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Lenovo ThinkPad T14 laptop review: Comet Lake update doesn't add much

New name but not much new otherwise.

ThinkPad T400, T410, T420, T490. Lenovo's ThinkPad T series has followed the same naming scheme for more than a decade. That changes with the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, the latest model in the mainstream ThinkPad series for enterprise customers. But apart from the new name and a small CPU update, which provides a doubtful usefulness, there's not much new.
Comet Lake ThinkPad Thunderbolt Windows Laptop Ultrabook Business

The ThinkPad T400 series has come to an end. Twelve years after the first Lenovo ThinkPad T400 model, the last model in the series, the ThinkPad T490 released in 2019, is replaced by the ThinkPad T14. More precisely, by the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1, as this is the full name of our current test device. 

While the naming has changed, there is otherwise a lot of consistency. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is still a mainstream business laptop with a 14-inch screen that will be used in many offices by employees of large corporate customers. Accordingly, its competitors include the Latitude 7400 and the EliteBook 840 G5, the business models from HP and Dell. We will naturally also compare the ThinkPad T14 with its predecessor, the ThinkPad T490, as well as with the somewhat thinner Lenovo ThinkPad T490s.

The 20S1S06B00 configuration that we're testing costs around 1,300 Euros (~$1,469) and is exclusively available for students and other beneficiaries in Lenovo's campus program. It features a Core i5 processor, a 512 GB SSD, 16 GB of RAM, and a low-power Full HD display with 400 cd/m² of brightness.

Since Lenovo hasn't done an external redesign with the ThinkPad T14 2020, this review is an update. We'll start directly with the display; information about the case, ports, and input devices can be found in the review of the ThinkPad T490.

ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 (ThinkPad T14 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-10210U 4 x 1.6 - 4.2 GHz, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4 2666, 16 GB on board, 1x SO-DIMM free
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, B140HAN05.7, LTPS IPS LED, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Lite-On CA5-8D512, 512 GB 
, M.2 2280, PCIe NVMe, 441 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC3287
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: microSD, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC
Networking
Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP - I219-V gBE (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17.9 x 329 x 227 ( = 0.7 x 12.95 x 8.94 in)
Battery
50 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p with ThinkShutter and infrared
Additional features
Speakers: 2-watt stereo speakers, Keyboard: 6-line chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Microsoft Office trial, Lenovo Vantage, Glance by Mirametrix, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.459 kg ( = 51.46 oz / 3.22 pounds), Power Supply: 345 g ( = 12.17 oz / 0.76 pounds)
Price
1299 Euro
Links
Lenovo homepage
Lenovo notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Price
88 %
v7 (old)
07 / 2020
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620		1.5 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
87.9 %
v7 (old)
06 / 2019
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620		1.4 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
87.2 %
v7 (old)
09 / 2019
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
i7-8665U, UHD Graphics 620		1.5 kg18.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
87.8 %
v7 (old)
05 / 2018
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620		1.5 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
89.3 %
v7 (old)
05 / 2019
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620		1.3 kg16.1 mm14.00"1920x1080

Comparison of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 with the ThinkPad T15

We had the opportunity to directly compare the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and the ThinkPad T15. The ThinkPad T15 is the sibling model of the ThinkPad T14, and it comes with a larger 15.6-inch display and a keyboard with a number pad. Apart from that, the two are very similar, with the ThinkPad T14 and T15 even sharing the same motherboard design.

