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日本Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 (Intel) review – A Quiet Workhorse Perfect for the Office
Most business laptops that offer up-to-date hardware and features are expensive. Of course, you can find devices in this segment that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Just like the Intel version of the ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 which is powered by Intel Meteor Lake processors. If you care about battery life, a 15W U-series chip is the better choice and you can also find this machine with 28W CPUs that are more suitable for heavy workloads.
You also get decent upgradability alongside a modern port selection. The base security features seem good for the class, including a privacy shutter, a Kensington Nano Security slot, a self-healing BIOS, and a dTPM 2.0 chip. The fingerprint reader, the IR Web camera, and the Smart card reader are optional. Interestingly, even the keyboard’s backlight will cost you an extra amount of money.
There are no high-resolution display models here. All three IPS panels are 1200p variants, and one of them supports touch functionality. The latest and greatest Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity isn’t standard as well.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-l16-gen-1-intel/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 (Intel) - Specs
- Display
- 16.0”, WUXGA (1920 x 1200), IPS
- HDD/SSD
- up to 4000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 64GB
- OS
- Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home
- Battery
- 57Wh
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate
- Dimensions
- 357.2 x 253.4 x 20.78 mm (14.06" x 9.98" x 0.82")
- Weight
- 1.77 kg (3.9 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 1x USB Type-A
- 2.0
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
- 1x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- 1x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 2.1 (4K@60Hz)
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11be
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- optional
- Web camera
- 5.0MP + IR discrete, with privacy shutter, fixed focus
- Backlit keyboard
- optional
- Microphone
- Dual-microphone array, far-field, Dolby Voice
- Speakers
- 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Dolby Audio
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
- Kensington Nano Lock
All Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 (Intel) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-l-series-laptops/thinkpad-l16-gen-1-type-21l3-21l4/downloads
What’s in the box?
Inside the package, we found the laptop itself and some manuals. Depending on the CPU model, you get a 45W or 65W USB Type-C adapter. These accessories are optional – HDMI to VGA Monitor Adapter, USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter, or USB-C to VGA Adapter.
Design and construction
Visually, the ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 (Intel) looks like a normal Lenovo business machine in a Dark color. The non-intrusive design is suitable for offices or other working environments such as schools or libraries. The device is made of plastic and that’s why it’s not heavy for a 16-incher. It stops the scales at 1.77 kilos and has a profile height of 20.78 mm.
You can’t open the lid with one hand. Still, the unit feels solid. The main body seems rigid as well. We observed slight flexes in the zone below the touchpad when we pushed it down hard but you’ll not spot this during normal usage. The matte surface attracts smudges with ease.
The top bezel is a bit thicker than the other three because of the “hump” on top which eases the opening process and it also houses a 720p or 5MP IR Web camera for Windows Hello.
Both camera variants have privacy shutters.
The max angle of the opening almost reaches the 180-degree mark.
The keyboard with a NumberPad and decently sized Arrow keys is good for home or office work. The key travel and the feedback are on point. The legendary TrackPoint is also here and yes, this feature is important for some users. Keep in mind that the backlight is optional.
The touchpad’s size is normal (67.6 x 115 mm) and the Mylar surface almost feels like a glass one providing nice smoothness and accuracy.
Flipping the machine upside down reveals a big ventilation grill, three rubber feet, and an emergency reset hole. The hot air is guided through a vent on the rear.
Ports
On the left, there is a Gigabit Ethernet port, a 20 Gbps USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2×2) port with DisplayPort 1.4 extra, a 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 port that supports DisplayPort 2.1, an HDMI 2.1 for up to 4K@60Hz external displays, and a 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with an Always On function. Both Type-Cs support PowerDelivery 3.0 functionality. The Nano-SIM card slot is placed on the back. The right side has a Kensington Nano Security slot, one more 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, a USB 2.0 port, an Audio combo jack, and an optional Smart card reader.
Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles
| Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 | B160UAN03.2 (LEN41B5) |
| Diagonal | 16.0 inches (40.6 cm) |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| Max Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
| Pixel Density | 141 PPI |
| ‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 61 cm |
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 52% of the sRGB color gamut and 41% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 covers 52% of the sRGB gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 360 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 353 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 7%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6620K.
The contrast ratio is 1390:1.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 181 nits (Windows slider = 77%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Before our calibration of the Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1, the Average color accuracy was 6.1 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 4.1 dE (Fig. 3).
(Fig. 2) Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 in its factory condition
(Fig. 3) Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 with our display profile
Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Gaming profile aims to deliver:
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Visibility in dark scenes
Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.
The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Design and Gaming profile activated.
On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.
You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 14.0 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The light from the backlight of the Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.
Health Impact: Blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces 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 cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the Lenovo’s screen is 50.4 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Get our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 configurations with B160UAN03.2 (LEN41B5), 1920 х 1200, IPS panel.
*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
Sound
The speakers of the Lenovo ThinkPad produce high-quality sound. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear without any significant deviations.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Also, the “Scheme for AC” in the BIOS is set to “Maximize Performance”.
