Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 Specifications
Drive Capacity (based on test): 512 GB
Primary Drive Type: Hard Disk
Dimensions (Height × Width × Depth): 0.77 × 14 × 9.8 inches
Graphics Processor: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Laptop Class: Budget
Laptop Class: Business
Laptop Class: Desktop Replacement
Native Screen Resolution: 1920 × 1200
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
Panel Technology: IPS
Processor: Intel Core i5-1335U
RAM (based on test): 16 GB
Screen Refresh Rate: 60
Screen Size: 16 inches
Tested Battery Life (Hours: Minutes): 11:57
Touchscreen
Variable Refresh Rate Support: None
Weight: 3.9 pounds
Wireless Networking: 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
Wireless Networking: Bluetooth
Introduction
Lenovo considers its ThinkPad line as laptops for businesses, while ThinkBook devices target small companies, but not all large enterprises have big budgets. Lenovo’s E series ThinkPad is described as “traditional entry-level business laptops.” The E16 Gen 1 (starting at $638; $909.99 in test) is a desktop replacement that abandons the conventional 15.6-inch display and 16:9 aspect ratio for a 16-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s not spectacular, but this Lenovo laptop offers a good deal for businesses looking for an affordable commercial laptop.
Configurations and Design
The Intel-powered ThinkPad E16 starts at $638 with a 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB solid-state storage drive, along with a non-touch display at a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Our review unit of Windows 11 Pro (model 21JN0040US), priced at $909.99 at Best Buy and about $5 cheaper at B&H, doubles the RAM and storage, upgrades to a Core i5-1335U processor (two performance cores, eight efficient cores, 12 threads), and includes an IPS display.
You can also purchase the E16 with an AMD processor starting at $613.25 with a Ryzen 3 7330U processor. Interestingly, buyers on Lenovo.com can configure an AMD model with a higher resolution display of 2560 x 1600 pixels that is not available on the Intel-based systems.
Like the rest of the ThinkPad E16 family, it has passed MIL-STD 810H military tests against hazards faced during travel such as shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures, but it cuts costs in several ways. Its processor skips Intel’s vPro management technology. Meanwhile, the familiar matte black chassis of the laptop combines an aluminum top with a plastic ABS bottom. You will notice some flex if you hold the corners of the screen but not much if you press on the keyboard. Also, the webcam doesn’t support Windows Hello face recognition (though there is a fingerprint reader in the power button) and follows the older Wi-Fi 6 wireless standard instead of the Wi-Fi 6E standard.
You won’t mistake it for an ultra-slim laptop, but Lenovo is reasonably thin at dimensions of 0.77 × 14 × 9.8 inches and weighing 3.9 pounds. The nearly identical 16-inch HP EliteBook 865 G9 we reviewed 13 months ago is almost the same size and weight, while the performance-oriented Dell Inspiron 16 Plus weighs more at 4.54 pounds. You will find two M.2 slots for solid-state drives (one PCI Express 4.0 and the other 3.0) and one memory socket in addition to the 8 GB on the motherboard for a capacity of up to 40 GB.
The left side of the laptop features two USB-C ports – one 3.2 Gen 2 port and one Thunderbolt 4 port, either of which is suitable for the AC adapter – along with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, an HDMI port, and an audio jack. An older USB 2.0 port joins an Ethernet port and a Kensington security lock slot on the right side.
Using the Lenovo ThinkPad E16
The 1080p webcam located in the center at the top of the screen has a sliding privacy cover. It captures bright, colorful images with minimal noise or distortion. The Lenovo Smart Appearance application puts the camera through its paces with options to blur or replace the background (like placing you in front of poolside lounge chairs); frame your face; or touch it up by smoothing skin tone, narrowing a round face, or shrinking your nose. It can also blur the screen if someone approaches you from behind, or dim it if you look away, or lock the system if you leave it.
The Lenovo screen itself is not exceptional – it’s a bit blurrier than ideal, and I found myself pressing the F6 key in hopes of increasing brightness. On the positive side, viewing angles are wide, contrast is good, and details are clear, without any blurriness around the edges of letters. White backgrounds are clean rather than dirty, which helps with your ability to tilt the screen to any angle you desire.
The downward-facing speakers produce moderate sound that isn’t very loud even at maximum volume. You won’t hear any noteworthy bass, but you can hear overlapping tracks. The Dolby Access software provides presets for dynamic sound, movies, music, voice, and game audio, with cinematic and dynamic options making the sound slightly louder but vague and hollow.