 

Size comparison

❌
329 mm / 13 in 227 mm / 8.94 in 17.9 mm / 0.705 in 1.5 kg3.22 lbs329 mm / 13 in 225.8 mm / 8.89 in 16.1 mm / 0.634 in 1.3 kg2.8 lbs326 mm / 12.8 in 234 mm / 9.21 in 17.9 mm / 0.705 in 1.5 kg3.26 lbs321 mm / 12.6 in 214 mm / 8.43 in 18.9 mm / 0.744 in 1.5 kg3.38 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
180 MB/s +131%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
77.8 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
75.9 MB/s -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
68.3 MB/s -12%
Average of class Office
  (22.7 - 198.5, n=33, last 2 years)
58.1 MB/s -25%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
205 MB/s +145%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
87.8 MB/s +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
83.9 MB/s 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
83.7 MB/s
Average of class Office
  (25 - 249, n=30, last 2 years)
73.1 MB/s -13%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s +54%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
752 (340min - 868max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
667 MBit/s -11%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
663 MBit/s -12%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
663 MBit/s -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
662 MBit/s -12%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1584 (1490min - 1642max) MBit/s
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s -20%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
652 MBit/s -59%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
648 MBit/s -59%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
642 MBit/s -59%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
524 MBit/s -67%
ColorChecker
19.2 ∆E
13.6 ∆E
15.2 ∆E
16 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
19.9 ∆E
16.6 ∆E
15.1 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
18.2 ∆E
9.2 ∆E
21.8 ∆E
4.4 ∆E
14.5 ∆E
13.9 ∆E
3.3 ∆E
4 ∆E
4.7 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
8 ∆E
5.6 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00: 11.71 ∆E min: 3.32 - max: 21.75 ∆E

Low-power display: ThinkPad T14 with good Full HD panel

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 pixel matrix
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 pixel matrix
Hardly any backlight bleeding (represented in an intensified way here)
Hardly any backlight bleeding (represented in an intensified way here)

Lenovo has mostly stuck to the same in terms of the display variants in comparison to the Lenovo ThinkPad T490. The 4K UHD display is new, and it replaces the predecessor's QHD LCD (2560x1440). Moreover, the Privacy Guard display is brighter and comes with touch-input support. All the available displays have a 14-inch screen diagonal and a 16:9 aspect ratio:

  • HD (1366x768), TN, 220 cd/m², 45% NTSC, matte
  • Full HD (1920x1080), IPS, 250 cd/m², 45% NTSC, matte
  • Full HD (1920x1080), IPS, 300 cd/m², 45% NTSC, matte, touch
  • Full HD (1920x1080), IPS, 400 cd/m², 72% NTSC, matte, low-power
  • Full HD (1920x1080), IPS, 500 cd/m², 72% NTSC, matte, Privacy Guard, touch
  • 4K UHD (3840x2160), IPS, 500 cd/m², 100% AdobeRGB, glossy, Dolby Vision HDR

We guess that the low-power Full HD display that we're testing might be the most popular variant. Our test device contains an LTPS panel from AUO, which we already know from the ThinkPad T490s. It almost reaches the promised brightness value at an average of 394 cd/m² and also offers an even brightness distribution of 90%. Compared to the same display in the T490s, the response times have been slightly improved as well.

