Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 review: A laptop that means business

The ThinkBook has stereo speakers put into the bottom of the framework. The noise is normal of laptop speakers. They’re fine for motion pictures and TV, anything where the audio is primarily talked words. Music appears acceptable at reduced volumes, offered you’re not also fussy. There’s next to no bass in the sound account, and the speakers will distort if you crank them too expensive.

You might want to look somewhere else if your usage instance entails moving huge files over Wi-Fi. While the Wi-Fi 6 radio is fine for browsing the internet, it has lower maximum throughput than Wi-Fi 6e and 7, which are readily available on contending laptops. You will need a suitable network.

While the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 is not a gaming device, it can be valuable to know what the integrated GPU is qualified of doing. The Dell XPS 14 leads the method, revealing what’s feasible with a real GPU. The ThinkBook 14 is not the finest laptop if you intend to play anything more complicated than Vampire Survivors.

The display on the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is not a show-stopper, however it is totally serviceable for its intended usage case. The resolution clocks in at 1920 x 1200, which is lower than numerous similarly valued laptops in 2024. The refresh rate is also stuck at 60Hz, and the brightness tops out at 300 nits. Again, there are 14-inch notebooks that provide even more capable screens with OLED innovation, greater illumination, quicker rejuvenate prices, and a whole lot more pixels. Those devices are much more pricey, though.

Lenovo additionally supplies this laptop computer with a more effective Core Ultra 7 CPU and 16 or 32GB of RAM, which will make the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 far better for functioning and multitasking with large files. These upgrades don’t add way too much to the rate, either. Completely dressed up, the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 appear around $1,400. The Meteor Lake chip in this device does have AI velocity, yet it’s not quick enough to qualify for Microsoft’s Copilot+ functions. Below are the specs of the laptop I checked.

The ThinkBook comes with a 65W battery charger, which is much a lot more portable than most laptop power supplies, but you can obtain smaller USB-C battery chargers. I tested the ThinkBook with a third-party USB-PD battery charger, and it worked just as well as the OEM design.

The Handbrake examination is similar to Cinebench in that it demonstrates how a computer system takes care of multithreaded tasks, yet this is a longer-duration examination where thermals matter extra. Ratings in this test correspond throughout the U-series Intel Core processors, so the ThinkBook, ThinkPad X1, and performance-tuned Lenovo Yoga exercise 7i rating around the same. Dell’s XPS 14 with a Core Ultra 7 155H swipes the program, though.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is a “budget-premium” company laptop computer– the base setup has a Core Ultra 5 and just 8GB of RAM, and the 14-inch LCD touchscreen is just 1920 × 1200 and 60Hz. On the various other hand, the aluminum chassis is robust and resilient, which is needed if you’re going to transport a laptop to conferences and toss it in your bag. The 2-in-1 style likewise makes this notebook valuable in more circumstances than your ordinary productivity device.

Next to the stylus attachment, you’ll find the ThinkBook’s power switch with incorporated finger print scanner. It’s a little bit sluggish if you’re accustomed to using a finger print sensor on a phone, and I don’t such as just how close it is to the pen. You need to slip your finger in right next to the stylus pen idea to get to the switch. That claimed, the precision is great if you can reach it. This edge likewise sports a microSD card slot, a USB-A port, and a Kensington lock. On the contrary side, the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 has both of its USB-C ports, an additional USB-A, an HDMI port, and a 3.5 mm sound jack.

The trackpad isn’t the biggest, however neither is this laptop computer. At 120 x 75mm, the trackpad occupies a substantial piece of the area below the key-board. It’s very responsive, and the smoothness is unbelievable. Lenovo chose to cover the surface of the trackpad with mylar. It gives the trackpad a smooth appearance that symbolizes the “premium” feel you ‘d expect from a premium note pad.

The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 is created for effectiveness and transportability, which implies it’s not the fastest device available. However, it offsets that with its lengthy battery life, and it does still contend well with other laptop computers in its cost variety.

The brightness might be bothersome if you require to use the ThinkBook in a vibrantly lit office, or, heaven forbid, outdoors. I would certainly such as to see at the very least 400 nits of brightness on a laptop in this cost variety.

The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 has a fully grown, elegant layout. No one will certainly believe you grabbed a video gaming note pad off your desk if you stroll into a space with this device. The underside tapers to present a slimmer side profile, which also makes the maker extremely easy to pick up from virtually any kind of angle.

Lenovo’s most recent ThinkBook is sleek, durable, and a delight to lug about. The 2-in-1 style allows you reorient the equipment to make far better use of the touchscreen screen, and I appreciate that Lenovo consists of the Slim Pen also if Windows 11 isn’t always fantastic at stylus pen input. It’s not the fastest computer system you can buy, yet it’s more than good enough for surfing, composing, spread sheets, video clip, and anything else you’re most likely to do at work.

