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MagyarLenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 in review: Compelling AMD laptop for under 1,000 Euros
We previously reviewed the first generation of the Lenovo ThinkPad L15 with an AMD processor. The good CPU performance was especially highlighted, and its successor aims to follow up on that. The newer AMD Ryzen 5 5600U is in charge of this, and in our test configuration, it's supported by 16 GB of RAM. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 internal graphics unit is responsible for displaying image content. In addition, there's a 512 GB SSD.
For a price of just under 1,000 Euros (~$1,180), the Lenovo ThinkPad L15 AMD Gen 2 has to face the comparison with the devices listed below. You can also add more laptops from our database under each section.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.1 % | 07/2021 | Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD R5 5600U, Vega 7 | 1.9 kg | 21 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84.9 % | 11/2020 | Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7 | 1.9 kg | 21 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.1 % | 07/2021 | Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA R7 5700U, Vega 8 | 1.8 kg | 16.1 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.6 % | 07/2020 | HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA R7 4700U, Vega 7 | 1.8 kg | 19 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.6 % | 01/2021 | Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW i5-10400H, UHD Graphics 630 | 1.9 kg | 25 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case and connectivity - ThinkPad with robust case
Lenovo uses a sturdy plastic construction for the ThinkPad L15, which is supposed to protect the laptop from bumps and splashing water. Workmanship is of high quality, and we aren't able to detect any defects. The lid is also stable and resistant to torsion, and it can be folded back by up to 180 degrees. The hinges hold the display firmly in position at all times.
In terms of connectivity, the manufacturer has taken its cue from the ThinkPad L15 Gen 1, providing the same basic configuration as in the predecessor with a docking port and a USB-C charging port. If you need to use Thunderbolt 4, however, you have to opt for the Intel model.
The NanoSIM slot for the built-in WWAN is located above the microSD card reader. The corresponding antennas for this purpose are already installed inside the laptop, which is why you only need to insert an LTE module into the free slot. The second RAM slot, which was free in our test configuration, offers further maintenance options. The SSD and the WLAN module can also be replaced.
With our AV Pro V60 reference memory card, the memory card reader itself achieves good read and write speeds that are on par with our test field. Although wireless connections are supported with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, the ThinkPad L15 with the AMD processor only achieves average speeds that are at the lower end of our test field with our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router.
The webcam only offers the widely spread but still very low 0.9 MP resolution, with which our test images show a correspondingly moderate picture quality. It's also compatible with Windows Hello and can be closed with a mechanical shutter.
Port configuration
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD (AV Pro V60) | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Average of class Office (8 - 82.7, n=49, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD (AV Pro V60) | |
| Average of class Office (25 - 90.5, n=43, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Input devices - Laptop keyboard with backlighting
The L15 Gen 2 also comes with the familiar ThinkPad layout with a numeric keypad. As a result, the layout and feedback provided by the keys make it possible to type longer text with ease. The special keys are also available in a single-key layout, so only the F keys have double assignments. A two-stage keyboard backlight can be activated as well via the space bar + Fn combination, and it illuminates the characters relatively uniformly.
Both a ClickPad and a TrackPoint with separated mouse buttons are available as mouse replacements. Both are well suited for a precise control of the mouse pointer, and they respond reliably to inputs. In addition, a fingerprint sensor and an optional smart card reader are available as business features in the ThinkPad L15 Gen 2.
Display - With good calibration and no flickering
The screen of the ThinkPad L15 G2 consists of a 15.6-inch IPS panel and offers a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The maximum brightness of 276 cd/m² on average is at the top of our test field. On the other hand, its distribution of 86% is average. Lenovo refrains from using PWM for brightness control, which means that users with sensitive eyes shouldn't expect any difficulties.
