Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 (Intel) review – Strong Build, Quiet Fan, But Limited Storage

The Team Blue version of the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 may look similar to the ThinkPad L14 Gen 5, but the former has more tricks up in its sleeve like improved port selection, high-refresh-rate display variants, and better portability. The ThinkPad iteration is still powered by 15W or 28W Meteor Lake chips. The upgrade options are comparable between the two siblings.

This small machine is offered with six display options. There are a bunch of 1200p 60Hz IPS screens (two of which are touchscreens) with different levels of sRGB coverage and a 2240 x 1400p variant. The most expensive one is a 120Hz 2880 x 1800p OLED panel with HDR and Dolby Vision support.

The keyboard backlight is optional which could raise a few eyebrows. The Wi-Fi 7 isn’t s standard feature as well and the fingerprint reader and the facial recognition. On the bright side, the security here looks good thanks to the Lock slot, the dTPM 2.0 chip, and the privacy shutter. More goodies are also available if your wallet is wide enough.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-t14-gen-5-intel/

This device has an AMD version as well.

Contents


Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 (Intel) - Specs

  • NV140WUM-N49 (LEN403D)
  • Color accuracy  6.4  4.8
  • HDD/SSD
  • up to 4000GB SSD
  • RAM
  • up to 64GB
  • OS
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Home
  • Battery
  • 52.5Wh
  • Body material
  • Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum, Carbon
  • Dimensions
  • 315.9 x 223.7 x 17.7 mm (12.44" x 8.81" x 0.70")
  • Weight
  • 1.31 kg (2.9 lbs)
  • Ports and connectivity
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
  • 2x 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, 360 far-field, Dolby Voice
  • Speakers
  • 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Dolby Audio
  • Optical drive
  • Security Lock slot
  • Kensington Nano Lock

All Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 (Intel) configurations

#CommissionsEarned

Drivers

All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-t-series-laptops/thinkpad-t14-gen-5-type-21ml-21mm/downloads

What’s in the box?

The normal-looking box contains some manuals and a 45W or 65W Type-C charger. Depending on your region, you can also find monitor adapters in the package such as HDMI to VGA, USB-C to DisplayPort, or USB-C to VGA.


Design and construction

As we said at the beginning of this article, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 looks similar to the ThinkPad L14 Gen 5. This means a stealthy and clean design with a “hump” on top of the lid which eases the opening process. The main bodies of all iterations are made of carbon fiber and plastic. The lid of our device in Black color is made of the same material and that’s why it’s a bit lighter (1.31 kg starting weight with the 39.3Wh battery) compared to the Grey model with an aluminum lid that stops the scales at 1.43 kg with the optional 52.5Wh battery. The profile height is 17.7 mm.

This time around, the lid that doesn’t flex much opens with a single hand. If you are in a hurry and push back the unit fast the front of the base will jump up but we can call it a day. The solid base could be flexed between the Space key and the trackpad but only just.

The top and bottom bezels aren’t among the thinnest we’ve seen while the other two are narrow.

The protrusion above the screen houses a 5MP camera with a privacy shutter. An optional IR unit is also available.

A flat opening is possible.

The keyboard is flawless thanks to the not-too-small Arrows and the well-spaced keycaps with long key travel and nice feedback. Not bad given the thin profile. The MS Copilot key and the Trackpoint that works together with the three buttons on top of the Mylar touchpad are also on board. Unfortunately, you have to pay more if you want a backlight. The tall grills for the two 2W Dolby Audio speakers and the Power button with an optional integrated fingerprint reader are on the sides of the board.

The trackpad is decently smooth and accurate.

If you turn over the machine, you’ll see a sizable ventilation grill, three rubber feet, and an emergency reset hole. The heat is pushed through a 2-row vent on the back. Its lower side points at the desk which is good. The top section of the vent guides the air forward and that’s why some amount of heat makes its way to the screen when the CPU is loaded at 100%.

Ports

On the left, you get two 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports that support DisplayPort 2.1 (for up to 8K@60Hz external screens) and Power Delivery 3.0, an HDMI 2.1 for up to 4K@60Hz external displays, a 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with an Always On function, and an Audio combo jack. On the right, we can spot a Kensington Nano Security Slot, a Gigabit LAN, another 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, an optional Nano-SIM card slot, and a Smart card reader (option).


Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5NV140WUM-N49 (LEN403D)
Diagonal14.0 inches (35.6 cm)
Panel TypeIPS
Resolution1920 x 1200 pixels
Max Refresh Rate60 Hz
Aspect Ratio16:10
Pixel Density162 PPI
‘Retina’ DistanceGreater than or equal to 53 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 T14 Gen 5 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 T14 Gen 5: 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 49% of the sRGB color gamut and 39% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

(Fig.1) Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 covers 49% of the sRGB gamut

Brightness and Contrast

The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 455 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 434 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 12%.

The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6240K.

The contrast ratio is 1230:1.

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 182 nits (Windows slider = 71%) — 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 T14 Gen 5. 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 T14 Gen 5, the Average color accuracy was 5.8 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 4.7 dE (Fig. 3).

(Fig. 2) Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 in its factory condition

(Fig. 3) Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 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 = 19.8 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 T14 Gen 5 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 ThinkPad T14 Gen 5’s screen is 55.0 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 T14 Gen 5 configurations with NV140WUM-N49 (LEN403D), 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 Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5’s sound is of good quality. The low, mid, and high frequencies are clear.


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 device is offered with Core Ultra 5 125H, Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 5 135U, Core Ultra 5 135H, Core Ultra 7 155H, Core Ultra 7 155U, Core Ultra 7 165H, or Core Ultra 7 165U.

Our laptop has a 125U chip.

GPU options

All notebooks of this Lenovo series rely on integrated graphics.

In our case, that’s the Intel Graphics (4-Cores).

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 (Intel) GPU variants

Here you can see an approximate comparison between the GPUs that can be found in the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 (Intel) models on the market. This way you can decide for yourself which Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 (Intel) model is the best bang for your buck.

Note: The chart shows the cheapest different GPU configurations so you should check what the other specifications of these laptops are by clicking on the laptop’s name / GPU.

Results are from the 3DMark: Fire Strike (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)

Results are from the 3DMark: Wild Life (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)

Results are from the Unigine Superposition benchmark (higher the score, the better)

Gaming tests

Counter-Strike 2HD 1080p, Low (Check settings)HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings)HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings)
Average FPS94 FPS60 FPS22 FPS

Gears 5Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
Average FPS36 FPS25 FPS19 FPS15 FPS

Storage performance

Our laptop has a SAMSUNG PM9C1a MZVL8512HDLU-00BL. For a 512GB mode, its speeds are on point and the same can be said about the temperature during benchmarking which reaches just 47°C.


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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 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 54.00 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 2.06 GHz @ 92°C @ 54W3.43 GHz @ 3.11 GHz @ 2.09 GHz @ 96°C @ 47W2.68 GHz @ 2.36 GHz @ 1.41 GHz @ 80°C @ 28W
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 44.19 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 2.08 GHz @ 83°C @ 57W3.21 GHz @ 2.77 GHz @ 1.97 GHz @ 90°C @ 42W2.75 GHz @ 2.20 GHz @ 1.35 GHz @ 71°C @ 27W
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 Gen 73.33 GHz @ 2.56 GHz @ 1.66 GHz @ 85°C @ 46W3.38 GHz @ 3.03 GHz @ 2.09 GHz @ 96°C @ 48W3.02 GHz @ 2.39 GHz @ 1.51 GHz @ 73°C @ 30W
HP ProBook 460 G113.84 GHz @ 2.92 GHz @ 1.86 GHz @ 85°C @ 52W2.50 GHz @ 2.20 GHz @ 1.25 GHz @ 76°C @ 25W2.28 GHz @ 2.06 GHz @ 1.12 GHz @ 81°C @ 24W
Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 33.77 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 2.09 GHz @ 101°C @ 51W3.09 GHz @ 3.01 GHz @ 2.09 GHz @ 100°C @ 43W2.27 GHz @ 2.02 GHz @ 1.12 GHz @ 77°C @ 22W
Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 (Intel)3.95 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 2.03 GHz @ 90°C @ 60W3.41 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 2.09 GHz @ 96°C @ 50W2.88 GHz @ 2.41 GHz @ 1.39 GHz @ 72°C @ 30W
Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 13.54 GHz @ 3.00 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 75°C @ 43W3.45 GHz @ 2.95 GHz @ 1.77 GHz @ 88°C @ 43W2.00 GHz @ 1.89 GHz @ 1.10 GHz @ 67°C @ 21W

Despite the single-fan cooling, the Core Ultra 5 125U maintains a 4.00 GHz / 3.19 GHz P and E core clock in short loads and 2.68 GHz / 2.36 GHz in long 100% stress. The results look great for such a small device. On the flip side, the modest thermal system is pushed to its limits which explains the high temperatures in the first two columns.

