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Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 Laptop Review: Foiled by lack of AMD option

Offside. This year's T-series ThinkPads have only received minor updates. Nevertheless, the smaller 14-inch models have improved quite a bit in regard to performance thanks to AMD Ryzen 4000. This cannot be said about the larger ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 though as it lacks the Renoir option entirely and has to make do with Intel's Comet Lake. Our extensive review revealed that this can be a major show-stopper for the large T-series ThinkPad.

With its current 2020 generation of ThinkPad laptops Lenovo does not differentiate model numbers between AMD and Intel SKUs any longer. In other words: The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 are both available with AMD and Intel CPUs. Notice how the largest T-series ThinkPad is suspiciously missing from that list? That’s because unlike its smaller siblings the ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 remains an Intel-exclusive, and AMD-equipped 15-inch ThinkPad models are only available in the ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 or ThinkPad L15 Gen 1 variety.

However, said budget ThinkPads lack the optional 4K UHD display, which is only available on the more expensive ThinkPad T15 that we have in review today. Our review unit comes with an Intel Core i7 CPU, an Nvidia GPU, 1 TB of SSD storage, 16 GB of RAM, and the aforementioned 4K/UHD display. At the time of writing, this particular high-end SKU sold for around 1,600 Euros (~$1,854) without a Windows license exclusively through the Lenovo Campus program. The model available to the general public is limited to just 512 GB of SSD storage but features a 4G/LTE modem in return, and it sold for slightly over 2,000 Euros (~$2,317) at the time of writing.

Competitors include the ThinkPad T590, the ThinkPad E15, and the HP ProBook 455 G7 with AMD Ryzen 4000. Given that the update from last generation’s model is rather minor, this review is an update to last year’s extensive Lenovo ThinkPad T590 review.

Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00 (ThinkPad T15 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-10510U 4 x 1.8 - 4.9 GHz, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX330 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1594 MHz, Memory: 1752 MHz, 1D16, 442.23, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 16 GB on-board, 1 SO-DIMM-Slot free
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 282 PPI, NE156QUM-N66, IPS LED, glossy: no, HDR, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02, 1024 GB 
, M.2 2280, PCIe NVMe, 918 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: audio combo, 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): 19.95 x 365.8 x 248 ( = 0.79 x 14.4 x 9.76 in)
Battery
57 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Camera
Webcam: 720p with IR + ThinkShutter
Additional features
Speakers: 2 Watt Stereo, Keyboard: 6-row chiclet with numpad, Keyboard Light: yes, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.836 kg ( = 64.76 oz / 4.05 pounds), Power Supply: 354 g ( = 12.49 oz / 0.78 pounds)
Price
1560 Euro
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
Best Price
87.2 %
07/2020
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
i7-10510U, GeForce MX330
1.8 kg19.95 mm15.60"3840x2160
87.2 %
09/2019
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N40009GE
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250
1.8 kg19.95 mm15.60"3840x2160
82.1 %
03/2020
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
i7-10510U, Radeon RX 640
1.8 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.6 %
07/2020
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
R7 4700U, Vega 7
1.8 kg19 mm15.60"1920x1080

Size Comparison

368 mm / 14.5 inch 245 mm / 9.65 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 1.8 kg3.95 lbs365.8 mm / 14.4 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.8 kg4.05 lbs365.8 mm / 14.4 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.8 kg4.05 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 257 mm / 10.1 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 1.8 kg4.07 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Left: USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, Thunderbolt 3, miniEthernet/docking, USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI, audio combo, microSD
Left: USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, Thunderbolt 3, miniEthernet/docking, USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI, audio combo, microSD
Right: smart card reader, USB 3.0 Type-A, RJ45 Ethernet, Kensington lock
Right: smart card reader, USB 3.0 Type-A, RJ45 Ethernet, Kensington lock
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
78.8 MB/s
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
73.7 MB/s -6%
Average of class Office
  (8 - 196.8, n=50, last 2 years)
55.6 MB/s -29%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
87.2 MB/s
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s 0%
Average of class Office
  (26.4 - 173.2, n=44, last 2 years)
65.2 MB/s -25%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s +57%
Average of class Office
  (280 - 1332, n=6, last 2 years)
810 MBit/s +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
739 (671min - 839max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
680 (373min - 727max) MBit/s -8%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1576 (1259min - 1688max) MBit/s
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
951 (932min - 963max) MBit/s -40%
Average of class Office
  (348 - 1690, n=6, last 2 years)
852 MBit/s -46%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
811 (593min - 853max) MBit/s -49%
05010015020025030035040045050055060065070075080085090095010001050110011501200125013001350140014501500155016001650Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1576 (1259-1688)
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø739 (671-839)
ColorChecker
10.7 ∆E
16 ∆E
15.2 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
14.6 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
15.9 ∆E
17.6 ∆E
9.4 ∆E
10.5 ∆E
10.4 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
16.6 ∆E
3.9 ∆E
15.6 ∆E
12.6 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
7 ∆E
4.8 ∆E
2 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00: 10.19 ∆E min: 1.95 - max: 17.63 ∆E

