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MagyarLenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 Intel review: A very good business laptop despite the 16:9 format
The ThinkPad T14s series probably belongs to the most popular ThinkPad models. This is not surprising, since the slimmer cousin of the ThinkPad T14 closely resembles the X1 Carbon, while still being more affordable. In addition, the ThinkPad T14s is also available with AMD processors, in contrast to the X1 Carbon.
But we are not testing that version today, since Lenovo first introduced the ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 to the market with Intel processors. Our test unit contains an Intel Core i7 processor, 1 TB SSD storage, 16 GB of RAM, and the Full-HD low-power display, costing about 2080 Euros (~$2476). At this price, it is clear that the ThinkPad T14s G2 competes in the higher segment of business laptops for companies, and we selected the competitors for our comparison accordingly.
Possible Competitors for Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89.4 % | 07/2021 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 16.14 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 88.8 % | 07/2020 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.3 kg | 16.1 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 90.5 % | 08/2020 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7 | 1.3 kg | 16.1 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 90.3 % | 05/2021 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 14.9 mm | 14.00" | 3840x2400 | |
| 88.2 % | 11/2020 | HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7 | 1.4 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 88.9 % | 07/2020 | Dell Latitude 7410 i7-10610U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.4 kg | 19.3 mm | 14.00" | 3840x2160 |
Case: ThinkPad T14s 2021 in classic black
After the slimmer, premium T series with the Lenovo ThinkPad T490s was changed to a new design platform, it was now also time for a new redesign here. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 therefore has a completely new case compared to the ThinkPad T14s Gen 1. The exterior of the new ThinkPad notebook looks completely different than the predecessor, at least if you buy the aluminum model in "Storm Grey." Since that model is currently not available in Europe, we are looking at the model in classic black.
In the new model, the black color is slightly brighter, leaning more towards dark-gray, and now there is also a silver Lenovo logo on the back of the lid. There are more changes inside the lid. The speakers are now placed prominently above the keyboard. Directly next to the speakers is the power button, which now also includes a fingerprint reader. In addition, Lenovo has adjusted the shape of the palm rests below the keyboard in order to integrate the new, flat TrackPoint buttons. As always, colorful accents are formed by the red TrackPoint, silver hinges, and the ThinkPad logo.
Compared to the predecessor, the haptics have slightly changed, since Lenovo has changed the black surface covering, which is supposed to show less fingerprints and smudges. This works fairly well, and the surface layer is slightly more matte and grippy than that of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 1. The materials below the surface also reveal a change: the case bottom is now made from aluminum instead of magnesium. The palm rest and display cover continue to be made from magnesium and carbon fiber respectively. The combination of the different materials ensures a high - although not perfect - stability. It resists pressure on the palm rest without any trouble, and the ThinkPad T14s 2021 also resists pressure on the back of the display well. The bottom of the case can be twisted slightly by pushing and pulling in opposite directions, and the same goes for the display lid.
The hinges give no reason for complaint, allowing for an opening angle up to 180 degrees. The display can be lifted with a single finger, and the metal hinges hold the display tightly in place.
In terms of the dimensions and weight, practically nothing has changed compared to the ThinkPad T14s Gen 1. This means that the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 continues to be larger but also slimmer and lighter than the Dell Latitude 7410 and HP EliteBook 845 G7. On the other hand, the T14s 2021 is clearly surpassed by the X1 Carbon Gen 9, which is lighter, slimmer, and also less wide, and thanks to its 16:10 format, its display bezels are also considerably less wide. Particularly the large frame below the LCD looks aged - a pity that Lenovo did not use the opportunity for a format change.
Broad Equipment Selection for the Lenovo T14s G2
The microSD card reader that was hidden next to the SIM slot behind the LCD was dropped completely from the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 without any replacement. But other than that, Lenovo keeps the multitude of connections. The two Thunderbolt 4 ports are new - in the predecessor, only one of the two USB-C ports was compatible with Thunderbolt 3, and it was also limited to 20 Gbit/s due to the connection via two PCIe lanes. With the change to Thunderbolt 4, this limitation is removed.
Communication
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 is one of the first Lenovo ThinkPads with Wi-Fi 6e that we are testing. In this case, this has the form of the Intel Wireless AX210 2x2 card. In combination with our Wi-Fi 6 router, the ThinkPad laptop achieves a very good result placing it at the top of our test field.
