Lenovo ThinkPad T580 (i7-8550U, MX150, UHD) Laptop Review

When compared to the T570, Lenovo has reduced the number of display options, because the T580 no longer features an HD TN panel (1366x768). Instead, the Full HD IPS display is now the standard option. For a 40-Euro ($49) premium, you can get a 1080p display with touch functionality. Our review device comes with the most expensive option, the Ultra HD IPS display with no touch functionality. All three display options have a matte screen surface.

We are already familiar with the built-in LCD panel: We saw the screen with the model number NV156QUM-N44 from the manufacturer BOE in last year’s Lenovo ThinkPad T570. Both displays are very similar. That being said, there are a few minor differences. For example, there is a difference in terms of brightness: According to Lenovo, the panel should be able to reach an average brightness of 300 cd/m². This was true for the predecessor model T570, which managed to achieve an average display brightness of 314 cd/m². However, this is not the case with our current review device, which has a maximum display brightness of 310 cd/m² and an average screen brightness of only 282 cd/m². This is a perfect example of variation between two different products from the same product line. In this case, this variation has a negative effect.

When compared to the rest of the competition, the T580 with the Ultra HD display performs quite well. However, competitors such as the HP EliteBook 850 G4 and the Dell Latitude 5590 only have Full HD displays. The Dell XPS 15 has a significantly brighter UHD screen, and the Lenovo ThinkPad P51 also performs better. It would be interesting to see how the T580 stacks up against the new HP EliteBook 850 G5, which comes with an optional 4K display – here HP advertises a screen brightness of 400 cd/m².

The display of the T580 is brighter in the middle than it is at the sides, which leads to a brightness distribution of 87%. However, the differences in brightness are not perceivable with the naked eye. Backlight bleeding is present, but not especially strongly pronounced. We also observed PWM flickering. The display flickers at 100% brightness and lower. Because the PWM frequency of 950 Hz is relatively high, most users should not experience any problems.

The T570 used the very obsolete Nvidia GeForce 940MX as its dedicated GPU. However, its successor, the T580, comes with the newer GeForce MX150. Luckily, what we have here is not a cut-down MaxQ version of this GPU. This is why the T580 can utilize the full potential of the MX150 – unlike, for example, the ThinkPad T480s. You can learn more about this GPU on our “GPU benchmarks” page.

Overall, the MX150 achieves respectable results. The GDDR5 version of the 940MX in the T570 is 35% slower in comparison. That being said, the MX150 is still far away from being a high-end GPU. The Quadro M2200 in the Lenovo ThinkPad P51 is about 70 to 80% faster than the MX150 (depending on the benchmark), even though it is based on the older Maxwell architecture.

The GPU does not throttle down when running on battery power.

Under load, the case temperatures of the ThinkPad T580 reach up to 54.6 °C (130.3 °F). The critical 50 °C (122 °F) mark is exceeded above all on the underside. The wrist rest area also gets hot, but not critically so. A temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F) is reached on the left side of the wrist rest. The stress test with “The Witcher 3” confirms this result. However, the temperatures we measured during this stress test were somewhat lower.  

In the stress test with Prime95 and FurMark, the T580 exhibits similar behavior as in the Cinebench benchmark loop. The T580 begins the test at 3.7 GHz. Then after 28 seconds, the TDP limit kicks in and the clock rate drops down to 3 GHz. After 2 minutes, the T580 hits the temperature limit of 80 °C (176 °F) and the clock speed falls further down to 2.3 to 2.4 GHz. In a subsequent benchmark run, the CPU clock frequency falls even further down to 1.8 to 1.9 GHz, where it stabilizes. The core temperatures amount to around 72 °C (161.6 °F). The GPU also throttles down due to overheating: After 20 minutes, the GPU’s core clock sinks to 900 MHz. After that, the GPU clock rate stabilizes.  

The 3DMark 11 benchmark that we ran directly after the stress test delivered normal results. The throttling that we observed in the stress test does not seem to have much of an impact on day-to-day performance.

The ThinkPad T580 is one of the last laptops that still offer removable batteries. The Lithium-ion battery in the T580 has a capacity of 72 Wh. This is the battery with the largest capacity that Lenovo offers for this model. That being said, it protrudes somewhat from the underside. However, this is not the only battery that the T580 has. It also has a smaller 32-Wh internal battery. Lenovo calls the combination of an internal and an external battery the “Power Bridge” system. This system allows hot-swapping of the removable battery. Together these two batteries have a combined capacity of 105 Wh.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T580 is a good business notebook that falls slightly behind its smaller sibling models in the ThinkPad T series.  

The input devices speak volumes for the T580. Its input devices are almost as good as in the ThinkPad T480 and T480s. In addition, the T580 also offers a numeric pad, which is going to come in very handy for many users. The case of the T580, which has not changed much when compared to the predecessor, feels somewhat more “rustic” when compared to other ThinkPads that boast a very good build quality. Moreover, the T580 is fairly easy to maintain. Furthermore, the ThinkPad T580 also offers plenty of ports, which were further modernized by the removal of the proprietary connectors. The T580 also delivers a noticeable jump in performance when compared to its predecessor, thanks in large part to its faster-than-average Intel Core i7-8550U CPU as well as the non-MaxQ version of the Nvidia GeForce MX150. As a high-end business laptop, the T580 offers a comprehensive warranty package and many security features – among these features is the practical camera cover known as the ThinkShutter. The last positive aspect of the T580 is the Power Bridge feature, which allows users to swap out the external battery whenever they need to. This offers users an additional measure of flexibility.

The list of our criticisms starts with the display: Because Lenovo still apparently relies on subpar Full HD displays, the 4K screen represents the only high-quality option here. However, in our view, the display of the T580 is not good enough: The brightness is average, and the color space coverage of 90% of sRGB is not that bad, either. However, it is not 100%. The Ultra HD LCD display in the ThinkPad P51 proves that Lenovo can do much better. The UHD screen in the new EliteBook 850 G5 is supposed to achieve an average brightness of 400 cd/m². Lenovo should make some improvements in this department in the next 15-inch model in the ThinkPad T series.

We have a few complaints when it comes to the design, and it is not surprising at all to us that Lenovo has kept the design pretty much the same as in the predecessor model. Some of our complaints include: The overheating and the disappointing battery life: The T580 cannot achieve a battery runtime of even ten hours in our Wi-Fi test with a battery capacity of 105 Wh – here Lenovo should have spent more time and effort optimizing power consumption. The T580 simply draws too much power for a business notebook. It is also quite regrettable that the T580 is plagued by coil whine. Lastly, the performance of the fast SSD in our review device is limited unnecessarily by a slow PCIe connection.

Nevertheless, we still give the T580 a recommendation. However, it is not as good as the smaller 14-inch models such as the T480 and the T480s.

So does the T580 get a recommendation? Yes, the price-to-performance ratio in the “Campus Program” model is impressive. However, for those who do not qualify for Lenovo’s Campus Program, it looks somewhat worse. The T580 is not a bad notebook by any means. However, when compared to other premium 15-inch notebooks like the Dell XPS 15, which is soon going to be available with hexa-core CPUs, the T580 does not seem to do that well. The Power Bridge system can be seen as a reason to buy, which in theory allows unlimited battery life. However, the high energy consumption undermines this feature to some degree. The T580 is a good notebook for business users, especially if you decide to forgo the GeForce MX150, without which the laptop runs noticeably cooler and quieter. Nevertheless, the 14-inch models such as the T480 and T480s are going to be a much better choice for business people, unless, you need the number pad and the 15-inch display, that is. Of course, in that case, the ThinkPad P51 is going to be a better choice for many users anyway.