586.36-637.92)
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6 Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø483 (478.58-514)
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø473 (376.73-498.27)
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000 Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø503 (499-539)
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø501 (497-532)
Dell Latitude 14 5495 AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U: Ø620 (605-670)
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø598 (591.81-618.71)
CPU clock speeds while running the CB15 loop
CPU clock speeds while running the CB15 loop
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6082
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
16318
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8949
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
160 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
509 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
43.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +34%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
180 Points +13%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U
167 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
160 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U
156 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (111 - 164, n=35)
155 Points -3%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
Intel Core i7-8550U
150 Points -6%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
148 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Intel Core i5-8250U
145 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points -10%
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
139.5 Points -13%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
135 Points -16%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +171%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
670 Points +32%
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel Core i5-8250U
646 Points +27%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
618 (591.81min - 618.71max) Points +21%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
612 Points +20%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
593 (540min - 585.81max) Points +17%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (457 - 750, n=38)
592 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Intel Core i5-8250U
548 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U
540 Points +6%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U
540 Points +6%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
Intel Core i7-8550U
514 (478.58min - 514max) Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
509 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U
498 Points -2%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
7113 Points +17%
Average of class Office
  (3465 - 9351, n=12, last 2 years)
6404 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
6082 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (5841 - 6209, n=9)
6044 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U
5539 Points -9%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4403 Points -28%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Office
  (6611 - 40266, n=12, last 2 years)
27456 Points +68%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (16318 - 22962, n=9)
18952 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U
18051 Points +11%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
17662 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
16318 Points
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
16060 Points -2%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Office
  (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years)
553 Points +40%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
394 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (325 - 403, n=16)
389 Points -1%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
381 Points -3%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
357 Points -9%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Office
  (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years)
3055 Points +177%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1392 Points +26%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (972 - 1564, n=16)
1271 Points +15%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1234 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
1103 Points
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Office
  (last 2 years)
16771 Points +37%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (12198 - 14499, n=6)
13659 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
12198 Points
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
11580 Points -5%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Office
  (last 2 years)
4096 Points +18%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (3470 - 3842, n=6)
3669 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
3470 Points
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3234 Points -7%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Office
  (4762 - 35532, n=19, last 2 years)
18933 Points +53%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (7144 - 16249, n=19)
13600 Points +10%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
13223 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
12390 Points
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
9707 Points -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
9617 Points -22%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U
5180 Points +15%
Average of class Office
  (2776 - 7072, n=19, last 2 years)
5099 Points +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
4514 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (2106 - 4830, n=19)
4387 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3697 Points -18%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3524 Points -22%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
1421 ms * -24%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 44)
1408 ms * -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41.16299.15.0)
1333 ms * -16%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U (Edge)
1329 ms * -16%
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge)
1249 ms * -9%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
Intel Core i7-8550U
1201 ms * -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U (Edge 44)
1150 ms *
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (851 - 1245, n=25)
1141 ms * +1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
1137 ms * +1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge)
1134 ms * +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge)
1057 ms * +8%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U (EDGE: 42.17134.1.0)
1009 ms * +12%
Average of class Office
  (479 - 1966, n=111, last 2 years)
742 ms * +35%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Office
  (21416 - 93596, n=52, last 2 years)
69674 Points +119%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U (EDGE: 42.17134.1.0)
37824 Points +19%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge)
34394 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U (Edge 44)
31753 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (12842 - 35563, n=23)
31246 Points -2%
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge)
31005 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41.16299.15.0)
30373 Points -4%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U (Edge)
27696 Points -13%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 44)
27066 Points -15%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge)
26033 Points -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
24313 Points -23%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
21346 Points -33%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Average of class Office
  (26.1 - 350, n=48, last 2 years)
233 runs/min +321%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U (Edge 44)
55.4 runs/min
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (52.6 - 57.9, n=4)
54.9 runs/min -1%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 44)
39.6 runs/min -29%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
37.5 runs/min -32%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Office
  (117.1 - 544, n=19, last 2 years)
369 Points +58%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U (EDGE: 42.17134.1.0)
240.8 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge)
233.5 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U (Edge 44)
233 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
232.3 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge)
231.8 Points -1%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
Intel Core i7-8550U
229.6 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (193.7 - 244, n=19)
226 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41.16299.15.0)
217.7 Points -7%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge)
208 Points -11%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The 14-inch notebook does not lack system performance. The very good results in the PC-Mark benchmarks also confirm this. The built-in hardware ensures a smooth and fast-running system. The processor offers more than enough computing performance for applications from the office or Internet areas. You can achieve a slight increase in the overall performance by adding a second working memory module, since this would activate the dual-channel mode.

