The ThinkPad E series is the entry point in Lenovo’s ThinkPad lineup and the 14-inch model has been a reliable business companion for years. Lenovo’s G5 model brings some welcome changes, such as adapting the case design to the more expensive T-series models. At the same time, the 16:9 displays have been exchanged for 16:10 models and the basic TN panels are no longer available. From now on, only IPS models are on offer and with the new optional 2.2K screen, which was also the screen of our test device, you get a decent upgrade with full sRGB coverage. The matte display is a good choice for a business machine, but there’s still a gap to the brighter, low-power displays of the T or X series.
The new case has become more compact and is made of plastic apart from the display lid (aluminum). Workmanship and stability are very good, but the smooth surfaces are very susceptible to fingerprints. The maintenance options are still very good. Although the ThinkPad comes with 8 GB of soldered RAM, one free RAM slot is available. In addition to the regular M.2 2280 SSD, another M.2 2242 SSD can be installed.
However, the new case also has a major disadvantage because like in other ThinkPad models, the familiar keyboard and its 1.8 mm travel has now been exchanged for the 1.5 mm version. This is not bad per se, but there’s a noticeable difference and we still can’t understand why Lenovo doesn’t recognize this. In our eyes, the manufacturer is sabotaging itself here.
The situation isn’t perfect for the processor either, but that’s more AMD’s fault. The Ryzen 7 7730U designation suggests a Ryzen 7000 processor, but the old Zen3 cores are used and it is basically the old Ryzen 7 5825U, which was also used in the ThinkPad E14 G4. Unsurprisingly, there is no performance differences compared to the old model.
Overall, the new ThinkPad E14 G5 is a solid office notebook with an improved display, but you’ll quickly climb into the four-digit range when configuring it with good hardware specs. Here, we hesitate in recommending the laptop. All further information, including benchmarks and measurements, can be found in our detailed review:
I grew up with modern consumer electronics and my first computer was a Commodore C64, which encouraged my interest in building my own systems. I started working as a review editor for Notebookcheck during my dual studies at Siemens. Currently, I am mainly responsible for dealing with business laptops and mobile workstations. It’s a great experience to be able to review the latest devices and technologies and then compare them with each other.
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
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