In addition to the Wi-Fi module that also supports Bluetooth 5.2, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2021 also contains an Ethernet chip from Intel, which can be used via the proprietary mini-Ethernet connection. Our Lenovo test unit also includes a WWAN module with the label Quectel EM120R-GL. While this supports 4G LTE, optionally 5G LTE is also available.
Webcam
Even though with the ThinkPad T14s Gen 2, Lenovo offers a 1080p camera for the first time in a ThinkPad laptop of the T series, our test unit contains a 720p webcam. This delivers the typical performance with grainy and blurry images and distorted colors. In order to get a fairly acceptable image quality for video conferencing, the light conditions have to be perfect.
Security
The numerous security functions are typical for real business laptops. While fingerprint readers are also standard for private customer laptops at this point, the fact that the reader is integrated into the power button is new for the ThinkPad T14s G2. This means that the fingerprint is already registered directly when turning on the laptop. As another option for logging in, there is also the infrared camera for Windows Hello. In addition to that, our test unit has a slot for a Kensington Lock and a smartcard reader. The webcam is also equipped with a mechanical cover. An optional feature that our test unit does not offer is the ThinkPad Privacy Guard display with a built-in filter protecting it from unwanted viewers.
Accessories
Besides the 65-watt power supply with a USB-C charger, there are no additional accessories. In addition to USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 docking stations, Lenovo also offers proprietary docking stations, such as the ThinkPad Ultra Dock. While these docking stations have been available since 2018 and are surpassed by the modern Thunderbolt 4 docks, large business customers with existing devices will still be pleased about them.
Maintenance
The bottom plate of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 can be removed easily. After first unscrewing five Philips screws that then remain in the aluminum base plate, you only have to open two clips at the back of the Lenovo laptop to be able to remove the bottom plate.
A disadvantage of this model is the fact that there are not many upgrading options. Not only is the RAM soldered into the Intel version of the ThinkPad T14s G2, but the Wi-Fi module can also not be replaced. You can only update the SSD and of course clean the fan or replace the internal battery. It is interesting that the WWAN antennas are placed into the base of this model - just as in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9 - but the Wi-Fi antennas are still in the display lid as before. The keyboard cannot be replaced easily, since you can only access it after removing the main board. An easily replaceable keyboard is one of the advantages of the ThinkPad T14 G2 and the ThinkPad X13 G2.
Warranty
You get 36 months of manufacturer support with the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2. Lenovo offers pickup & return service, with the laptop being picked up by Lenovo and then repaired in the service center. At an additional cost, you can also extend the ThinkPad warranty up to five years or purchase on-site service, accident protection, or a longer battery warranty (36 instead of 12 months).
ThinkPad T14s G2 Input Devices: 1.5 mm stroke and full width
Keyboard
The completely renewed keyboard is also part of the new design. The stroke was reduced from 1.8 to 1.5 millimeters, and the height of the keys is also smaller than before. In principle, the new keyboard practically corresponds to 100% to that of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 in terms of its specifications. In contrast to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, the keyboard of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 continues to use the full width of 29 cm (~11.4 in).
The quality of this chicony keyboard is the best so far of any new 2021 ThinkPad design. Even though the reduced stroke is also clearly noticeable here, the typing experience is still excellent and the keyboard is absolutely suitable for frequent typists.
Touchpad
In the redesigned ThinkPad T14s Gen 2, Lenovo widened the touchpad by 1.5 cm (~0.6 in), so that it now measures 11.5 x 6 cm (~4.5 x 2.4 in). On the other hand, everything remains the same in terms of the materials, and you will look in vein for glass in the ThinkPad T14s G2 laptop, since the touchpad surface is made of smooth plastic. While glass would offer a higher quality for sure, the touchpad is by no means bad and does its job very well.
The TrackPoint with its red rubber cap and corresponding keys above the touchpad works even better. In the T14s Gen 2, the TrackPoint keys are now flat, and the ELAN TrackPoint has a height of only 3 mm (~0.12 in). However, these adjustment don't have a negative impact on the ThinkPad's TrackPoint quality, and the pointing stick is superior particularly for drag & drop functionality.
