Lenovo ThinkPad T16 G1 Intel laptop review: 16-inch marathon runner

Finally, Lenovo’s ThinkPads from the classic T-series are also getting a redesign. The 16:10 display of the ThinkPad T16 G1, which has been enlarged to 16 inches, is likely to be the first thing that catches your eye. The option of a significantly larger battery raises the hope of long battery runtimes, as does the optional low-power display.

Other changes will be explained throughout this review, as well as possible drawbacks compared to the predecessor . Our model comes with an Intel Core i5-1240P , 16 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, a 512 GB PCIe 4. 0 SSD, a FHD+ low-power display and a large 86 Wh battery.

The optional Intel U CPUs seem to be a little more economical according to our reviews thus far . A 2. 5K panel is also available, but the 4K UHD option of the predecessor with 100% DCI-P3 is no longer available.

Nvidia’s GeForce MX550 is also optional. The competition of the ThinkPad T16 as a high-end business device among the 15/16-inch laptops primarily includes Dell’s Latitude 15 5531 and HP’s EliteBook 865 G9. But the comparison with mid-range laptops is certainly interesting, including multimedia office hybrids such as Huawei’s MateBook D 16 and Asus’ Vivobook Pro 16X.

The ThinkPad T16 is anthracite in color, similar to the T14s G2 . The slightly roughened, rubberized surfaces are also the same and have a very high quality feel. Fingerprints are visible, but much less so than before.

The screen’s edges are narrower due to the 16:10 format, while the rest of the design remains more or less the same. Yet the device is 1. 4 mm thicker, a little shorter, but also a little deeper.

Our model weighs 1. 95 kg, which is mostly due to the selected battery capacity. The workmanship, free from gaps, is outstanding, as is the stability.

The lid can hardly be twisted, and targeted pressure on the back lid does not result in any image distortions. No wonder, since the lid is made out of a mix of carbon fiber, fiberglass and plastic. Carbon fiber was previously and exclusively reserved for the more expensive models with the s-suffix .

The palm rest is made out of a combination of plastic, fiberglass, magnesium and aluminum. The base thus proves to be very stubborn against torsional stress. The underside is made entirely out of thermoplastic.

The robust hinges are tight, but one-handed opening up to 180° is still possible. The continued use of a GBit LAN port is pleasing, but the omission of the microSD card reader in the T-series is less so. Otherwise, the ThinkPad offers everything you need with 2x USB-A 3.

2 Gen 1, HDMI 2. 0b and 2x Thunderbolt 4, including 100 watt charging and DisplayPort 1. 4.

This means that up to three additional monitors can be connected: 2x 5K60 @TB4 + 1x 4K60 @HDMI. Intel’s soldered AX211 is responsible for Wi-Fi 6E. We registered exemplary speeds of over 1.

6 GBit/s in both directions, so that our comparison field is easily led by the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 G1. Bluetooth 5. 2 and optional WWAN with 4G are also available.

In our review sample, there is a free M. 2 2242 slot, and the antennas can be upgraded. NFC is optional.

The 1080p webcam remains unimpressive, but is much less noisy and washed out. In addition, there are two dual-array microphones with good recording quality as well as IR for Windows Hello. For security, Lenovo offers an optional smart card reader, IR for Windows Hello, and a physical camera aperture in the ThinkPad T16 Gen.

1. Further security features include TPM 2. 0, a Kensington lock and the optional fingerprint scanner.

Human Presence Detection and Mirametrix Glance are used for the software. There is no docking port, but USB-C docks can be used. The scope of delivery includes only a 135-watt USB-C Slim charger.

Models with U-series CPUs have to make do with 65 watts. On the other hand, using your own charger with 45 watts is also possible. The packaging is 90% recycled or made from sustainable wood.

Before opening the device, you should deactivate the internal battery in the BIOS. After loosening 8 Phillips screws, you still need to loosen a few latches with a spudger. Afterwards, you have access to the inserted M.

2-2280-SSD (PCIe 4. 0), a RAM slot (free), a WWAN slot, the screwed 86 Wh battery and the cooling system, which can be cleaned. Inserting an SSD into the WWAN slot is not possible.

In Germany, Lenovo provides a warranty of 3 years (1 year for the battery). Our model comes with Premier Support, which includes on-site service. However, the standard is courier or carry-in service.

An extension up to 5 years is possible: 223 Euros (~US$ 223) for the first and 521 Euros (~US$ 521) for two extra years. These terms of warranty may differ in other countries, so be sure to check with your supplier before buying. The 6-row, splash-proof chiclet keyboard comes with 16×16 mm keys.

The bottom row and the shift keys are now square. Some keys have been reduced in size, such as the NumPad and the arrow keys, but not halved (like in some other models). All important keys are also dedicated.

The key travel, which has been shortened to 1. 5 mm, has found its way into the T-series without the s-suffix this year. Since the pressure point is very concise and the key resistance well implemented, this ensures faster, more accurate and also quieter typing than nearly every other keyboard.

