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Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Laptop Review: The Comet Lake-U Update

Small CPU refresh. Lenovo is refreshing its ThinkPad T490 one last time before the impending launch of the ThinkPad T14. The update is so minor, however, that you can opt for last year's ThinkPad T490 or just wait for the ThinkPad T14 instead without missing all that much.

Early last month, Lenovo unveiled the ThinkPad T14 and ThinkPad T15 as successors to the ThinkPad T490 and ThinkPad T590, respectively. We've already reviewed the T490 in multiple Whiskey Lake-U SKUs over the past year. Now, this latest Comet Lake-U configuration will likely be the last refresh before the aforementioned ThinkPad T14/15 series hits the market.

The unit here comes equipped with the Core i7-10510U CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and a FHD touchscreen for a retail price of $1600 USD on CUKUSA.com. Its aftermarket Sabrent Rocket Q NVMe SSD is courtesy of our reseller and so users shouldn't expect this same brand if purchasing the T490 directly from Lenovo. See our existing reviews on the ThinkPad T490 to learn more about the chassis and its features as this page will instead focus on the display and new CPU.

More Lenovo ThinkPad reviews:

Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US (ThinkPad T490 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-10510U 4 x 1.8 - 4.9 GHz, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, 26.20.100.7261
Memory
32 GB 
, DDR4-2666, Dual-Channel, 10-10-10-28. 16 GB soldered + 16 GB removable
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, 10-point capacitive, native pen support, R140NWF5 RA, IPS, LEN40A9, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Soundcard
Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP - cAVS
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: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-V (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 5.0
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
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.46 kg ( = 51.5 oz / 3.22 pounds), Power Supply: 345 g ( = 12.17 oz / 0.76 pounds)
Price
1600 USD
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
86.3 %
03/2020
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620
1.5 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
89.6 %
03/2018
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150
1.8 kg20 mm14.00"1920x1080
79.7 %
08/2019
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
R7 3700U, Vega 10
1.8 kg19.5 mm15.60"1920x1080
88.4 %
09/2019
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
R7 PRO 3700U, Vega 10
1.3 kg16.1 mm14.00"1920x1080
81.8 %
02/2020
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
1.9 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case

339 mm / 13.3 inch 232 mm / 9.13 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 1.7 kg3.81 lbs339 mm / 13.3 inch 232.5 mm / 9.15 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 1.7 kg3.81 lbs337 mm / 13.3 inch 233 mm / 9.17 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.8 kg3.92 lbs336.6 mm / 13.3 inch 232.5 mm / 9.15 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.7 kg3.67 lbs329 mm / 13 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.5 kg3.22 lbs328.8 mm / 12.9 inch 225.8 mm / 8.89 inch 16.1 mm / 0.634 inch 1.3 kg2.82 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: Optional Smart Card reader, USB 3.1 Type-A, RJ-45 gigabit Ethernet, Kensington Lock
Right: Optional Smart Card reader, USB 3.1 Type-A, RJ-45 gigabit Ethernet, Kensington Lock
Rear: Optional Micro-SIM slot
Rear: Optional Micro-SIM slot
Left: USB Type-C Gen. 1, USB Type-C Gen. 2 + Thunderbolt 3, ThinkPad Dock, HDMI 1.4, 3.5 mm combo audio, MicroSD reader
Left: USB Type-C Gen. 1, USB Type-C Gen. 2 + Thunderbolt 3, ThinkPad Dock, HDMI 1.4, 3.5 mm combo audio, MicroSD reader

SD Card Reader

No fingernails? Good luck trying to get the MicroSD card out
No fingernails? Good luck trying to get the MicroSD card out
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
78.8 MB/s +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.8 MB/s +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76.6 MB/s +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
75.9 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
 
65 MB/s -14%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
90.2 MB/s +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
88.7 MB/s +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.4 MB/s +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
 
86 MB/s +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
83.9 MB/s

Communication

Wireless has been updated from the Intel 9560 Wi-Fi 5 to the newer Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6. We're able to record average transfer rates ranging from 1300 Mbps to 1700 Mbps when connected to a Netgear RAX200 router and 2.5 Gbps server line.