PC Mark 10
PC Mark 10
PCMark 7 Score
5926 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3666 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4449 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4637 points
PCMark 10 Score
3617 points
Help
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5312 Points +47%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4015 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8250U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
3954 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
3795 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2247 - 3985, n=29)
3705 Points +2%
Dell Latitude 3490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
3619 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
3617 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3565 Points -1%
HP ProBook 445 G6
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
3470 Points -4%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
3460 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3321 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8
2585 Points -29%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
2279 Points -37%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9781 Points +30%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
8131 Points +8%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7897 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5073 - 8689, n=29)
7833 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8250U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
7722 Points +3%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
7703 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
7529 Points
Dell Latitude 3490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
7458 Points -1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
7368 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
6999 Points -7%
HP ProBook 445 G6
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
6933 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
6646 Points -12%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8
5957 Points -21%
Productivity
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7439 Points +17%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7230 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8250U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
6862 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
6546 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
6339 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2941 - 6556, n=29)
6061 Points -4%
Dell Latitude 3490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
5930 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
5555 Points -12%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5437 Points -14%
HP ProBook 445 G6
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
5351 Points -16%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
5280 Points -17%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4964 Points -22%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8
3571 Points -44%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5732 Points +113%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8250U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
3167 Points +18%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3076 Points +14%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3071 Points +14%
HP ProBook 445 G6
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
3059 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3014 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2067 - 3210, n=29)
2917 Points +8%
Dell Latitude 3490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
2909 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
2789 Points +4%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
2765 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
2693 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
2680 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8
2206 Points -18%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell Latitude 3490
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
4458 Points +22%
Average of class Office
  (2304 - 4830, n=12, last 2 years)
4261 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8250U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
4187 Points +14%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4071 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
3666 Points
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3663 Points 0%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3578 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
3574 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3550 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2747 - 4244, n=24)
3442 Points -6%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
3386 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8
3256 Points -11%
HP ProBook 445 G6
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
3218 Points -12%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8250U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
5189 Points +12%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5160 Points +11%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5030 Points +8%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
4893 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4870 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
4849 Points +5%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4811 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3132 - 4927, n=23)
4657 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
4637 Points
HP ProBook 445 G6
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
4379 Points -6%
Average of class Office
  (1854 - 5610, n=12, last 2 years)
3746 Points -19%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8
2438 Points -47%

Storage Solution

Lenovo has used an NVMe SSD from SK Hynix. This is an M.2-2242 model with an overall capacity of 256 GB. Of that, about 213 GB can still be used in the state of delivery. The remaining storage space is used by the Windows installation and the recovery partition. Although the transfer rates of the SSD turn out well, it does not belong to the top models among the NVMe SSDs. NVMe SSDs can achieve higher transfer rates than SATA-III models (600 Mbps max.), since they are connected via PCI Express 3.0.

Inside the notebook is an additional empty SATA-III slot, including the frame to install a 2.5-inch hard drive.

Another note: The ThinkPad E480 model that was made available to us had a fairly lame NVMe SSD from Toshiba on board. This SSD is also used in the ThinkPad E490 series as Lenovo's database of replacement parts tells us. Those who want to avoid this SSD if possible, should check which SSD is used before buying a E490 model.