4K UHD Display: The ThinkPad T15’s Highlight

Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 subpixel array
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 subpixel array
Almost no backlight bleeding (increased exposure for purpose of illustration)
Almost no backlight bleeding (increased exposure for purpose of illustration)

The matte 15.6-inch 4K UHD display running at a native resolution of 3840x2160 is undoubtedly the ThinkPad T15’s highlight. The FHD (1920x1080) display options are virtually identical to those in the ThinkPad E15 and ThinkPad L15. Those lower-resolution displays, available both with and without touch, feature a lower maximum brightness (250 nits) as well as lower color-space coverage (45% NTSC). If you are interested in higher-quality FHD displays in a ThinkPad, your two choices are the ThinkPad X1 Extreme and the ThinkPad P15 Gen 1.

According to Lenovo, the 4K UHD display in the T15 is supposed to be twice as bright, and our review model was able to make good on that promise. The panel, which we already encountered in the T590, managed an average maximum brightness of 501 nits – twice as much as the more affordable ThinkPad E15 or ProBook 455 G7.

520
cd/m²
515
cd/m²
523
cd/m²
507
cd/m²
489
cd/m²
513
cd/m²
485
cd/m²
474
cd/m²
479
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
NE156QUM-N66 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 523 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 500.6 cd/m² Minimum: 11.5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 494 cd/m²
Contrast: 1397:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.8
ΔE Greyscale 4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98.1% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
84.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
95.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
80.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.24
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NE156QUM-N66, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N40009GE
NE156QUM-N66, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
NV156FHM-N48, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AUO, B156HW02, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-1%
-49%
-51%
Display P3 Coverage
80.7
80.2
-1%
40.25
-50%
37.92
-53%
sRGB Coverage
98.1
97.8
0%
57.7
-41%
57.1
-42%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
95.5
95
-1%
41.59
-56%
39.18
-59%
Response Times
-21%
-43%
-9%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
42 ?(21.2, 20.8)
48.4 ?(24.8, 23.6)
-15%
49.6 ?(24.4, 25.2)
-18%
41 ?(22, 19)
2%
Response Time Black / White *
21.6 ?(10, 11.6)
27.2 ?(14, 13.2)
-26%
36 ?(18.8, 17.2)
-67%
26 ?(15, 11)
-20%
PWM Frequency
1250 ?(99)
Screen
3%
-126%
-86%
Brightness middle
489
531
9%
283
-42%
282
-42%
Brightness
501
523
4%
258
-49%
264
-47%
Brightness Distribution
91
96
5%
81
-11%
88
-3%
Black Level *
0.35
0.37
-6%
0.22
37%
0.19
46%
Contrast
1397
1435
3%
1286
-8%
1484
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3
2.5
17%
7.9
-163%
5.56
-85%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.1
4.4
14%
23.6
-363%
19.07
-274%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
0.8
1
-25%
5.8
-625%
4.5
-463%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4
3.5
12%
6.6
-65%
3.57
11%
Gamma
2.24 98%
2.31 95%
2.18 101%
2.61 84%
CCT
7400 88%
7189 90%
5735 113%
6895 94%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
84.7
84.3
0%
37
-56%
36
-57%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98.1
97.7
0%
57.1
-42%
57
-42%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-6% / -1%
-73% / -101%
-49% / -70%

* ... smaller is better

Colors
Colors
Grayscale
Grayscale
Saturation
Saturation
Colors (calibrated)
Colors (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)
AdobeRGB according to CalMAN
AdobeRGB according to CalMAN

Colors, which are determined by using an X-Rite i1 Pro 2 Colorimeter in combination with CalMAN, are too cool by default. This, fortunately, can be easily rectified through calibration. Colors pop thanks to the panel’s high brightness but the panel’s black level of 0.37 nits is not quite perfect. Nevertheless, the resulting contrast ratio of 1,397:1 is more than just adequate, and color representation in games and movies can be further improved via HDR.