In addition to the display configuration used here, Lenovo also lists the L15 Gen 2 with a TN panel with 1366x768 pixels as well as with a touch-capable IPS panel with 1920x1080 pixels.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 298 cd/m²
Contrast: 1146:1 (Black: 0.26 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.5
ΔE Greyscale 1.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
45.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
43.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.21
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD N156HCA-EAB, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 B156HAN02.1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA Chi Mei N156HCA-EAB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA AUO, B156HW02, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW BOE0869, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -13% | -1% | -13% | -10% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 43.8 | 37.93 -13% | 43.6 0% | 37.92 -13% | 39.56 -10% |
| sRGB Coverage | 65.7 | 57 -13% | 65.2 -1% | 57.1 -13% | 58.3 -11% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 45.3 | 39.19 -13% | 45 -1% | 39.18 -14% | 40.87 -10% |
| Response Times | -12% | 46% | 5% | -10% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 40 | 48 ? -20% | 18 ? 55% | 41 ? -3% | 48 ? -20% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 30 | 31.2 ? -4% | 19 ? 37% | 26 ? 13% | 30 ? -0% |
| PWM Frequency | 1000 ? | ||||
| Screen | -17% | -29% | -19% | -16% | |
| Brightness middle | 298 | 249 -16% | 289 -3% | 282 -5% | 268 -10% |
| Brightness | 276 | 240 -13% | 267 -3% | 264 -4% | 241 -13% |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 89 3% | 85 -1% | 88 2% | 79 -8% |
| Black Level * | 0.26 | 0.15 42% | 0.56 -115% | 0.19 27% | 0.34 -31% |
| Contrast | 1146 | 1660 45% | 516 -55% | 1484 29% | 788 -31% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.7 | 5.9 -59% | 3.96 -7% | 5.56 -50% | 4.64 -25% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 15 | 21.7 -45% | 6.76 55% | 19.07 -27% | 7.11 53% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 3.5 | 4.8 -37% | 4.5 -29% | 3.67 -5% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 3 -76% | 3.43 -102% | 3.57 -110% | 2.96 -74% |
| Gamma | 2.21 100% | 2.32 95% | 2.28 96% | 2.61 84% | 2.37 93% |
| CCT | 6588 99% | 6838 95% | 7191 90% | 6895 94% | 6343 102% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 36.1 | 42 | 36 | 37 | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 56.8 | 65 | 57 | 52 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -14% /
-16% | 5% /
-11% | -9% /
-14% | -12% /
-14% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ ms rise |  |
| ↘ 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. » 77 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ ms rise |  |
| ↘ 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. » 56 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Our measurements show that the ThinkPad L15 has a relatively good contrast ratio of 1,146:1 and an only slightly elevated black level of 0.26 cd/m². This places it in the middle of our chosen comparison devices. Color-space coverage is a bit better and is on par with the Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA.
Furthermore, the CalMAN analysis shows that colors are reproduced with a very low deviation out of the box. However, the DeltaE 2000 value can still be improved from 1.7 to 0.5 through calibration. The corresponding ICC file can be downloaded in the window located at the top, to the right of the display's brightness distribution graph.
The display's brightness is sufficient to show image content legibly outdoors as well on days with shade. In direct sunlight, however, the display is no longer bright enough. The built-in IPS panel is also very viewing-angle stable, and it displays content without distortions or inaccurate colors even from very flat angles.
Performance - Constant CPU performance
The Lenovo ThinkPad L15 is a comparatively affordable business laptop, and it's suitable for diverse office applications. While our test configuration provides enough performance for moderate requirements, a stronger CPU and a modified memory configuration are also available at an additional cost.
Processor
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600U installed here is a hexa-core processor that can handle up to 12 tasks simultaneously. Its clock rates are between 2.3 and 4.2 GHz, but the actual performance also depends on the cooling system and the TDP configuration. The latter can be defined by the manufacturer between 10 and 25 watts, and Lenovo has opted for the lower limit of 10 watts.
In our Cinebench R15 endurance test, the ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 can consequently maintain its performance at a constant level over a prolonged period of time. The rates achieved are about 9% lower than those of the AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U in the ThinkPad L15 Gen 1. If more performance is required, the ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 is also available with the AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 5850U for an additional 80 Euros (~$94).
Cinebench R15 Multi endurance test
In the individual disciplines, the Ryzen 5 5600U can place itself at the top of our test field especially because of its good single-core performance. In contrast, devices like the Asus VivoBook S15 or the ThinkPad L15 Gen 1 with the Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U perform slightly better when it comes to multi-core performance.
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Average of class Office (529 - 1995, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (1345 - 1376, n=5) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average of class Office (1056 - 15743, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (6871 - 9345, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Office (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (532 - 536, n=7) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Average of class Office (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (2345 - 3632, n=7) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (220 - 223, n=6) | |
| Average of class Office (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Average of class Office (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (1265 - 1546, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Average of class Office (214 - 2844, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (328 - 481, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (5118 - 5260, n=6) | |
| Average of class Office (2233 - 6687, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (32052 - 43071, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average of class Office (4226 - 62349, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Office (510 - 1974, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (1334 - 1430, n=5) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Office (1018 - 11980, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (4506 - 6523, n=5) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (7.31 - 11.8, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Average of class Office (1.55 - 17.4, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average of class Office (31.3 - 117.5, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (49.3 - 57.5, n=6) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Average of class Office (0.4244 - 1.397, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (0.537 - 0.59, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
* ... smaller is better
System performance
The Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 achieves a very good overall score in the PCMark 10 benchmark for evaluating the system performance, allowing it to lead our test field. In the individual disciplines, only the Asus VivoBook S15 scores slightly better in the "Digital Content Creation" category. The Lenovo laptop delivers a very smooth system operation and applications that launch quickly in everyday use. We didn't notice any micro stuttering or the like during the test period.