There is an SSD.
There is an SSD.
You can add a 2.5-inch hard drive.
You can add a 2.5-inch hard drive.
SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
Sequential Read: 950 MB/s
Sequential Write: 727 MB/s
512K Read: 798 MB/s
512K Write: 521 MB/s
4K Read: 47.25 MB/s
4K Write: 131.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 523 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 477 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Toshiba KBG30ZMT128G
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
HP ProBook 445 G6
SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
Dell Latitude 3490
SK hynix SC311 M.2
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Average SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDHTNG
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-49%
19%
-4%
-41%
-53%
13%
15%
-3%
Write 4K
110.7
81.4
-26%
117.6
6%
110.4
0%
71.7
-35%
79.1
-29%
120.3
9%
72.2
-35%
116.4 ?(107.3 - 126.4, n=4)
5%
Read 4K
41.02
33.74
-18%
32.61
-21%
39.46
-4%
28.66
-30%
23.41
-43%
43.48
6%
35.25
-14%
40.1 ?(37.7 - 41.2, n=4)
-2%
Write Seq
757
129
-83%
527
-30%
808
7%
415.9
-45%
259
-66%
986
30%
1412
87%
773 ?(702 - 818, n=4)
2%
Read Seq
1037
905
-13%
2181
110%
1130
9%
500
-52%
474
-54%
1395
35%
1523
47%
1099 ?(1037 - 1130, n=4)
6%
Write 4K Q32T1
359
107.2
-70%
508
42%
260.8
-27%
278
-23%
80.3
-78%
250
-30%
102.1
-72%
290 ?(237 - 359, n=4)
-19%
Read 4K Q32T1
402.4
197.1
-51%
352.1
-12%
308
-23%
252.9
-37%
331.7
-18%
491.5
22%
170.9
-58%
342 ?(286 - 402, n=4)
-15%
Write Seq Q32T1
833
128.9
-85%
526
-37%
816
-2%
502
-40%
259.9
-69%
1047
26%
1429
72%
818 ?(801 - 833, n=4)
-2%
Read Seq Q32T1
1635
906
-45%
3135
92%
1783
9%
553
-66%
548
-66%
1781
9%
3204
96%
1648 ?(1586 - 1723, n=4)
1%

Graphics Card

Our test unit does not offer a dedicated GPU. Instead, Intel's UHD Graphics 620 graphics core is responsible for the graphics output. Users who need significantly more graphics performance can choose a E490 model that is equipped with a Radeon RX-550X graphics core. We will publish a review of such a model shortly. As an alternative, you could get a ThinkPad E495 model, whose integrated Vega GPUs offer a lot more performance than those from Intel.

Intel's graphics core supports DirectX 12 and runs at speeds of up to 1100 MHz. The results in the 3D-Mark benchmarks range at normal levels for this GPU. There is no drop in graphics performance in battery operation, and the results are at the same level as during mains operation. By activating the dual-channel mode (i.e., adding a second working memory module), the graphics performance would increase, since the graphics core could then be used more fully. We also ran several 3D-Mark benchmarks in active dual-channel mode and added the results in the comparison charts.

The decoder integrated into the GPU takes some load off the processor when playing videos, so using streaming services should not be a problem.

3D Mark 11
3D Mark 11
3D Mark 11 (dual-channel mode)
3D Mark 11 (dual-channel mode)
Night Raid
Night Raid
Night Raid (dual-channel mode)
Night Raid (dual-channel mode)
3DMark 06 Standard Score
10006 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1808 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
55934 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
7662 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
984 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
399 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 12230, n=115, last 2 years)
5878 Points +253%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop), Intel Core i7-8565U
5357 Points +222%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
AMD Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), Intel Core i5-8250U
4559 Points +174%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
AMD Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), Intel Core i5-8250U (BIOS 1.14)
1619 Points -3%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
3203 Points +92%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3164 Points +90%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
3080 Points +85%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
2791 Points +68%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2757 Points +65%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8565U
1815 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
1753 Points +5%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1666 Points
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1634 Points -2%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
1546 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1518 Points -9%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (5681 - 58068, n=98, last 2 years)
23871 Points +179%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop), Intel Core i7-8565U
20147 Points +135%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
AMD Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), Intel Core i5-8250U
18158 Points +112%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
14880 Points +74%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
13857 Points +62%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
13634 Points +59%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
10773 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
10209 Points +19%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
10175 Points +19%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8565U
9599 Points +12%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points +8%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
8957 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
8559 Points
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
7970 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
7231 Points -16%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (712 - 8815, n=117, last 2 years)
4072 Points +280%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop), Intel Core i7-8565U
3698 Points +245%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
AMD Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), Intel Core i5-8250U
3249 Points +203%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
2495 Points +133%
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
2345 Points +119%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1940 Points +81%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1835 Points +71%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1647 Points +54%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
1263 Points +18%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8565U
1191 Points +11%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points +8%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
1108 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1071 Points
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
956 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
882 Points -18%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Office
  (242 - 3186, n=113, last 2 years)
1323 Points +280%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop), Intel Core i7-8565U
1049 Points +201%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
556 Points +60%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U (Dual-Channel)
379 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
348 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
299 Points -14%