The ThinkPad T14s low-power display does not cover sRGB completely
If there is one area that has changed the least, it is surely the LCD options for the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2. In contrast to the high-end ThinkPads of the X1 series, the slimmer T model keeps the 14-inch 16:9 format. This is a strange decision for an almost-premium model. There is only one change in the displays: The most affordable Full-HD LCD option (1920 x 1080 pixels) received a brightness upgrade from 250 to 300 cd/m². You can find the rest of the LCD options in our review of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 (except for the TN HD panels with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution that was never offered for the T14s).
Our test unit uses a low-power LCD from BOE. At an average brightness of 397 cd/m², it barely misses the specified brightness value of 400 cd/m². The bad response times are typical for low-power LCDs such as the one used here, but this should not create any larger problem in office usage. Although the display does use PWM, the frequency is too high to create headaches for any users.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 422.9 cd/m²
Contrast: 1322:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.9
ΔE Greyscale 6.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
67.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
91.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
68.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.23
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE NE140FHM-N61, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE B140HAN05.7, LTPS AHVA-IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 N140HCG-GQ2, IPS , 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XXS00100 B140UAN02.1, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U AU Optronics AUO068B, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Dell Latitude 7410 AU Optronics B140ZAN, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 2% | 3% | 12% | 4% | 7% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 68.1 | 66.6 -2% | 66.8 -2% | 76.1 12% | 68.2 0% | 71.8 5% |
| sRGB Coverage | 91.7 | 96.8 6% | 97.9 7% | 99.9 9% | 98.5 7% | 99.3 8% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 67.1 | 67.6 1% | 69 3% | 77.7 16% | 69.8 4% | 72.4 8% |
| Response Times | 13% | 41% | 3% | -6% | 38% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 68 ? | 63.2 ? 7% | 32.4 ? 52% | 62.4 ? 8% | 65.2 ? 4% | 39.2 ? 42% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 34 ? | 28 ? 18% | 15.2 ? 55% | 34.8 ? -2% | 39.6 ? -16% | 22.4 ? 34% |
| PWM Frequency | 22730 ? | 26040 ? 15% | ||||
| Screen | 26% | 26% | 13% | 21% | -1% | |
| Brightness middle | 422.9 | 404 -4% | 404 -4% | 396 -6% | 432.5 2% | 388.6 -8% |
| Brightness | 397 | 397 0% | 371 -7% | 397 0% | 405 2% | 365 -8% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 92 1% | 88 -3% | 90 -1% | 86 -5% | 82 -10% |
| Black Level * | 0.32 | 0.21 34% | 0.34 -6% | 0.23 28% | 0.3 6% | 0.35 -9% |
| Contrast | 1322 | 1924 46% | 1188 -10% | 1722 30% | 1442 9% | 1110 -16% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.8 | 3.1 35% | 1.4 71% | 3.7 23% | 2.34 51% | 4.04 16% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.7 | 4.7 46% | 3.2 63% | 7.6 13% | 3.59 59% | 9.2 -6% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.9 | 1.3 32% | 0.8 58% | 1.7 11% | 1.83 4% | 1.25 34% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.1 | 3.4 44% | 1.6 74% | 5.2 15% | 2.5 59% | 6.4 -5% |
| Gamma | 2.23 99% | 2.38 92% | 2.13 103% | 2.11 104% | 2.1 105% | 2.3 96% |
| CCT | 7635 85% | 7070 92% | 6480 100% | 6252 104% | 6582 99% | 6957 93% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 61.8 | 63 | 70.4 | 63.8 | 66.4 | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 96.6 | 97.9 | 99.9 | 99.4 | 99.4 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 14% /
19% | 23% /
24% | 9% /
11% | 6% /
13% | 15% /
6% |
* ... smaller is better
In the state of delivery, the color reproduction that we measure with CalMAN and X-Rite i1 Pro 2 is weak. The image appears much too cool. After calibration with the X-Rite i1Profiler, this improves significantly. However, the brightness in the center of the image then drops to around 360 cd/m² if we use this color profile, so you have the choice between accurate colors or maximum brightness. The contrast value of 1322:1 is good but not excellent. A slightly lower black value would benefit the LCD panel.
We are a bit disappointed by the color space coverage of the ThinkPad T14s G2. With a coverage of 92% of the small color space, some colors are simply missing.
Using the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2021 laptop works fairly well. With the matte surface and brightness of almost 400 cd/m², you can easily do some work even in brighter light conditions, although you should still avoid direct sunlight, if possible.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17 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. » 89 % 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 | ||
| 68 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 33 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 35 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. » 98 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 22730 Hz | ≤ 50 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 22730 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 50 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 22730 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 17933 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
As typical for IPS panels, the viewing angle stability is beyond reproach.