Furthermore, the keyboard can be replaced in the case of wear or damage. The keyboard base yields only a little under targeted pressure, which is not the case when typing. The touchpad, which has been enlarged to 11.

5×6. 7 cm with an improved Mylar surface, is a step higher in terms of responsiveness, glides more smoothly and feels more like smooth glass. Pinch-to-zoom and drag & drop work wonderfully.

Inputs are implemented precisely. The integrated click keys offer a short travel, but rich and clear feedback. TrackPoint fans can still make use of the advantageous method for mouse control, which makes removing the hand from the keyboard unnecessary.

However, the three associated keys above the touchpad are now completely flat, with less feedback and travel. This may take a little getting used to. Nevertheless, they still function precisely and reliably.

The matte low-power display in 16:10 format installed in our review sample has a resolution of 1920×1200 (WUXGA/FHD+) and offers good sharpness on 16 inches. The brightness of a good 390 nits is almost as specified (400 nits). The contrast ratio (1393:1) and black value (0.

29 nits) are also at a high level. Black image content appears rich and deep as a result. At 6,300K, the white point is close to the optimum of 6,500K.

Colors are also relatively vivid and, according to our calibration, quite balanced. The DeltaE-2000 decreases from 3. 9 to a very good 1.

7 as a result, although red still deviates strongly. The sRGB color space is covered at 100%, which is sufficient for less demanding image editing. No PWM flickering was detected.

As always, our color profile can be downloaded to the right of the illumination graphic. Three alternative displays are offered, with the 2. 5K panel being new.

Unfortunately, a 4K UHD option with 100% DCI-P3 is no longer available. In our comparison field, the FHD+ LP panel performs best. Outdoors, the matte display is easy to read at an average of 390 nits.

However, you should avoid direct sunlight. Our model is equipped with 16 GB of soldered DDR4-3200 RAM (single channel) and is powered by Intel’s Core i5-1240P with an integrated graphics unit. In addition, there is a 512 GB SSD in the PCIe 4.

0 standard. The system is intended for office tasks and other typical business tasks. It is not intended for video editing and gaming and is only available in alternative configurations with the GeForce MX550 , more RAM (in free SODIMM) and possibly a stronger CPU ( i7-1280P ).

Since there are also models with AMD this year, this option is worth considering. We will attempt to review such a model as well. Lenovo does not offer its own power profiles for its ThinkPads, but integrates them into the Windows energy settings.

The auto mode of “intelligent cooling” can be disabled with “Fn+T”. Performance-related benchmarks were carried out under the maximum performance profile with Auto mode disabled. The Intel Core i5-1240P is a 12-core CPU with 4 performance and 8 efficiency cores.

The TDP of 28 W is being used for the first time in Lenovo’s T-series. However, our tests reveal that Lenovo limits PL1 to 20 watts, while the 12-second short turbo (PL2) is 59 watts. The very low temperatures of 63 °C prove that this approach unnecessarily restricts performance and is just enough to reach the base clock of 1.

7 GHz. This is incomprehensible, since the predecessor constantly runs at 35 watts. Consequently, this results in a sustained performance of only 15% above the predecessor , while the ThinkPad E15 with last year’s Ryzen computes about 50% faster.

On the other hand, the T16 is very fast in tasks that require short boosts. If the throttling, which has been confirmed by many sources as also occurring in the T14 G3 (same motherboard), is not fixed via BIOS update in the future, AMD would probably be the better choice here, since the Ryzens can deliver far better results with little power . In battery mode, the power is further limited to 10 watts, but “Max Performance on Battery” can be set in the BIOS, so that the result is more or less the same again.

A total of 30 watts can be maintained using the “ThrottleStop” tool, but overriding the settings chosen by the manufacturer is not recommended. Due to the strong short-term turbo, the system is very responsive despite the single-channel RAM. Web surfing during YouTube 4K playback is not a problem, but frame drops do occur.

This could certainly be fixed by the insertion of a second RAM module, as well as by improving the overall system performance. The Alder Lake CPU performs very well in the web surfing benchmarks due to the turbo, but PCMark performance is average. Samsung’s PM9A1 is a PCIe 4.

0 SSD and has a capacity of 512 GB. The speed is good, but the 4K 16/64 reads are quite slow, and they quickly drop by half in the read-loop test due to overheating. The predecessor had a faster SSD, and the rest of our comparison field performs similarly to our review sample.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics is technically a Xe G7 (80 EUs) that is bound to single-channel RAM. Accordingly, its performance is limited and low detail levels are the order of the day. Since the notebook is not designed for gaming, this is tolerable and can be improved significantly with a second RAM module.

The MX450 of the predecessor would also be a good accompanying improvement, while the optionally available GeForce MX550 is even faster. The ThinkPad T16 was also announced with an optional Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 , which is not even listed in the spec sheets, but only as a note that it is not available in the EMEA region. In battery mode, the fps in The Witcher 3 @Medium settings drop from 32 to 24, corresponding to a throttling of 25%.

