This ThinkPad checks all my boxes for a solid work laptop. Here's why it stands out

Whenever Lenovo isn’t pushing the boundaries of laptop design, the brand is creating high-quality personal work computers like the new ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. On the surface the T14s looks like your average ThinkPad with a lightweight, matte black body and an excellent keyboard. But if you examine it closely, you’ll notice small differences that set it apart from the crowd. 

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For one thing, it houses a good selection of ports, including an HDMI 2.1 input and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, supporting power delivery and DisplayPort. Those last two inputs allow you to send a video signal to an external monitor and charge the device at the same time.

However, I found the display a little disappointing. It outputs at a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels with the glass covered in an anti-glare coating, ensuring visibility under bright conditions. It is also Eyesafe certified, meaning the display emits low blue light to protect your eyes from strain. While this is all great, given its price point, I would’ve liked a 2K display instead.

I also want to shout out the 5MP webcam. It supports video calls up to 1440p, enabling sharp, bright images. This laptop ensures you’ll always look your best during those important calls. Your voice will be heard loud and clear thanks to a combination of Dolby Voice and the dual-array mics. To be better hear your audience, the speaker system supports Dolby Atmos for crisp sound.

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As great as the external hardware may be, the real star of the show here is what’s inside the ThinkPad T14s. My review unit came with the Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 processor, an AMD Radeon 880M graphics card, and 32GB of RAM. That new Ryzen chipset has made this model one of the best-performing Lenovo laptops I’ve tested.

Benchmark scores are high across the board, especially in PCMark 10’s Essential Productivity tests, earning 9,310 and 9,452 in the respective categories. These numbers indicate that apps open quickly and the hardware can multitask with ease. Cinebench results reveal the Ryzen AI 7 Pro is capable of fast image rendering.

A major factor in this experience is the neural processing unit (or NPU, for short). It utilizes artificial intelligence to take some of the load off the main processor so it can operate unencumbered. I had around 50 tabs on Google Chrome running live streams on YouTube, videos on social media, and more alongside several open apps. Not once did I experience a modicum of lag.

The one area where the benchmarking faltered is digital content creation, receiving its lowest scores in video editing, which isn’t surprising. Due to the integrated GPU and subpar display, this computer isn’t really meant for content creators. But for businesspeople, it’s the perfect companion. Battery life was solid, although nothing mindblowing. On average, the computer ran for about 12 hours straight under the Best Power Efficiency mode. Under Best Performance, the number dropped down to 7.5 hours.

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These are still solid run times. Users can enjoy multiday longevity, but the device isn’t as energy efficient as other laptops housing a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipset. The AMD processor may be too power-hungry to offer the same experience. Fortunately, the battery recharges quickly. A one-hour charge restored the battery to about 70%.

Two unique features stood out to me as they help futureproof the ThinkPad. It supports both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The two behave similarly by offering faster, more secure connections for their respective standards.

Even though both standards have been around for about a year each, they still haven’t been widely adopted. Few routers actively support Wi-Fi 7, for example, although that number is slowly increasing. To harness these nascent networks, you’ll need a trailblazing machine, and the ThinkPad T14s is just that.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Prices for the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 start at $1,598, which is about what you’d expect from a ThinkPad with this level of hardware. I highly recommend the laptop to professionals (or anyone really) who want a lightweight powerhouse that can handle a wide array of office and productivity workloads.

You can also configure this machine with higher-end components, including a 1TB SSD, but that will bring the price up to around $1,600. If you prefer something cheaper with a solid chipset, Lenovo is selling the ThinkPad T14s with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset, starting at $1,181.