Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U review

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U review

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U review

Prosmodern design and robust base
very fast SSD
decent system performance
comfortable keyboard
5x USB in total
USB Type-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery
fast and reliable Wi-Fi
very quiet under load
SD card reader
good value for money

Conslimited to just 12 months of warranty
very poor contrast ratio
no maintenance opening
low color-space coverage

MAIN OVERVIEW FEATURES: Processor Manufacturer: IntelProcessor Type: Core i7Processor Generation: 8th GenProcessor Model: i7-8565UProcessor Speed: 1.80 GHzProcessor Core: Quad-core (4 Core)Standard Memory: 16 GBMemory Technology: DDR4 SDRAMTotal Solid State Drive Capacity: 512 GBScreen Size: 14"Display Screen Type: LCDDisplay Screen Technology: In-plane Switching (IPS) TechnologyScreen Resolution: 1920 x 1080Graphics Controller Manufacturer: AMDGraphics Controller Model: Radeon 540XGraphics Memory Capacity: Up to 2 GBGraphics Memory Technology: GDDR5Graphics Memory Accessibility: DedicatedWireless LAN: YesWireless LAN Standard: IEEE 802.11acEthernet Technology: EthernetBluetooth: YesFront Camera/Webcam: YesFinger Print Reader: YesHDMI: YesTotal Number of USB Ports: 4Number of USB 3.1 Ports: 2USB Type-C: YesUSB Type-C Detail: 1 USB 3.1(Type C) ;1 USB 3.1 Gen2(Type C)Network (RJ-45): YesOperating System Platform: WindowsOperating System: Windows 10 Pro (English)Operating System Architecture: 64-bitKeyboard Localization: English (US)Keyboard Backlight: YesNumber of Batteries: 1Number of Cells: 4-cellInput Voltage: 120 V AC,230 V ACPackage Contents: ThinkBook 14s-IWL 20RM0005US NotebookLithium Polymer BatteryAC AdapterLimited

If you're unfamiliar with the ThinkBook brand, that's OK, because it's new. It's pretty much Lenovo rethinking its Think business laptops. There are plenty of people that love ThinkPads, but there are also plenty of people that don't like them at all. The latter people don't want TrackPoints, the traditional black color, or that annoying placement of the Fn key (to the left of the Ctrl key).

The ThinkBook 14s is more of a traditional laptop. It has an aluminum build, a shallower keyboard, no TrackPoint, and no physical buttons on top of the trackpad. But this is an all-around great PC. The performance is fantastic, as is the keyboard, and it has some great, common sense features.

Features

Work smarter—not harder

The ThinkBook 14s is packed with features that make it faster and easier to focus on your business. Boot up and log in with a simple touch. Use hot keys to answer or hang up when making conference calls. Even use Cortana with voice recognition to tell your device to wake up.

Easy on the eyes

The narrow bezel display on the ThinkBook 14s is as functional as it is attractive—by minimizing the size of the bezel, the screen size increases without the chassis getting bigger. This 14" laptop has a starting weight of just 3.3lbs / 1.5kg to take with you wherever you go. The FHD display delivers a wide-angle viewing experience and, with hinges that open 180 degrees, it’s easy to collaborate and share.

Thwart hackers

Built-in security features protect your business-critical info. The default discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) encrypts data and works in conjunction with Windows 10 security features. A physical camera cover blocks the lens, ensuring that you’re only seen when you want to be. A fingerprint reader is integrated with the power button, so a simple touch logs you in and boots up the system immediately.

Built to last longer

ThinkBook laptops must pass multiple quality and reliability tests such as anti-spill protection for up to 60cc of water, extreme temperatures and vibrations. The zinc-alloy hinge includes powdered-metal technology to endure 25,000 open-and-close cycles—and it’s coated with indium to enhance resistance to corrosion.

A device that keeps up with you

When you’re on the go, you can’t be worried about finding electrical outlets. That’s why the ThinkBook 14s delivers up to 11 hours of battery life* on a single charge. Get through your workday and then some.

