Lenovo Lenovo V15 Gen 4 (15.6" FHD Anti-Glare, 13th Intel Review

The Lenovo V15 Gen 4 is a basic workhorse laptop that gets the job done, but you'll feel its age the moment you open the lid. The one thing you need to know is this: it's a perfectly fine machine for web browsing, documents, and emails, but don't ask it to do anything more. That 13th-gen Intel chip is already a generation behind, and the rest of the package feels like it's playing catch-up.

Honestly, nothing here is surprising. The Intel 13420H CPU lands in the 43rd percentile, which is exactly what you'd expect—it's fine for basic tasks but will start to sweat under any real load. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics are predictably weak, scoring in the 42nd percentile, so even light photo editing will be a chore. The 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD are decent, but they're both in the bottom third of all laptops, so don't expect any speed records.

At $548, it's hard to call this a bad deal, but it's not a great one either. You're paying for a laptop that feels outdated on day one. If your budget is absolutely locked at $550, it'll work. But if you can stretch it even a little, you'll find much better options.

This sits in a weird spot. It's not powerful enough to compete with gaming laptops like the MSI Vector or Gigabyte AORUS. And it's not sleek or portable enough to challenge the ASUS Zenbook Duo. Its most direct competitor is probably a used or refurbished business laptop from a couple years ago, which might offer similar specs for less money. Compared to a MacBook Pro? Don't. That's a different universe.

Only buy the Lenovo V15 Gen 4 if your budget is the absolute top priority and you need a new Windows laptop right now. For everyone else, save up a bit more cash. You'll get a better screen, a more modern processor, and a laptop you won't resent using within a year. This is a stopgap, not a solution.