CPU options
This machine can be found with Core Ultra 5 125H, Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 5 135H, Core Ultra 5 135U, Core Ultra 7 155H, Core Ultra 7 155U, or Core Ultra 7 165U.
The laptop that we bought has a 125U chip.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
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
In terms of graphics, you get what’s inside the CPU.
In our case, that’s the Intel Graphics (4-Cores).
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
| CS:GO | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, MAX (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 158 fps | 93 fps | 50 fps |
| Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 38 fps | 26 fps | 19 fps | 15 fps |
Storage performance
Our notebook has a 512GB SK Hynix HFS512GEJ9X164N. Its seeps are acceptable. The NVMe drive reaches 73°C during benchmarking.
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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; Average LP E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power
| Intel Core Ultra 5 125U (15W Base Power) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 | 3.54 GHz @ 3.00 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 75°C @ 43W | 3.45 GHz @ 2.95 GHz @ 1.77 GHz @ 88°C @ 43W | 2.00 GHz @ 1.89 GHz @ 1.10 GHz @ 67°C @ 21W |
The Core Ultra 5 125U can maintain ~3.50 GHz / 3.00 GHz P and E-core clock in short and medium loads which is enough for snappy performance. In longer loads the frequencies are decent and higher than the official Intel base ones.
Comfort during full load
The power presets are integrated into the default Windows Power modes which is very convenient.
The fan remains quiet even when the CPU is heavenly pounded in “Best Performance” mode. In this case, the hotspot on the keyboard is on the top row of keys and reaches 44°C. The WASD section is even cooler. The right side of the bottom display bezel hits 48°C because it’s close to the back exhaust vent.
If you don’t mind ~ 1.40 GHz for the P and E cores, the fan can become near silent in “Balanced” mode.
The fan spins with ~ 400 RPM more in the “Best Performance” preset compared to the “Balanced” mode (in heavy CPU stress).
Max CPU Stress “Best Performance”
>Max CPU Stress “Balanced”You can check the idle fan speed as well.
Idle RPM “Best Performance”
Idle RPM “Best Power Efficiency”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 57Wh battery lasts for around 12 hours of video playback. To achieve that, you have to apply the “Best Power Efficiency” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and set the “Scheme for Battery” to “Balanced” mode in the BIOS.
The “Adaptive Sync Plus” option is turned on in the Intel Graphics Command Center.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To open this business laptop, you have to undo ten captive Phillips-head screws. The next step is to remove the SIM card tray.
Pry the top two corners with a thin plastic tool. Then, pry the sides and the back. When that is done, you can pop the front.
Here’s how the bottom panel looks on the inside.
Our laptop has the optional 57Wh battery. The base model is a 46.5Wh variant. To take it out, detach the connector from the mainboard and undo the three Phillips-head screws that secure the battery to the chassis. The capacity is enough for around 12 hours of video playback.
A mylar film is placed over the RAM zone.
According to Lenovo, the two SODIMMs support up to 64GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. However, since the CPU can support up to 96GB, this laptop likely wouldn’t have issues running a larger amount of memory than the official manufacturer’s specified limit. The WWAN slot on the right is for optional 4G connectivity.
Regarding storage, you can rely on a single M.2 slot compatible with 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. The NVMe drive is covered in foil that has a thermal pad on the bottom.
Sadly, the Wi-Fi card is soldered.
The cooling seems basic. It has one fan, a single heat pipe, a heat sink, and a heat spreader.
Verdict
The Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 is a typical office workhorse. Luckily, its plastic chassis is surprisingly solid and light at the same time. The input devices are comfortable for work and the fan isn’t noisy at all even when the processor is pushed to its limits. The machine feels response for normal work which is due to the ~3.50 GHz / 3.00 GHz P and E-core clock in short and medium loads.
The two SODIMM slots make this laptop future-proof and the port selection is nice as well with its pair of Type-Cs and three Type-As. Unfortunately, there is just one M.2 slot so the only way to upgrade the storage is to change the SSD with a bigger NVMe drive.
The 1200p IPS display (B160UAN03.2 (LEN41B5)) is PWM-free and it impresses with wide viewing angles and 360 nits of max brightness. The sRGB coverage is low but that’s okay since this notebook isn’t meant for content creation.
The Intel version of the Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1 offers long battery life, good comfort under full loads, nice input devices, and a comfortable full-sized keyboard.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-l16-gen-1-intel/
Pros
- Rigid build
- Good overall performance
- The fan is quiet during max CPU stress in “Best Performance” mode
- PWM-free panel (LEN41B5)
- Comfortable viewing angles (LEN41B5)
- 360 nits of max brightness (LEN41B5)
- Good audio quality
- Web camera with a privacy shutter
- Modern port selection with two Type-C ports
- The CPU can sustain high P-core and E-core clocks in long loads (~3.50 GHz / 3.00 GHz)
- Comfortable keyboard + smooth touchpad
- 2x SODIMMs
- The bottom panel is easy to open
- 4G, NFC, Smart Card reader, vPro CPU, 5MP IR Web camera, and fingerprint reader (all are optional)
Cons
- Plastic build
- Too many optional features
- Just one M.2 slot
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