WLAN module is soldered
WLAN module is soldered
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1666 (841min - 1700max) MBit/s
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1563 (1461min - 1779max) MBit/s -6%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
1203 (1102min - 1276max) MBit/s -28%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
496 (459min - 531max) MBit/s -70%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1378 (693min - 1402max) MBit/s
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1282 (1203min - 1358max) MBit/s -7%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
1096 (1062min - 1130max) MBit/s -20%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
638 (625min - 645max) MBit/s -54%
085170255340425510595680765850935102011051190127513601445153016151700Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1378 (1352-1402)
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1667 (1622-1700)

Webcam

ColorChecker
4 ∆E
3.5 ∆E
3 ∆E
2.8 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
2.8 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
7.7 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
4.1 ∆E
5.6 ∆E
8.2 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
5.8 ∆E
4.5 ∆E
7 ∆E
10 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
6.4 ∆E
4.2 ∆E
1.7 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US: 5.37 ∆E min: 1.73 - max: 10.03 ∆E

Maintenance

Input Devices

Display

Our latest T490 unit uses a different panel than all the other T490 units that we've tested thus far. Whereas the other units had QHD B140QAN02.0 or FHD NE140FHM-N61 panels, the unit here uses an FHD R140NWF5 RA panel. This panel is the inferior FHD option as it is dimmer (300 nits vs 400 nits) and with more limited colors (61 percent sRGB vs 92 percent sRGB) than on the NE140FHM-N61. Pulse-width modulation is also now present on nearly all brightness levels. On the other hand, response times are faster this time around for less noticeable ghosting.

There is slight-moderate uneven backlight bleeding on our test unit as shown by the picture below. Thankfully, it is unnoticeable during day-to-day browsing or word processing.

Display options range from 768p to 1080p and 1440p with matte or glossy options
Display options range from 768p to 1080p and 1440p with matte or glossy options
Uncommon matte touchscreen whereas most other touchscreen are glossy
Uncommon matte touchscreen whereas most other touchscreen are glossy
Physical webcam shutter
Physical webcam shutter
Narrow side bezels. The top and bottom bezels are still quick
Narrow side bezels. The top and bottom bezels are still quick
Matte subpixel array. There is a slight layer of graininess unlike on sharper glossy panels
Matte subpixel array. There is a slight layer of graininess unlike on sharper glossy panels
The uneven backlight bleeding is only slightly noticeable during video playback
The uneven backlight bleeding is only slightly noticeable during video playback
294.9
cd/m²
308.8
cd/m²
289
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
305.6
cd/m²
291.8
cd/m²
285.3
cd/m²
281.3
cd/m²
298.4
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
R140NWF5 RA tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 308.8 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 293.3 cd/m² Minimum: 5.37 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 305.6 cd/m²
Contrast: 1528:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.27 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.66
ΔE Greyscale 2.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
61.1% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.99% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.33
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
R140NWF5 RA, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Lenovo LP140WF6-SPB7, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
N140HCA-EAB, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
Lenovo LEN40A9 / N140HCE-EAA, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
Samsung LTN140KT14401, TN-Panel, 14.00, 1600x900
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
B140HAN05.7, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Display
-4%
1%
2%
-3%
61%
Display P3 Coverage
40.99
39.24
-4%
41.6
1%
42.09
3%
39.62
-3%
67
63%
sRGB Coverage
61.3
58.8
-4%
61.9
1%
62
1%
59.6
-3%
96.8
58%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.37
40.56
-4%
43.06
2%
43.6
3%
40.94
-3%
68.3
61%
Response Times
18%
-5%
11%
-32%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
47.2 ?(26, 21.2)
35.6 ?(17.6, 18)
25%
41.6 ?(20.4, 21.2)
12%
42.4 ?(16, 26.4)
10%
60.8 ?(30.8, 30)
-29%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(14.8, 13.2)
24.8 ?(13.2, 11.6)
11%
34 ?(9.6, 24.4)
-21%
24.8 ?(7.6, 17.2)
11%
37.6 ?(19.6, 18)
-34%
PWM Frequency
980 ?(99)
Screen
-13%
-20%
-33%
-87%
24%
Brightness middle
305.6
307
0%
306
0%
230
-25%
166
-46%
380
24%
Brightness
293
295
1%
287
-2%
216
-26%
163
-44%
381
30%
Brightness Distribution
91
90
-1%
88
-3%
85
-7%
68
-25%
87
-4%
Black Level *
0.2
0.25
-25%
0.3
-50%
0.26
-30%
0.71
-255%
0.22
-10%
Contrast
1528
1228
-20%
1020
-33%
885
-42%
234
-85%
1727
13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.27
5.7
-33%
6.2
-45%
7.32
-71%
7.16
-68%
4
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
22.5
21.3
5%
13.6
40%
18.14
19%
5.7
75%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.66
4.7
-28%
1.2
67%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.8
3.7
-32%
5.8
-107%
6.98
-149%
7.62
-172%
4.4
-57%
Gamma
2.33 94%
2.11 104%
2.04 108%
2.5 88%
2.25 98%
2.54 87%
CCT
6416 101%
7353 88%
6277 104%
6683 97%
9371 69%
6963 93%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
39.1
37.4
-4%
39.62
1%
39.97
2%
37.8
-3%
62.2
59%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
61.1
58.7
-4%
61.44
1%
61.55
1%
96.6
58%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
0% / -7%
-8% / -14%
-7% / -20%
-45% / -64%
18% / 24%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is limited to just 61 percent of sRGB compared to >95 percent on high-end Ultrabooks like the ZenBook S13 or HP Spectre 13. Users will have to configure the ThinkPad T490 with higher-end panel options for deeper and more accurate colors.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal an accurate grayscale out of the box. Calibrating the panel ourselves improves the average grayscale DeltaE even further from 2.8 to 1.1. Color accuracy, however, remains average at best due to the limited color coverage mentioned above. Blue is especially inaccurate relative to the other colors tested.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