Performance: Tiger Lake UP3 in the ThinkPad T14s 2021
Intel Tiger Lake replaces Comet Lake and the selection of the Tiger Lake UP3 CPUs turns out correspondingly: Intel Core i5-1135G7, i7-1165G7, i5-1145G7, and i7-1185G7. The two latter processors are vPro chips that were designed by Intel specifically for enterprise devices such as the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2. You don't have much choice in terms of the graphics chip, since there is only the integrated Intel option. The i5 CPUs contain the slightly weaker version of the Xe GPU with 80 instead of 96 execution units.
Unfortunately, Lenovo continues to use soldered-in working memory. The last time this could be updated was in the 2018 ThinkPad T480s model. However, at least this has the advantage that Lenovo performs an upgrade up to 32 GB LPDDR4X-4266 RAM, which would not be possible with RAM modules. The M.2-2280 SSD is not soldered in and also supports the 4.0 PCIe standard for the first time in the T14s Gen 2.
Processor
The Intel Core i7-1165G7 is a Tiger Lake UP3 processor, which means that its four physical cores (8 threads) with a clock speed between 2.8 and 4.7 GHz have a maximum power consumption of 12 to 28 watts. You can compare this processor with other CPUs in our CPU list.
In order to increase the performance, Lenovo allows a much higher power consumption. 55 watts are possible for 30 minutes, and after that 40 watts are the limit. However, the processor is unable to constantly maintain this performance level in the Cinebench loop. So while the ThinkPad T14s G2 represents a performance upgrade compared to the ThinkPad T14s G1 Intel, the T14s G1 AMD is still the performance king in terms of multicore performance. But at least the Intel model is able to snatch the top spot in the single-core performance.
In battery operation, the CPU performance turns out about 16% lower, and instead of 12,278 points, the T14s G2 only achieved 10,527 points in the 3DMark 11 physics test.
Cinebench R23: Single Core | 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 R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average of class Office (181.3 - 764, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (442 - 589, n=81) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Average of class Office (356 - 5904, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1060 - 2657, n=81) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average of class Office (529 - 1995, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1110 - 1539, n=59) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Average of class Office (1056 - 15743, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (2525 - 6862, n=64) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average of class Office (82.6 - 284, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (115 - 230, n=78) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Average of class Office (160.8 - 2642, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (553 - 1027, n=86) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (468 - 1138, n=80) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average of class Office (214 - 2844, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (4478 - 5507, n=80) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average of class Office (2233 - 6687, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Average of class Office (4226 - 62349, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (15347 - 27405, n=80) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1302 - 1595, n=77) | |
| Average of class Office (510 - 1974, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Office (1018 - 11980, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (3078 - 5926, n=77) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Average of class Office (1.55 - 17.4, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1.39 - 8.47, n=80) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Average of class Office (31.3 - 117.5, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (21.5 - 88.1, n=78) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (0.552 - 1.002, n=80) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average of class Office (0.4244 - 1.397, n=118, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
In the PCMark 10, the Lenovo T14s Gen 2 laptop achieved the highest overall score of our comparison field. This also corresponds to the very good performance in everyday operation.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average of class Office (2325 - 7157, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4531 - 5454, n=50) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (8997 - 11505, n=50) | |
| Average of class Office (5095 - 20841, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Average of class Office (3041 - 10198, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5570 - 7136, n=50) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Office (1912 - 9056, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4083 - 5550, n=50) | |
| Dell Latitude 7410 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5214 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latencies
Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 is struggling with high DPC latencies. This means that there can be some dropouts while working with audio applications.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Solution
The Samsung PM981a is a PCIe 3.0 SSD in the M.2-2280 format, in this case with a capacity of 1 Terrabyte. Compared to the 256-GB model in the predecessor, the SSD of the ThinkPad T14s G2 is considerably faster. Only compared to the PCie 4.0 SSD of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, it clearly remains behind.