Color-space coverage is one of this particular display’s strengths. It manages to cover sRGB almost entirely, and AdobeRGB very well overall. The difference between the 84.7% of AdobeRGB coverage we determined and Lenovo’s claims can be explained with different test methods. Using CalMAN in 2D mode results in an AdobeRGB coverage of 96.6%.

sRGB: 98.1%
sRGB: 98.1%
AdobeRGB: 84.7%
AdobeRGB: 84.7%
Outdoors (sunny/overcast)
Outdoors (sunny/overcast)

Thanks to its matte surface coating and its high brightness the display was very well usable outdoors. However, direct sunlight should still be avoided.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
21.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 11.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 41 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21.2 ms rise
↘ 20.8 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. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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

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

Viewing angles of this 4K/UHD display were impeccable.

CPU performance is decent, but worse than Renoir

The ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 is currently available with four different quad-core CPUs made by Intel: Core i5-10210Ui5-10310Ui7-10510U, and i7-10610U. Hexa-core models featuring the i7-10710U and i7-10810U are expected to become available in the near future. In addition to the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 the T15 can also be equipped with an Nvidia GeForce MX330. Either 8 or 16 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, which can be further expanded via a single SO-DIMM module. Our review unit’s slot was not populated, which means this particular model can take up to 48 GB of RAM. The T15 features a single slot for M.2-2280 or M.2-2242 SSDs.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
HWiNFO
HWiNFO
GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics 620
GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics 620
 

Processor

The Core i7-10510U is a quad-core processor that runs at clock speeds of between 1.8 and 4.8 GHz. As indicated, this U-class processor has a nominal TDP of 15 W. Find out how this CPU compares to others in our CPU comparison list.

In CineBench, the CPU was at first allowed to consume up to 45 W, which was lowered to 25 W and a resulting clock speed of 3.3 GHz after 30 seconds. The CPU remained at this level throughout our CineBench loop with temperatures slowly rising.

Performance was decent for a current Intel U-class CPU. However, considering the AMD Ryzen 4000’s performance advantage over Intel’s current lineup this does not mean much, as can be seen when comparing the T15’s results to the HP ProBook 455 G7. If you are looking for ultimate CPU performance, the ThinkPad T15 and its lack of AMD option is not the best choice.

We found no performance throttling on battery.

0551101652202753303854404955506056607157708258809359901045Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00 Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø689 (632.32-756.56)
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø537 (533-579)
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U: Ø905 (890.95-1068.26)
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø620 (499-711)
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
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +82%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1050 Points +39%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
757 (632.32min - 756.56max) Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
711 (499min - 719max) Points -6%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (482 - 856, n=45)
666 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
586 Points -23%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
193 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
188.3 Points
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
181 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (113 - 202, n=42)
178.4 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
174 Points -8%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Office
  (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years)
3055 Points +87%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
2601 Points +59%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
1636 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
1571 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (1015 - 1897, n=38)
1412 Points -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
1290 Points -21%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Office
  (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years)
553 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
474 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
472 Points 0%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
462 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
438 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (362 - 497, n=37)
437 Points -8%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
810 Seconds * -19%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (628 - 1051, n=31)
796 Seconds * -17%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
687 Seconds * -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
680 Seconds *
Average of class Office
  (214 - 2844, n=121, last 2 years)
543 Seconds * +20%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
537 Seconds * +21%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Office
  (2233 - 6687, n=122, last 2 years)
4967 MIPS +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
4814 MIPS +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
4788 MIPS
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
4611 MIPS -4%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (3747 - 4981, n=31)
4591 MIPS -4%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4208 MIPS -12%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Office
  (4226 - 62349, n=121, last 2 years)
34257 MIPS +89%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
27219 MIPS +50%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
20861 MIPS +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
18137 MIPS
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (12196 - 21298, n=31)
17704 MIPS -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
17312 MIPS -5%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Office
  (510 - 1974, n=123, last 2 years)
1452 Points +18%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
1232 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
1225 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (977 - 1287, n=31)
1197 Points -3%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
1109 Points -10%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Office
  (1018 - 11980, n=123, last 2 years)
6503 Points +69%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4853 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
3850 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (2474 - 4484, n=31)
3687 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
3408 Points -11%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Office
  (1.55 - 17.4, n=121, last 2 years)
9.04 fps +73%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
6.79 fps +30%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
5.5 fps +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
5.24 fps
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (3.41 - 6.04, n=31)
4.65 fps -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
4.6 fps -12%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
115.7 s * -112%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (50.7 - 77.8, n=27)
59.9 s * -10%
Average of class Office
  (31.3 - 117.5, n=121, last 2 years)
57.3 s * -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
54.5 s *
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (0.637 - 0.81, n=28)
0.68 sec * -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.666 sec * -3%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
0.651 sec * -0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.648 sec *
Average of class Office
  (0.4244 - 1.397, n=120, last 2 years)
0.593 sec * +8%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
757 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
93.4 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
188.3 Points
Help