*Based on testing with MobileMark 2014. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL-20RM0002US (ThinkBook 14 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX 540X - 2048 MB
Memory
8192 MB

, DDR4-2400
Display
14 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, IPS, glossy: no
Storage512GB Solid State Drive PCIe-NVMe M.2
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5mm, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16.5 x 322.5 x 222.8 ( = 0.65 x 12.7 x 8.77 in)
Battery
45 Wh, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet
Weight
1.52 kg ( = 53.62 oz / 3.35 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)SPECS

GENERAL
Packaged Quantity
1
Embedded Security
Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip
Manufacturer
Lenovo

PROCESSOR / CHIPSET
CPU
Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) 8565U / 1.8 GHz
Max Turbo Speed
4.6 GHz
Number of Cores
Quad-Core
Cache
8 MB
64-bit Computing
Yes
Features
integrated memory controller

CACHE MEMORY
Installed Size
8 MB

STORAGE
Interface
PCIe

RAM
Memory Speed
2400 MHz
Configuration Features
1 x 16 GB
Technology
DDR4 SDRAM
Installed Size
16 GB
Rated Memory Speed
2400 MHz

MEMORY
RAM
16 GB (1 x 16 GB)
Max Supported Size
16 GB
Technology
DDR4 SDRAM
Speed
2400 MHz
Form Factor
SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty
1
Empty Slots
0

DISPLAY
LCD Backlight Technology
LED backlight
Widescreen Display
Yes
Image Aspect Ratio
16:9
Monitor Features
anti-glare
Type
LED
TFT Technology
IPS
Diagonal Size (metric)
35.6 cm
Display Resolution Abbreviation
Full HD

AUDIO & VIDEO
Graphics Processor
AMD Radeon 540X
Sound
Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Audio Codec
Realtek ALC3287

HARD DRIVE
Type
SSD
SSD Form Factor
M.2 2242
Capacity
512 GB
Hard Drive Features
NVM Express (NVMe)

INPUT
Type
keyboard, touchpad
Localization & Layout
English - US
Features
buttonless touchpad, multi-touch touchpad, spill-resistant

COMMUNICATIONS
Wireless Protocol
802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0
Wireless Controller
M.2 Card
Features
Gigabit Ethernet via optional Ethernet (RJ-45) adapter

OPTICAL STORAGE
Drive Type
no optical drive
Type
none

PROCESSOR
CPU Type
Core i7
Generation
8
Manufacturer
Intel
Clock Speed
1.8 GHz

BATTERY
Capacity
45 Wh
Technology
lithium ion
Run Time (Up To)
11 hour(s)

AC ADAPTER
Input
AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz)
Output
65 Watt

CONNECTIONS & EXPANSION
Interfaces
USB 3.1 Gen 1
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 2/DisplayPort
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack

HEADER
Brand
Lenovo
Localization
English
Country Kits
United States
Packaged Quantity
1

NETWORKING
Data Link Protocol
Bluetooth 5.0, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
Interface (Bus) Type
M.2 Card

MISCELLANEOUS
Color
mineral gray
Case Material
aluminum
Security
Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Features
RapidCharge, administrator password, hard drive password, power-on password
Compliant Standards
FIDO Certified, RoHS
Included Accessories
power adapter

MONITOR
Diagonal Size
14 in
Image Brightness
250 cd/m2

SYSTEM
Notebook Type
notebook
Platform
Windows
Hard Drive Capacity
512 GB
Embedded Security
Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip
Security Devices
fingerprint reader

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
Width
12.7 in
Depth
8.8 in
Height
0.6 in

AUDIO OUTPUT
Compliant Standards
High Definition Audio

MANUFACTURER WARRANTY
Type
1 year warranty

ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
ENERGY STAR Certified
Yes

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Weight
3.28 lbs

OPERATING SYSTEM / SOFTWARE
OS Provided: Type
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition
Type
Microsoft Office (Trial)

VIDEO OUTPUT
Discrete Graphics Processor
Yes

VIDEO MEMORY
Technology
GDDR5 SDRAM
Installed Size
2 GB

INPUT DEVICE
Backlight
Yes

INTERFACES
USB-C Ports Qty
1
Comment
Always On

SERVICE & SUPPORT
Type

SERVICE & SUPPORT DETAILS
Type
limited warranty
Location
pick-up and return
Full Contract Period
1 year
GENERAL
Manufacturer
Lenovo

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s-IWL 14" Notebook - 1920 x 1080 - Core i7 i7-8565U review

Design

If I could say one thing about the design of the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s, I'd say it's just right. It feels sleek and clean, but at the same time, it's not too flashy. It's not too thick, too thin, too heavy, or too light. It just feels right.