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
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.8 ms rise
↘ 13.2 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. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
47.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 21.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 79 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 980 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 980 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 980 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

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

Outdoors visibility is worse than the other T490 laptops we've tested since the screen is dimmer this time around. We recommend opting for the 400-nit option or even alternatives like the XPS 13 or HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5 which have much brighter displays.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

Lenovo offers the 10th gen Core i5-10210U or Core i7-10510U CPU to replace the older 8th gen Core i5-8265U or Core i7-8565U, respectively. While RAM is now faster (DDR4-2666), the optional GeForce MX250 graphics remain the same. It's a shame that there is no Core i7-10710U option as that would have have boosted the multi-thread performance of the system much further. AMD Ryzen options are reserved for the ThinkPad T495 or T495s series.

LatencyMon shows no recurring DPC latency issues even with Wi-Fi enabled.

 

Processor

CPU performance is where we expect it to be at within 3 percent of the average Core i7-10510U in our database. Unfortunately, the actual processor itself is underwhelming as it's only marginally faster than the last generation Core i7-8565U or Core i7-8550U at best. AMD's competing Ryzen 7 3700U is also comparable in multi-threaded workloads while costing less. A Core i7-10710U option would have offered a more significant gen-to-gen performance boost.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-10510U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø650 (621.2-684.29)
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE Quadro P520, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW256G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø624 (521.26-694.16)
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø550 (517.87-676.69)
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00 Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø578 (565.26-658.27)
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
472 Points +4%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Core i7-10710U
460 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
454 Points
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Core i7-1065G7
452 Points 0%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
439 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (362 - 497, n=37)
437 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel Core i5-10210U
418 Points -8%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
381 Points -16%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
356 Points -22%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
334 Points -26%
CPU (Multi Core)
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Core i7-10710U
2598 Points +66%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
1630 Points +4%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1590 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel Core i5-10210U
1581 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
1571 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
1565 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
1499 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (1015 - 1897, n=38)
1412 Points -10%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1398 Points -11%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1392 Points -11%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
193 Points +4%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Core i7-10710U
191 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
186 Points
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Core i7-1065G7
181 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (113 - 202, n=42)
178.4 Points -4%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
172 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel Core i5-10210U
165 Points -11%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
148 Points -20%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
147 Points -21%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
135 Points -27%
CPU Multi 64Bit
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Core i7-10710U
1103 Points +68%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Core i7-1065G7
749 Points +14%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
736 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
711 (499min - 719max) Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel Core i5-10210U
687 Points +5%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
672 Points +2%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
670 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (482 - 856, n=45)
666 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel Core i7-10510U
657 Points
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
640 Points -3%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
2.05 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
 
