Lenovo ThinkPad Series T480 T490 14" Review

The Lenovo ThinkPad T480/T490 is a classic business machine you can now grab for around $430. That price gets you a 14-inch FHD IPS touchscreen, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD in a 1.77kg package. It's a known quantity, built to last and scoring in the 75th percentile for reliability. But you're buying into a design and specs that are several generations old now, and that shows in the numbers. Its CPU performance sits in just the 10th percentile, which means for anything beyond basic office work, you'll feel it starting to struggle. It's a solid, portable shell, but the internals are definitely showing their age.

Let's be clear about the performance: it's slow by modern standards. That Intel Core i5-8550U CPU lands in the bottom 10% of laptops we track. For web browsing, documents, and video calls, it's fine. But try to run multiple apps or heavier business software, and you'll notice the lag. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics is what you'd expect, scoring in the 43rd percentile. It's not for gaming or creative work, and our scoring reflects that with a dismal 13.4/100 for gaming. The 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD are decent, but they're also in the lower third of percentiles (32nd and 34th, respectively). This is a machine for getting simple, reliable work done, not for speed.

At $430, the value proposition is all about the ThinkPad brand and build quality. You're not paying for cutting-edge performance. You're paying for a reliable, portable chassis with a good keyboard and a touchscreen. For that specific need—a durable, no-frills workhorse for basic tasks—the price is fair. But you have to accept that you're getting 2018-era performance in 2024. If raw speed for the dollar is your goal, there are better values out there.

Compared to a modern business ultrabook like the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6, the T490 is left in the dust on CPU and GPU performance, though the P14s costs much more. The more interesting comparison is to used or refurbished models. For a similar budget, you might find a newer model with an 11th or 12th Gen Intel CPU that would run circles around this one, though perhaps with less RAM or storage. Against something like an ASUS Zenbook Duo, you're trading the T490's straightforward reliability and classic design for far more modern features and performance. It's a trade-off between proven durability and current speed.

This is a very specific recommendation. If you need a tough, portable laptop for writing, emails, and basic web work, and your budget is absolutely locked at $400-$500, the ThinkPad T480/T490 is a trustworthy option. Its high reliability score (75th percentile) is the main reason to buy. But for almost anyone else, especially students or users who need more speed, that 10th percentile CPU is a deal-breaker. Look for a slightly newer used model if you can. This one is best as a dedicated, secondary machine for simple tasks.