Comfort during full load

Just like many other Lenovo office notebooks, the power presets are integrated into the base Windows presets. No matter the high frequencies, the fan is quiet in “Best Performance” mode when the processor is heavily loaded.

In this case, the hotspot on the keyboard reaches just 44°C, and the one on the screen bottom bezel – 48°C. The comfort during max loads is one of the main advantages of this laptop.

If you apply the “Balanced” mod, the P and E-core clocks are hindered to 2.15 GHz / 1.80 GHz which is actually still a decent result considering the silent fan.

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 52.5Wh battery lasts for around 17 hours and a half of video playback. Оur test was conducted with the “Battery Saver” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the “Scheme for Battery” set to “Balanced” mode in the BIOS.


Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance

To open this small business notebook, you have to undo 7 captive Phillips-head screws. Eject the SIM card tray.

Use a lever tool to pry the two small areas located behind the laptop’s hinges. Carefully pry the rest of the plate, starting from the rear and working your way towards the sides. You don’t need to pop the front part of the cover. Once the rear end is lifted, tilt the panel slightly and lift it off the base.

There are dust filters for the ventilation grills on the inside of the bottom panel.

The machine that we bought is equipped with the optional 52.5Wh battery. The base model has a capacity of 39.3Wh. The battery is held in place by two screws around the built-in connector. Wear gloves to avoid electrical zaps. You have to undo them to remove the unit. With that out of the way, just lift the top side of the battery around the connector. The capacity is enough for around 17 hours and a half of video playback.

The RAM slots are protected with a metal cover. You can pop it by lifting it with the attached fabric handle on top.

According to Lenovo, the two SODIMMs are compatible with 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. Unfortunately, you get just one M.2 slot for 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. The WWAN slot, which is for 4G or 5G connectivity, is positioned below the fan.

The NVMe is also cooled by a sizable thermal pad underneath. The soldered Wi-Fi card is located above the cooling heat spreader.

The thermal system seems basic. It comprises one fan, a heat pipe, one heat sink, and a heat spreader.


Verdict

The Intel version of the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 is a well-built office machine with a capable keyboard, modern port selection, and snappy performance. That’s due to the high clocks of the CPU which is impressive given the single-heat pipe thermal system with a quiet fan.

The 1200p screen (NV140WUM-N49 (LEN403D)) is a regular IPS model that is good enough for work. The unit is PWM-free and offers a pretty high max brightness of 455 nits. If you want better sRGB coverage, look for a machine with the optional 2.2K or 2.8K OLED variants.

For future upgrades, you can rely on a pair of SODIMMs for DDR5-5600MHz RAM. However, we don’t like the fact that the Wi-Fi card is soldered and the limited storage capabilities because of the single M.2 slot. Still, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 is one of the best devices in its class thanks to the adequate built quality, the very long battery life, and the many security features.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-thinkpad-t14-gen-5-intel/

Pros

  • Rigid build
  • Good overall performance
  • The fan is quiet during long 100% CPU loads in “Best Performance” mode
  • PWM-free display (LEN403D)
  • Comfortable viewing angles + 16:10 aspect ratio (LEN403D)
  • 445 nits of max brightness (LEN403D)
  • 5MP Web camera with a privacy shutter
  • Modern port selection with 2x Thunderbolt 4 port and a Gigabit LAN
  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
  • 2x SODIMMs
  • vPro CPU, IR Web camera, fingerprint reader, Nano-SIM card slot, Smart card reader, Wi-Fi 7, NFC  (all are optional)
  • The Core Ultra 5 125U sustains a 2.68 GHz / 2.36 GHz P and E-core clock in long stress
  • Silent fan and 2.15 GHz / 1.80 GHz P and E-core frequency in “Balanced” mode
  • The bottom plate can be easily popped
  • Fast and well-cooled SSD (SAMSUNG PM9C1a)
  • High-resolution IPS and OLED display options
  • You can open the lid with one hand
  • Very long battery life with the optional 52.5Wh battery (~ 17 hours of videos)


Cons

  • 96°C CPU temperature in medium loads
  • Tons of optional features
  • Only one M.2 slot
  • Low sRGB coverage (LEN403D)

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