System Performance

The 4K/UHD display had a noticeable detrimental effect on our PCMark benchmark results. Nevertheless, the T15 felt smooth and snappy in everyday use.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5312 Points +38%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
5023 Points +30%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4547 Points +18%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
4527 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
3861 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX330
 
3861 Points 0%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9781 Points +23%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
9601 Points +21%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
8929 Points +13%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
8303 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
7935 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX330
 
7935 Points 0%
Productivity
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
8567 Points +34%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
7443 Points +17%
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7439 Points +17%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
6805 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
6379 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX330
 
6379 Points 0%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5732 Points +86%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
4459 Points +44%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
4181 Points +35%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3841 Points +24%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
3088 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX330
 
3088 Points 0%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (2304 - 4830, n=12, last 2 years)
4261 Points +43%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
4045 Points +36%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
4015 Points +35%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3885 Points +31%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
2971 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX330
 
2971 Points 0%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
5225 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Radeon RX 640, i7-10510U, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
5142 Points +15%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
5101 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
4456 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX330
 
4456 Points 0%
Average of class Office
  (1854 - 5610, n=12, last 2 years)
3746 Points -16%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2971 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4456 points
PCMark 10 Score
3861 points
Help

DPC Latencies

Unfortunately, the ThinkPad T15 suffers from DPC latencies, which are caused by the network driver according to LatencyMon. Our YouTube test proved that this can be a real issue as it dropped frames consistently throughout the test.

LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
YouTube Test
YouTube Test
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1810 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

Our ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 review unit featured a 1 TB large M.2 SSD made by Toshiba. The XG6 PCIe NVMe SSD performed faster than all of our 512-GB comparison SSDs across the board.

Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Average Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-15%
-26%
-8%
9%
Write 4K
159.1
144.4
-9%
141.9
-11%
126.2
-21%
162.2 ?(114.8 - 216, n=4)
2%
Read 4K
55.6
52.3
-6%
37.25
-33%
48.93
-12%
54.8 ?(49.5 - 60.8, n=4)
-1%
Write Seq
1435
946
-34%
998
-30%
1345
-6%
1745 ?(1435 - 1988, n=4)
22%
Read Seq
1435
1608
12%
1233
-14%
1373
-4%
1941 ?(1435 - 2260, n=4)
35%
Write 4K Q32T1
512
592
16%
338.4
-34%
383.8
-25%
493 ?(324 - 666, n=4)
-4%
Read 4K Q32T1
541
397.7
-26%
431.1
-20%
434.8
-20%
542 ?(341 - 745, n=4)
0%
Write Seq Q32T1
2682
1364
-49%
1367
-49%
2966
11%
2961 ?(2682 - 3057, n=4)
10%
Read Seq Q32T1
2902
2301
-21%
2355
-19%
3230
11%
3190 ?(2902 - 3296, n=4)
10%
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2902 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2682 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 541 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 512 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1435 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1435 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 55.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 159.1 MB/s

Sustained Read Performance: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

GPU-Z Nvidia GeForce MX330
GPU-Z Nvidia GeForce MX330

The Nvidia GeForce MX330 is Nvidia’s current low-end GPU based on the older Pascal architecture, and it is practically identical to the Nvidia GeForce MX250 found in the ThinkPad T590. It features the same number of shaders (384), the same 64-bit memory interface, the same 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, and virtually the same clock speeds.