415
cd/m²		415
cd/m²		409
cd/m²
392
cd/m²		397
cd/m²		379
cd/m²
385
cd/m²		380
cd/m²		374
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
B140HAN05.7 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 415 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 394 cd/m² Minimum: 4.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 398 cd/m²
Contrast: 1985:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 1.2
ΔE Greyscale 3.9 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
96.6% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.48
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
B140HAN05.7, LTPS IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
NE140FHM-N61, IGZO IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14"		Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
AU Optronics B140HAN, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
IVO M140NVF7 R0, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
B140HAN05.7, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Display
0%
-0%
-8%
2%
Display P3 Coverage
66
69.2
5%
66.1
0%
61
-8%
67.1
2%
sRGB Coverage
96.8
92.3
-5%
95.3
-2%
87.7
-9%
97.6
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.1
67.6
1%
67.5
1%
62.1
-7%
68.5
2%
Response Times
-46%
-24%
23%
-26%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
58.4 ?(28.4, 30)
71.2 ?(33.2, 38)
-22%
62 ?(29.6, 32.4)
-6%
33 ?(15, 18)
43%
61.6 ?(30.8, 30.8)
-5%
Response Time Black / White *
26.4 ?(12.4, 14)
44.8 ?(21.2, 23.6)
-70%
37.6 ?(21.2, 16.4)
-42%
26 ?(15, 11)
2%
38.8 ?(21.2, 17.6)
-47%
PWM Frequency
2427 ?(50)
3125 ?(90)
Screen
-22%
-18%
-22%
-0%
Brightness middle
397
428
8%
289
-27%
655
65%
391
-2%
Brightness
394
409
4%
286
-27%
630
60%
389
-1%
Brightness Distribution
90
91
1%
91
1%
93
3%
87
-3%
Black Level *
0.2
0.29
-45%
0.16
20%
0.56
-180%
0.23
-15%
Contrast
1985
1476
-26%
1806
-9%
1170
-41%
1700
-14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.6
4.6
-28%
4.7
-31%
3.27
9%
3.4
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.9
8.2
-39%
8.7
-47%
5.92
-0%
4.7
20%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.2
2
-67%
1.3
-8%
3.22
-168%
1.1
8%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.9
5.4
-38%
6.4
-64%
2.85
27%
4
-3%
Gamma
2.48 89%
2.09 105%
2.54 87%
2.45 90%
2.49 88%
CCT
7090 92%
7562 86%
5977 109%
6065 107%
6809 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61.4
60
-2%
61.2
0%
57
-7%
62.4
2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96.6
92.2
-5%
95.1
-2%
88
-9%
97.4
1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-23% / -21%
-14% / -15%
-2% / -14%
-8% / -3%

* ... smaller is better

Colors
Colors
Saturation
Saturation
Grayscales
Grayscales
Colors (calibrated)
Colors (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)
Grayscales (calibrated)
Grayscales (calibrated)

The screen shows a blue tint out of the box. With our calibration using the CalMAN software and the X-Rite i1 Pro 2 colorimeter, we were able to adjust the display very well. The contrast ratio of almost 2000:1 is excellent and better than in all other business laptops in comparison. It's no wonder that the subjective image impression is very good.

The small sRGB color space is almost completely covered, which means colors are displayed vividly and correctly. Simple image-editing is possible with this panel.

sRGB: 96.9%
sRGB: 96.9%
AdobeRGB: 61.4%
AdobeRGB: 61.4%
Outdoors (in the shade on a sunny day)
Outdoors (in the shade on a sunny day)

You can also use the ThinkPad T14 outdoors due to its good brightness and the matte display. But there might be some readability issues if the sunlight hits the screen directly.

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
26.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12.4 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 62 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
58.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 28.4 ms rise
↘ 30 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 94 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

The viewing-angle stability is excellent, which is typical for a very good IPS panel.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 viewing angles
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 viewing angles

Comet Lake delivers disappointing CPU performance

The four Intel CPUs available in the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 (i5-10210U, i5-10310U, i7-10510U, and i7-10610U) each have four cores. Comet Lake processors with six cores like the Intel Core i7-10810U are supposed to appear in the future, but it's not clear when. In return, Lenovo is offering AMD CPUs under the same name for the first time: The ThinkPad T14 is available with the Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U and the Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U. We will naturally perform a separate test for this version.

The Intel model isn't only available with an iGPU but also optionally with the Nvidia GeForce MX330. In terms of RAM, there is a SO-DIMM slot for up to a maximum of 40/48 GB in addition to the 8 to 16 GB of soldered DDR4 2666 RAM. The package is rounded off by a single M.2 2280 SSD slot.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z caches
CPU-Z caches
CPU-Z mainboard
CPU-Z mainboard
HWiNFO
HWiNFO
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
 

Processor

The Intel Core i5-10210U is a processor with four cores and a TDP of 15 watts. It's a Comet Lake chip that has been manufactured in a 14 nm process. The clock rates range from 1.6 to 4.2 GHz. Our CPU comparison list allows comparisons with other CPUs.

The ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 begins the Cinebench multi-core test with a consumption of almost 45 watts but only in the first few seconds. The power limit quickly drops to 35 watts, and after 30 seconds, to 25 watts. The processor cores then run at 3 GHz. But the ThinkPad laptop can't maintain this performance level forever. The temperatures rise slowly up to 97 °C (~207 °F) in the loop test. At this point, the consumption and clock speeds start to drop. A minimum of almost 17 watts and 2.5 GHz is reached.

The CPU performance is good but below expectations. There is no progress in comparison to the ThinkPad T490. On the contrary, the CPU performance under load tends to be lower than in the Whiskey Lake model. The ThinkPad T14 is only slightly better in single-core and Boost performance.

We couldn't observe a performance limitation on battery power.

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00 Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel Core i5-10210U: Ø618 (591.33-706.24)
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø650 (621.2-684.29)
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH Intel Core i7-8665U, Intel Core i7-8665U: Ø544 (523.43-667.87)
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø526 (517.01-554.05)
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00 Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø584 (566.02-686.12)
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø617 (613-650)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
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 R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (246 - 2642, n=98, last 2 years)
1563 Points +121%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
706 (591.33min - 706.24max) Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
686 (566.02min - 686.12max) Points -3%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
674 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
657 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
617 (613min - 658max) Points -13%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (320 - 790, n=35)
609 Points -14%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
554 Points -22%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (98 - 284, n=97, last 2 years)
230 Points +39%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
186 Points +12%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
181 Points +9%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
167 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
166 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (134 - 174, n=35)
165.6 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
163 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
162 Points -2%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Office
  (590 - 5980, n=96, last 2 years)
3589 Points +149%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
1565 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
1486 Points +3%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
1453 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
1443 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
1441 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (722 - 1820, n=30)
1279 Points -11%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Office
  (229 - 766, n=96, last 2 years)
601 Points +44%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
454 Points +9%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
445 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
416 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (322 - 428, n=30)
407 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
403 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
399 Points -4%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
937 Seconds * -14%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (585 - 1339, n=24)
859 Seconds * -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
823 Seconds *
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
769 Seconds * +7%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
769 Seconds * +7%
Average of class Office
  (208 - 1956, n=98, last 2 years)
426 Seconds * +48%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Office
  (2972 - 6687, n=98, last 2 years)
5251 MIPS +23%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
4726 MIPS +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
4269 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (3504 - 4467, n=24)
4205 MIPS -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
4195 MIPS -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
4180 MIPS -2%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Office
  (7532 - 65460, n=98, last 2 years)
38824 MIPS +119%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
18802 MIPS +6%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
17731 MIPS 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
17699 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (10920 - 21679, n=24)
16808 MIPS -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
15292 MIPS -14%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Office
  (510 - 1995, n=97, last 2 years)
1592 Points +57%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (949 - 1133, n=27)
1071 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
1017 Points
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Office
  (1018 - 11980, n=96, last 2 years)
7636 Points +142%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (2079 - 4256, n=27)
3570 Points +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
3156 Points
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Office
  (1.72 - 18.7, n=96, last 2 years)
10.4 fps +141%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel Core i5-8265U
4.8 fps +11%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel Core i7-8665U
4.5 fps +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
4.32 fps
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (2.36 - 6.28, n=24)
4.31 fps 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
3.9 fps -10%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (49.6 - 80.3, n=18)
61 s * -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
59.3 s *
Average of class Office
  (31.3 - 129.6, n=96, last 2 years)
53.6 s * +10%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (0.658 - 0.901, n=24)
0.733 sec * -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.719 sec *
Average of class Office
  (0.4244 - 1.135, n=95, last 2 years)
0.549 sec * +24%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
706 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
48.3 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
166 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
1441 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
416 Points
Help

System performance

There is nothing to criticize about the system performance. The ThinkPad T14 performs well in everyday use as well as in the PCMark benchmarks.

PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2463 - 7344, n=88, last 2 years)
5660 Points +44%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
4661 Points +19%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4094 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3448 - 4353, n=28)
3988 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
3985 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lite-On CA5-8D512
3932 Points
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
3906 Points -1%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5575 - 20841, n=88, last 2 years)
10150 Points +21%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
9821 Points +17%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8519 Points +1%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (7172 - 10000, n=28)
8499 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lite-On CA5-8D512
8400 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
8361 Points 0%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
8236 Points -2%
Productivity
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
8036 Points +24%
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10415, n=88, last 2 years)
7758 Points +20%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7100 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5980 - 7317, n=28)
6663 Points +3%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
6651 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lite-On CA5-8D512
6479 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
6441 Points -1%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (2126 - 9773, n=88, last 2 years)
6409 Points +114%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
3483 Points +16%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
3210 Points +7%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3080 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2289 - 4463, n=28)
3057 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lite-On CA5-8D512
2998 Points
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
2954 Points -1%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (4252 - 4830, n=7, last 2 years)
4559 Points +29%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
4244 Points +20%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
3966 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
3883 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3182 - 4284, n=21)
3605 Points +2%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3547 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lite-On CA5-8D512
3544 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
5293 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5195 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lite-On CA5-8D512
5042 Points
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
5004 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L
4927 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (4286 - 5114, n=21)
4879 Points -3%
Average of class Office
  (2900 - 5526, n=7, last 2 years)
3761 Points -25%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3544 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5042 points
PCMark 10 Score
3932 points
Help

DPC latencies

LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Lite-On CA5-8D512
1080 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers a single M.2 2280 SSD with a capacity of 512 GB. It comes from LiteOn in our test device. The PCIe NVMe SSD is very fast and is quicker than the flash memory of the other comparison devices.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Lite-On CA5-8D512		Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G		Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02		Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L		Average Lite-On CA5-8D512
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-16%
-3%
-23%
-12%
13%
Write 4K
114.1
119.9
5%
118.6
4%
96.1
-16%
122
7%
132.9 ?(114.1 - 161.8, n=7)
16%
Read 4K
53.6
39.94
-25%
44.68
-17%
31.12
-42%
45.56
-15%
55 ?(51.9 - 60.6, n=7)
3%
Write Seq
1743
1334
-23%
1866
7%
919
-47%
1497
-14%
2155 ?(1743 - 2258, n=6)
24%
Read Seq
2092
1357
-35%
2173
4%
2089
0%
2385
14%
2264 ?(2057 - 2473, n=6)
8%
Write 4K Q32T1
394.8
311.2
-21%
330.9
-16%
425.6
8%
240.9
-39%
470 ?(395 - 515, n=7)
19%
Read 4K Q32T1
372.6
400.6
8%
343.1
-8%
275.3
-26%
338
-9%
500 ?(346 - 586, n=7)
34%
Write Seq Q32T1
2176
1642
-25%
1927
-11%
958
-56%
1528
-30%
2217 ?(2176 - 2253, n=7)
2%
Read Seq Q32T1
3204
2778
-13%
3528
10%
3118
-3%
2915
-9%
3228 ?(2908 - 3418, n=7)
1%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
DiskSpd
hddimg
Lite-On CA5-8D512
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3204 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2176 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 372.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 394.8 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2092 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1743 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 53.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 114.1 MB/s

Graphics card

The Intel UHD Graphics 620 has been the standard graphics chip in Intel's ULV CPUs for years. Because the memory in the ThinkPad T14 runs in single-channel mode, the potential of the iGPU is not fully exploited. You can easily add another memory stick to the ThinkPad T14 2020 if you want maximum performance. But the iGPU is also weak in dual-channel mode. The Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU is not suitable for playing games.

The GPU performance is not limited on battery power.

