The ThinkBook collection from Lenovo is composed of fashions for personal consumers (IdeaPad, Yoga) and fashions for trade use. This makes ThinkBooks attention-grabbing for personal customers, for instance the ones operating from house, in addition to for smaller firms. We’ve examined the present 16-inch fashion, the ThinkBook 16 G6, which can also be discovered for round US$870 and lines an AMD Ryzen 5 processor in addition to a matte IPS panel. It moreover has 16 GB RAM and a 512-GB PCIe SSD.
The pc’s silver case seems to be nice and its aluminum lid options two other grey tones together with large “ThinkPad” writing. This colour scheme continues at the base unit (which is created from plastic) and simplest the darker keyboard and black bezels be offering some contrasting colour. All-in-all, the ThinkBook does not appear to draw many fingerprint marks. Its weight of one.8 kg is moderate and not one of the comparability units take in too large an area.
Its construct high quality is okay and we famous no creaking noises, then again, the bottom unit can also be noticeably driven in and the ground duvet is solely created from tough plastic, which does not really feel too nice. The lid is extra solid however twisting it results in halos at the display screen. As well as, our take a look at pattern turns out to have a quite dented lid, which you’ll see within the left symbol underneath. The hinges are set well and make allowance for a most opening perspective of 180 levels. Its upkeep choices are excellent because of its two SO DIMM slots and one M.2-2280 slot, plus, the WLAN module may also be switched out.
The ThinkBook has USB-C and USB-A ports, which means you will not want any adapters in on a regular basis use. It sadly does not characteristic USB 4.0 but it surely does have an HDMI 2.1 output. The SD card reader accepts full-featured SD playing cards and its switch charges of 80-90 MB/s are first rate. The WLAN module (MediaTek MT7921) helps Bluetooth 5.1 and WLAN 6, then again, its most pace is restricted to 1,200 MBit/s, as proven in our WLAN take a look at. This does not result in any boundaries in on a regular basis use. The pc’s 1080p webcam does its process and takes first rate pictures in excellent lighting fixtures prerequisites.
Lenovo has given the ThinkBook a keyboard with a devoted numerical keypad — even supposing its keys are a bit narrower. Typing feels great at the keys which characteristic a boost of one.5 mm or even writing longer texts feels at ease, then again, our take a look at software could not slightly reside as much as the costlier ThinkPads or a couple of Yoga fashions. In darkish environment, a white illumination with two brightness settings involves the rescue. The arrow keys are well sized and there are devoted keys for up and down. A fingerprint scanner is built-in into the ability button.
When allowing for the bottom unit’s dimension, the clickpad (120 x 75 mm) is usually a little larger, then again, it really works completely superb. It’s great and easy and our clicks have been known reliably. You must most probably simply faucet it moderately than if truth be told clicking it, because it we could out slightly a noisy and cheap-sounding click on noise.
The ThinkBook 16 G6 has a matte IPS panel with a side ratio of 16:10 that includes a decision of one,920 x 1,200 pixels. Subjectively, this show seems to be excellent in regards to the software’s worth elegance — even brighter surfaces do not seem grainy. Its response speeds are unproblematic and it does not use any PWM. One drawback, then again, is the pronounced halos across the edges of the show.
Lenovo has said that the display screen has a brightness of 300 cd/m² and this was once showed in our measurements — we famous a most of 310 cd/m² and a median of 290 cd/m². Its black worth is at a low 0.22 cd/m², resulting in a most distinction ratio of greater than 1,400:1 regardless of its moderate brightness values.
We examined the panel the use of the pro CalMAN device and in its delivered state, the pc’s display screen had slightly of a yellow tint. Moreover, it confirmed large colour deviations, making it transparent that that is slightly an affordable IPS panel. We controlled to get the colour tint below regulate via calibrating the show, however this lowered its most brightness via about 40 cd/m². Alternatively, the colour deviations remained and along side its deficient colour area protection (simplest 60 % sRGB), this makes the ThinkBook incorrect for image modifying.
Outdoor, the panel’s brightness of 300 cd/m² makes it a bit tough to learn from the show. The IPS display screen’s viewing perspective balance is okay, then again, having a look at it from above and from a slight perspective results in slightly a loss against this.
The facility mode can also be switched by the use of the Fn+Q key mixture and you’ll choose from most efficiency (48/38 watts), clever cooling (38/28 watts) and battery saving mode (9 watts). The TDP settings range considerably and you’ll simply use the clever efficiency mode for easy duties; we used the most efficiency mode for the next benchmarks and measurements.
The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U provides six Zen 3 cores (max. 12 threads) — on the finish of the day, that is mainly an previous Ryzen 5 5625U whose most clock price has been raised via 200 MHz (max. 4.5 GHz). Its multi-core efficiency stays aggressive and the Ryzen chip got here between the Core i5-1335U and the Core i7-1355U in its competition. Alternatively, the Zen 3 processor was once obviously crushed when it got here to single-core efficiency. All-in-all, this efficiency is enough for standard place of business packages and it additionally stays consistent in battery mode. The processor’s efficiency is not completely solid below steady load, however its deficit of not up to 5 % may be very small. Additional CPU benchmarks can also be present in our tech segment.