1.95 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel Core i5-10210U
1.88 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
1.52 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
7.94 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
7.56 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel Core i5-10210U
7.55 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
 
6.69 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
23829 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (6763 - 26265, n=3)
19637 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average Intel Core i7-10510U
  (5740 - 7748, n=3)
6919 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
6855 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7
265 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
186 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
657 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
61.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help

System Performance

Average PCMark results are higher than than every 14-inch ThinkPad T series laptop thus far including last year's Whiskey Lake-U SKU equipped with faster GeForce MX250 graphics. This is likely partly attributed to the aftermarket Sabrent Rocket Q NVMe SSD that CUKUSA has outfitted onto our test unit.

We experienced no notable software or hardware glitches during our time with the unit.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
4661 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4341 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3762 Points -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G
3704 Points -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3686 Points -21%
Essentials
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
9821 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7981 Points -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
7480 Points -24%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G
7471 Points -24%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6423 Points -35%
Productivity
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
8036 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7392 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6500 Points -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G
6083 Points -24%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
5670 Points -29%
Digital Content Creation
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3778 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
3483 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3407 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3258 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G
3036 Points -13%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4161 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4052 Points +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
3883 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3675 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3507 Points -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G
3436 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZ7TE256HMHP
2989 Points -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Toshiba HG6 THNSFJ256GCSU
2891 Points -26%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
5293 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5277 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
5077 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5025 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Toshiba KXG5AZNV256G
4824 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4667 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZ7TE256HMHP
4101 Points -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Toshiba HG6 THNSFJ256GCSU
3956 Points -25%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3883 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5293 points
PCMark 10 Score
4661 points
Help

Storage Devices

Only one internal M.2 2280 slot is available whereas the older ThinkPad T480 has a secondary 2.5-inch SATA III bay. The Sabrent Rocket Q SSD is more comparable to the Samsung PM981a rather than the slower SK Hynix PC501 or the Toshiba HG6 series.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
M.2 2280 PCIe x4 slot. Note the adjacent WWAN slot available only for certain SKUs
M.2 2280 PCIe x4 slot. Note the adjacent WWAN slot available only for certain SKUs
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
Toshiba HG6 THNSFJ256GCSU
Lenovo ThinkPad T470s-20HF0012US
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZ7TE256HMHP
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
AS SSD
-282%
-76%
-3%
-60%
15%
Seq Read
2073
1441
-30%
503
-76%
2691
30%
508
-75%
2661
28%
Seq Write
1865
487.1
-74%
432.8
-77%
1170
-37%
230
-88%
2314
24%
4K Read
50.9
58
14%
19.57
-62%
48.84
-4%
33.9
-33%
45.52
-11%
4K Write
157.6
1.76
-99%
62.6
-60%
147.9
-6%
98.7
-37%
105.3
-33%
4K-64 Read
689
1278
85%
347
-50%
1765
156%
362.7
-47%
1806
162%
4K-64 Write
1615
96.2
-94%
114.5
-93%
538
-67%
184.2
-89%
1650
2%
Access Time Read *
0.043
0.041
5%
0.133
-209%
0.06
-40%
0.04
7%
Access Time Write *
0.07
2.515
-3493%
0.061
13%
0.025
64%
0.033
53%
0.041
41%
Score Read
947
1480
56%
417
-56%
2083
120%
447
-53%
2118
124%
Score Write
1959
147
-92%
220
-89%
803
-59%
306
-84%
1986
1%
Score Total
3394
2348
-31%
852
-75%
3875
14%
980
-71%
5169
52%
Copy ISO MB/s
3024
921
-70%
797
-74%
225.8
-93%
1131
-63%
Copy Program MB/s
715
254.8
-64%
291
-59%
153.3
-79%
267.1
-63%
Copy Game MB/s
1650
676
-59%
309.9
-81%
191.2
-88%
691
-58%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-28%
-15%
Write 4K
227.2
153.1
-33%
142.3
-37%
Read 4K
55.3
48.3
-13%
46.69
-16%
Write Seq
1411
866
-39%
Read Seq
1046
904
-14%
Write 4K Q32T1
643
424.6
-34%
268.3
-58%
Read 4K Q32T1
625
403.2
-35%
359.6
-42%
Write Seq Q32T1
1972
1725
-13%
3033
54%
Read Seq Q32T1
3247
1780
-45%
3561
10%
Write 4K Q8T8
1491
Read 4K Q8T8
1499
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-155% / -190%
-76% / -76%
-3% / -3%
-60% / -60%
0% / 6%

