Lenovo ThinkPad vs HP EliteBook: Which 16-inch office laptop is right for you

A big laptop for productivity seems like something a lot of people could need. Having a big screen, a full-size keyboard, as well as plenty of ports and a big touchpad makes working and using a laptop comfortable, especially when the person using it is not traveling too much.

Some prime examples for this class of laptop are the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 5 and the HP EliteBook 8 G2a 16. HP and Lenovo are the two biggest PC manufacturers, and the EliteBook laptops and ThinkPad laptops are their two premier business laptop series for office use. We reviewed both, with the review of the HP EliteBook 8 G2a 16 being published more recently. A good opportunity for a comparison!

ThinkPad vs EliteBook: A close race

Overall, both laptops are very similar physically, even though they do look very different. 16-inch screen, keyboard with numpad and a port selection with a mix of legacy and modern ports. Sure, the EliteBook is silver and the ThinkPad is black, but that is mostly just for the looks - both have an aluminum lid, and while the ThinkPad uses a plastic base with a magnesium insert and the EliteBook an aluminum base, their build quality is comparable. One detail: The ThinkPad screen opens to 180 degrees, the EliteBook only to 166 degrees.

Of course, the ThinkPad as a red TrackPoint with dedicated mouse clickers in addition to its plastic-made mechanical clickpad, while the EliteBook, on the other hand, just as a bigger glass clickpad. Which is better for you depends entirely on user preference. Better, with no doubt, is that the ThinkPad has a dedicated RJ-45 Ethernet port, as well as a more easily repairable keyboard and upgradeable SO-DIMM memory. The RAM of the HP EliteBook laptop is, sadly, soldered. At least with the EliteBook, the Wi-Fi module is modular, it is soldered in case of the ThinkPad.

EliteBook tested with better components, but also higher price

When it comes to the screen, the EliteBook display straight up beats the ThinkPad's more mediocre screen, mostly thanks to a better color reproduction. However, you can also configure the ThinkPad with better screens, so this is largely up to the model you choose. The same applies, to a lesser extend, to battery life, as there are two versions of each: The HP EliteBook 8 G2a 16 can be configured with a 62 or 77 Wh battery, and the ThinkPad with a 60 or 75 Wh battery. We tested both with the bigger battery, and the EliteBook delivered better battery life.

This brings us, last, but not least, to the performance. Here, the EliteBook wins quite comfortably, but that is only natural. After all, the EliteBook comes equipped with a Ryzen 7, and a newer generation CPU at that, while the ThinkPad we tested contained an older Ryzen 5. Again: You can also configure the ThinkPad with the more powerful and modern CPU. What is clear, however, is that the EliteBook gets louder under load, while the ThinkPad runs a bit more toasty.

In the end, the ThinkPad T16 Gen 5 and EliteBook 8 G2a 16 are very comparable. Which one you should choose is mostly a matter of taste - and which manufacturer has the better prices at the moment you buy. The EliteBook does have the better battery life, but soldered RAM harms its long-term viability a bit.