Lenovo is a well-known brand in the laptop and PC market, offering a wide range of product lines from gaming to business laptops. Today, we’re reviewing the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4. The ThinkPad line is known for its rugged construction, excellent keyboards, and reliable performance. As part of this series, the T14 Gen 4 features the latest AMD Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 series processors. Our review focuses on the model with an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U.
For improved performance, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 comes with LPDDR5X memory and a PCIe 4.0 SSD. Despite maintaining the battery capacity of 52Wh and 39Wh, it goes well with the 14-inch IPS LCD display.
Specifications
| Screen | 14″ 2.2K (2240 x 1400), IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-Touch, 100% sRGB, 300 nits, 60Hz, Low Blue Light |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U Processor (3.30 GHz, up to 5.10 GHz) |
| Wireless Connection | Qualcomm Wi-Fi 6E NFA725A 2×2 AX, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Graphics card | Radeon 780M Integrated GPU |
| Memory | 16 GB LPDDR5X-6400MHz (Soldered), Dual Channel |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 |
| Camera | 1080P FHD RGB/IR Hybrid with Microphone |
| Ports | 1x USB-C 4.0 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (1 always on) 1x HDMI 2.1 1x Headphone Jack 1x Ethernet (RJ45) Port Optional: nanoSIM Optional: Smart card reader |
| Battery | 4-Cell Li-polymer 52.5Wh with 65W AC adapter |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Weight | 1.35 kg (2.96lbs) |
Appearance
At first glance, you might mistake the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 for its predecessor, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 3, as there are hardly any noticeable differences in appearance. The matte design of the display housing remains the same, with the iconic ThinkPad logo in the top left corner and the familiar silver Lenovo nameplate in the bottom right corner.
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 also has the same dimensions as its predecessor, measuring 317.7 x 226.9 x 17.9 mm. The T14 Gen 4 is slightly lighter than its predecessor, weighing 1.36 kg, a reduction of 0.01 kg to 1.35 kg. The laptop’s slim profile and lightweight design enhance portability.
The notebook has successfully passed rigorous testing on 12 elements, including temperature, pressure, humidity, and vibration, and has obtained MIL-STD 810H certification. This certification ensures that laptops operate reliably in a variety of challenging environments, from arctic ice fields to desert sandstorms.
Our review unit came in the Thunder Black color scheme, and the plastic body is made from recyclable materials. It’s also available in Storm Grey. The laptop supports 180-degree opening, providing users with flexibility in a variety of usage scenarios.
Display
When considering the purchase of the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4, you’ll encounter a range of display options to suit different preferences. From a high-resolution 2.8K OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate to a Full HD IPS display
. The model under review features a 14-inch 2240×1400 IPS LCD display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The display has a brightness of 300 nits and is TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe certified, ensuring that blue light radiation is minimized.
The top bezel of the screen houses a Full HD (1080p) IR webcam and an IR face recognition module. This allows you to quickly log in to Windows when you open your laptop. The privacy shutter of the webcam allows you to block the camera when needed.
To test the display’s performance, we used the Spyder X. The results revealed impressive metrics, with the display covering 100% sRGB, 77% Adobe RGB, and 78% DCI-P3 color gamut. Achieving a maximum brightness of 320 nits and a contrast ratio of 1640:1, in the color accuracy test, the average Delta E value was 0.77 (with a maximum of 3.6 and a minimum of 0.08), indicating excellent display quality suitable for office use.
Screen Test Results | |
| sRGB | 100% |
| Adobe RGB | 77% |
| DCI-P3 | 78% |
| Maximum Brightness | 320nits |
| Average Delta E | 0.77 |
| Minimum Delta E | 0.08 |
| Maximum Delta E | 3.6 |
Keyboard, TouchPad, and Ports
In this section, there are no major changes to the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4. It comes with a spill-resistant backlit keyboard, but some models do not support backlighting. The keyboard layout remains consistent with other ThinkPad series laptops, retaining the unique arrangement of the Fn and Control keys.
The touchpad design improves navigation and allows users to do more with less. Taking a closer look at the rest of the keyboard, the ThinkPad logo is located in the lower right corner, accompanied by the iconic little red dot. Double-click on this little red dot to quickly set screen brightness, contrast, microphone settings, mute, and other functional features. The power button is located at the top of the keyboard and has an integrated fingerprint sensor for secure and convenient authentication.
In contrast to business laptops, where manufacturers often sacrifice port diversity in pursuit of thin and light designs, Lenovo continues to offer a rich selection of ports with the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4. With 8 ports, this laptop ensures a wide range of connectivity needs.
On the left side, there is an RJ45 LAN port, a USB 4 Type-C port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, an HDMI 2.1 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the right side, there is a smart card reader and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. It’s worth noting that the smart card reader and SIM card slot are optional, and the model under review does not include a SIM card slot.