* ... smaller is better

Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3247 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1972 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 625 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 643 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1046 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1411 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 55.3 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 227.2 MB/s

GPU Performance

Despite being a sparkly new Intel 10th gen CPU, the Comet Lake-U series still uses the years old UHD Graphics 620. Graphics performance is only about 15 to 20 percent faster than the average UHD Graphics 620 in our database which is essentially unnoticeable during real-world loads. You'll have to consider SKUs with the GeForce MX250 or the RX Vega 10 if you want tangible graphics boosts.

See our page on the UHD Graphics 620 for more benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4630 Points +138%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4300 Points +121%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
4279 Points +120%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, i7-8565U
4273 Points +120%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
4165 Points +114%
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
4126 Points +112%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U
3781 Points +95%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
3332 Points +72%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
3080 Points +59%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1942 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1914 Points -1%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1859 Points -4%
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1822 Points -6%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470s-20HF0012US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U
1578 Points -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1432 Points -26%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
1165 Points -40%
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
Intel HD Graphics 5500, 5200U
877 Points -55%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
4361 Points +109%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4211 Points +102%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4163 Points +99%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, i7-8565U
3951 Points +89%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
3409 Points +63%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
3247 Points +56%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U
2761 Points +32%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
2088 Points
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2003 Points -4%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1945 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1910 Points -9%
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1696 Points -19%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1583 Points -24%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points -24%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470s-20HF0012US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U
1494 Points -28%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1207 Points -42%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
958 Points -54%
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
Intel HD Graphics 5500, 5200U
805 Points -61%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
23748 Points +127%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
21893 Points +110%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
20784 Points +99%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, i7-8565U
20665 Points +98%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
16695 Points +60%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U
16495 Points +58%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
16268 Points +56%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
13919 Points +33%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
10773 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
10450 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
10265 Points -2%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
10233 Points -2%
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
9592 Points -8%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470s-20HF0012US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U
8725 Points -17%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
6824 Points -35%
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
Intel HD Graphics 5500, 5200U
5427 Points -48%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6200U
4743 Points -55%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
3858 Points +185%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3585 Points +165%
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, i7-8565U
3410 Points +152%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2999 Points +122%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
2973 Points +120%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
2692 Points +99%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U
2385 Points +76%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2020 Points +49%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1835 Points +36%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1353 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1309 Points -3%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1257 Points -7%
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1237 Points -9%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470s-20HF0012US
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U
1044 Points -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
818 Points -40%
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
Intel HD Graphics 5500, 5200U
638 Points -53%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
78094 Points +62%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
65039 Points +35%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
57777 Points +20%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
50911 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
48252 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
47803 Points -1%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
45588 Points -6%
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
44007 Points -9%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (26409 - 59483, n=71)
42924 Points -11%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s-20N6001NGE
NVIDIA Quadro P520, i7-8565U
1043 Points +144%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
852 Points +99%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL 81Q9
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
825 Points +93%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
794 Points +86%
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U
737 Points +72%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
618 Points +44%
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
428 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
421 Points -2%
Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
408 Points -5%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points -9%
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
386 Points -10%
3DMark 11 Performance
2218 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9432 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1234 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
492 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 87 41.5 34.5 10.8

Emissions

System Noise

As expected, fan noise is close to what we recorded on the Whiskey Lake-U version of the ThinkPad T490 and even the older ThinkPad T480. Running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06 would top out at about 35.5 dB(A) while higher loads like Prime95 would cause fan noise to spike temporarily to 38 dB(A). Otherwise, the system will almost always be completely silent or at least very quiet at only 29.2 dB(A) during undemanding loads like browsing or video streaming.