The T15 performed slightly better in the older 3DMark 11 benchmarks but worse in more recent versions of 3DMark. While it performed faster than AMD’s integrated RX Vega 7 GPU the difference was only really worth mentioning when compared to the single-channel RAM model of HP’s ProBook 455 G7. In dual-channel configurations, such as Acer’s Swift 3, AMD’s Renoir GPU is practically just as fast.

We found no performance throttling on battery.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 12230, n=115, last 2 years)
5878 Points +27%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
4998 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4990 Points +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX330
  (4616 - 4863, n=4)
4787 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NVIDIA GeForce MX330, Intel Core i7-10510U
4616 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
4126 Points -11%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
4019 Points -13%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (5681 - 58068, n=98, last 2 years)
23871 Points +53%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
23748 Points +52%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
22895 Points +47%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX330
  (15595 - 23580, n=3)
19968 Points +28%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
19479 Points +25%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
16972 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NVIDIA GeForce MX330, Intel Core i7-10510U
15595 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (712 - 8815, n=117, last 2 years)
4072 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3858 Points +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX330
  (3581 - 3838, n=3)
3727 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NVIDIA GeForce MX330, Intel Core i7-10510U
3581 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
3279 Points -8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
3134 Points -12%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
2425 Points -32%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Office
  (242 - 3186, n=113, last 2 years)
1323 Points +25%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX330
  (1059 - 1190, n=3)
1136 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
NVIDIA GeForce MX330, Intel Core i7-10510U
1059 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
AMD Radeon RX 640, Intel Core i7-10510U
990 Points -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R4XJ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
973 Points -8%
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
742 Points -30%
3DMark 11 Performance
4898 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
12137 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3308 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1178 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Older games will run decently well on Nvidia’s GeForce MX300 in reduced details. Even current games can be enjoyed smoothly in minimum details and low resolutions. 4K/UHD gaming is definitely a no-go. GPU performance was consistent under load.

The Witcher 3 - 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Office
  (7.82 - 89, n=97, last 2 years)
44.3 fps +30%
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
Intel Core i7-10510U, AMD Radeon RX 640
38.4 fps +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
35.8 fps +5%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX330
  (34.2 - 37, n=2)
35.6 fps +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX330
34.2 (27min - 42max) fps
0510Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00 GeForce MX330, i7-10510U, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02: Ø12 (11-13)
low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 64.7 34.2 19.9 12
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 116 107 53.9 38.2 21.9
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 33.4 47.3 35.9 18.1
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 52.4 17.1
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 52.9 16.1

Emissions: Lenovo’s laptop gets hot but remains quiet

Noise Emissions

The fan was quieter than on its predecessor, just like on the smaller ThinkPad T14. When idle it was completely off, and if it ever does turn on it only knows a single level of noise.

We experienced coil whine during some of our benchmarks and suspect the SSD to be the culprit.

Noise Level

Idle
29.4 / 29.4 / 29.4 dB(A)
Load
34.2 / 34.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.4 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.134.737.830.92529.329.127.125.8313031.830.830.44028.929.530.533.65030.528.827.934.66327.526.724.125.58025.82523.224.710027.324.622.623.612524.324.222.423.416024.223.523.22320023.423.623.322.525024.524.224.122.631523.722.721.724.640022.321.920.521.650022.121.62021.863022.121.419.421.480022.521.31921.6100023.121.718.822.4125023.322.318.122.7160022.42116.621.9200022.720.916.121.925002522.715.724.3315022.620.715.522.1400021.919.715.321.1500019.117.415.218.4630017.216.715.316.6800016.416.215.216.110000161615.115.81250015.815.91515.61600015.515.414.815.5SPL34.232.729.433.5N21.81.31.9median 22.5median 21.4median 18.1median 21.9Delta2.72.72.8230.731.429.828.529.428.925.62624.926.227.725.926.828.428.228.426.327.526.428.224.827.526.522.924.125.323.324.423.529.424.422.623.222.325.422.722.723.923.42421.821.723.723.523.722.221.722.121.621.923.622.421.820.824.321.621.521.321.222.922.221.120.820.721.822.821.520.919.622.122.421.620.919.522.723.721.720.719.323.324.422.52118.524.623.821.820.117.923.824.822.520.717.424.623.521.919.91723.42422.119.516.723.826.623.220.716.726.626.523.621.315.926.522.921.619.315.82322.819.31715.922.419.617.716.81619.318.116.816.316.417.816.3161615.316.215.615.315.415.215.415.115.415.71515.135.833.531.829.335.72.31.91.61.22.3median 22.8median 21.7median 20.7median 17.4median 231.82.31.32.12hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE

Temperature

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

Temperatures remained below 60 °C, unlike on the smaller ThinkPad T14. However, we found a single hotspot of up to 59 °C under load at the bottom, which is definitely beyond comfortable.  All things considered, surface temperatures were less of an issue than on the smaller T14, most likely due to the T15’s better cooling solution.

Running our stress test with Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously proved that the ThinkPad T15’s cooler was capable of handling high and consistent simultaneous CPU and GPU load without any issues. The CPU was allowed to consume up to 25 W throughout the test, resulting in temperatures of up to 90 °C. The GPU had to throttle at the same time. This throttling under extreme circumstances should have absolutely no effect on everyday use. Running 3DMark 11 immediately following our stress test produced identical results.

Max. Load
 37.6 °C
100 F
42.6 °C
109 F
42.3 °C
108 F
 
 33.3 °C
92 F
38.3 °C
101 F
42.1 °C
108 F
 
 27.4 °C
81 F
30.4 °C
87 F
29.6 °C
85 F
 
Maximum: 42.6 °C = 109 F
Average: 36 °C = 97 F
50.3 °C
123 F
59.2 °C
139 F
42.7 °C
109 F
44.2 °C
112 F
51.4 °C
125 F
40.1 °C
104 F
27.3 °C
81 F
27.5 °C
82 F
27.2 °C
81 F
Maximum: 59.2 °C = 139 F
Average: 41.1 °C = 106 F
Power Supply (max.)  40.1 °C = 104 F | Room Temperature 22.3 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36 °C / 97 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 42.6 °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 59.2 °C / 139 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.7 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 36.4 °C / 98 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 31.2 °C / 88.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-3.5 °C / -6.3 F).
Stress test (top)
Stress test (top)
Stress test (bottom)
Stress test (bottom)

Speakers

The speakers remained unchanged from last year’s ThinkPad T590. This means that they still lack bass and volume. The audio combo port worked flawlessly and is much better suited for listening to music.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.832.62527.127.23130.828.34030.526.85027.930.36324.124.18023.224.910022.625.612522.427.616023.236.720023.342.225024.146.631521.750.340020.554.15002057.563019.4598001958.6100018.861.9125018.164.5160016.661.1200016.159.7250015.759.2315015.559.4400015.355.1500015.254.3630015.352800015.250.91000015.150.4125001548.91600014.840SPL29.471.1N1.326.6median 18.1median 54.1Delta2.88.228.529.524.92828.429.626.432.922.926.423.533.222.326.823.429.823.530.921.636.920.841.621.243.420.744.119.650.119.554.919.355.218.553.717.960.717.462.31762.116.758.316.759.315.960.715.85915.958.71655.116.453.715.346.615.245.31537.129.370.91.226median 17.4median 53.72.18.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (71.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 71% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 72% 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 T590-20N4002VGE audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 76% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management: Inefficient ThinkPad due to 4K Display

Power Consumption

Power consumption remained identical to last year’s ThinkPad T590, which is not particularly surprising considering the overall almost identical hardware. Power consumption remained very high due to the 4K/UHD display.

Despite its high average power consumption of 66 W under load the 65 W power supply should be sufficient for powering the device. At the end of our stress test, our power meter read just 54 W.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 5.9 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.3 / 13.8 / 16.2 Watt
Load midlight 66 / 67.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
i7-10510U, GeForce MX330, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02, IPS LED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N40009GE
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, WDC PC SN720 SDAQNTW-512G, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
i7-10510U, Radeon RX 640, Samsung PM991 MZALQ512HALU, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
R7 4700U, Vega 7, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX330
 
