Lenovo is a house-hold name in the laptop industry now, known for its productivity and low prices. The company manufactures a variety of laptops under various lines that meet the specific needs of its customers. However, none of its lines is as successful as the ThinkPad series when it comes to professional laptops. And Lenovo ThinkPad T590 is a new addition to this budget office laptops line.
The ThinkPad line caters to the everyday computing needs of business users and office workers. Lenovo ThinkPad T590 aims at the same audience with the latest features and a powerful combination of hardware. It has all the goodies that Lenovo laptops are known for with a large display and long-lasting battery life.
The ThinkPad T590 has a powerful Core i7 CPU is paired with a 16GB high memory and a 512GB SSD storage. Moreover, this professional laptop features NVIDIA GPU and the Pro version of the Windows 10 operating system. At a glance, it appears to be the perfect choice for IT managers. But does it has what it takes to be a serious workstation and a true workhorse?
Well, that is a question that requires a detail evaluation of its design, specs and functionality. We have evaluated its performance in the real world to test its strengths and weaknesses. Continue to read if you want to find out what this affordable work laptop has to offer.
Specs sheet
Processor: Intel Quad-Core i7-8565U (8th Gen.) / 1.8GHz Max. Turbo Speed 4.6GHz
Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Resolution
RAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB SSD
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce MX250 Dedicated (2GB GDDR5)
Battery life: Up to 15 hours (57Wh)
Weight: 3.9lbs (1.75kg)
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
The hardware on Lenovo ThinkPad T590 is quite impressive and the device is well-equipped for the work environment. Let’s see how its components handle tough tasks and how they perform under stress.
Design
The T590 is a true ThinkPad if you look at its design and build quality. Lenovo has built the lower casing (the base) with reinforced magnesium, whereas the outer case is built from reinforces glass-fiber plastic. Like most ThinkPads, it is painted in matte black colour which offers a modest look.
This is a classic industrial design with a 180 degrees hinges that are covered with silver colour metal caps. We were able to lift the lid with a single hand which is professionals would find pleasing. There is a fairly large speaker grill at the base, in between hinges.
Moreover, the webcam at the top of the display has a physical privacy cover, which Lenovo refers to as the “ThinkShutter”. Lenovo ThinkPad T590 has ventilation grills on the bottom panel, however, the hot air leaves the device from its right side. We found the T590 a fairly lightweight 15-inch business laptop. The device weighs around 3.9lbs (1.75kg) and has a thin profile of 19.1mm.
Keyboard
The T590 features the typical ThinkPad keyboard which has LED-backlit and is spill-resistant. It offers a clicky feedback and features decently large keys with long key travel. Of course, the Control and Function keys are replaced like we have seen on previous models. This is a thing that most users find irritating unless you already have experience of working on a ThinkPad.
The touchpad on the ThinkPad T590 covers an area of about 3.9 x2.8 inches. It is a responsive touchpad with a smooth texture and plastic surface that allows your fingers to move without any extra resistance. Additionally, there are dedicated mouse buttons on the upper side of the touchpad. And on the keyboard, there is a red nipple for additional mouse support in case you don’t have the room to move your arm.
Display
Lenovo ThinkPad T590 features a 15.6-inch wide diagonal wide display. This is an FHD panel equipped with the IPS technology and comes with a screen resolution of 1920 х 1080p. It has a screen ratio of 16:9 with a 0.18 х 0.18mm pitch, and 142ppi pixel density. At a distance around 24 inches, the screen of the T590 becomes Retina.
The screen of ThinkPad T590 offers an average screen brightness of 231 nits. This is a decent brightness level, however, it is not enough for a laptop with such powerful specs. You may not find its display appropriate while working on a graphic designing tool. Nevertheless, the NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics provide crisp visuals and you would get bright, lively colours while streaming Netflix.
Connectivity
Lenovo has loaded the ThinkPad T590 with almost all the possible port connections. Most of them are on the left side including a Type-C USB 3.1 (Gen. 1) port which you can also use for charging the device. In addition, there is an HDMI output, a Type-A USB 3.1 (Gen. 1) port, a MicroSD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Moreover, Lenovo has also added a Thunderbolt 3 port as a dedicated dock. The right side houses an Always-On Type-A USB 3.1 (Gen. 1) port, an Ethernet RJ-45 connector and an optional Smartcard reader slot. Overall, the ThinkPad T590 has all the modern port connections which means you’ll have access to fast-charging and fast data transfer.
Performance
Lenovo ThinkPad T590 features powerful components as an affordable business laptop even by modern standards. The model we tested for performance came with an 8th generation i7 CPU and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX250 with 2GB GDDR5. It features a quad-core processor paired with an SSD storage and a powerful 16GB RAM.
It is a real workhorse with specs of a mid-range gaming laptop and offers real value for money. We evaluated its performance by running graphic designing software, everyday office programs and web browsing. The laptop showed no lags during browsing and we were able to switch tabs easily.
Multitasking was not a problem either, as we easily designed a banner using the Photoshop while Adobe illustrator was running. However, the ThinkPad T590 lacks behind when it comes to gaming performance. But you can play games, such as GTA 5, Apex Legends, PUBG and Fortnight with low settings.
Battery life
Lenovo has added a 57Wh battery on the ThinkPad T590 that it claims can run up to 14.98 hours. This is a very bold claim and fortunately, the T590 lives up to the expectations. We tested its battery life and were able to gain more than 13 hours of battery life.
Verdict
Lenovo ThinkPad T590 exceeds our expectations as a business laptop for IT managers and professionals. It has the right hardware and working on it was a treat for us. Aside from the slightly dull display, it offered high-speed performance and didn’t show any holdups. If you are looking for an office laptop, Lenovo ThinkPad T590 is a laptop that totally fits the bill.