We can notice no electronic noise or coil whine from our test unit.

Single ~50 mm fan
Single ~50 mm fan
Single SODIMM slot up to 16 GB. There is also soldered RAM for a combined total of 32 GB
Single SODIMM slot up to 16 GB. There is also soldered RAM for a combined total of 32 GB
Unoccupied space on motherboard for the optional GeForce MX250 GPU
Unoccupied space on motherboard for the optional GeForce MX250 GPU
Speakers are along the rear of the system
Speakers are along the rear of the system
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Toshiba HG6 THNSFJ256GCSU
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZ7TE256HMHP
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
Vega 10, R7 PRO 3700U, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
Noise
-0%
4%
-1%
0%
3%
off / environment *
28.2
29
-3%
28
1%
29
-3%
28.9
-2%
Idle Minimum *
28.2
29
-3%
28
1%
29
-3%
29.2
-4%
28.9
-2%
Idle Average *
28.2
29
-3%
28
1%
29
-3%
29.2
-4%
28.9
-2%
Idle Maximum *
29.2
29
1%
29.4
-1%
29
1%
29.2
-0%
28.9
1%
Load Average *
35.5
35.6
-0%
31.4
12%
34.2
4%
34.9
2%
31.5
11%
Load Maximum *
38
35.6
6%
34.6
9%
37.8
1%
35.1
8%
33.8
11%
Witcher 3 ultra *
32.5

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.2 / 28.2 / 29.2 dB(A)
Load
35.5 / 38 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: 28.2 dB(A)

Temperature

Hot spots when idling range from 30 C to 34 C or 46 C to 64 C when under extreme processing loads. We don't recommend running demanding loads for long periods without a nearby table because the bottom of the laptop can become very warm.

Exhaust along right edge
Exhaust along right edge
AC adapter after extreme processing stress for over an hour
AC adapter after extreme processing stress for over an hour
Max. Load
 39.4 °C
103 F
47.2 °C
117 F
41.2 °C
106 F
 
 37.2 °C
99 F
45 °C
113 F
50.8 °C
123 F
 
 31.2 °C
88 F
31.8 °C
89 F
32.4 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 50.8 °C = 123 F
Average: 39.6 °C = 103 F
55.4 °C
132 F
60.6 °C
141 F
45.8 °C
114 F
50 °C
122 F
61.6 °C
143 F
51 °C
124 F
31.4 °C
89 F
34.2 °C
94 F
32.6 °C
91 F
Maximum: 61.6 °C = 143 F
Average: 47 °C = 117 F
Power Supply (max.)  45.6 °C = 114 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.6 °C / 103 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 50.8 °C / 123 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 61.6 °C / 143 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.1 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.4 °C / 90.3 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-4.7 °C / -8.4 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (bottom)

Stress Test

Running Prime95 causes the CPU to spike to 4.2 GHz for just a couple of seconds before falling to 3.5 GHz and at a core temperature of 97 C. After about 20 seconds, performance drops even further before stabilizing at 3 GHz and 90 C. Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will throttle the CPU down to 1.3 GHz with periodic dips to just 400 MHz. These high core temperatures definitely explain the warmer-than-expected surface temperatures recorded above.

Running on battery power will not limit performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 8799 and 1947 points, respectively, compared to 8995 and 1942 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 37
Prime95 Stress 2.9 - 3.0 -- 90
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 0.4 - 1.3 -- 54 - 85

Speakers

Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06 consumes an average of 35 W to be similar to what we recorded on the ThinkPad T495s with the Ryzen 7 Pro 3700U. This is notable because the RX Vega 10 GPU in the Ryzen 7 3700U is able to offer roughly two times the graphics performance of our UHD Graphics 620 without consuming more power.

We're able to measure a high of 68 W from the small (~10.4 x 4.8 x 3 cm) 65 W AC adapter when initiating both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. The high consumption rate is only temporary as shown by the graphs below.

