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The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6 is the newest model of the ThinkPad E14 lineup, and it’s the budget offering to get into this popular lineup of business computers.
It’s not the very best ThinkPad around – I didn’t find it the most powerful or possessing the best battery life; it’s not the sleekest or the most featured. But what it is well noted for is that it is a good budget laptop. It’s an excellent price for a computer, especially one with one of the most well-known badging on it.
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6: Unboxing & first impressions
Unpacking this computer was pretty straightforward. It came with standard Lenovo packaging and minimal accessories. It had the charger, some documentation, and the laptop, that is all.
The charger Lenovo sent is a 65W USB-C Charger, which was a lovely thing to find. Instead of a specific barrel connector or those odd proprietary and unique chargers, forcing you to always carry a second charger. With USB-C, all of the newest devices and cables can work; this charger can also charge my phone and other devices.
Upon first impression, I was able to note pretty quickly that this is a budget laptop. While it is clearly a ThinkPad laptop, it is also clearly a budget version. It looks like a very basic and very generic laptop overall, which, for this tier of laptop, was expected. It’s a tad heavier than I expected it to be at first glance, but not in any way that is unbearable or odd.
The keyboard looks like a ThinkPad, it has the little red dot TouchPoint in the middle, with a left and right click button positioned at the top of the touchpad. For a budget laptop for writers, it’s a decent model. Lastly, the display is about what I expected, being good enough to get some work done, but nothing remarkable at all.
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6: Design & build quality
Specs
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155U (12 cores, up to 4.8 GHz)
Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics
Memory: 16GB DDR5, 5600MHz
Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD Gen 4
Display: 14″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, anti-glare, 300 nits, 45% NTSC
Ports: 2x USB-C (one Thunderbolt 4), 2x USB-A, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet RJ45, headphone/mic combo
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
Camera: 720p HD webcam with privacy shutter
Audio: 2 x 2W stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos
Battery: 47Wh, supports Rapid Charge (80% in 60 minutes)
Weight: 1.44kg / 3.17lbs
The laptop looks like a business laptop; I’ll give it that. It looks like a model that you’d see if you’re in a professional workspace, in a business class at the local university, or even a library. It looks like something used in a professional scenario, albeit one where high performance is unnecessary.
It has a sturdy chassis with ports on the left and right sides, though I wish there were a Thunderbolt port, or at least the USB-C, non-Thunderbolt port, on the right side. The keyboard is comfortable enough to write a lengthy email or use for basic daily tasks, especially for the money. The TrackPoint and touchpad are responsive and can be adjusted easily to be more or less sensitive based on your needs.
Lastly, speaking of IO, there is an ethernet port, an HDMI port, and the USB-C, USB-A, and headphone jack, giving this computer more ports than most modern laptops.
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6: In use
By now, this is not my favorite laptop, but I will say it’s a known budget laptop. If you’re looking for the dream machine that can power through it all, this isn’t it. But if you are looking for a cheap machine that passes all of the tests that Lenovo does so well, then by all means, this computer is worth considering. But, know that opening programs are a tad laggy; the webcam is pretty cheap, too, and the speakers are rough.
During testing, my team and I noticed that, especially in comparison to faster laptops, we frequently double-click on the E14 due to a lack of responsiveness, resulting in unintended clicks once the first page loads. Granted, we are used to high-end, flagship computers, but this one can still be slow for some applications.
Another thing we noticed is that while this did have great port offerings, we didn’t love the location of the ports; we would have much rather had one of the USB-C ports be on the right side.
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6: Final verdict
The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6 is a budget, entry-level, basic business laptop that serves as an accessible entry point into the otherwise popular ThinkPad Ecosystem. It looks, feels, and works like a ThinkPad, but the performance, display, and abilities trade-offs show that this is not the regular ThinkPad you see and read about.
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Compact and simple |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Ease of use |
Easy to use |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Practicality |
Practical for few |
⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Price |
Decent price |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Looking to save? We’ve rounded up more of the best budget laptops you can get right now.
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collin.probst@futurenet.com (Collin Probst)
