ThinkBook or ThinkPad? We compare two popular 14-inch Lenovo laptops

ThinkBook, ThinkPad - Lenovo's branding strategy can be confusing to many, and those not in the know can easily trip over the differences. Both laptop brands are for office use, but which one is the right one for you? We have tested the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 7, and more recently reviewed the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL, both equipped with the same Intel Panther Lake CPU. Here are some of the key differences.

Design: ThinkPad is business-serious and ThinkBook business-casual

From the spec sheet and even name, both are similar devices - ThinkBook 14 vs ThinkPad T14 does not sound that different, and both have 14-inch screens of comparable quality. However, similarities end mostly there. While the ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL has a pretty standard grey look, the ThinkPad has the classic black ThinkPad design that looks much more serious. It also has design flares such as the red ThinkPad TrackPoint, an alternative mouse input system.

The difference is not just the look, but also the materials. While the ThinkBook has an Aluminum lid, the ThinkPad is all plastic - but it has a Magnesium frame in the base unit, which gives it the typical robustness ThinkPads are known for. The ThinkBook also has a plastic base, but no Magnesium reinforcement.

Speaking of the inside: The ThinkPad T14 has a more repairable design than the ThinkBook, including user replaceable USB-C ports, a keyboard you can swap in seconds and a more easily swappable battery. On the plus side for the ThinkBook, it has a full-size SD card slot, while the ThinkPad offers optional enterprise features like 5G or a Smarcard slot.

Performance: ThinkBook faster, but less refined

Both devices we tested contained the Intel Core Ultra 5 325, making for an ideal comparison. Overall, the ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL was around 4 percent faster in CPU benchmarks, thanks to a higher TDP of 32 W vs 25 W on the ThinkPad laptop, but that comes at a price: The ThinkBook gets much louder (49.7 dB(a) instead of 38.8 dB(a)) and still runs hotter than the ThinkPad. Plus, battery life is not even close: The ThinkPad obliterates the ThinkBook, lasting 18.1 hrs instead of just 8.7 hrs. The ThinkPad does have a bigger 57 Wh battery, but that alone does not explain the difference.

So in the end, why should you buy the ThinkBook? There is one advantage: Pricing. The ThinkBook retails for around €1,150, while the ThinkPad costs around €1,600. For that price, the ThinkPad also came with half the RAM, 16 instead of 32 GB, but also included three years warranty instead of a single year.

Overall, you get what you pay for: The ThinkBook lacks the enterprise features, repairability and refinement of the ThinkPad, but its price-performance-ratio is superior. With the ThinkPad, you pay more, but you get trusted quality and long term stability.