3DMark 11 | 3DMark
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1468 - 13132, n=92, last 2 years)
6808 Points +287%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U
1942 Points +11%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
1849 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1839 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8665U
1804 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1757 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points 0%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (7982 - 58068, n=66, last 2 years)
26911 Points +231%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
10881 Points +34%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U
10450 Points +28%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
10331 Points +27%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8665U
9354 Points +15%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
8139 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (1089 - 9375, n=93, last 2 years)
4913 Points +376%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U
1353 Points +31%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
1336 Points +29%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1336 Points +29%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8665U
1173 Points +14%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
1033 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Office
  (313 - 4109, n=93, last 2 years)
1602 Points +347%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U
428 Points +20%
Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8665U
391 Points +9%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-10210U
358 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
1926 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
7581 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
963 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
410 points
Help
lowmed.highultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 15.5
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 69.4 39.1 18.8 16.2
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 12.8 11 10.8
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 13
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 23.7

Emissions: ThinkPad laptop runs quiet but hot

Noise emissions

In idle usage, the fan remains silent throughout. It spins at around 33.5 dB(A) under load; this is the only level available. This was different with the ThinkPad T490, and the fan also got even louder at 36.1 dB(A).

We were able to detect coil whine and background noises in the ThinkPad T14. We suspect the SSD to be the source of the noise.

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
Load
33.5 / 33.5 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: 29.6 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.831.433.72527.329.431.63128.333.530.44026.330.129.3502929.128.16324.323.724.68024.424.323.510025.923.424.912523.623.425.616023.222.423.220022.322.923.325022.321.823.231521.821.821.340021.120.821.350021.620.120.463021.1192080021.818.819100021.51818.8125022.817.618.5160022.617.417.82000221717.5250022.716.617.5315022.516.217.4400022.316.216.9500020.316.116.3630017.616.116.2800016.21616.1100001615.9161250015.915.815.81600015.515.515.6SPL33.529.630.2N1.91.31.4median 21.8median 17.6median 18.5Delta1.62.12.727.532.931.230.230.630.126.225.824.726.825.825.725.528.229.824.728.329.925.125.126.725.227.128.125.12325.123.423.226.324.323.124.922.122.322.723.922.122.621.722.922.522.822.422.522.222.521.723.92322.822.323.522.522.320.520.921.821.621.12221.120.321.722.62121.121.521.721.221.421.121.121.320.420.420.52021.520.620.720.22020.221.320.920.319.719.42022.521.721.120.418.420.422.721.620.519.518.219.724.122.420.72017.520.223.721.819.919.117.319.624.122.319.81916.419.623.221.118.818.315.918.523.421.519.218.615.518.926.423.820.619.715.720.227.925.722.119.815.421.325.322.318.317.315.317.821.318.516.51615.216.418.716.615.815.515.215.617.415.715.315.215.115.215.615.115.114.9151515.215.115.214.814.614.936.13431.730.928.831.32.31.91.61.41.21.5median 22.5median 21.5median 20.3median 19.7median 17.3median 201.72.31.91.82.72hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE

Temperature

Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)
Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)

Heat development wasn't originally a big problem with the ThinkPad T490. The T490 with an iGPU reached a maximum of 49.3 °C (~121 °F), while the dGPU model reached 56.6 °C (~134 °F). During the T490's interim Comet Lake update, which was only available in the United States, there were already indications that heat development would become problematic. It's a problem with the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1: 67.2 °C (~153 °F) on the bottom is definitely too high. Of course, this temperature only occurs in the stress test; but the question also arises: How high are the temperatures on the ThinkPad T14 with the GeForce MX330 then? 

In the CPU/GPU stress test, the T14 starts with a CPU consumption of 40 watts, but this is quickly limited to 25 watts. This consumption means a clock rate of 1.4 GHz and temperatures of around 95 °C (~203 °F) for the processor. This performance level can't be maintained in the long run, and the consumption and clock rates begin to fluctuate, minimally to around 17 watts/1.2 GHz and 84 °C (~183 °F).