Gaming Performance

The hardware of the Lenovo E490 is quite capable of bringing some games to the screen smoothly. This goes for games that only have moderate demands on the hardware or those that are a few years old, such as "Team Fortress 2," "Dota 2 Reborn," and "Diablo 3." You have to be content, however, with low resolutions and low quality settings. By activating the dual-channel mode, you can achieve an increase in the frame rates, but you would have to install a second working memory module for this.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 53.1 29.3 24 7.8
The Witcher 3 (2015) 14.9 9.4 5.3 3
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 60.5 38 18.4 16.4
BioShock Infinite - 1280x720 Very Low Preset
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
Intel Core i7-8565U, AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop)
165.7 fps +212%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Intel Core i5-8250U, AMD Radeon RX 550 (Laptop)
159.4 fps +200%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
138.1 fps +160%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
88.2 fps +66%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
85.7 fps +61%
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
74.4 fps +40%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Dual-Channel)
69.4 fps +31%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (18.3 - 90.2, n=187)
60.7 fps +14%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
59.8 fps +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
53.1 fps
Dell Latitude 3490
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
52.9 fps 0%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-866T
Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
46 fps -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
37.8 fps -29%
Dota 2 Reborn - 1280x720 min (0/3) fastest
Average of class Office
  (14.8 - 154.1, n=124, last 2 years)
100.4 fps +66%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
Intel Core i7-8565U, AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop)
74.8 (64.5min) fps +24%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Dual-Channel)
72 fps +19%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (42.4 - 90, n=92)
71.9 fps +19%
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
70 (61.6min) fps +16%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
60.5 fps
The Witcher 3 - 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Office
  (8.4 - 149, n=102, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +379%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
Intel Core i7-8565U, AMD Radeon RX 550X (Laptop)
62.3 fps +318%
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KQS00000
Intel Core i5-8250U, AMD Radeon RX 550 (Laptop)
53.8 fps +261%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
47.3 fps +217%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
33 fps +121%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
30.5 fps +105%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (8.8 - 50.9, n=64)
16.4 fps +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
14.9 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
14.8 fps -1%

Emissions - Quiet or silent

Noise Emissions

Over the whole load range, the Lenovo ThinkPad does not produce particularly much noise. Generally, the fan is turned off during idle operation and there is complete silence. Under load, the fan hardly revs up. During the stress test, we measure a noise level of only 30.9 dB(A), and even then, you cannot really hear the fan.

Noise Level

Idle
29.4 / 29.4 / 29.4 dB(A)
Load
30.2 / 30.9 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: 29.4 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2030.33130.329.8252729.424.627.23130.227.728.328.34028.227.527.524.15024.726.225.123.36325.824.825.223.5802423.523.122.710024.523.122.922.712523.323.421.721.616022.522.222.122.22002323.42222.325021.32221.322.131521.220.72121.740021.52120.620.950021.421.120.220.763020.920.219.420.180020.42018.920.6100019.919.318.319.9125020.419.417.920.1160019.818.517.119.5200018.917.816.718.8250018.217.216.217.931501716.416.117400017.516.715.817.450001716.315.617630016.115.815.416800015.815.715.515.91000015.715.515.415.61250015.415.415.215.41600015.215.114.815.1SPL30.930.229.430.7N1.51.41.21.4median 19.9median 19.3median 17.9median 19.9Delta2.42.72.62.6hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
i7-8565U, Radeon RX 550X (Laptop)
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620
HP ProBook 445 G6
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Dell Latitude 3490
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
Average of class Office
 