In on a regular basis use, the ThinkBook 16 G6 is a fast-reacting device, which may be partially to do with its quick SSD. Inputs are finished promptly and we had no problems with lags or crashes all the way through our take a look at. Its artificial benchmark effects have been additionally first rate.
All the way through our standardized latency take a look at (browsing the Web, 4K YouTube video, CPU load), the ThinkBook with the present BIOS model simplest confirmed slight boundaries when the use of real-time audio packages.
Our take a look at software’s M.2-2280 slot is occupied via a compact M.2-2242 SSD from SK Hynix with a capability of 512 GB, of which 419 GB are unfastened to make use of after first beginning up the ThinkPad. Sadly, the PCIe-4.0 SSD is simplest hooked up by the use of PCIe 3.0, but it surely led to first rate switch charges (max. greater than 3 GB/s). Additional SSD benchmarks can also be discovered right here.
An built-in Radeon RX Vega 7 looks after graphics calculations — it needed to admit transparent defeat to the opposite competition when it got here to efficiency. The quite dated iGPU is robust sufficient for fundamental duties together with enjoying high-resolution video, however no longer a lot more. A minimum of, its efficiency stays solid in battery use and below steady load.
If you wish to use the ThinkBook 16 G6 to play video games, then you’ll steadily be restricted to minimal or medium main points — even if operating older or much less hard video games. Additional GPU benchmarks can also be discovered right here.
In on a regular basis use, the pc’s singular fan is steadily totally deactivated or even brief load peaks are absorbed without difficulty. It does take about 30 seconds for the fanatics to modify on below complete load. When gaming, you’ll be expecting about 32 dB(A) and all the way through our tension take a look at, we measured 41.4 dB(A) in most efficiency mode. This will after all be heard, but it surely elicits no tense frequencies. When the use of the mode clever cooling, we measured a complete of 38.8 dB(A) and in battery saving mode, we famous 28.4 dB(A). We did not realize some other electric noises coming from our take a look at software.
In on a regular basis use, the ThinkBook 16 G6’s floor temperatures simplest upward push via a small quantity however below load, this adjustments considerably. The left part of the pc will get significantly hotter, because the cooling unit with the singular fan is located right here. Underneath load, we measured as much as 50 °C at the backside of the bottom unit, so on this case, you should not position the software in your thighs all the way through use. The world across the keyboard stays slightly cooler with temperatures hitting 40 °C at maximum — it is a lot extra at ease and except for some heat arms, it does not prohibit your typing in any respect. Within the tension take a look at with blended CPU/GPU load, the processor balanced out temporarily at 38 watts and this remained solid.
The 2 stereo audio system left a excellent impact on us. Even supposing their most quantity isn’t specifically excessive, the sound may be very balanced total and their efficiency is indisputably enough for some background tune or movies.
With a most idle intake of seven.7 watts, the ThinkBook 16 G6 is an overly frugal 16-inch software, however that is after all additionally because of its relatively dim show. We measured a most of 66.6 watts all the way through the tension take a look at, so the prohibit of its 65-watt energy provide (309 grams) was once hit. Alternatively, for the reason that intake temporarily levelled out at 58 watts, this must no longer be a significant issue in apply.
Lenovo has simplest given the ThinkBook 16 G6 a forty five Wh battery, however because of its low intake, first rate runtimes can nonetheless be accomplished. At 150 cd/m² (which corresponds to 79 % of the utmost brightness on our take a look at software), the video take a look at ran for round 11.5 hours and the WLAN take a look at ran for simply over 10 hours. At complete show brightness, the results of the WLAN take a look at dropped to ~8 hours. General, those are first rate effects, however with a bigger battery, it’s worthwhile to be expecting much better runtimes (and there may be for sure enough room within the case). A complete fee takes round 100 mins with the software switched on, wherein 60 % is to be had once more after simply half-hour.
Lenovo’s ThinkBook 16 G6 is a large pc for operating from house which includes a matte IPS panel with none PWM. Subjectively, its image high quality is excellent however because of its excessive colour deviations and occasional colour area protection, it is not appropriate for modifying footage. Inside of, its most brightness of 300 cd/m² is enough however outdoor, it could get a bit tougher to learn from its show.
Its case additionally options an total excellent high quality and its SSD, WLAN and RAM modules can all be swapped out and upgraded. There are many connectivity choices and excluding an up-to-date HDMI output, out additionally has get right of entry to to a rapid SD card reader. You simply must make do with out USB 4.0
No highlights, but additionally no primary weaknesses: The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G6 is a well-balanced and inexpensive pc for operating from house in case you are on the lookout for a good keyboard and a big IPS display screen.
The AMD Ryzen processor’s fashion title might counsel that it includes a trendy Ryzen 7000 chip, then again, on the finish of the day, it’s merely a two-year-old processor with quite upper clocking Zen4 cores. Within the multi-core exams, its efficiency was once nonetheless aggressive, however the Intel chips have been a lot quicker within the single-core exams. Both means, its efficiency is indisputably nonetheless sufficient for standard place of business duties. In spite of its low battery capability, the pc’s runtimes are if truth be told first rate. The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 is a quite higher place of business pc which basically advantages from an non-compulsory panel with a brightness of 400 cd/m² and whole sRGB protection. Alternatively, it makes use of a Zen 3 processor.
Recently, the ThinkBook 16 G6 can also be discovered on Amazon for round US$870.
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