Throttling shouldn't be a problem in everyday use. The 3DMark 11 pass performed after the stress test delivered a normal result.

Max. Load
 41.3 °C
106 F		45.7 °C
114 F		51.8 °C
125 F		 
 41.4 °C
107 F		42.5 °C
109 F		53 °C
127 F		 
 32.2 °C
90 F		33.3 °C
92 F		34.7 °C
94 F		 
Maximum: 53 °C = 127 F
Average: 41.8 °C = 107 F
61.7 °C
143 F		67.2 °C
153 F		50.9 °C
124 F
57.1 °C
135 F		52 °C
126 F		45.5 °C
114 F
29.5 °C
85 F		30.9 °C
88 F		30 °C
86 F
Maximum: 67.2 °C = 153 F
Average: 47.2 °C = 117 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.3 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 20.9 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 41.8 °C / 107 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 53 °C / 127 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 67.2 °C / 153 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.4 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.7 °C / 94.5 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.6 °C / 81.7 F (-7.1 °C / -12.8 F).
Load (top)
Load (top)
Load (bottom)
Load (bottom)

Speakers

Lenovo seems to have slightly improved the speakers above the keyboard; their sound is more balanced. They could still be louder, though. Instead of the speakers, you can also use the combo audio port, which works without issues.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.430.92529.430.93133.5334030.130.45029.128.66323.726.58024.327.710023.426.412523.430.716022.437.420022.943.825021.848.631521.851.140020.856.350020.159.56301961.280018.862.110001859.6125017.661.4160017.461.320001758.4250016.658.4315016.260.2400016.254.9500016.151.7630016.151.180001650.11000015.952.31250015.851.81600015.541.8SPL29.670.6N1.326.7median 17.6median 52.3Delta2.18.530.629.726.129.33129.331.425.330.625.722.227.722.424.122.324.421.62421.328.922.636.921.840.221.542.121.347.52053.519.858.418.758.318.258.117.763.51761.116.660.116.158.315.957.815.760.615.555.915.557.215.551.715.453.515.147.414.938.329.470.91.226.3median 17.7median 53.52.59.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 69% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 71% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (28.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 89% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 9% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 85% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 12% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy management: Lenovo laptop is less efficient than its predecessor

Energy consumption

The power consumption has clearly increased in comparison to the iGPU T490 model, both in idle usage and under load. Since the T14 is configured very similarly, the higher idle consumption can actually only be due to the fact that the power consumption hasn't been optimized that well yet.

The 65-watt power adapter is sufficient for the maximum consumption, even if the peak load of 68.6 watts is just above the power supply unit's capacity.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.29 / 0.67 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.2 / 6.1 / 10.4 Watt
Load midlight 45.6 / 68.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Lite-On CA5-8D512, LTPS IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G, IGZO IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14"		Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
i7-8665U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Intel SSD Pro 7600p SSDPEKKF512G8L, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
 		Average of class Office
 
Power Consumption
22%
1%
2%
14%
7%
-7%
Idle Minimum *
3.2
2.34
27%
3.9
-22%
3.8
-19%
2.62
18%
3.81 ?(1 - 12.4, n=259)
-19%
4.48 ?(2.2 - 13.8, n=93, last 2 years)
-40%
Idle Average *
6.1
5.22
14%
6.1
-0%
8.3
-36%
5.16
15%
6.94 ?(2.8 - 15.7, n=261)
-14%
7.47 ?(3.8 - 14.9, n=93, last 2 years)
-22%
Idle Maximum *
10.4
8.82
15%
8.2
21%
10.7
-3%
8.7
16%
8.75 ?(3.8 - 30, n=259)
16%
9.1 ?(4.89 - 18.6, n=93, last 2 years)
12%
Load Average *
45.6
35.8
21%
41
10%
35.5
22%
40
12%
35 ?(8.1 - 51.6, n=259)
23%
42.6 ?(8.7 - 77.9, n=89, last 2 years)
7%
Load Maximum *
68.6
47.3
31%
69.7
-2%
37
46%
64
7%
47.5 ?(22 - 96.3, n=261)
31%
61.8 ?(11.1 - 107, n=93, last 2 years)
10%

* ... smaller is better

Battery life

Charging time: 111 minutes
Charging time: 111 minutes

There are no changes in terms of battery configuration. Lenovo hasn't brought back external batteries with the ThinkPad T14; instead, there is still an internal battery with a capacity of 50 Wh.

