The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (Intel) is a pure business device that isn't too pricey. Here, you aren't going to find fancy features such as WWAN, SIM Card slot, or NFC. All the essential functions are part of the package - Wi-Fi 6 (or optional 6E), dTPM 2.0 secure chip for passwords and data encryption, a Nano Security Slot, and a privacy shutter for the Web camera. The device comes with nine CPU options including 13th Gen Raptor Lake U, P, and H-series processors. The top variant is the Core i7-13700H which should be a serious challenge for the cooling considering the compact dimensions of the laptop. There is an optional iGPU - NVIDIA GeForce MX550. Display-wise, we can see two 1200p IPS models (one of them is a touchscreen unit) and the most expensive variant is a 2.2K model. All panels have an anti-glare coating and a 16:10 aspect ratio. No TN screens - yay! This is another MIL-STD 810H-certified device from the brand and since there is metal involved in the build, we can expect at least decent rigidity. The price of this machine is lower compared to the ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 and ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 and one of the reasons is that this laptop uses DDR4 memory instead of DDR5 or LPPDDR5. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-e14-gen-5-intel/ Specs, Drivers, What's in the box Drivers All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-edge-laptops/thinkpad-e14-gen-5-type-21jk-21jl/21jk/downloads What's in the box? The package contains the laptop itself, some paperwork, and a 65W Type-C adapter. Design and construction The design is a bit different compared to the predecessor. This time around we have a protrusion on the center of the lid for easier opening. You can find this notebook in two color options - Arctic grey and Graphite black. We got the black version and our laptop features an all-aluminum build that weighs 1.43 kg. Other machines from the series have a plastic base and they are slightly lighter - 1.41 kg. The profile thickness is the same for all devices - 17.99 mm. In short, this is a compact and light gadget. The chassis feels solid. The lid isn't bendable when it's close and you can flex it slightly when it's opened. The base is super stable and we observed just a slight bend in the zone between the touchpad and the Space key. Sadly, the lid can't be opened with a single hand because of the hinge stiffness. The bezels around the display are a bit thinner than the previous-gen notebook. The "hump" on the top houses a Web camera with a privacy shutter that can be a 720p, 1080p, or 1080p + IR hybrid model. The angle of the opening almost reaches the 180-degree mark. On the base, we can see the spill-resistant keyboard that has an optional backlight. The board is comfortable - it has big keycaps with long travel and clicky feedback. The laptop lacks a lid with a level mechanism. The Power button doubles as an optional fingerprint reader. The trackpoint is placed in the middle of the board and it works together with the three buttons above the touchpad. The latter has a Mylar surface and it's not big (56 x 115 mm). It's not very smooth or fast either. The accuracy isn't bad but could be better. Still, the unit is good enough for work. If you flip the machine upside down you'll see a big ventilation grill, two speaker cutouts for the 2W Dolby Atmos units, and three rubber feet. The heat is being exhausted through a vent on the back of the device. Some amount of hot air makes its way to the display under heavy CPU stress. Ports On the left, there is a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port that supports data transfer, Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 functions, a Thunderbolt 4 connector, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with Always On function, a HDMI 2.1 connector (for up to 4K 60Hz external screens), and an Audio combo jack. On the right, there is the Kensington Nano security lock slot, LAN, and a USB 2.0 port. Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 is equipped with a WUXGA IPS panel, model number BOE NV140WUM-N43 (LEN403D). It comes with a 60Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 14.0" (35.6 cm), and the resolution - 1920 x 1200p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:10, the pixel density – 162 ppi, and their pitch – 0.16 x 0.16 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 53 cm (from this distance, the average human eye can’t see the individual pixels). Viewing angles are comfortable. We offer images at different angles to evaluate the quality. Also, a video with locked focus and exposure. The maximum measured brightness is 331 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 315 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 is 6550K (average). 