It's made out of aluminum, and the color is what Lenovo is calling Mineral Gray. In other words, it's not just another MacBook clone like the silver-colored aluminum laptops that we see so many of.

On the bottom-right of the lid, there's the all-new ThinkBook logo, with the Lenovo logo on the top-left sift. Both of these are just dark gray, adding to the clean feel of the look, rather than a ThinkPad, which has a silver logo on a black logo with a red dot on the 'i'.

It's also durable. Lenovo says that it can handle spills from up to 60cc of water, and the zinc-alloy hinge can be opened and closed 25,000 times.

The back of the PC has a barrel hinge, which once again blends in with the rest. The hinge is 180 degrees, so the PC can lie completely flat if you want it to.

On the left side of the device, there's an AC power port, an HDMI 1.4b port, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. You read that correctly; there is an AC power port, and that's because you can't charge with the USB Type-C port. This is the biggest pain point that I've had with the ThinkBook series. I want to use one of my own USB Type-C chargers, and I can't. This PC requires its own special charger, and it's the only 65W Lenovo charger that I've seen shipped with a laptop in years.

One thing that's cool is that the Type-C port is USB 3.1 Gen 2, meaning that it supports 10Gbps data transfer speeds. Most non-Thunderbolt Type-C ports are USB 3.1 Gen 1, which supports 5Gbps. Still, I have to wonder if it wouldn't be more cost-efficient to use USB 3.1 Gen 1, ditch the AC power port, and just use USB-C for charging.

I'm not sure why you can't charge with USB Type-C, although I'm sure it has to do with hitting a certain price point. Like I said before, the price point on ThinkBooks is pretty sweet. It probably also has to do with supporting existing chargers that SMBs have.

On the right side, there are two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports. I think that the ThinkBook 14s has all of the ports that most small to medium size businesses will need. The inclusion of HDMI is nice too, although it's HDMI 1.4b, which means that you probably won't want to plug it into a 4K screen.

Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.

8565U: Whiskey Lake based low power quad-core processor (technically identical to Kaby Lake but produced in a further improved 14nm++ process). The four cores are clocked between 1.8 and 4.6 GHz (Turbo Boost) and support HyperThreading.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

14":

Above all, this display size is used for subnotebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles. For all three types, this size is quite large. The biggest variety of subnotebooks is represented with this size.

Large display-sizes allow higher resolutions. So, details like letters are bigger. On the other hand, the power consumption is lower with small screen diagonals and the devices are smaller, more lightweight and cheaper.

1.52 kg:

This weight is typical for very big tablets, subnotebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles with a 11-13 inch display-diagonal.

Lenovo: Lenovo ( "Le" as in the English word legend and "novo" (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. From 2004, the company has been the largest laptop manufacturer in China and got the fourth largest manufacturer worldwide after the acquisition of IBM's PC division in 2005. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company also produces monitors, projectors, servers, etc.

In 2011, Lenovo acquired the majority of Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Lenovo took over Motorola Mobility, which gave them a boost in the smartphone market.

From 2014 to 2016 Lenovo's market share in the global notebook market was 20-21%, ranking second behind HP. However, the distance decreased gradually. In the smartphone market, Lenovo did not belong to the Top 5 global manufacturers in 2016.

91%: There do not exist many models, which are rated better. The most ratings get ratings, which are a bit worse.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
Ports

The device provides an abundant port expansion. The ports on the left include a slim-tip AC adapter, an HDMI port, a Type-C port, and the 3.5mm audio port. It is worth mentioning that the laptop can get 80% charged in an hour while it is off.

On the right side, it provides two USB ports for mouse and other external devices such as USB flash disk.

The long anti-slip mat near the vents is good for heat dissipation. Besides, there are two Dolby Audio™ with Harman speakers on two sides. With the speakers, it brings the user a wonderful audio experience.

Case and Connectivity – Rigid and with Great Connectivity

Visually, the ThinkBook 14 comes in a rather discreet gray case without too many bells and whistles. The choice of material is well thought out, and both base and display lid are made of aluminum, providing additional structural support. We were practically unable to warp and twist the case, and you will need a significant amount of force to depress the base or lid. The latter is particularly good at absorbing localized forces thereby avoiding the dreaded ripple effect on the display. The only parts made of plastic are the black bezels around the display. The hinges do a great job of keeping the display firmly in place and offer a maximum opening angle of 180 degrees. Teetering is reduced to an absolute minimum.