The Wi-Fi test shows better results than on the T490; however, we used the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge on the ThinkPad T14, which might affect the result. The results in the load test and the Big Buck Bunny test allow for this assumption. The ThinkPad T14 performs worse than the ThinkPad T490 here.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge Chromium)
11h 01min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge Chromium)
8h 13min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
10h 24min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 16min
Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh		Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh		Dell Latitude 7400-8N6DH
i7-8665U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh		HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh		Lenovo ThinkPad T490s-20NYS02A00
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 57 Wh		Average of class Office
 
Battery Runtime
36%
43%
-33%
19%
21%
H.264
624
677
8%
862
38%
834
34%
728 ?(348 - 1501, n=33, last 2 years)
17%
WiFi v1.3
661
572
-13%
696
5%
444
-33%
607
-8%
615 ?(309 - 1349, n=94, last 2 years)
-7%
Load
76
161
112%
141
86%
99
30%
117.2 ?(56 - 218, n=57, last 2 years)
54%

Pros

+ robust case
+ versatile connectivity
+ very comfortable input devices
+ bright and colorful low-power Full HD LCD
+ very quiet
+ new: Wi-Fi 6
+ improved speakers
+ three-year warranty

Cons

- no longer has a full-size SD card slot
- Thunderbolt 3 only supports two PCIe lanes
- case is difficult to open
- less flexible without PowerBridge
- heat problem

Verdict

In review: Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1. Provided by
In review: Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1. Provided by

Different in name but otherwise the same: The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 is only a small update of the ThinkPad T490. There are indeed some detail improvements, but overall, the question of whether it makes sense arises.

The ThinkPad T490's strengths have been adopted but certainly the weaknesses have too. This includes the Thunderbolt connection with only two PCIe lanes, the missing full-size SD card slot and the case that is difficult to open. As for the laptop's strengths we have the case, input devices, connectivity, display, and warranty. Among the positive changes are the improved speakers and that the fan now runs even more quietly.

In any case, the lower noise level can be seen as an advantage. But you can also consider it to be a negative aspect because the ThinkPad T14 2020 has a heat problem. More than 65 °C (~149 °F) on the bottom in the stress test is far too much (and this for the iGPU model!). A further crucial point is the CPU performance, which has hardly improved and it has even become worse to some extent. This raises the question of why one should go for a new Intel ThinkPad at all.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 hardly provides any arguments why one should prefer it to its predecessor.

Should one buy the ThinkPad T14 with the Intel Comet Lake CPU? If the AMD model proves to be much faster, the answer is no. Only Thunderbolt 3 and the optionally available 4K UHD display make the Intel model make sense at all. Otherwise the following applies: AMD is probably the better choice this year, since Comet Lake doesn't give much reason to upgrade apart from Wi-Fi 6.

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Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20S1S06B00 - 07/01/2020 v7 (old)
Benjamin Herzig

Chassis
85 / 98 → 87%
Keyboard
93%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
74 / 80 → 93%
Weight
70 / 20-75 → 90%
Battery
87%
Display
90%
Games Performance
48 / 78 → 62%
Application Performance
83 / 95 → 87%
Temperature
81%
Noise
96%
Audio
61%
Camera
32 / 85 → 38%
Average
76%
88%
Office - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad T14 laptop review: Comet Lake update doesn't add much
Benjamin Herzig, 2020-07-13 (Update: 2020-07-16)