With these abundant ports, users don’t need an additional USB extender. Lenovo has thoughtfully included all the important ports that the average office user may need in their daily work. This pursuit of practicality enhances the overall user experience and convenience.
Battery and Charging
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 offers users two battery capacities: 52.5 Wh and 39.3 Wh. Both options seem to be a good fit for a 14-inch IPS LCD display, but the model in this review has a 52.5 Wh battery.
This laptop comes with a USB Type-C adapter that provides 65W of charging power and supports fast charging technology. According to the official, the adapter can charge the battery to 80% in 60 minutes. It’s worth noting that in some regions, Lenovo ships this laptop with a 45W or a 135W charger.
For battery testing, we used PCMark 10 Modern Office software. The test started with the display brightness set to 50% and the power mode configured for optimal performance. Under these conditions, the test starts at 95% battery charge and ends at 5% battery charge. The results were impressive, with 10.5 hours of battery life and more than 11 hours of total theoretical battery life on a full charge. This strong battery performance ensures that the ThinkPad T14 Gen4 can easily handle a full day of regular office tasks.
RAM and SSD
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 introduces advanced LPDDR5x-6400MHz memory. It is available in various memory configurations, and the model under review features 16GB of dual-channel LPDDR5x memory soldered directly to the motherboard. Since users cannot upgrade memory, it is crucial to choose the memory when making a purchase. This model is available with up to 32GB of RAM.
The memory was benchmarked using AIDA64 Cache and Memory Benchmark, and the results were impressive: 50,240 MB/s read, 91,577 MB/s write, 67,098 MB/s copy, and a latency of 129.8 ns. Compared to one of the laptops we reviewed earlier (the HP Pavilion Plus 5 with LPDDR5x-5200MHz memory), the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has similar read and copy speeds, while the write speeds are superior.
The review model comes with a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. It also has an additional M.2 (2242 long) slot for SSD expansion. It is worth noting that this laptop is available with an option for up to a 2TB SSD.
We tested the SSD using the CrystalDiskMark application, and the results were satisfactory: 5,123 MB/s for sequential read and 4,015 MB/s for sequential write, 65.69 MB/s for 4K random read, and 142.77 MB/s for 4K random write. These results fully meet the standards expected of a business laptop, demonstrating the ThinkPad T14 Gen4’s strong performance in terms of memory and storage capacity.
CPU Benchmark
Let’s take a closer look at the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4’s processor and benchmark its performance. The model in this review has a Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U processor, which belongs to the same family as the Ryzen 7040HS/U series. The key difference is that Ryzen PRO processors feature AMD PRO technology, which offers enhanced security, manageability, and reliability features.
AMD PRO technology provides multiple levels of security, integrating a security chip and real-time memory encryption to protect device data. It facilitates remote deployment and management by IT operations and provides extensive device firmware support and enterprise-grade quality assurance to ensure long-term reliability.
This processor is built on TSMC’s 4nm FinFET process and features the Zen4 CPU architecture. The chipset consists of 8 cores with a base frequency of 3.3GHz and a peak frequency of 5.1GHz, boasting 16 threads, 24MB cache (8MB L2 and 16MB L3), and a configurable TDP of 15-30W.
It integrates a Radeon 780M graphics. Its performance can surpass entry-level discrete graphics cards. To measure the performance of the CPU and GPU, we conducted benchmarks to gain insight into their performance.
Cinebench R15: 259cb on single-core and 1,964cb on multi-core
Cinebench R20: 653pts on single-core and 4,916pts on multi-core
Cinebench R23: 1,652pts on single-core and 12,492pts on multi-core
Here are the GPU benchmarks:
3DMark Time Spy: 2,885 total score (including 2,576 GPU score)
Compared to entry-level GPUs like the GTX 1050 Ti or integrated GPUs like the Radeon 680M, the Radeon 780M GPU achieves better benchmark scores.
Heat Dissipation and Stress Testing
Finally, let’s take a look at the cooling system. The cooling mechanism remains the same as its predecessor, with vents located on all sides of the body to facilitate efficient heat dissipation. Its cooling system includes a single cooling fan and dual heat pipes.
To assess the cooling effectiveness of the laptop, we performed a stress test on the CPU using AIDA64’s FPU feature. After a 10-minute stress test, the power consumption stabilized at 28W, the core frequency reached 2.9GHz, and the CPU temperature stabilized at 72°C. These results show that the CPU’s heat management is excellent, with no noticeable heating issues. An average office user can confidently perform daily tasks on this laptop without concerns about overheating, ensuring a smooth and reliable computing experience.
Summary
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is your assistant at work, featuring a Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U processor and Radeon 780M graphics to make your daily tasks easier. The 14-inch display makes everything look sharp, and there are plenty of options to suit every need. There are plenty of ports, rugged MIL-STD 810H certification, and a durable battery. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is more than just a laptop. It’s your tech-savvy companion that makes work less of a chore.