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-1T00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ | Dell Latitude 7410 Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G | Average Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -22% | -14% | 33% | -9% | -15% | -7% | |
| Write 4K | 149.7 | 117.5 -22% | 108 -28% | 171.3 14% | 111.4 -26% | 133.4 -11% | 139.7 ? -7% |
| Read 4K | 64.5 | 40.81 -37% | 39.82 -38% | 80.5 25% | 58.2 -10% | 51.3 -20% | 49.9 ? -23% |
| Write Seq | 1933 | 2031 5% | 2028 5% | 2700 40% | 2195 14% | 1897 -2% | 2036 ? 5% |
| Read Seq | 2512 | 1970 -22% | 1826 -27% | 3233 29% | 2516 0% | 2202 -12% | 2014 ? -20% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 514 | 395.5 -23% | 570 11% | 513 0% | 472.1 -8% | 384.9 -25% | 461 ? -10% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 475.9 | 361.4 -24% | 401.5 -16% | 478.4 1% | 380.5 -20% | 318.7 -33% | 499 ? 5% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2968 | 2330 -21% | 3091 4% | 4524 52% | 2339 -21% | 2866 -3% | 2903 ? -2% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3542 | 2530 -29% | 2872 -19% | 7098 100% | 3565 1% | 3122 -12% | 3479 ? -2% |
Constant Performance Reads: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics Card
The Intel Iris Xe G7 Graphics with 96 EUs represents a significant upgrade compared to the older Intel UHD Graphics 620. In the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2, another factor is added: Compared to the T14s G1, Lenovo has upgraded the working memory from DDR4-3200 to LPDDR4X-4266. The faster storage that uses a quad-channel configuration here allows for an even better performance. Overall, there is a gigantic performance jump compared to the Intel UHD Graphics 620 of the predecessor.
In battery operation, the full GPU performance is available.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 7074 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4653 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1717 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
Lenovo manages to get a relatively good gaming performance from the ThinkPad laptop. However, in terms of absolute performance, the Intel Xe GPU still cannot turn the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 into a gaming laptop, and the detail levels have to be reduced in modern games.
| The Witcher 3 - 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (21.4 - 74.1, n=179) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW | |
| Average of class Office (7.82 - 106.3, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| GTA V (2015) | 99 | 74.3 | 25.8 | 10.7 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 93.9 | 59.2 | 30.9 | 15.1 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 85.1 | 87 | 53 | 46.6 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 46 | 24.1 | ||
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 29.2 | 36.2 | 33.4 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 86 | 37.1 | 30 | 24.2 |
| F1 2020 (2020) | 79.7 | 38.9 | 32.4 | 21.4 |
Emissions: The fans are slightly louder than in the ThinkPad T14s G1
Noise Emissions
Regardless of which performance mode you choose in Windows, the fan remains silent if there is no load. In our load tests (3DMark 06, stress test with Prime95 and FurMark), the running fan produces about 35 dB(A), which is noticeable but not annoying. However, compared to the ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 Intel, the fan is clearly louder.
Fortunately, there is no coil whine in the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.81 / 24.81 / 24.81 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 35.14 / 35.14 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.81 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
During the stress test, the highest temperatures of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 are in the center and on the right edge of the laptop. We measured a maximum temperature of 47.5 °C (117.5 °F) in the keyboard frame between the keys. Overall, the temperatures of the ThinkPad give no reason for concern.
After one hour of the stress test, the processor of the T14s 2021 is still able to consume about 22 watts. The CPU temperature is at 67 °C (153 °F) and the processor clock speed at 1.3 GHz. The TDP throttling during the stress test had no impact on the 3DMark 11 that we ran after the stress test, so you should not experience any throttling in everyday operation.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47.5 °C / 118 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 43.4 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.2 °C / 81 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 30.5 °C / 86.9 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 (-2.8 °C / -5 F).
Speakers
One of the changes in the ThinkPad T14s G2 are the speakers now facing toward the top. Compared to the Lenovo T14s Gen 1 laptop, the new design is indeed slightly louder and more balanced in the high frequency range, but the bass is minimally worse. Overall, this represents an improvement, since the sound is now always the same, regardless of the surface underneath the laptop.
As an alternative to the internal speakers, you can also use an external solution, and the head phone connection for this works flawlessly.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.5% 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%
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.3% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 81% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power Management: The T14s G2 offers less battery life than the predecessor
Power Consumption
Compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2020, the T14s 2021 has a lower power consumption in idle operation. However, under load this scenario is reversed, and the older model is more efficient.