The full 1,300 MHz drops to ~750 MHz. When idle, the ThinkPad T16 remains absolutely silent. Even during intensive web surfing and CPU-intensive tasks, the fan remains so quiet at an average of 25 dB(A) that you can hardly distinguish it from ambient noise.

Only under combined load, such as when gaming, do you realize that this is not a passively cooled device – although the laptop still maintains a low profile at 32 dB(A). However, the fan then runs at quite high tones. At least there are no annoying electronic noises.

Only the ThinkPad L15 G2 AMD and HP’s ProBook 450 G9 are similarly quiet in comparison. The ThinkPad T16 stays cool in most scenarios, only heating up to a normal degree under sustained load. You don’t notice much of this in the keyboard area, but only above it and even this does not feel too hot for a long time.

The underside generally stays cooler, so you can use the ThinkPad T16 on your lap. The direct predecessor and also the ThinkPad E15 heat up considerably more with a maximum of 55 °C and 60 °C, respectively, on the bottom. The ZBook Power 15 and Vivobook Pro 16X , on the other hand, remain similarly cool.

Under combined load (Prime95+FurMark), the P-cores dropped from 2. 2 to 1. 4 GHz after a short time – slightly below the base clock of 1.

7 GHz. One of the cores (P-Core 0) seems to be deactivated most of the time (0 MHz). The temperature drops from an initial 95 °C to a stable 62 °C.

The iGPU slips from 1300 MHz to 480 MHz at 61 °C. Once again, the problem is the set power limit of 20 watts. Under pure CPU stress, the P-cores also do not reach their base clock, but clock at 1.

5 GHz (all cores active). Only when the iGPU is stressed, does it manage 1,118 MHz at 66 °C. Fortunately, the speakers of the T-series have been improved.

Bass is still missing, but mids and trebles are balanced and reproduced linearly. This is acceptable for movies and videos, but music enjoyment is only possible with an external sound system or headphones connected via jack or Bluetooth. With a maximum of 75 dB(A), you can fill an average-sized room with sound.

We measured a low idle power consumption of ~6 watts and a minimum of 2. 9 watts. Our comparison field, including AMD derivatives, is no match for this.

Under load, we measured an average of 27. 9 watts – a value that is due to the throttled CPU. Combined load (CPU+iGPU) results in 42.

6 watts. Power peaks of up to 90 watts, caused by the short-term turbo, can be absorbed well by the 135 W power adapter. Moreover, the power adapter allows the large 86 Wh battery to be quickly charged to 80% in one hour.

It remains questionable whether a 100-watt power adapter, which would be a little more compact and is offered with the AMD version, would do the job just as well. Despite our model’s large 86 Wh battery, we didn’t expect the WLAN test to last for more than 14 hours. We use a script that simulates web surfing at a fixed 150 nits, using the “Balanced” energy profile in Windows.

The Core i5-1240P seems to be more economical than the Core i7-1280P , probably because the latter has more P-cores. The low-power display with FHD+ resolution also has a positive effect, especially at full brightness of 390 nits, where the ThinkPad achieves almost 11 hours. An exciting prospect is whether an AMD variant of the T16 will be able to offer even more.

The full-load runtime of 3. 5 hours is correspondingly long due to the low power limit of 20 watts. The ThinkPad T16 G1 Intel offers a lot: a 16-inch, bright 16:10 low-power display, very long battery runtimes, diverse equipment and mostly silent operation.

On top of this, a robust high-end design. A successful redesign overall, despite the shorter key travel and missing 4K option. The PL1 limitation of 20 watts is a little annoying, which unnecessarily limits the otherwise good performance.

Lenovo offers a solid business notebook with a very long battery life, bright low-power 16:10 display and low emissions in the ThinkPad T16 G1. However, the CPU’s throttling may prove to be problematic outside of office tasks. For business users looking for a compact device with a lot of screen real estate and long battery runtimes, the T16 seems to be unrivaled in its good keyboard, features and quiet behavior.

The soon to be released review of HP’s EliteBook 865 G9 is thus an exciting prospect. Also exciting will be the comparison with the AMD variant of the T16, which has the potential to deliver more performance with even lower emissions and even higher runtimes, but this remains to be seen in a future review. Those who also need workstation GPU should look at the ZBook Power 15 .

Those who do not need the best of the best will find a better price-performance ratio in the ThinkPad E15 AMD , which is more than twice as cheap. The Lenovo ThinkPad T16 G1 Intel laptop appears to be widely available as a freely configurable laptop via Lenovo’s official website. For example, we found the laptop in the US (starting at $1,099.

50), the UK (£1,169. 99), India (₹97,185), France (1,427. 25€), Singapore (SG$1,494.

58) and Australia (AU$2,229. 00). This list is not exhaustive.

Prices are as of 23. 09. 22 and subject to change.

.