All things considered the ThinkBook 14 is very compact, as can be seen in our size comparison. Our review unit offered the smallest footprint in our test group. With its weight of 1.6 kg it can be found in the middle of the pack. Of particular note is the laptop’s connectivity as it offers a total of five USB ports, two of which are future-proof USB-C ports. The card reader is connected to the USB 3 bus, and it was able to outperform its competitors slightly when benchmarked with our 64 GB Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC UHS-II reference card. Intel’s Wireless-AC 9560 played nicely with our Netgear Nighthawk RAX120 router, and the laptop also supports wired connectivity.

Input Devices

The ThinkBook 14 comes with a chiclet keyboard but lacks a dedicated numpad due to space constraints. The keyboard looks very clean and straightforward overall, and the keycaps are comfortably large and slightly roughened for improved grip. Key travel is fairly short and bottoms out in a very well-pronounced key pressure point. Unfortunately, Lenovo did not include a keyboard backlight, which would have improved readability in the dark.

We have already encountered this particular ClickPad on the Lenovo ThinkBook 15, and our smaller 14-inch notebook is equipped with the exact same model. At 10.5 x 7.1 cm (4.0 x 2.8 inches) it is sufficiently large for comfortable multi-touch input. The buttons located at the bottom edge offer a discreet clicking sensation.
Keyboard, trackpad, and fingerprint sensor

The keyboard on the ThinkBook 14s is one of my favorites. Here's the thing. ThinkPads are renowned for having some of the best keyboards around, and they definitely do, but they're not very modern anymore. In 2019, most thin and light PCs don't have a full 1.5mm key press anymore.
The laptop comes with a keyboard which enables the user to type comfortably. Besides, the backlit allows the user to play in the dim light without any trouble.
The power button is on the top right corner, easy to find. A fingerprint reader is integrated with the power button, so the user can log in and boot up the system in a flash.

Its touchpad supports the Windows 10 multi-touch gestures. People who are going on a business trip don’t need to take the mouse for the trackpad reacts quickly without any mistakes.

The ThinkBook 14s definitely has a shallower keyboard, and it feels more modern without compromising that quality that I've come to expect from Lenovo. While it's shallower, the resistance makes up for it, and it's accurate and precise.

There's also no TrackPoint, which by probably most accounts, is a relic from a long-ago age. I've only used it for testing purposes on the various ThinkPads I've reviewed. Don't get me wrong, as there are definitely TrackPoint die-hards out there, but those are the people that buy ThinkPads, not the people that ThinkBook was built for.

It uses a Microsoft Precision trackpad, and it gets the job done. I do miss the physical buttons that you find on ThinkPads, since they just make drag-and-drop operations easier. But this one is clickable responsive. It's also pretty large, which is nice.

I also want to call attention to the power button, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. You might have noticed when I mentioned the webcam that there's no IR camera for facial recognition, but that's OK, since this fingerprint sensor is so good. In fact, it's better than any sensor I've ever seen on a ThinkPad. Plus, unlike ThinkPads, it's built into the power button, which has its own benefits.

When you press the button to boot up the PC, it automatically logs you in, so you don't need facial recognition. Unlike PCs from Dell that have a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, you don't have to press it again after it boots up. Dell actually thinks it's a security risk. It has a time limit, where if a PC takes longer than that time to boot, they assume that you might have walked away from your PC.

I have to wonder if the ThinkBook 14s would pass that test, because it boots fast, possibly faster than any other PC I've used. No really, it's weird how fast this thing boots.

Display – fails to meet its own expectations
Subpixel array
Minor clouding along the edges

Our ThinkBook 14 SKU came equipped with a matte 14-inch IPS panel with FHD resolution and a pixel density of 157 ppi. According to the spec sheet a Full HD TN panel is also available, albeit with lower maximum brightness and contrast ratio.

The ThinkBook 14s adopts a 14-inch 1080p FHD display with a 178-degree viewing angle. It features an extremely narrow bezel design (only 4.9 mm on the left and right sides). As for entertainment, it comes with Dolby Audio™ with Harman speakers, which could provide the user with rich, clear and powerful sound.

It also features a ThinkShutter physical webcam cover for additional privacy control. There is a web camera on the top.

