Lenovo's ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 shows that Lunar Lake is not automatically the better choice for compact laptops

It is pretty rare that a manufacturer offers a laptop model with Intel Arrow Lake as well as Lunar Lake processors. This is the case for the current Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 and we now reviewed both models. The Lunar Lake chips with their integrated memory and a TDP range up to 37 Watts should be better suited for compact laptops compared to Arrow Lake processors, which can be configured in a TDP range between 28-115 Watts. However, the situation is not that clear in the case of the ThinkPad E14.

The Lunar Lake processor Core Ultra 5 228V consumes less power, especially under light workloads and therefore also manages longer battery runtimes compared to the Arrow Lake model with the Core Ultra 7 255H (both models ~€1,200). It is also a Copilot+ laptop thanks to the more powerful NPU, but these are all the advantages for the Lunar Lake model. 

The CPU performance of the Core Ultra 7 255H is better (especially in multi-core scenarios) despite similar power limits and the Arc Graphics 140T is also faster than the Arc Graphics 130V, at least when you use two memory modules (dual-channel). The E14 with the 255H offers two SO-DIMM slots, so you can install up to 128 GB RAM. The Arrow Lake model also offers an additional M.2-2280 SSD slot, while the Lunar Lake model only has one storage slot. This is due to the fact tha Lunar Lake only supports 8 PCIe lanes, which are already used by the ports and the primary SSD.

All in all, you have to decide whether you prefer longer battery runtimes or more CPU performance combined with better upgrade options. The price is important as well, even though the RRP is basically identical at around €1,200. Please see our comprehensive review for more information about the new ThinkPad E14 Gen 7.