Noise
-2%
-5%
-4%
-3%
-10%
-13%
-15%
-4%
3%
off / environment *
29.4
29.1
1%
29.4
-0%
29.3
-0%
29.4
-0%
30.5
-4%
29.8
-1%
30.3
-3%
29 ?(23 - 30.7, n=249)
1%
24.5 ?(21.1 - 29.9, n=103, last 2 years)
17%
Idle Minimum *
29.4
29.1
1%
29.4
-0%
29.3
-0%
29.4
-0%
30.5
-4%
29.8
-1%
30.8
-5%
29.1 ?(23.8 - 32.5, n=250)
1%
24.7 ?(22.4 - 29.9, n=103, last 2 years)
16%
Idle Average *
29.4
29.1
1%
29.4
-0%
29.3
-0%
29.4
-0%
30.5
-4%
29.8
-1%
30.8
-5%
29.1 ?(23.8 - 33.9, n=250)
1%
24.9 ?(22.4 - 30.8, n=103, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Maximum *
29.4
30.3
-3%
31.2
-6%
29.3
-0%
30.2
-3%
31.6
-7%
29.8
-1%
30.8
-5%
29.7 ?(24.4 - 41.1, n=250)
-1%
25.9 ?(22.8 - 34.9, n=103, last 2 years)
12%
Load Average *
30.2
31.8
-5%
32.7
-8%
34.2
-13%
31.8
-5%
36.7
-22%
39.1
-29%
42.7
-41%
33.5 ?(24.2 - 44.8, n=247)
-11%
34.8 ?(22.8 - 47.6, n=103, last 2 years)
-15%
Load Maximum *
30.9
33.8
-9%
35.3
-14%
34.2
-11%
33.1
-7%
37
-20%
44.3
-43%
39.7
-28%
36.1 ?(27.5 - 46.8, n=250)
-17%
39.9 ?(27.3 - 49.8, n=103, last 2 years)
-29%
Witcher 3 ultra *
34.2

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The ThinkPad in the stress test.
The ThinkPad in the stress test.

The ThinkPad laptop handles our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) in different ways in mains and in battery operation. When the laptop is plugged in, the processor runs at 3 - 3.3 GHz for several seconds, before it is throttled to 1 - 1.1 GHz. The graphics core runs at 750 - 950 MHz. In battery operation, the clock speeds are 2 - 2.2 GHz (CPU) and 450 MHz (GPU). The stress test is an extreme scenario that does not occur during everyday operation. With this test, we evaluate whether the system still remains stable during full load.

The 14-inch notebook does not get very warm. During the stress test, we register temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) at some measurement spots on the case bottom. In that case, you might not want to work with the device on your lap. However, the values turn out significantly lower during everyday operation.

Max. Load
 39.3 °C
103 F
39.9 °C
104 F
37.8 °C
100 F
 
 35.6 °C
96 F
36 °C
97 F
33.8 °C
93 F
 
 26.6 °C
80 F
26.8 °C
80 F
26.5 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 39.9 °C = 104 F
Average: 33.6 °C = 92 F
41.2 °C
106 F
42.8 °C
109 F
41.7 °C
107 F
34.2 °C
94 F
45 °C
113 F
42.1 °C
108 F
25.1 °C
77 F
25.4 °C
78 F
25.3 °C
78 F
Maximum: 45 °C = 113 F
Average: 35.9 °C = 97 F
Power Supply (max.)  34.7 °C = 94 F | Room Temperature 20.2 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.6 °C / 92 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 39.9 °C / 104 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 45 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.2 °C / 76 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 26.8 °C / 80.2 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 (+0.9 °C / 1.7 F).
Heat map - top (stress test)
Heat map - top (stress test)
Heat map - bottom (stress test)
Heat map - bottom (stress test)
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
i7-8565U, Radeon RX 550X (Laptop)
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620
HP ProBook 445 G6
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Dell Latitude 3490
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
Average of class Office
 