Speaking of which, our review unit only managed a meager 232 nits, and thus failed to achieve its advertised brightness of 250 nits. Its contrast ratio of 267:1 was just as bad due to the combination of low brightness and a very high black point. We could not believe how bad it was and repeated our tests and measurements several times to no avail. Display brightness regulation is achieved through PWM, fortunately at a very high frequency. It should thus not cause any issues even in sensitive users. Minor clouding was visible in dark scenes.

Performance – Fast Enough for Most Users

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 was more than fast enough for everyday office life, and the combination of a modern Comet Lake CPU and the rest of its hardware worked great. We did not encounter any DPC latency issues. Intel’s Core i5-10210U should be fast enough for most users.

Processor

The Core i5-10210U's TDP is configured at 15 W, but the CPU is allowed to consume up to 38 W for short bursts of load. The ThinkBook 14 outclassed its entire competition and consequently placed first in our benchmark. It was also slightly faster than the average for this particular CPU.

The Core i5-10210U’s overall performance was good. When running our Cinebench R15 multithread loop the ThinkBook 14’s performance dropped slightly after the first run but remained consistent afterwards for a while until it dropped even further, this time more notably.

Storage Devices

The sole storage device in our review unit was a very fast 256 GB NVMe SSD made by Samsung. Once again, the ThinkBook 14 outperformed the entire competition. A secondary storage device can be installed in the free 2.5-inch drive bay.

GPU Performance

As is the case with all Comet Lake CPUs the integrated GPU is Intel’s UHD Graphics 620. However, the ThinkBook 14 can also be equipped with a dedicated AMD Radeon 620 according to Lenovo’s spec sheet, and we did notice a free solder socket on the motherboard. In our test, the ThinkBook 14 was unable to keep up with its AMD Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7-equipped rivals as AMD’s integrated Radeon RX Vega GPUs are simply out of Intel’s league when it comes to 3D performance. Particularly so given that Lenovo failed to fully utilize the iGPU’s full performance potential due to our review unit’s single-channel RAM interface. Games can only be played in very low resolutions and on minimum detailsBased on an enhanced version of the Whiskey Lake microarchitecture, 14nm manufacturing process, the Intel Core i7-8565U is manufactured on Intel’s third-generation enhanced 14nm ++ process. With a quad-core and eight-thread design, the chip operates at 1.8 GHz with a TDP of 15W. At present, those high-end ultrathin laptop features this processor for it can guarantee high efficiency.

The following is the Radeon 540X’s performance on 3DMark. On Fire Strike, its score is 2426; on Cloud Gate, its score is 11171; its score is 8504 on Sky Diver. The test results prove that the Radeon 540X has an excellent performance.

Temperature
3DMark 11 after our stress test

Under load, the case temperatures peaked at 45.9 °C, which is okay overall. After encountering the very quiet fan we did expect higher temperatures to be honest.

Maximum CPU temperature under full load was measured at 88 °C. This maximum was reached very quickly into the load test while the CPU was still capable of running at its maximum turbo boost speeds. Afterwards, the Intel Core i5-10210U's temperatures settled at between 67 °C and 71 °C. As such it remained cool enough to avoid any thermal throttling issues, and accordingly the CPU ran at 2.6 GHz and thus a full GHz faster than its base clock speed of 1.6 GHz.
Hardware

The ThinkBook 14s is powered by Intel Core i7-8565U processor and features the AMD Radeon 540X. It also comes with the 8GB DDR4 (16GB optional) coupled with the 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD. Interns of its configuration, the laptop can handle daily office work and games.

Speakers

Both speakers are located at the front right underneath the palm rest. Do not expect too much of them. Voice playback was very good and clear, but music playback lacked depth and bass. External headphones or speakers can be connected via the 3.5-mm headphone jack.
Display and audio

The ThinkBook 14s includes a 14-inch 1080p anti-glare display. There's no support for touch, and there aren't any configuration options. If you want a higher resolution or something, you'll have to look elsewhere.

I've described this PC as a larger version of the ThinkBook 13s, but that's not exactly true when it comes to the display. The 13s also only had one option, which was 13.3 inches, 1080p, anti-glare, and also without touch, but it was 300 nits. The ThinkBook 14s only has 250-nit brightness.