The performance that can be expected from other laptops in comparison can be found in our CPU Benchmarks article.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (5054 - 5862, n=6) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average of class Office (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (9550 - 10484, n=6) | |
| Average of class Office (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (7982 - 9545, n=6) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average of class Office (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Office (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5600U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (4327 - 6010, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5579 points | |
Help | ||
DPC latencies
In the test with LatencyMon, the Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 shows elevated interruption times. As a result, it's not suitable for real-time applications or the like.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage
Lenovo equips our test configuration of the ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 with a 512 GB SSD from SK Hynix. It achieves very good read and write rates in the storage benchmarks, and it's one of the fastest models in our test field.
Our HDD/SSD Benchmarks article shows the performance that can be expected from other mass storage devices.
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD SK Hynix HFS512 GDE9X081N | Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-1T00 | Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-1T00 | HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU | Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW Micron 2200S 256GB | Average SK Hynix HFS512 GDE9X081N | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | 1% | -12% | -28% | -28% | -0% | 15% | |
| Write 4K | 126.9 | 156.5 23% | 116.8 -8% | 141.9 12% | 72.6 -43% | 137.4 ? 8% | 158.7 ? 25% |
| Read 4K | 59.2 | 48.72 -18% | 43.92 -26% | 37.25 -37% | 43.41 -27% | 61.7 ? 4% | 61.7 ? 4% |
| Write Seq | 2180 | 2147 -2% | 1990 -9% | 998 -54% | 1098 -50% | 2043 ? -6% | 2427 ? 11% |
| Read Seq | 1792 | 1809 1% | 1959 9% | 1233 -31% | 1770 -1% | 1800 ? 0% | 2611 ? 46% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 540 | 393.8 -27% | 373.3 -31% | 338.4 -37% | 465.8 -14% | 463 ? -14% | 400 ? -26% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 399 | 496.1 24% | 524 31% | 431.1 8% | 374.9 -6% | 408 ? 2% | 519 ? 30% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2778 | 3093 11% | 1985 -29% | 1367 -51% | 1104 -60% | 2893 ? 4% | 3062 ? 10% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3601 | 3394 -6% | 2456 -32% | 2355 -35% | 2921 -19% | 3585 ? 0% | 4260 ? 18% |
| AS SSD | 15% | -14% | -29% | -73% | 2% | -13% | |
| Seq Read | 2721 | 2203 -19% | 2082 -23% | 1929 -29% | 2058 -24% | 2727 ? 0% | 3168 ? 16% |
| Seq Write | 1329 | 2253 70% | 1844 39% | 1199 -10% | 788 -41% | 1664 ? 25% | 2085 ? 57% |
| 4K Read | 51.5 | 45.51 -12% | 44.33 -14% | 43.9 -15% | 39.7 -23% | 53.6 ? 4% | 56.3 ? 9% |
| 4K Write | 132.5 | 140.4 6% | 157.5 19% | 116.2 -12% | 68.6 -48% | 152.5 ? 15% | 158.6 ? 20% |
| 4K-64 Read | 932 | 1672 79% | 1039 11% | 897 -4% | 731 -22% | 1025 ? 10% | 1069 ? 15% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1856 | 2040 10% | 1556 -16% | 801 -57% | 753 -59% | 1731 ? -7% | 1482 ? -20% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.038 | 0.067 -76% | 0.05 -32% | 0.069 -82% | 0.079 -108% | 0.05417 ? -43% | 0.08014 ? -111% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.028 | 0.027 4% | 0.065 -132% | 0.033 -18% | 0.128 -357% | 0.026 ? 7% | 0.06444 ? -130% |
| Score Read | 1256 | 1938 54% | 1292 3% | 1134 -10% | 977 -22% | 1351 ? 8% | 1442 ? 15% |
| Score Write | 2122 | 2406 13% | 1898 -11% | 1037 -51% | 900 -58% | 2051 ? -3% | 1850 ? -13% |
| Score Total | 3961 | 5338 35% | 3845 -3% | 2723 -31% | 2322 -41% | 4051 ? 2% | 3986 ? 1% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 8% /
9% | -13% /
-13% | -29% /
-29% | -51% /
-54% | 1% /
1% | 1% /
-1% |
* ... smaller is better
Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The ThinkPad L15 Gen 2's AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 integrated graphics unit is suitable for applications with low graphics performance requirements. In the 3DMark benchmarks, performance is slightly above the level of most other devices in our test field. Therefore, simple image-editing tasks are also possible, but there's not enough performance for demanding 3D applications.