Consumption over time when running 3DMark 06. Consumption is highest during the first 15 seconds when frame rates are highest
Consumption over time when running 3DMark 06. Consumption is highest during the first 15 seconds when frame rates are highest
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 68.3 W for about 20 seconds before falling and stabilizing at 46 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 68.3 W for about 20 seconds before falling and stabilizing at 46 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 68.4 W for just a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 33 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 68.4 W for just a few seconds before falling and stabilizing at 33 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.23 / 0.74 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.3 / 7 / 7.2 Watt
Load midlight 34.9 / 68.4 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 T490 20RY0002US
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB RKT30Q.1, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
6200U, HD Graphics 520, Toshiba HG6 THNSFJ256GCSU, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
5200U, HD Graphics 5500, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZ7TE256HMHP, TN-Panel, 1600x900, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
R7 PRO 3700U, Vega 10, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Power Consumption
-20%
22%
18%
24%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
4.3
3.6
16%
3.21
25%
3.5
19%
3
30%
4.7
-9%
Idle Average *
7
7.1
-1%
6.15
12%
6.7
4%
5.5
21%
7.28
-4%
Idle Maximum *
7.2
9.5
-32%
6.82
5%
7.3
-1%
6.4
11%
9.48
-32%
Load Average *
34.9
63.9
-83%
28.5
18%
28.2
19%
28.4
19%
35.3
-1%
Load Maximum *
68.4
67.3
2%
34.5
50%
34.6
49%
40.7
40%
55.5
19%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53.9

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery capacity has dropped from 72 Wh on the ThinkPad T480 to just 50 Wh on the T490. Consequently, WLAN runtimes are about five hours shorter on the T490 for a total of "only" 8.5 hours. While still excellent, don't expect ridiculously long runtimes unless if a secondary battery is attached.

Recharging from empty to full capacity with the included AC adapter takes approximately 1.5 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
8h 25min
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 72 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T470-20HD002HGE
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 46 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T450-20BV001VGE
5200U, HD Graphics 5500, 48 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T495s-20QKS01E00
R7 PRO 3700U, Vega 10, 57 Wh
Battery Runtime
57%
-13%
-33%
-36%
34%
WiFi v1.3
505
794
57%
438
-13%
338
-33%
324
-36%
675
34%
Reader / Idle
1671
953
935
Load
159
110
98
93

Pros

+ deeper key travel than most Ultrabooks
+ TrackPoint and mouse keys
+ 4G LTE WAN option
+ matte touchscreen
+ easy serviceability
+ Wi-Fi 6

Cons

- high temperatures when under load
- smaller battery than ThinkPad T480
- no 6-core Core i7-10710U option
- no internal 2.5-inch SATA III bay
- thick top and bottom bezels
- non-upgradeable RAM
- webcam shutter

Verdict

In review: Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US. Test unit provided by Computer Upgrade King
In review: Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US. Test unit provided by Computer Upgrade King

As noted in our initial overview of the series, the raw performance benefits of Comet Lake-U over Whiskey Lake-U are marginal save for the hexa-core Core i7-10710U which is unfortunately not available on the ThinkPad T490. Instead, users can only configure up to the quad-core Core i7-10510U.

Aside from the CPU update, the Comet Lake-U ThinkPad T490 SKUs have faster RAM (DDR4-2400 to DDR4-2666) and Wi-Fi (802.11ac to 802.11ax) than the older Whiskey Lake-U SKUs. The gen-to-gen differences, however, are again marginal at best.

To maximize value, we recommend an older Whiskey Lake-U configuration with one of Lenovo's brighter display options. The T490 offers 400-nit FHD and 500-nit WQHD panels to be brighter than the 300-nit display we have here. Investing in a better display will be much more noticeable than the jump from Intel 8th gen to 10th gen in this regard.

The CPU, RAM, and WLAN changes are minor upgrades over last year's model. If you want a 14-inch T series ThinkPad, then wait for the ThinkPad T14 or just go with a Whiskey Lake-U T490 configuration.

Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US - 03/06/2020 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
93%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
69 / 80 → 86%
Weight
70 / 20-75 → 90%
Battery
82%
Display
83%
Games Performance
52 / 78 → 66%
Application Performance
88 / 95 → 93%
Temperature
82%
Noise
95%
Audio
40%
Camera
37 / 85 → 44%
Average
74%
86%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Laptop Review: The Comet Lake-U Update
Allen Ngo, 2020-03- 6 (Update: 2020-03- 7)