Average of class Office
 
Power Consumption
2%
30%
35%
-7%
29%
Idle Minimum *
4.3
4.3
-0%
3.2
26%
3.8
12%
5.2 ?(4.3 - 6.1, n=2)
-21%
4.27 ?(2.2 - 9.4, n=107, last 2 years)
1%
Idle Average *
13.8
12.4
10%
6.8
51%
7.7
44%
13.4 ?(13 - 13.8, n=2)
3%
7.32 ?(3.8 - 20.6, n=107, last 2 years)
47%
Idle Maximum *
16.2
16.2
-0%
9.5
41%
10.5
35%
14.9 ?(13.5 - 16.2, n=2)
8%
9.1 ?(4.8 - 23.9, n=107, last 2 years)
44%
Load Average *
66
65.6
1%
44
33%
32
52%
69.4 ?(66 - 72.7, n=2)
-5%
40.4 ?(8.7 - 75.2, n=106, last 2 years)
39%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53
Load Maximum *
67.4
69.5
-3%
66.4
1%
45.4
33%
82.3 ?(67.4 - 97.1, n=2)
-22%
57.4 ?(11.1 - 101.4, n=107, last 2 years)
15%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Time to charge: 117 minutes
Time to charge: 117 minutes

Despite its identical 57 Wh battery when compared to the ThinkPad T590 the ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 managed to run longer in our Wi-Fi test. We suspect this may be due to the newer version of the Edge browser. Overall, battery life remains a sore point at less than 7 hours due to the 4K/UHD display. Running this particular display on full brightness will slice battery life in half.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge Chromium)
7h 06min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge Chromium)
3h 49min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 03min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 12min
Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00
i7-10510U, GeForce MX330, 57 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N40009GE
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, 57 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 20RD0011GE
i7-10510U, Radeon RX 640, 45 Wh
HP ProBook 455 G7-175W8EA
R7 4700U, Vega 7, 45 Wh
Average of class Office
 
Battery Runtime
13%
30%
12%
48%
H.264
483
625
29%
402
-17%
691 ?(348 - 1112, n=40, last 2 years)
43%
WiFi v1.3
426
363
-15%
447
5%
455
7%
589 ?(272 - 1137, n=107, last 2 years)
38%
Load
72
101
40%
112
56%
106
47%
117 ?(56 - 209, n=65, last 2 years)
63%

Pros

+ robust case
+ plentiful connectivity
+ very comfortable input devices, keyboard with numpad
+ fan off most of the time
+ extensive warranty packages
+ colorful and bright 4K UHD display
+ Wi-Fi 6

Cons

- no full-size SD slot
- Thunderbolt 3 only connected to two PCIe lanes
- case is hard to open
- high surface temperatures
- less versatile due to lack of PowerBridge
- DPC latency problem
- below average battery life
- no AMD Ryzen 4000 option

Verdict

In review: Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1. Test unit courtesy of campuspoint
In review: Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1. Test unit courtesy of campuspoint

The Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 is the only 2020-generation ThinkPad that cannot be equipped with AMD’s Ryzen 4000-series CPU. Accordingly, we have a very hard time recommending this particular model considering that the more affordable ThinkPad E15 and ThinkPad L15 with AMD Renoir perform so much better.

True, the ThinkPad T15 features excellent input devices and a wide variety of ports, but so do its more affordable siblings. Except for of course Thunderbolt 3, which is not available on those models. Another T15 exclusive is the 4K/UHD display, a high-end panel in almost every single way.

Its only downside, if you will, is its high power consumption resulting in below average battery life. In addition, temperatures were fairly high on this particular SKU but the fan was very quiet in return. Wi-Fi 6 support is foiled by high DPC latencies. Otherwise, the T15’s strengths and weaknesses are identical to the ThinkPad T590.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 is somewhat lost in the undefined space between price-performance ratio and quality. The lack of AMD option will make this a much less desirable alternative.

In and of itself the T15 is a great business laptop, no doubt about it. However, more affordable laptops equipped with Ryzen 4000 will offer a much higher level of performance. If you insist on a 4K/UHD panel and Thunderbolt 3 you may want to take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 instead.

Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen1-20S7S02U00 - 07/16/2020 v7
Benjamin Herzig

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
91%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
73 / 80 → 91%
Weight
65 / 20-75 → 82%
Battery
75%
Display
92%
Games Performance
64 / 78 → 82%
Application Performance
84 / 95 → 88%
Temperature
85%
Noise
97%
Audio
58%
Camera
25 / 85 → 30%
Average
76%
87%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad T15 Gen 1 Laptop Review: Foiled by lack of AMD option
Benjamin Herzig, 2020-07-21 (Update: 2020-07-24)