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 140 nits) – in this particular case at 73% Brightness (White level = 145 cd/m2, Black level = 0.11 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 – 1300:1. 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 ThinkPad E14 Gen 5's color gamut coverage. Its display covers 50% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976 and 39% of DCI-P3. Our “Design and Gaming” profile delivers optimal color temperature (6500K) at 140 cd/m2 luminance and sRGB gamma mode. We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc. You can check out the results at factory condition and also, with the “Design and Gaming” profile. Below you can compare the scores of the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 with the default settings (left), and with the “Gaming and Web design” profile (right). 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 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. 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 = 18.1 ms. 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) Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the backlight 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 ThinkPad E14 Gen 5'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 not only eliminates PWM but also 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: Gloss-level measurement Glossy-coated displays are sometimes inconvenient in high ambient light conditions. We show the level of reflection on the screen for the respective laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is 60° (in this case, the result is 50.2 GU). Sound Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5's 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 ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 configurations with 14.0" BOE NV140WUM-N43 (LEN403D) (1920 x 1200) 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 bg.laptopmedia@gmail.com. Read more about the profiles HERE. Performance: CPU, GPU, Gaming Tests CPU options There are nine CPU options - Core i3-1315U, Core i5-1335U, Core i5-1345U, Core i7-1355U, Core i7-1365U, Core i5-1340P, Core i7-1360P, Core i5-13500H, and Core i7-13700H. GPU options If the iGPU isn't powerful enough for your needs, you can get the optional NVIDIA GeForce MX550. Gaming tests CS:GO HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) HD 1080p, MAX (Check settings) Average FPS 112 fps 102 fps 55 fps DOTA 2 HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) HD 1080p, Normal (Check settings) HD 1080p, High (Check settings) Average FPS 117 fps 69 fps 41 fps The iGPU has enough power to show 102 FPS in CS:GO on Medium details which isn't bad at all. [eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT your Laptop 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 i7-1355U (15W TDP) 0:02 - 0:10 sec 0:15 - 0:30 sec 10:00 - 15:00 min Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 3.49 GHz @ 2.65 GHz @ 69°C @ 42W 3.28 GHz @ 2.46 GHz @ 82°C @ 38W 2.20 GHz @ 1.62 GHz @ 77°C @ 23W HP ZBook Firefly 16 G10 3.85 GHz @ 2.89 GHz @ 67°C @ 50W 3.32 GHz @ 2.48 GHz @ 75°C @ 37W 2.14 GHz @ 1.44 GHz @ 66°C @ 17W Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 4 (Intel) 3.34 GHz @ 2.54 GHz @ 86°C @ 39W 3.16 GHz @ 2.45 GHz @ 93°C @ 35W 2.38 GHz @ 1.77 GHz @ 77°C @ 20W Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 3.78 GHz @ 2.93 GHz @ 82°C @ 48W 3.45 GHz @ 2.71 GHz @ 90°C @ 41W 2.52 GHz @ 1.87 GHz @ 78°C @ 22W Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 3.83 GHz @ 2.89 GHz @ 78°C @ 51W 3.7 GHz @ 2.82 GHz @ 93°C @ 49W 2.38 GHz @ 1.75 GHz @ 64°C @ 21W Acer Aspire 5 (A514-56M) 3.82 GHz @ 2.82 GHz @ 64°C @ 55W 2.18 GHz @ 2.26 GHz @ 65°C @ 37W 1.43 GHz @ 1.98 GHz @ 60°C @ 28W Dell Vostro 15 3530 2.06 GHz @ 2.70 GHz @ 94°C @ 40W 1.56 GHz @ 2.22 GHz @ 96°C @ 26W 2.06 GHz @ 2.25 GHz @ 95°C @ 26W Lenovo Yoga Book 9 (13IRU8) 2.23 GHz @ 2.58 GHz @ 76°C @ 40W 2.13 GHz @ 2.42 GHz @ 85°C @ 35W 1.64 GHz @ 2.03 GHz @ 77°C @ 24W ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304) 3.46 GHz @ 2.47 GHz @ 80°C @ 41W 3.06 GHz @ 2.24 GHz @ 91°C @ 31W 2.36 GHz @ 1.68 GHz @ 75°C @ 21W The CPU here can sustain high CPU clocks and power limits in short and medium loads. In longer stress, the chip can maintain 2.20 GHz for the P cores and 1.62 GHz for the E cores which is a better result compared to the 16-inch HP ZBook Firefly 16 G10. However, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 and ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 are doing a bit better job in this section. Comfort during full load The power modes are integrated into the default Windows performance presets. The single fan spins with ~1800 RPM during idle state, Web browsing, or video playback and it's quiet. Under heavy CPU load, the rotation speed is 3600 RPM and the fan isn't loud at all. In this scenario, you can feel a bit of heat beneath your fingers while typing but nothing serious. The two palm rest areas are cool enough for normal usage. Battery Now, we conduct the battery tests with Windows Better performance setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 120 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 57Wh battery lasts for for 16 hours and 40 minutes of Web browsing, or 7 hours and 9 minutes of video playback. Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance If you want to open the laptop, you need to undo 7 captive Phillips-head screws. Then you can pry the bottom panel with a plastic tool starting from one of the top two corners. There are two cooling pads on the inside of the bottom plate that are making contact with the preinstalled SSD. The battery here is the optional 57Wh variant. The default model has a capacity of 47Wh. To take out the unit, detach the connector from the motherboard, and undo the three Phillips-head screws, that are fixing the unit to the base. The optional model lasts for 16 hours and 40 minutes of Web browsing, or 7 hours and 9 minutes of video playback. The device comes with 8GB or 16GB of soldered DDR4 memory. Luckily, there is a SODIMM that can handle up to 32GB RAM. The maximum possible capacity is 48GB of DDR4-3200MHz memory in dual-channel mode which seems future-proof. The RAM section is protected by a metal shroud. Storage-wise, you get two M.2 slots for 2242 SSDs. The one on the right is compatible with Gen 4 NVMe, while the other one is a Gen 3 slot. There is a thin cooling pad below the SSD. The cooling is modest but it seems enough for a laptop with an iGPU. It has a single fan, two heat pipes, one heatsink, and a heat spreader. Storage performance Our notebook has a 512GB Micron MTFDKCD512TFK. Below you can see some benchmarks of this Gen 4 NVMe. It reached just 53°C during testing which is normal. Verdict The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (Intel) is a solid business device. It comes with many CPU options so you can choose the right processor for your needs. In our case, the device that we have bought has a Core i7-1355U under the bonnet. The machine feels snappy for daily or office tasks as well as for video calls. The build quality is very good but the lid can't be opened with a single hand. The keyboard is comfortable for work while the touchpad could be improved. The backlight is optional so if you need this feature pay close attention to the specifications before buying. The 1200p 16:10 IPS display (BOE NV140WUM-N43 (LEN403D)) is good for this kind of price tag. It has wide viewing angles and a nice contrast ratio of 1300:1. The lack of PWM usage is a handy bonus, especially for a business device like this one that is meant for long hours of usage. All right, the sRGB coverage is low but that's okay for such a machine. If you want a better panel, you can have a look at the optional 2.2K unit. The cooling system has one fan and two heat pipes. It seems enough for taming the Raptor Lake-U chip. The CPU can maintain respectably high P and E core clocks under any kind of stress. Also, the fan is quiet when the processor isn't working hard, and it's not noisy during heavy loads. This leads to good comfort because in this case, the keyboard is just warm, but not super hot to the touch. When it comes to battery life, the optional 57Wh model has enough juice for 16 hours and 40 minutes of Web browsing, or 7 hours and 9 minutes of video playback. That's a very good result but keep in mind that if you get the base 47Wh variant or if you combine it with a P or H-series chip plus a 2.2K panel, the battery life perhaps will be shorter. The upgrade options are good. Sure, part of the memory is soldered but there is a SODIMM for future memory expansions. The maximum possible capacity of 48GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM should be enough for most users. One of the two M.2 slots is for Gen 3 SSDs but it's not a big deal considering the price of the laptop. You can install a Gen 4 SSD in this slot but the speeds will be limited. We are happy to see that the overall performance isn't hindered by the DDR4 memory. The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (Intel) is a well-built sturdy business device that doesn't cost much but it can offer adequate performance, good comfort under load, a PWM-free IPS display, and a modern I/O. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-e14-gen-5-intel/