Lenovo has various laptop series to satisfy the computing needs of individuals, such as the IdeaPad, Yoga, ThinkBook and other lineups. But when it comes to quality business laptops, the ThinkBook series has no match. This is a line of professional laptops that offer both premium looks and powerful hardware at reasonable prices. Lenovo ThinkBook 15-IIL is the latest addition to Lenovo ThinkBook series and today we are going to review it.
There is no doubt that Lenovo has built this office laptop keeping the professional needs in mind. This 15-inch business laptop is armed with high-end specs, a powerful memory and is equipped with essential security features. At a glance, Lenovo ThinkBook 15-IIL appears to be a premium business laptop with all the goodies.
Of course, no laptop is perfect in every aspect and that is why we have written this article. We are going to evaluate its design and functionality as well as its performance in the real world. Before we start to assess its strengths and weaknesses, let’s take a look at its specs sheet.
Specs sheet
Processor: Intel Quad-Core i7-1065G7 (10th Gen.) / 1.3GHz Max. Turbo Speed 3.9GHz
Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Resolution
RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB HDD
Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Integrated
Weight: Around 3.75lbs (1.7kg)
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
SKU: 20SM000GUK
Lenovo has loaded the ThinkBook 15-IIL with some latest hardware to ensure smooth performance. But can this 15-inch laptop has what professionals need to accomplish heavy tasks? Well, we are going to find out by evaluating its performance.
Design
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 looks elegantly stylish and resembles with the IdeaPad series in terms of design. It comes with a grey finish and unfortunately, Lenovo does not offer it in any other colour. The display lid and keyboard deck of the is made of aluminum, while the base is made of plastic.
Both the lid and plastic chassis are durable and showed stability when we tested them for endurance. The laptop can withstand casual knocks and bumps, we pressed the lid and didn’t notice any deformation. We were unable to lift its lid with a single hand, which might be irritating for some professionals.
On the top of the display, there is an HD camera that features a physical shutter. On the rear side of the ThinkBook 15, there is a ventilation grill that exhausts hot air. Additionally, there are two cut-outs on the bottom panel for speakers. Overall, the device features a reserved design and weighs around 3.75lbs (1.7kg), with an 18.9mm thick profile.
Display
Lenovo has added a 15-inch wide diagonal FHD display on this business laptop that features an IPS panel. The display size of this business laptop is 15.6-inch, whereas the screen resolution is 1920 х 1080p. The screen ratio of Lenovo ThinkBook 15 is 16:9, with 142ppi pixel density and 0.18х0.18mm pitch.
We notices that its display becomes Retina at a distance around 24-inch. The average screen brightness of this laptop is about 273 nits, which we found satisfactory. This is a good display for entertainment, web browsing and casual office tasks. However, if you are a creative professional who works with designing tools, you may find the display unsuitable for high-quality graphics.
Keyboard
We liked the keyboard in this ThinkBook, which offers clicky feedback and appropriate key size with good travel. Lenovo has equipped it with a backlight that you can turn off if you want to. What we liked the most is its minimal typing sound that makes it suitable to use on a flight and in libraries.
However, the distance between arrow keys might irritate some users as “Up” and “Down” keys are adjacent to each other. Another drawback is that it lacks a few function keys, such as the screen print key and the right-click button. Not many people use these keys but for a business laptop, the absence of these keys is a major let down.
Coming to the touchpad, we found it responsive and receptive to commands. Lenovo has done some great work to make it suitable for gliding and we found it comfortable. Its texture is smooth and you can easily perform multi-finger gestures, thanks to its reasonably large surface area.
Connectivity
Lenovo has truly loaded the ThinBook 15-IIL with every possible port. As a business laptop, it features a variety of ports that you would find pleasing and attractive. The device houses a Type-C USB 3.1 Gen. 2 port that can be used as PowerDelivery and DisplayPort. Also, there is another a Type-C USB 3.1 Gen. 1 port, a USB 3.1 Gen. 1 port, an HDMI output, a 3.5mm audio jack and an Ethernet (RJ45) port.
On the right side of Lenovo ThinkBook 15, there is a Type-A 3.1 USB port, a traditional Type-A USB 2.0 port, a full-size card reader (4-in-1) and a Kensington lock slot. This is a nice port selection that includes Type-C and Type-A ports and makes data transfer easy and fast.
Performance
Lenovo has powered the ThinBook 15-IIL with a 10th generation i7 CPU with a clock speed range from 1.3GHz to 3.9GHz. This is a quad-core processor that runs on the Pro version of Windows 10 and offers additional business features. There is a massive 16GB RAM that Lenovo has paired with a 512GB HDD storage drive.
Overall, this is a decent combination of hardware that ensures smooth, high-speed performance. Lenovo offers the Intel Iris Plus integrated graphics with this 15-inch business laptop, which works fine. We tested its performance by running office software, media editing tools, word processing and multiple Chrome tabs.
We hardly find any lags, thanks to its 16GB memory and 10th generation Core i7 processor. This is a great business laptop for multitasking and can easily handle tough computing tasks. Whether you are a designer or a programmer, Lenovo ThinBook 15-IIL won’t let you down when it comes to performance.
Battery life
Lenovo ThinBook 15 business laptop features a 45Wh battery that could offer up to 7 hours of battery life. This is an average performance from a business laptop, considering modern battery life standards. However, the fast charging feature makes up for this drawback, so you won’t have to wait much to charge your laptop.
Verdict
To cut the long story short, Lenovo ThinBook 15-IIL is the best business laptop on the market right now. This is an affordable choice for business professionals and IT managers who are looking for high-end specs. A powerful Core i7 CPU, 16GB memory, additional security features and smooth keyboard are the major advantages of this budget office laptop.
