Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Series

Processor: Intel Comet Lake i7-10510U, Intel Core i5 i5-8265U, Intel Core i7 i7-8565U, Intel Kaby Lake Refresh i5-8250U
Graphics Adapter: Intel UHD Graphics 620, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
Display: 14.00 inch
Weight: 1.443kg, 1.458kg, 1.46kg, 1.466kg
Price: 1449, 1520, 1600, 1700, 1900 euro

Average Score: 86.44% - good
Average of 9 scores (from 10 reviews)

performance: 73%, features: 71%, display: 87%, mobility: 75%, workmanship: 85%, ergonomy: 92%, emissions: 90%

Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00

Lenovo continuously proves they are still in the game when it comes to the production of notebooks. The T-Series encompasses everything from sleek design to its functionality. Deemed to be one of the best laptops to be used both inside of the office or outdoor occasions, it has been proven to be a very versatile model within the laptop industry. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 variant comes with a Full HD Dolby Vision Screen as its display of choice. Apart from using Intel’s Whiskey Lake CPU, it also features an additional graphics card in the form of the widely-acclaimed Nvidia GeForce MX250 unit. Therewith, the T490 achieves a more stable and improved overall performance. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is also praised for its ergonomic design and how practical it is to be handled. With multiple USB 3.1 ports, MicroSD card reader, HDMI 1.4 and RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, the Lenovo T490 laptop model gives users multiple ports to connect from without having to worry about the absence of one particular port or another. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 has a 14-inch 1080p Dolby Vision Display. Although it may not support touchscreen functionality, it is compensated with empowering brightness through its FHD option range between 220 and 400 nits. The Dolby Vision screen technology automatically adjusts the color profiles in videos. It is important to note that the screen may differ in color depending on the type of display used. Comfort, on the other hand, has rarely ever been a problem with the Lenovo ThinkPad T490. Keyboard, trackpad and TrackPoint play their own respective role at a more fluid and rapid pacing than before. The design of these features on the Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is specifically made to ensure that users will never be bothered with malfunctioning a keyboard or trackpad. The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 supports Windows 10 as its operating system as it is regarded as one of the staples in every laptop nowadays. When it comes to performance, the Lenovo ThinkPad T490 never cease to amaze. It can support up to 16 GB DDR4 2.400 MHz RAM with 8 GB RAM being pre-installed. Storage is about 512 GB (Solid State Drive, PCle-NVMe OPAL2.0 M.2) making processing faster compared to most laptops. Conclusively speaking, it is safe to assume based on the specifications and features of the Lenovo ThinkPad T490 that it is mainly targeted for professional use. It unlocks the full capacity of a desktop device for users that are always on the go. Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Specifications

Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00
Processor: Intel Core i7 i7-8565U
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce MX250 2048 MB
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.458kg
Price: 1449 euro
Links: Lenovo homepage

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Reviews

87.4% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 (i7, MX250, Low Power FHD) Laptop Review | Notebookcheck
The ThinkPad T490 is a radical redesign of the central ThinkPad series, the T series. Lenovo emphasizes a much improved mobility with a more compact, thinner, and lighter case. This begs the question whether Lenovo had to make any compromises in order to make these improvements. This time around, at least Lenovo does not skimp on the screen.

Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE

Specifications

Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004EGE
Processor: Intel Core i5 i5-8265U
Graphics Adapter: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.443kg
Price: 1520 euro
Links: Lenovo homepage

Pricecompare

Reviews

87.9% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Laptop Review: A business laptop with long battery life and an iGPU | Notebookcheck
We are already well acquainted with the ThinkPad T490, having reviewed the model with an NVIDIA GPU only last month. Now it is time for the model with only an Intel GPU to be subjected to our tests, but how will it perform in the absence of a dedicated GPU? Read on in our detailed review to find out.

Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N30000GE

Specifications

Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N30000GE
Processor: Intel Core i7 i7-8565U
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce MX250 2048 MB
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 2560 x 1440 pixels
Weight: 1.466kg
Links: Lenovo homepage

Pricecompare

Reviews

87.4% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Review: The WQHD HDR panel convinces in the test, but makes only limited sense in an office laptop | Notebookcheck
Like the ThinkPad X1 Extreme before it, the 14-inch ThinkPad T490 also gets a higher resolution WQHD panel with 100% AdobeRGB color-space coverage. The excellent image quality is countered by a reflective display surface and increased power consumption.

Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N20049GE

Specifications

Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N20049GE
Processor: Intel Core i7 i7-8565U
Graphics Adapter: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.46kg
Price: 1600 euro
Links: Lenovo homepage

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Average Score: 80% - good

Average of 1 scores (from 2 reviews)

Reviews

Lenovo ThinkPad T490 review – a businessman’s companion
Source: Laptop Media English

Archive.org version
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is a great laptop for the average businessman. No matter whether you work with spreadsheets, SQL or other databases, or you are just traveling with your own work – this laptop is going to provide you with everything you need. In addition to that, if you also stay in the office quite frequently, there is the perfect solution of getting the ThinkPad dock, that lets you use up to three UHD monitors, and have a 10GB/s transfer speed.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/17/2019