At 67.3 watts, the maximum power consumption is higher than the power supply rating of 65 watts. However, since this consumption peak is only maintained briefly, it does not present any problems.
| Off / Standby | 0.23 / 0.46 Watt |
| Idle | 2.2 / 5.5 / 6.1 Watt |
| Load |
41.3 / 67.3 Watt |
   
| |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, LTPS AHVA-IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-1T00, IPS , 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR, IPS LED, 3840x2400, 14.00 | HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Dell Latitude 7410 i7-10610U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00 | Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 0% | -51% | -63% | 4% | -21% | -55% | -33% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 2.2 | 2.6 -18% | 5.7 -159% | 5 -127% | 2.6 -18% | 3.7 -68% | 5.26 ? -139% | 4.29 ? -95% |
| Idle Average * | 5.5 | 5.5 -0% | 8.9 -62% | 10.2 -85% | 5 9% | 6.2 -13% | 8.46 ? -54% | 7.33 ? -33% |
| Idle Maximum * | 6.1 | 7.5 -23% | 11 -80% | 11 -80% | 5.6 8% | 7 -15% | 10.6 ? -74% | 9.15 ? -50% |
| Load Average * | 41.3 | 28.2 32% | 38.2 8% | 51.7 -25% | 39.8 4% | 43.2 -5% | 44.8 ? -8% | 41.1 ? -0% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 34.5 | 37.1 -8% | ||||||
| Load Maximum * | 67.3 | 59.6 11% | 40.2 40% | 67.5 -0% | 49.9 26% | 68.6 -2% | 66.6 ? 1% | 58 ? 14% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
The built-in internal battery of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 offers a capacity of 57 Wh. With this, the ThinkPad laptop achieves a battery life of 9 hours in the Wi-Fi test, which isn't bad, but still worse than that of the direct Intel predecessor. In this regard, the ThinkPad T14s G2 corresponds more to the T14s G1 AMD.
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20T00044GE i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, 57 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7, 57 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XXS00100 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | HP EliteBook 845 G7 Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U R7 PRO 4750U, Vega 7, 53 Wh | Dell Latitude 7410 i7-10610U, UHD Graphics 620, 68 Wh | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 19% | 15% | 21% | 37% | 58% | 7% | |
| H.264 | 874 | 880 1% | 792 -9% | 699 ? -20% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 580 | 789 36% | 612 6% | 700 21% | 795 37% | 661 14% | 595 ? 3% |
| Load | 85 | 102 20% | 127 49% | 172 102% | 117.9 ? 39% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict: The ThinkPad T14s G2 is very good overall, but it could have been even better
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 is a difficult case. While Lenovo performs a complete redesign, also introducing some good changes, the manufacturer forgoes a change to the 16:10 format for reasons unknown. This places the ThinkPad T14s into a strange position in the Lenovo ThinkPad lineup, since it is one of the most expensive models that uses the "old" 16:9 format, undoubtedly causing its attractiveness to suffer compared to the X1 Carbon Gen 9 and also the smaller ThinkPad X13 Gen 2.
However, the great keyboard of the T14s G2 is a bonus, for sure. Although it offers a shorter stroke than that of the predecessor, it still covers the whole standard width, in contrast to the keyboards of the ThinkPad X series. The case of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 2, which is now less prone to showing dirt, leaves a good impression, and so does its broad equipment selection. Wi-Fi 6e and 4G LTE aren't the end of it, and Lenovo also offers optional features such as a new 1080p webcam and 5G. On the other hand, the low-power display is a bit disappointing, since the color reproduction of this panel lacks a few percentage points to completely cover the sRGB color space. But at least it is bright and matte. We find it unfortunate that all of the RAM is still soldered in, although at least it is LPDDR4X storage now.
A very good grade, but still room for improvement: Because of the 16:9 display, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 is not as attractive as it could have been.
Buyers of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 will receive a very good business laptop for usage in company surroundings, as was already the case with the ThinkPad T14s Gen 1. The 16:9 format prevents it from scoring even higher, and despite its improvements in the performance, the Intel version only remains semi attractive. Although a model of the ThinkPad T14s G2 with an AMD Ryzen 5000 has been announced, it is not on the market yet. We expect this model to continue to be the better choice and will of course test it as soon as it becomes available.
Price and Availability
In Germany, the tested 20WM003TGE model costs about 2079 Euros (~$2475). In the US, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 is available from Lenovo directly, starting from $2379.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G2 20WM003TGE
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06/27/2021 v7
Benjamin Herzig
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