Heat
8%
-11%
-22%
-2%
-8%
-2%
-10%
-4%
-8%
Maximum Upper Side *
39.9
36.7
8%
42.3
-6%
53.1
-33%
38.3
4%
36
10%
46.6
-17%
47.3
-19%
41.1 ?(29 - 53.2, n=248)
-3%
41 ?(30.4 - 50, n=108, last 2 years)
-3%
Maximum Bottom *
45
42.8
5%
45.2
-0%
63.8
-42%
50.5
-12%
43
4%
48.8
-8%
47.8
-6%
44.3 ?(31.8 - 67.2, n=248)
2%
43.6 ?(26.2 - 63.6, n=108, last 2 years)
3%
Idle Upper Side *
24.7
23.4
5%
28.8
-17%
25.4
-3%
24.6
-0%
29.6
-20%
23.5
5%
26.7
-8%
26.8 ?(21.4 - 40.8, n=245)
-9%
28.3 ?(21.6 - 38.6, n=107, last 2 years)
-15%
Idle Bottom *
25.8
22.8
12%
30.7
-19%
28.1
-9%
25.4
2%
31.9
-24%
22.9
11%
27.8
-8%
27.7 ?(21.8 - 40.4, n=245)
-7%
29.6 ?(22.2 - 47.3, n=107, last 2 years)
-15%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

The stereo speakers are placed on the bottom of the device. They produce an average sound that you can also listen to for longer time periods without hurting your ears. For a better sound experience, we recommend using headphones or external speakers.

Power Management - The E490 shows some endurance

Power Consumption

The notebook does not show any abnormal behavior in terms of its power consumption. During idle operation, we measure a maximum power consumption of 6.57 watts, which is a good value. In the beginning of the stress test, the consumption rises up to 43.6 watts. However, the value drops to about 28 watts after a few seconds, since the CPU is throttled significantly. Over the whole load range, the power consumption of the E490 is at a similar level as that of its predecessor model. The included USB Type-C charger is rated at 65 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.47 / 0.66 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.76 / 5.96 / 6.57 Watt
Load midlight 28.2 / 43.6 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 E490-20N8000RGE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
i7-8565U, Radeon RX 550X (Laptop)
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620
HP ProBook 445 G6
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Dell Latitude 3490
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
 
Average of class Office
 
Power Consumption
-2%
-51%
-88%
-8%
-31%
-26%
-37%
-24%
-38%
Idle Minimum *
2.76
3.5
-27%
6.2
-125%
6.8
-146%
2.98
-8%
4.8
-74%
3.2
-16%
3.5
-27%
3.81 ?(1 - 12.4, n=259)
-38%
4.27 ?(2.2 - 9.4, n=107, last 2 years)
-55%
Idle Average *
5.96
5.3
11%
8.6
-44%
9.4
-58%
5.4
9%
6.9
-16%
5.5
8%
5.9
1%
6.94 ?(2.8 - 15.7, n=261)
-16%
7.32 ?(3.8 - 20.6, n=107, last 2 years)
-23%
Idle Maximum *
6.57
6.1
7%
9.7
-48%
12.4
-89%
7.9
-20%
9.8
-49%
8.1
-23%
8.2
-25%
8.75 ?(3.8 - 30, n=259)
-33%
9.1 ?(4.8 - 23.9, n=107, last 2 years)
-39%
Load Average *
28.2
30
-6%
37.4
-33%
57.2
-103%
34.5
-22%
35
-24%
40.8
-45%
57.3
-103%
35 ?(8.1 - 51.6, n=259)
-24%
40.4 ?(8.7 - 75.2, n=106, last 2 years)
-43%
Load Maximum *
43.6
42.3
3%
44.8
-3%
63.1
-45%
43.3
1%
39.7
9%
68.1
-56%
57.9
-33%
47.5 ?(22 - 96.3, n=261)
-9%
57.4 ?(11.1 - 101.4, n=107, last 2 years)
-32%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our realistic WLAN test, the E490 achieves a runtime of 8:05 h. Using a script, we simulate the load when rendering websites. The "Balanced" power profile is active and the display brightness is adjusted to about 150 cd/m². In our video test, the 14-inch notebook lasts for 11:27 h. We run the Big Buck Bunny short movie (H.264-coding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a constant loop. The "Power Saving" profile is active, the Wi-Fi modules are deactivated, and the display brightness is lowered to 150 cd/m².

