Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T450s

Introduction and design

Looking at the Lenovo ThinkPad T450s, you wouldn't be faulted if you mistook it for last year's ThinkPad T440s. The ThinkPad T series represents Lenovo's careful trade-offs between power, performance, and portability in a lightweight design.

In this year's evolution, Lenovo focuses its efforts on under-the-hood improvements – updating the ThinkPad T450s to a more energy-efficient Intel fifth-generation Broadwell CPU – rather than changing the familiar business-centric design.

Unlike on Apple's $999 (£670, AU$1,275) 13-inch MacBook Air, there isn't a dramatic tapering to give the illusion of thinness in the design of the ThinkPad T450s. Considered a business Ultrabook with its 14.1-inch display and 0.83-inch thin profile, the boxy ThinkPad design is more reminiscent of the $1,099 (£740, AU$1,400) MacBook Pro than an Air. The thickness is not a bad thing, as this allows Lenovo to cater to mobile business users and pack in a plethora of ports on the ThinkPad T450s.

Given that Lenovo markets the ThinkPad T450s as an Ultrabook that can serve double duty as a mobile workstation with its array of ports, the notebook competes in the same segment as the $699, 14-inch (£470, AU$890) Toshiba Tecra Z40, Dell's $999 (£670, AU$1,275), 15-inch Precision M2800, and the $1,259 (£845, AU$1,600) HP ZBook 14. The T450s could also be seen as an alternative to those who don't need the horsepower of Lenovo's mobile workstation-class, $1,259 (£845, AU$1,600) ThinkPad W550s.

With the exception of Toshiba, the main difference between these Ultrabooks and the ThinkPad T450s is that Lenovo's thin and light sacrifices a dedicated GPU in favor of reduced weight. As such, performance from the ThinkPad T450s is more comparable to Dell's $899 (£605, AU$1,145) XPS 13 – though the Dell sacrifices port selection and docking station connectivity for a light and compact design – and Apple's $1,299 (£870, AU$1,655) 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Design

Unlike the consumer market in which users appreciate bold design changes, Lenovo users fret over the smallest of changes. Not wanting to upset its long-time users, Lenovo maintains design continuity of its ThinkPad series here. Like ThinkPads before it, there is a simple elegance to the simple lines that frame the black silhouette of the T450s.

After responding to user feedback in making last year's T440s, the T450s comes in an identical 13.03 x 8.90 x 0.83-inch (33.1 X 22.6 X 2.1 cm) body with a starting weight of 3.5 pounds (1.59kg). That's not a bad thing: the reintroduction of dedicated TrackPoint buttons from the T440s remains. Plus, there is an optional fingerprint scanner for enterprise customers and a spill-resistant keyboard, which is unsurprisingly a joy to use.

Keeping the same design from the T440s means that users can reuse accessories, like docking stations, when they upgrade to the T450s. However, I wish Lenovo would have shaved some of the weight off. With a touchscreen, the T450s's weight jumps to 3.9 pounds (1.77kg).

The T450s is heavier than the 3.24-pound (1.47kg) Tecra Z40, but is still much lighter than the 5.64-pound (2.56kg) Dell Precision M2800 and weighs about the same as HP's 3.57-pound (1.62kg) ZBook 14 and Apple's 3.48-pound (1.58kg)13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

If you can live without the tapered design of the slim, $1,199 (£805, AU$1,530) ThinkPad X1 Carbon or the dedicated Nvidia graphics offered by the ThinkPad W series, the ThinkPad T450s's understated, boxy design offers a fine balance of power, performance, and portability.

The ThinkPad T450s looks like just another plastic laptop at first glance, but its magnesium and aluminum skeleton, reinforced roll cage and carbon fiber shell make for a sturdy device with excellent build quality. The T450s feels well-constructed with no creaks or flexes, unlike the ThinkPad W550s.

I prefer the matte, black body of the ThinkPad T450s over the rubberized finish found on the ThinkPad W540s and W550s. The non-rubberized finish keeps the surface of the T450s looking cleaner, as it is less prone to attracting dirt, dust, and fingerprint compared to its mobile workstation counterparts in the W series.

A mechanical dock connector, array of vents and seven Philips screws are found on the undercarriage of the T450s. Unexpected for a business laptop, the Dolby-powered bottom-firing speakers provide robust sound and rich audio.

Specifications and display

As a business Ultrabook that straddles the mobile workstation fence given its diversity of ports and mechanical dock connector, Lenovo made interesting trade-offs in the T450s.

