Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16) review – Nearly Perfect for Work, Play, and Creation

If you are a hybrid worker or content creator who travels a lot and needs a powerful big-screen laptop that doesn’t weigh a ton, your options are kind of limited. Not all hope is lost since devices like the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″) exist. This one has a sub-20 mm profile but you can order it with a 55W Intel Core i9-14900HX and a GeForce RTX 4060 (just like we did). MUX switch is also onboard.

You can choose from two IPS panels. The base display is okay for a non-gaming notebook – 1600p 60Hz unit. The optional model is way more interesting because of the higher 2000p resolution and the 165Hz refresh rate. This variant is tied with G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus capabilities. It looks like gamers in the office should be happy.

The machine is rich in security features such as an IR Web camera, a self-healing BIOS, fTMP 2.0, and a fingerprint reader. You also get sound by “Harman Kardon” and a full-sized keyboard.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkbook-16p-gen-5/

Contents


Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box

Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 - Specs

  • MNG007ZA1-2 (CSO1626)
  • Color accuracy  1.5  0.8
  • HDD/SSD
  • up to 1000GB SSD
  • RAM
  • up to 32GB
  • OS
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home
  • Battery
  • 80Wh
  • Body material
  • Aluminum
  • Dimensions
  • 354.6 x 258.2 x 19.9 mm (13.96" x 10.17" x 0.78")
  • Weight
  • 2.20 kg (4.9 lbs)
  • Ports and connectivity
  • 2x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
  • 2x USB Type-C
  • 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
  • HDMI
  • 2.1
  • Card reader
  • SD (SD, SDHC, SDXC)
  • Ethernet LAN
  • Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 6E
  • Bluetooth
  • 5.3
  • Audio jack
  • 3.5mm Combo Jack
  • Features
  • Fingerprint reader
  • optional
  • Web camera
  • FHD with privacy shutter, fixed focus
  • Backlit keyboard
  • optional
  • Microphone
  • Dual Microphone Array with noise-cancelling
  • Speakers
  • 2x 2W woofers + 2x 2W tweeters Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos, sound by harman/kardon
  • Optical drive
  • Security Lock slot
  • Kensington Nano Lock

Drivers

All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkbook-series/thinkbook-16p-g5-irx/downloads

What’s in the box?

We found a bit of paperwork and a huge 300W barrel plug adapter inside the package. Some devices with not-so-powerful hardware rely on a 230W charger.


Design and construction

The ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″) look is typical for Lenovo and its business lineup of devices. This includes a metal chassis in a dual-tone design. The lid’s protruding section features Pogo pin connectors for the optional Lenovo Magic Bay Light. This extension module provides additional illumination, making it ideal for working in low-light conditions. It enhances visual comfort and can be beneficial during video calls.

Both the lid and main body are super sturdy and you can easily open the device with a single hand. The starting weight is 2.20 kg which isn’t bad at all considering the hefty cooling. The 19.9 mm profile is thin for such a device.

The bezels around the gorgeous display are super narrow for a 16-incher.

The “hump” on the top is home to a 1080p IR Web camera for Windows Hello. The unit is complemented by a privacy shutter.

The max angle of the opening almost reaches the 180-degree mark.

The spill-resistant backlit keyboard with NumPad and big Arrow keys is fantastic! It has well-spaced keycaps with surprisingly long travel and very good feedback. You also get a Copilot shortcut. The round Power button is placed in the top right section of the base. The key has a built-in fingerprint reader and it is positioned next to a long speaker grill.

The glass touchpad is large (80 x 135 mm), smooth, and very accurate. Its only con is the noisy clicks.

The bottom plate looks standard with its 3-row ventilation grill, three rubber feet, two speaker cutouts, and a Novo button hole. The hot air is pushed through three vents on the rear.

Ports

On the left, you get a Kensington Nano Security Slot, a 10 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 2) port with an Always On function, a pair of 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports with PowerDelivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 capabilities, and an Audio combo jack. We can see an HDMI 2.1 for up to 8K@60Hz displays and a power connector on the back. The left side houses two 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports and an SD card reader.


Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles

Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″) is equipped with an IPS panel, model number MNG007ZA1-2 (CSO1626). It comes with a 165Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 16.0″ (40.6 cm), and the resolution – 3200 х 2000p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:10, the pixel density – 236 ppi, and their pitch – 0.11 x 0.11 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 37 cm (this is based on the pixel density and the typical viewing distance at which individual pixels cannot be distinguished by the human eye).