80% Lenovo ThinkPad T490
Source: PC Mag English

Archive.org version
The ThinkPad T490 is a top-shelf business laptop with impressive quality and security, although its battery life doesn't excel by today's standards.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/31/2019
Rating: Total score: 80%

Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004AGE

Specifications

Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N2004AGE
Processor: Intel Core i7 i7-8565U
Graphics Adapter: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.46kg
Price: 1900 euro
Links: Lenovo homepage

Pricecompare

Average Score: 89.67% - very good

Average of 3 scores (from 3 reviews)

Reviews

89% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Review
Source: Ubergizmo English English

Archive.org version
The Lenovo T490 (official US product page) is designed as a business laptop, and it shows. It puts aside a lot of typical consumer product “wants,” such as a thin body and glam design in favor of incredibly flexible configuration options and a ton of ports to help you stay productive and dongle-free.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/12/2019
Rating: Total score: 89%

90% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 review: The most popular ThinkPad gets a Dolby Vision screen
Source: Neowin English

Archive.org version
But other than that, the ThinkPad T490 is a workhorse that never let me down, just like Lenovo says it is. The T-series is the most popular ThinkPad line for a reason, and this is a great PC. I'd recommend buying a configuration with the same internals that Lenovo sent me. You might want to check out the PrivacyGuard FHD option for the display though, which is coming soon.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 06/01/2019
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Review: Designed for professionals
Source: Slashgear English

Archive.org version
If you’re looking for an ultrabook but aren’t interested in the X Series and its new X390 model, the T490 is a nice substitute. Users enjoy a nice compromise between portability and performance, the model has a large variety of ports that drastically reduce the odds of needing a dongle, and the battery life, when paired with rapid charging, is adequate for most on-the-go work.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/27/2019
Rating: Total score: 90%

Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3001EGE

Specifications

Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3001EGE
Processor: Intel Kaby Lake Refresh i5-8250U
Graphics Adapter: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.46kg
Price: 1700 euro
Links: Lenovo homepage

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Average Score: 80% - good

Average of 1 scores (from 1 reviews)

Reviews

80% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 review: Gold standard for professionals, still
Source: The Indian Express English

Archive.org version
Starting at Rs 98,244, the ThinkPad T490 isn’t cheap. But for business users, the price won’t matter. The ThinkPad lineup always commands a high price, owing to its solid build and business-friendly features. I do think corporates would be ready to drop in a lakh on a notebook that is light and thin, has the best keyboard and offers strong performance along with a number of security features. Where the laptop lacks, and I think that’s critical to any organisation, is the lack of swappable battery and SSD storage option.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/29/2019
Rating: Total score: 80%

Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US

Specifications

Notebook: Lenovo ThinkPad T490 20RY0002US
Processor: Intel Comet Lake i7-10510U
Graphics Adapter: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Display: 14.00 inch, 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Weight: 1.46kg
Price: 1600 euro
Links: Lenovo homepage

Pricecompare

Reviews

86.3% Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Laptop Review: The Comet Lake-U Update | Notebookcheck
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.

Comment

Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.

In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.

In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

NVIDIA GeForce MX250: Successor of the MX150 and still based on the same Pascal GP108 chip (similar to the desktop GT 1030) but with higher clock speeds. Available in two versions, a normal 25 Watt version and a low power version with 10 Watt TDP and reduced performance. The 25 Watt version e.g. offers a 21% higher boost clock than the old MX150 leading to a 5% performance gain.

Intel UHD Graphics 620: Integrated GPU (GT2, 24 EUs) found on some Kaby-Lake-Refresh CPU models (15 W ULV series). Technically identical to the previous Kaby-Lake GPU called HD Graphics 620.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.

i7-8565U: Whiskey Lake based low power quad-core processor (technically identical to Kaby Lake but produced in a further improved 14nm++ process). The four cores are clocked between 1.8 and 4.6 GHz (Turbo Boost) and support HyperThreading.

Intel Core i5:

i5-8265U: Whiskey Lake based low power quad-core processor (technically identical to Kaby Lake but produced in a further improved 14nm++ process). The four cores are clocked between 1.6 and 3.9 GHz (Turbo Boost) and support HyperThreading.

Intel Kaby Lake Refresh:

i5-8250U: Kaby-Lake-Refresh based low power quad-core processor. The four cores are clocked between 1.6 and 3.4 GHz (Turbo Boost) and support HyperThreading. The integrated GPU is clocked between 300 and 1,100 MHz. The SoC is manufactured in a 14nm+ FinFET process.

Intel Comet Lake:

i7-10510U: Comet Lake based low power quad-core processor (technically identical to Whiskey Lake and still produced on 14nm++). The CPU cores can clock between 1.8 and 4.9 GHz (all 4 cores 4.3 GHz max.) with HyperThreading (8 threads). The integrated memory controller supports DDR4-2666 and using cTDP up/down the performance can be adjusted by the OEM (10 - 25 Watt possible, 15W default).

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

14.00:

14 inch display size represents a middle ground between the small subnotebook formats and the screens of the standard 15 inch laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, provides good resolutions with usable detail sizes, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact.

In the past, 14-inch devices were very rare, but now they are the standard for laptops after the 15-inchers.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

No weight comment found (one expected)!

86.44%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.