The ThinkBook has a tiny intermediary that gives the arrow cluster a little bit a lot more area. These keys are not rather complete size, however they’re not divided in fifty percent like much of today’s mainstream laptop computers. Not just are these keys easy to discover by touch, the format is super-smart. I adore having the web page up and down keys right alongside the arrowheads.

Lenovo’s laptops regularly provide good keyboards, yet some are far better than great. The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is in the latter camp– it’s obtained an exceptional keyboard.

The 3.61-pound weight is somewhat hefty for a 14-inch laptop, yet the portable footprint makes it easily mobile. The dimension additionally helps when you use the exchangeable 360-degree hinge to prop the maker up like a tent or fold up the key-board back. The joint is on the tight side, which is preferable for a 2-in-1, so it’ll stay when you move in between poses. You’ll possibly need 2 hands to open up the note pad, however.

The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 has a 60Wh battery, which is a little bit small compared to other laptops of this dimension. Lenovo’s efficiency adjusting is effective, though, offering healthy longevity on the same level with some computer systems with larger batteries.

Our battery examination is composed of playing a 4K copy of Splits of Steel on repeat in the Movies & TV app (in aircraft setting) until the laptop runs out of juice. The ThinkBook lands in the center of the pack, yet all these laptops have in general great battery life.

If you do choose up the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4, you’ll obtain a great little efficiency laptop computer at a good cost.

The framework is totally aluminum, with a slick dual-texture coating on the lid. It comes with a Lenovo Slim Pen, which is about as great a stylus pen as you’ll discover packed with a Windows laptop computer. It affixes magnetically to the right edge of the laptop for fast gain access to. There’s a robust setups application, and the pen fits to hold. Sadly, Windows 11 still isn’t great for stylus pen input, however that’s not Lenovo’s mistake.

Cinebench is a CPU-focused examination that shows how a computer manages quick but heavy multi-core workloads. The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 catches up to the ThinkPad X1 below, racking up in the middle of the pack among similarly priced Windows laptops. The Ryzen in the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED and Core Ultra 7 155H in the Dell XPS 14 are well out in the lead, however.

Using the ThinkBook day-to-day is a great experience. That’s not enough, even for efficiency usage. The 16GB of RAM version I tested was great enough for what you can genuinely do on a 14-inch laptop.

This is a wonderful equipment to make use of if you do a whole lot of inputting on the go. There’s even a Windows Copilot trick, in case you wish to get in touch with a robotic. The only thing you’re missing from the much more costly ThinkPad line is Trackpoint, however many people don’t need that added pointer. It is just one of the few functions you shed with the ThinkBook 14 versus the ThinkPad X1 convertible.

The ThinkBook lineup provides nearly every deluxe you have actually come to expect from Lenovo’s significant business laptop computers with a much reduced rate point. The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 begins at simply over $1,000 with not fantastic but solid specifications and amazing build quality.

Lenovo does not include too much software program on top of the basic Windows loadout. There’s the Vantage settings app, which I like much more than the setup utilities used by various other OEMs. There is likewise, nevertheless, a test of McAfee on the machine that appears alarming warnings trying to get you to update. You can uninstall it, though.

PCMark 10 is developed to check a maker across a range of metrics like web browsing, video chat, and photo modifying. With Lenovo’s default adaptive power setup, the ThinkBook contends well with Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 7 chips. It just sheds regarding 10 percent contrasted to the extra costly ThinkPad X1 convertible.

You must have no problem getting in a full workday with the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4, even if you fail to remember the charger at home. If you do in some way take care of to drain pipes the battery, you can recharge with almost any type of USB-C plug, perhaps also the one you utilize for your phone if it supplies enough power. That can help in reducing the mess you need to carry about.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is a “budget-premium” service laptop computer– the base configuration has a Core Ultra 5 and just 8GB of RAM, and the 14-inch LCD touchscreen is only 1920 × 1200 and 60Hz. Lenovo also provides this laptop with an extra powerful Core Ultra 7 CPU and 16 or 32GB of RAM, which will make the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 far better for multitasking and functioning with large documents. The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 catches up to the ThinkPad X1 below, racking up in the center of the pack among likewise valued Windows laptops. The ThinkBook 14 is not the finest laptop computer if you intend to play anything more complex than Vampire Survivors.

While I don’t recommend the base version with 8GB of RAM, the 16GB upgrade isn’t a lot more spendy. Lenovo constantly manages its rates frequently, so sales on this setup or the upmarket Core Ultra 7 version are most likely. If you do grab the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4, you’ll obtain a wonderful little efficiency laptop at an excellent cost.

The lid has Lenovo’s trademark opposite show notch, which offers you an ergonomically friendly lip to comprehend when opening the laptop computer. This area houses the 1080p cam (with Windows Hello there assistance), however the remainder of the bezel is very slim– it’s nearly all display. The privacy-minded will additionally be happy to listen to there is a physical video camera shutter for the cam.