Viewing angles are good. We offer images at different angles to evaluate the quality.

Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.

The maximum measured brightness is 408 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 385 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of 10%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness under the same conditions is 6720K („ P3“ mode in the „Lenovo vantage: Color management“ app).

In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. The illustration below shows how matters are for operational brightness levels (approximately 180 nits) – in this particular case at 75% Brightness (White level = 180 cd/m2, Black level = 0.17 cd/m2).
Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work (a maximum tolerance of 2.0 ). The contrast ratio is good – 1040:1.

To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction to the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy.

Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people on HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors, etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook.

Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day.

The yellow dotted line shows Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″)’s color gamut coverage.

Its display covers 100% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976, and 99% of DCI-P3, ensuring a super vibrant and attractive picture.

The Lenovo Vantage: Color management app emulates Display-P3, sRGB, and Adobe RGB color spaces, we show Display-P3 and sRGB.


We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc.

Below you can compare the scores of the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″) with the default settings („ P3“ mode in the „Lenovo vantage: Color management“ app), and with the “Gaming and Web design” profile (right), compared to the Display P3 color space.

The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light.

The left side of the image represents the display with stock settings, while the right one is enhanced with the “Gaming and Web Design” profile activated. On the horizontal axis, you will find the grayscale, and on the vertical axis – the luminance of the display. On the two graphs below you can easily check for yourself how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display, the calibration, the viewing angle, and the surrounding light conditions. The default settings are excellent.

Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)

Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the display is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses, the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.

Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″)’s display doesn’t flicker at any brightness level. This makes the screen pretty comfortable for long periods of use.

Health Impact: Blue light emissions

Installing our Health-Guard profile reduces the harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate. If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.

Health Impact: Screen Reflectance

Glossy-coated displays can be inconvenient in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the screen reflection level for each laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is set at 60°.

The reflectance of the Lenovo’s screen is 49 GU.

High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU

Sound

Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″)’s “Harman Kardon” speakers produce a sound of very good quality. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear of deviations.

Buy our profiles

Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″) configurations with 16.0″ MNG007ZA1-2 (CSO1626) (3200 х 2000) IPS.

*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].

Read more about the profiles HERE.

In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.

Office Work

Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.

Design and Gaming

This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.

Health-Guard

Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.

Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount


Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage

All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Also, the “Extreme Performance” and the “Discrete Graphics” modes are selected in the BIOS.

The “GPU Overclocking” function is turned on in the Lenovo Vantage app.

CPU options

This notebook can be found with Core i5-14500HX, Core i7-14650HX, or Core i9-14900HX.

The laptop that we bought has an i9 chip.

Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.

Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)

Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.

Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)

GPU options

The dGPU options for this Lenovo series are the 95W GeForce RTX 4050 and the 140W RTX 4060.

Our machine has an RTX 4060.

Gaming tests

Lenovo mentions a 115W power limit for the RTX 4060 but the NVIDIA Control Panel shows a 140W TGP. This could be handy when overclocking the chip.

Metro ExodusFull HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Extreme (Check settings)
Average FPS216 fps98 fps32 fps

Borderlands 3Full HD, V.Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Badass (Check settings)
Average FPS250 fps185 fps126 fps94 fps

Far Cry 6Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
Average FPS187 fps141 fps121 fps

Gears 5Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
Average FPS287 fps206 fps171 fps135 fps

The 140W RTX 4060 performs even better in some scenarios compared to the 100W RTX 4070 inside the Yoga Pro 9i Gen 9 (16″). That’s because the ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 has a bigger GPU power limit and a more powerful CPU compared to its Yoga sibling.

Storage performance

Our notebook has a 1TB SAMSUNG MZVL21T0HCLR-00BL2. This NVMe drive reaches 70°C during benchmarking. The thermals are way better when using the laptop for normal work.


[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop

You can make your laptop Faster. LaptopMedia has tested thousands of models in the last 15 years, and we have yet to see a notebook that couldn't be made more powerful through modifications.

That's why we decided to bundle everything we know about how to achieve this in an Easy-to-Follow, Step-by-Step, and Laboratory-Tested, all in one project.

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🛠️ GPU Modifications: vBIOS, Overclocking, Undervolting
⚙️ Building Fast/Reliable RAID configuration
💻 Hardware upgrade tips for best results
🖼 Display enhancing
💾 OS Optimization for best performance


Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life

Max CPU load

In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.

Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power

Intel Core i9-14900HX (55W Base Power)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″)3.57 GHz @ 2.96 GHz @ 77°C @ 157W3.42 GHz @ 2.86 GHz @ 88°C @ 145W3.06 GHz @ 2.55 GHz @ 83°C @ 115W
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 16 (G634, 2024)3.82 GHz @ 3.13 GHz @ 81°C @ 175W3.64 GHz @ 2.98 GHz @ 87°C @ 169W3.38 GHz @ 2.75 GHz @ 86°C @ 141W
ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (G834, 2024)3.71 GHz @ 3.06 GHz @ 77°C @ 175W3.61 GHz @ 3.01 GHz @ 88°C @ 169W3.34 GHz @ 2.74 GHz @ 87°C @ 141W
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (PHN16-72)3.34 GHz @ 2.76 GHz @ 69°C @ 144W3.40 GHz @ 2.86 GHz @ 76°C @ 143W3.19 GHz @ 2.69 GHz @ 84°C @ 113W
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (16″, Gen 9)3.70 GHz @ 3.02 GHz @ 74°C @ 178W3.70 GHz @ 3.04 GHz @ 81°C @ 175W3.35 GHz @ 2.72 GHz @ 84°C @ 140W
Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 (PHN18-71) “Turbo” preset3.55 GHz @ 2.91 GHz @ 68°C @ 156W3.51 GHz @ 2.91 GHz @ 80°C @ 157W3.09 GHz @ 2.56 GHz @ 87°C @ 115W
Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72) “Turbo” preset3.56 GHz @ 3.07 GHz @ 80°C @ 157W3.55 GHz @ 3.00 GHz @ 90°C @ 157W3.32 GHz @ 2.81 GHz @ 86°C @ 136W
Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72) “Performance” preset3.22 GHz @ 3.04 GHz @ 76°C @ 157W3.17 GHz @ 3.02 GHz @ 88°C @ 157W2.59 GHz @ 2.47 GHz @ 81°C @ 95W

Compared to the gaming beasts that we have tested with the Core i9-14900HX, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 is also doing a stellar job even in longer loads where its P and E cores boost to around 3.06 GHz / 2.55 GHz nearing the result of the Predator Helios Neo 18. The fans of the latter are notably louder.

Real-life gaming

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min)GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min)
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″)2640 MHz @ 72°C @ 112W2640 MHz @ 71°C @ 111W
Acer Nitro 14 (AN14-41)2632 MHz @ 80°C @ 110W2603 MHz @ 84°C @ 110W
HP OMEN Transcend 14 (14-fb0000)2148 MHz @ 66°C @ 65W2160 MHz @ 65°C @ 65W
Dell XPS 16 96401726 MHz @ 70°C @ 50W1739 MHz @ 68°C @ 50W
ASUS TUF Gaming F16 FX607 (2024)2533 MHz @ 76°C @ 105W2545 MHz @ 75°C @ 105W
MSI Cyborg 15 A13V1520 MHz @ 62°C @ 45W1507 MHz @ 65°C @ 45W
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 FA607 (2024)2610 MHz @ 76°C @ 111W2610 MHz @ 80°C @ 113W
HP OMEN Transcend 16 (u1000)2625 MHz @ 75°C @ 113W2625 MHz @ 76°C @ 114W
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (N6506) “Full-speed fan mode”2540 MHz @ 84°C @ 109W2564 MHz @ 82°C @ 108W
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (N6506) “Performance fan mode”2247 MHz @ 76°C @ 85W2306 MHz @ 76°C @ 89W
Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9)2715 MHz @ 73°C @ 111W2715 MHz @ 71°C @ 110W
Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-41)2580 MHz @ 68°C @ 102W2595 MHz @ 66°C @ 102W
Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-51) “Turbo” preset2520 MHz @ 78°C @ 112W2520 MHz @ 81°C @ 111W
Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-51) “Performance” preset2490 MHz @ 73°C @ 108W2490 MHz @ 73°C @ 108W
ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (FA507, 2023)2520 MHz @ 78°C @ 112W2520 MHz @ 81°C @ 111W
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 42475 MHz @ 76°C @ 107W2475 MHz @ 77°C @ 108W
HP Victus 16 (16-r0000)2520 MHz @ 77°C @ 107W2520 MHz @ 76°C @ 107W

Well, well, the GPU can sustain a 2640 MHz core clock in longer gaming sessions which is the second-best result among all RTX 4060-based machines in the table above.