It's an issue. The anti-glare screen does its best at blocking glares, but there's only so much it can do. If you're using this PC in direct sunlight, you're going to have a problem. And yes, the brightness is maxed out in the image above.

The screen has narrow bezels on the sides, coming in at under 5.5mm. The top and bottom bezels are a bit bigger, and the top bezel has a ThinkShutter privacy guard built into the webcam, so you don't need to put a piece of tape over it.

On the bottom of the laptop, you'll find two 2W Harman speakers, and they're actually pretty fantastic. My gauge for if speakers are loud enough is if I can turn them up to 100 and feel uncomfortable. The ThinkBook 14s passes that test.

Power Consumption
65 W power supply

When taking our usual power consumption measurements, we were positively surprised by the ThinkBook 14’s low overall power demands. Under load, it peaked at 62.2 W while the CPU was still able to run at its maximum turbo boost speed. Once it settled down, power consumption decreased to just 43.3 W. The 65 W power supply is thus more than amply dimensioned. Just like its bigger brother, the ThinkBook 15, the ThinkBook 14 can be charged via USB-C.

Battery Life
3DMark 11 on battery
Cinebench R15 on battery

The non-replaceable 45 Wh battery allows for a battery life of around 8.5 hours in our Wi-Fi test. Charging time is relatively short, and the battery reached 80% charge after just 45 minutes and 100% after 90 minutes.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 is a solid office device for business users, and the subnotebook is also very well-suited for everyday office tasks at home. In addition, it does not leave too big of a hole in your wallet. In return, you get a well-built high-quality device made of well-chosen materials. We also liked its plentiful connectivity, including the card reader which, more often than not, is missing on modern laptops.

In terms of performance the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 offered an overall good experience. Its Core i5-10210U is a great fit and offers more than enough performance. Its 8 GB of soldered RAM was neither here nor there, and it can be retroactively upgraded by adding a secondary module. Storage space was somewhat limited due to the 256 GB SSD but this, too, can be retroactively upgraded to fit your needs. In other words: You do not need to consider future requirements at the time of purchase just yet and might be able to save quite a bit of money in the long run.

The model that Lenovo sent me includes an Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The specs are pretty mainstream, but oddly enough, the performance is most definitely premium. As I noted above, it boots up weirdly fast, and the overall experience is a continuation of that.

Battery life doesn't disappoint either. I got a solid six hours of use out of it doing a variety of tasks, and you can probably stretch it to eight or nine hours if you do things that don't use too many resources. For example, if you watch locally stored videos constantly, you can get over 10 hours from it, but I don't think anyone in the world actually uses a PC that way. Streaming video, you'll get more like nine hours, and it goes down from there.

The Intel Core i5-8265U is a quad-core 15W CPU with eight threads from the Whiskey Lake family. Obviously, this PC came out before 10th-generation processors were a thing. It's pretty standard for a laptop or convertible, and I suspect that even if it did have a 10th-generation 'Comet Lake' processor, there wouldn't be much of a performance boost from the Core i5.

It also has an AMD Radeon 540X 2GB GPU, which is a nice boost when you need it. Any 2GB mobile GPU won't exactly get you playing games with ray tracing or editing 8K video, but what it does get you is a boost over integrated Intel UHD Graphics. In other words, it's better than not having it.

For benchmarks, I used PCMark 8 and PCMark 10.

Even the benchmark scores are weirdly good, particularly on the Home test. It was the same story for the ThinkBook 13s. I don't know what special sauce Lenovo is putting in these things, but it should really be sharing the recipe with its other teams.
Conclusion

As was the case with the ThinkBook 13s, the ThinkBook 14s is a real winner for the price. You can get a heck of a lot for under a thousand dollars, and it's more than the sum of its parts. This is a great PC.

There are two big problems though. One is that it doesn't charge with USB Type-C, and that's particularly annoying. The other is that the screen is too dim, so if you're thinking about using it outdoors a lot, it's not for you.

What you do get is a solid aluminum design, a fantastic keyboard, and a fast fingerprint sensor that scans your fingerprint before it boots up. It boots fast, performance is great, and battery life is long.

Lenovo’s ThinkBook 14 offers good performance and long battery life at a comparatively low price.

Our biggest point of concern is the display, as it failed to meet its advertised specifications. The differences were much more pronounced than can be expected owing to manufacturing tolerance. We sincerely hope that our review unit was an extreme case with a particularly bad display unit.