Overall, the runtimes of the Lenovo computer turn out very well and are at the same level as those of the ThinkPad E480. With one exception though: In our video test, the E490 lasts about 4 hours longer on a battery charge. We trace back the cause for this massive increase to the new driver version that is used in the E490. So it is not impossible that the iGPU models of the E480 would also achieve similar runtimes when using the driver.

The battery has a 45 Wh capacity.
The battery has a 45 Wh capacity.
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
17h 43min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44)
8h 05min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 27min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 57min
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad E480-20KNCTO1WW
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N90004GE
i7-8565U, Radeon RX 550X (Laptop), 45 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad E485-20KU000NGE
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 45 Wh
HP ProBook 440 G6-5TK01EA
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
HP ProBook 445 G6
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 45 Wh
Dell Latitude 3490
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 56 Wh
Acer TravelMate 2410-G2-MG-82E6
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130, 48 Wh
Average of class Office
 
Battery Runtime
-10%
-19%
-44%
-1%
-37%
43%
-12%
14%
Reader / Idle
1063
1106
4%
864
-19%
545
-49%
1024
-4%
621
-42%
1414 ?(527 - 2359, n=23, last 2 years)
33%
H.264
687
431
-37%
492
-28%
341
-50%
458
-33%
286
-58%
531
-23%
691 ?(348 - 1112, n=40, last 2 years)
1%
WiFi v1.3
485
495
2%
419
-14%
323
-33%
504
4%
351
-28%
694
43%
441
-9%
589 ?(272 - 1137, n=107, last 2 years)
21%
Load
117
105
-10%
102
-13%
65
-44%
151
29%
93
-21%
114
-3%
117 ?(56 - 209, n=65, last 2 years)
0%

Pros

+ matte, high-contrast IPS display
+ elegant and robust case
+ outstanding keyboard
+ good mouse replacement
+ NVMe SSD
+ slot for a 2.5-inch hard drive
+ good battery life
+ low power consumption
+ operates very quietly

Cons

- microSD instead of SD card reader
- only 12 months of warranty
- unsatisfactory color reproduction

Verdict

The Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE, provided by notebooksandmore.de
The Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE, provided by notebooksandmore.de

The ThinkPad E490 fulfills most demands put on a mobile work horse: it offers sufficient performance for applications from the office and Internet areas, runs quietly or remains silent over the whole load range, brings excellent input devices, and offers a very good battery life. It lacks a keyboard illumination and working memory operating in dual-channel mode. If you need those, you would need to choose another model variant.

The device shares the same build with its predecessor. Only the processor has changed, and the E490 models are equipped with Whiskey Lake processors. However, the Core i5-8265U processor used in our test unit does not offer an increased performance overall compared to the Core i5-8250U processor of the ThinkPad E480.

The ThinkPad E490 is a successful 14-inch office notebook, that can be purchased at a suitable price.

An NVMe SSD ensures a quick and smoothly running system. Replacing the SSD with a faster and higher-capacity model should be doable. In addition, you also have the option to add a 2.5-inch hard drive into the notebook. The frame and SATA-III slot for this are already there. Both options would require removal of the case bottom, which is easy to do.

The matte IPS display pleases with stable viewing angles and a good contrast. The display brightness only reaches our target value (300 cd/m²) with some effort. The display is unable to score points with its color reproduction.

The ThinkPad E490 left a very good impression overall. We do not see a real reason to prefer it over the ThinkPad E480, so if you find a good deal on that, you can just get the ThinkPad E480. However, this statement goes only for the iGPU models of the E480/E490.

Update September 16th: The rating drops from 89% to 86% due to our rating update from v6 to v7. For more information, please see this article. 

Lenovo ThinkPad E490-20N8000RGE - 09/16/2019 v7
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
85 / 98 → 87%
Keyboard
88%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
65 / 80 → 81%
Weight
65 / 20-75 → 83%
Battery
84%
Display
85%
Games Performance
48 / 78 → 61%
Application Performance
81 / 95 → 85%
Temperature
92%
Noise
97%
Audio
64%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
76%
86%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad E490 (i5-8265U, SSD, FHD) Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2019-05-31 (Update: 2019-09-16)