The backlit keyboard follows the time-tested ThinkPad design with dedicated Home and End keys in the top row and Page Up and Page Down keys next to the arrow key cluster. You’ll find a full-sized numeric keypad on the right. The Fn and Control keys are in the lower left corner next to each other, but if you can’t adapt, you can swap them using the included Lenovo Vantage tool. The command keys in the top row include a pair for starting and ending Microsoft Teams calls.
The laptop has a slightly weak but fast feel when typing, with positive feedback and a quiet response. The small TrackPoint pointing stick unique to Lenovo is located at the intersection of the G, H, and B keys, with three large mouse buttons beneath the space bar and a smooth touchpad below that. The touchpad has a comfortable click but is somewhat empty.
The pre-installed Lenovo Vantage application handles system updates, power options, Wi-Fi security, and network optimization or prioritization for your favorite apps. It includes offers for annual smart performance maintenance at $29.99 and annual smart lock recovery plans at $49.99. The AI Meeting Manager software assists in conducting international video calls with translation and real-time transcription. However, the McAfee security test generates many pop-up windows.
Testing the Lenovo ThinkPad E16
Aside from high-end mobile workstations, we haven’t reviewed many 16-inch business laptops, nor does the HP EliteBook 865 G9 (priced at $2,189 in testing) stand a fair chance against the ThinkPad E16 priced under $1,000. Therefore, our testing schemes include a closer competitor, the Acer Swift Go 16 priced at $1,199.99 and the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 Gen 8 priced at $999.99.
The consumer-oriented HP Envy x360 15.6 matches the Acer Swift Go’s price. The Asus Vivobook Pro 16 is another desktop alternative in our group. It is also the most expensive at around $1,400 due to its speedy Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card.
Tests
Productivity
We run the same general productivity tests on mobile systems and personal computers. Our first test is PCMark 10 from UL, which simulates a variety of productivity scenarios and real-world office workflows to measure overall system performance and also includes a storage test for the primary disk.
Three other tests focus on the CPU, utilizing all available cores and threads, to assess the suitability of the PC for intensive processor workloads. Maxon’s Cinebench R23 uses the Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene, while Primate Labs’ Geekbench 5.4 Pro simulates common applications ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning. Finally, we use HandBrake 1.4 to convert a 12-minute video from 4K resolution to 1080p (the lower the times, the better).
The ThinkPad E16 easily passed 4,000 points in the PCMark 10 test indicating good productivity for everyday applications such as the Microsoft 365 suite (formerly Office) and achieved a good score in Photoshop testing. Being the only one with a Core i5 compared to two Core i7s, a Ryzen 7, and a Core i9, it was expected to lag behind in our CPU tests, but it rose to the challenge against the Core i7 Yoga. This ThinkPad laptop is not slow, but it is not particularly fast either.
Graphics Tests
We test graphics on Windows PCs using two DirectX 12 game simulators from 3DMark by UL, Night Raid (more modest, suitable for laptops with integrated graphics) and Time Spy (more demanding, suitable for gaming laptops with discrete graphics cards).
Additionally, we run two graphics performance tests across platforms using GFXBench 5, which emphasizes low-level routines like tessellation and high-resolution rendering akin to gaming. The Aztec Ruins tests are conducted at a resolution of 1440p while the Car Chase test is done at 1080p, and they are rendered off-screen to accommodate various display refresh rates, being used to test graphics and compute performance using the OpenGL API and hardware tessellation respectively. The higher the frames per second (fps), the better.
The discrete graphics card in the Asus showed outstanding performance compared to the integrated graphics in the other four systems, while the E16 came in last in every test. It is suitable for video streaming and puzzle games, but not for the latest games or graphic design and rendering tasks that rely on graphics acceleration.
Battery and Display Tests
We test the laptop’s battery life by playing a locally stored 720p video (open-source Blender film Tears of Steel) with the screen brightness set at 50% and volume at 100%. We ensure the battery is fully charged before the test, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.
To better measure display performance, we also use the Datacolor SpyderX Elite screen calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure the color saturation of the laptop screen – specifically the percentage of sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 colors the screen can display – at 50% brightness and its maximum brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).
The ThinkPad screen showed good performance in our battery drain test, although it is not close to the long run times of the impressive Yoga 7i. Unfortunately, its display is entry-level compared to the more luxurious IPS panel in the Vivobook and the OLED screens in the Swift and Envy, with mediocre colors and almost weak brightness.
Conclusion
Not
The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 convinces brand enthusiasts to part with mainstream ThinkPad T devices or premium ThinkPad X models, but they also won’t spend a fortune. We wish the display were brighter, and that Intel fans could order a higher resolution screen available with AMD configurations. However, the E16 offers a few compromises for its lower price, making it an excellent alternative to a ThinkBook or a consumer laptop.
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/laptops/20819/lenovo-thinkpad-e16-gen-1
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