Comfort during full load

During gaming in “Extreme Performance” mode, the fans aren’t too noisy but they aren’t quiet either which is fine given the hardware under the bonnet. In this case, the hotspot on the keyboard hits 43°C and the WASD area reaches just 35°C. All that ensures good comfort.

 

Battery

Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 80Wh battery lasts for around 4 hours and a half of video playback. To achieve that, you have to apply the “Best Power Efficiency” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and activate the “Intelligent Cooling”, the “Smart Power”, and the “Dynamic Graphics” modes in the BIOS.


Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance

To open this notebook, you have to undo eight Torx-head screws. When that is done, you’ll see that the two bottom corners are already slightly raised up. Pry the front and then work your way around the sides and the rear.

Here’s how the bottom plate looks on the inside.

This machine has an 80Wh battery. To remove it, pull out the connector from the motherboard and undo the 6 Phillips-head screws that fix the unit to the chassis. The capacity is enough for around 4 hours and a half of video playback.

The RAM zone is covered by a metal shroud and you can pop it with a lever tool.

According to Lenovo, the two SODIMMs fit up to 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. However, since the CPU can support up to 192GB, this laptop likely wouldn’t have issues running a larger amount of memory than the official manufacturer’s specified limit.

For storage upgrades, there are two M.2 slots compatible with 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. The preinstalled NVMe drive is covered by a metal plate that has a long thermal pad on the inside.

The Wi-Fi card is positioned below the right fan.

The thermal system has two large fans, one long thick heat pipe shared between the CPU and the GPU, and one more pipe for each chip. We can also see two heat sinks and a pair of sizeable metal cooling plates.


Verdict

The Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 (16″) is almost a perfect device for office usage, content creation, or even gaming. The big cooling has no problems dealing with the Core i9-14900HX and the RTX 4060 during long heavy stress. The CPU can maintain a 3.06 GHz / 2.55 GHz P and E-core clock and the GPU boosts to 2640 MHz which is a great result. That’s why this laptop always feels fast no matter the task.

The comfort under load is adequate. The keyboard doesn’t get hot and the fans aren’t as loud as a vacuum cleaner. The bottom panel can be easily opened. This gives you access to the two SODIMMs and the pair of Gen 4 NVMe slots. The Wi-Fi card is also replaceable.

The 165Hz 2000p display (MNG007ZA1-2 (CSO1626)) is great! This optional screen is PWM-free and has 408 nits of max brightness and 100% sRGB coverage. Its base color accuracy isn’t bad but our “Design and Gaming” enhances it from a 1.5 out-of-the-box score to an average dE result of 0.8 which is suitable for professional color-sensitive work.

The full-sized backlit keyboard is comfortable and the same can be said about the smooth glass touchpad. The short battery life is one of the few cons of this solid aluminum machine.

The ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 offers snappy performance, good upgradability, a modern port selection, and a color-accurate IPS display.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkbook-16p-gen-5/

Pros

  • Solid aluminum chassis
  • Great overall performance given the thin profile
  • The fans aren’t too noisy under full CPU loads in “Extreme Performance” mode
  • 408 nits of max brightness (CSO1626)
  • Comfortable viewing angles + 16:10 aspect ratio (CSO1626)
  • 100% sRGB and 99% DCI-P3 coverage + accurate colors with our “Design and Gaming” profile (CSO1626)
  • PWM-free (CSO1626)
  • Good audio quality
  • IR Web camera with privacy shutter
  • Modern port selection with 5x USB ports and an SD card reader
  • The i9-14900HX can maintain high P-core and E-core clocks in long loads (~3.06 GHz / 2.55 GHz)
  • The RTX 4060 can sustain a stable 2640 MHz core clock during gaming
  • Comfortable backlit keyboard + big and smooth glass touchpad
  • 2x SODIMMs + 2x M.2 Gen 4 slots
  • The bottom panel is easy to open
  • Snappy NVMe (SAMSUNG MZVL21T0HCLR-00BL2)
  • Fingerprint reader
  • MUX switch
  • G-Sync + Advanced Optimus (for the RTX 4060-based models with 2000p screen)


Cons

  • Short battery life

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