The AMD RX Vega 7, however, benefits from using a dual-channel configuration for the RAM, which is why an improvement can still be achieved by installing a second RAM module. The performance offered by other graphics cards in comparison can be found in our GPU Benchmarks article.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4348 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 16524 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2251 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 898 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
The AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 is only suitable for games with low graphics requirements or older titles. Even here, however, detail levels and resolution need to be reduced significantly at times in order to achieve smooth frame rates. As already mentioned before, gaming performance can still be improved a bit by installing a second RAM module.
The performance that can be expected in other titles is listed in our GPU Games article.
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Average of class Office (8.4 - 177, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (25.5 - 105.8, n=50) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Average of class Office (7.82 - 106.3, n=96, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (9.74 - 81.3, n=37) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15-20U8S0AH00 | |
| GTA V - 1366x768 Normal/Off AF:4x | |
| Average of class Office (7.47 - 171.4, n=102, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (38 - 123, n=33) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
| Average of class Office (5.42 - 103.1, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (17.1 - 41.1, n=40) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Dell Latitude 15 5511-VNJNW | |
| Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 medium AA:medium AF:4 | |
| Average of class Office (8.6 - 77.2, n=107, last 2 years) | |
| Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (13.4 - 36.1, n=41) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 1.0 - 1280x720 Low Preset | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (18.6 - 26, n=3) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| GTA V (2015) | 58 | 50.9 | 14.5 | 6.76 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 41 | 25.2 | 12.8 | 9 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 108 | 74.3 | 36 | 33.9 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 22.6 | 11.9 | 7.69 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 42.2 | 33.1 | 29 | |
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 31 | 15 | 13 | 13 |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 47.9 | 18.3 | 15.4 | 13.2 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 1.0 (2020) | 18.6 | 8.4 |
Emissions and energy - Quiet fan
Noise emissions
According to our measurements, the ThinkPad L15 G2 reaches a noise level of up to 36 dB(A). Although the fan is audible, it's by no means loud, and it produces a uniform noise. When office applications and the Internet browser are used, Lenovo's laptop can be operated almost silently.
We didn't detect any other background noise in our test device, such as coil whine or the like.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.22 / 24.22 / 24.22 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 25.84 / 36.02 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.22 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
The surfaces of the ThinkPad L15 heat up to 44.1 °C (~111 °F) under load. The warmest point is at the bottom's rear left corner, allowing the temperatures of the palm rests to remain moderate at all times.
In our approximately one-hour stress test, the temperatures inside the ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 rose up to 71.3 °C (~160 °F). In the process, the clock rates dropped to 1.9 GHz, which is below the base clock. Towards the end of the test, the system also stuttered badly, but it quickly stabilized again after removing the high level of load. In every day use, this means that restrictions due to excessively high temperatures are only to be expected when running demanding applications for extended periods of time.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.8 °C / 109 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 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.5 °C / 78 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 27.3 °C / 81.1 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 (+0.4 °C / 0.8 F).
Speakers
The speakers in the Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 don't get particularly loud, but they offer a fairly broad sound spectrum. This makes them completely suitable for playing media content in very quiet environments, but external speakers or headphones are recommended in the long run.
Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (71.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 46% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Asus VivoBook S15 D533UA audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy consumption
Our measurements show that the ThinkPad L15 with the AMD CPU consumes up to 47.4 watts under load. With an average rate of 31.9 watts in our load scenario, Lenovo's laptop is a frugal device.
The included power adapter has a sufficiently high output capacity of 65 watts.
| Off / Standby | 0.45 / 0.73 Watt |
| Idle | 4.57 / 8.2 / 9.3 Watt |
| Load |
31.9 / 47.4 Watt |
   
| |
Energy consumption during our The Witcher 3 test / stress test
Battery life
The L15 Gen 2 achieves a runtime of 7:49 hours in our real-world Wi-Fi test. Although it lasts longer than the ThinkPad L15 Gen 1 predecessor, it can still only place itself in the middle of our test field.
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Stable laptop offers good office performance
The Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 offers exactly that for which it's advertised. Performance is high enough for diverse office applications, and it also offers power for simple image-editing tasks, for example. The system might slow down a bit under heavy load, but this should remain an exception in everyday use.
With its sturdy case and good input devices, the Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 leaves a good impression overall.
However, you have to do without Thunderbolt 4 due to the use of the AMD CPU, and Wi-Fi speeds are higher in many competitors. Although the battery life of just under 8 hours is sufficient to survive a workday without a power outlet, other models, such as the Asus VivoBook S15 or the Dell Latitude 15 5511, deliver better rates here as well.
Price and availability
At the time of writing, only the Intel version of the Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 2 seems to be available. You can find it in the manufacturer's online store with extensive customization options and prices starting at around $780. Alternatively, you can also wait for the device to be available on other sites like Amazon, newegg, or Lenovo's own website, for example.
Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD
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07/24/2021 v7
Mike Wobker
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