We tested Linux on the new Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 5 AMD
Lenovo's ThinkPad series offers Linux support in general and some models can be purchased with Linux out of the box. These are good prerequisites if you do not want to use Windows 11 or if you are concerned about the current memory situation. We recently reviewed the new ThinkPad T16 Gen 5, which is only shipped with 16 GB RAM. This is still sufficient for many tasks when running Windows, but if you really want to upgrade your memory considering the current price situation (16 GB currently around 200 Euros) is another question. Linux has lower system requirements and does not install as much bloatware, so the 16 GB setup gives you a little more headroom. Lenovo's official documentation lists Fedora Linux, ubuntu Linux and Linux as supported operating systems, even though some features might not work properly (like the WWAN module, for example). We used the latest version of Ubuntu (26.04) and created a bootable USB drive. To load Ubuntu from the drive, please make sure to deactivate the Secure Boot option in the BIOS.
During our test, all the important features worked out of the box without any issues, including the special keys for screen brightness, volume, print or the two-stage keyboard illumination. This is also the case for cursor movements via clickpad and the trackpoint. We had no issues connecting to our wireless network and the Bluetooth module worked fine as well. You can also use the familiar power modes, but we once again noticed the short fan bursts on mains that we already noticed during our full review. All in all, if you prefer to use Linux on your ThinkPad T16 Gen 5 (currently on sale for €1414 from OK2), there is nothing to worry about. Please see our full review for more details on the new 16-inch ThinkPad business laptop.
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