Even though you can find lighter and slimmer Ultrabooks in the likes of the Dell XPS 13 and the MacBook Air, and better graphics performance in the Dell and HP mobile workstation lines, the ThinkPad T450s makes sacrifices to portability and power in favor of battery life. The compromise is welcomed for business travelers and field workers who may not have access to power outlets and may not need the performance of a dedicated GPU.

Spec sheet

Lenovo offers a number of different configurations for the T450s. Options include up to a dual-core, 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 with vPro support, 1080p touchscreen or non-touch displays with either 1,920 x 1,080 or 1,600 x 900 resolutions, solid-state storage or spinning hard drive options, 12GB DDR3 RAM at most, and choice of operating systems from Windows 7 Professional to Windows 8.1 Pro.

Without optional pre-installed software licenses, the most expensive configuration for the T450s comes in at $2,609 (£1,750, AU$3,325).

Here's how the unit sent to TechRadar for review was configured:

• Processor: 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-5300U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.7GHz with Turbo Boost)


• Graphics: Intel HD 5500


• Memory: 8GB RAM (DDR3L, 1,600Mhz)


• Storage: 256GB SSD


• Screen: 14-inch, 1920 X 1080, multi-touch display


• Camera: 720p webcam


• Biometric: Fingerprint reader


• Battery: Three-cell 23.2 Whr internal battery with three-cell removable rear battery


• Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11ac (B/G/N) dual-band Wi-Fi, optional mobile broadband


• Ports: 3 USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort, VGA, Ethernet, headphone/mic combo jack, 4-in-1 card reader


• OS: Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit


• Weight: 3.9 pounds with touchscreen (non-touch starts at 3.5 pounds)

While the $979 starting price seems reasonable for an Ultrabook that offers long battery life, Intel's latest processor, access to legacy ports and desktop docking, the most expensive configuration at $2,609 still lacks a dedicated graphics processor. That falls flat compared to mobile workstations and Apple's $2,499, 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Display

With a 14.1-inch panel, there is plenty of screen real estate to be productive, and opening multiple windows doesn't feel claustrophobic.

However, Lenovo only offers a middling resolution on the T450s, with a maximum of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. I would like to have seen at least a QHD option on the T450s, as Lenovo offers a 3K panel on the 15.5-inch W550s.

On the full HD, LCD touchscreen model, Lenovo claims a brightness of 300 nits. The screen has a matte coating to reduce glare, but I found that brightness suffers slightly compared to glossy panels, like the 300-nit-rated screen on Samsung's Series 5 550 Chromebook.

With ambient indoor lighting at work and at home, I usually have the display at around 70% brightness for comfortable viewing. Outdoor viewing is decent under shade with brightness turned all the way up. In general, you shouldn't have any issues with the screen brightness unless you're working in the field under direct sunlight.

I found Lenovo's choice for a matte display helps reduce reflections and cuts down glare under bright lighting or outdoors, but the downside is that the coating makes the screen appear dull. Compared to the glossy display of the MacBook Pro, colors pop less on the matte display found on the T450s.

Another downside I found in my testing is that the matte display doesn't look as sharp as a glossy one, with text and images appearing grainier. There is also some light bleed at the edges around the top right and bottom left corners on the review unit. That said, the bleed is only noticeable when viewing a dark image.

The 180-degree hinge allows the screen to lay flat for office collaboration, and the IPS display technology helps with wider horizontal and vertical viewing angles.

Performance and features

With Lenovo's 17-hour battery life claim and an optional extended rear battery, the ThinkPad T450s is a solid option for mobile professionals who are working in the field or find themselves away from an outlet for extended periods.

In my observation, the T450s opens apps, loads webpages, performs light photo editing, streams music and videos, and juggles Office files – with its dual-core processor and 8GB of RAM – fluidly.

Benchmarks

• Cinebench: GPU: 23.86 fps, CPU: 249


• PCMark8: Home: 2,200, Work: 2,896


• PCMark 8 Battery Test: Standard three-cell: 3 hours and 45 minutes, Extended six-cell: 7 hours and 50 minutes


• 3DMark: Fire Strike: 731, Cloud Gate: 5,305, Sky Diver: 2,648

Lacking a dedicated GPU, the graphics tests diminished performance compared to mobile workstations with a dedicated graphics chip.

Using Cinebench, GPU frame rate is just 23.86 fps, compared to 50.44 fps on the Lenovo W550s with Nvidia Quadro K620M. With a processor score of 249, there isn't much difference in CPU performance compared to the 279 score from the W550s's dual-core Intel Core i7-5600U chip.

The ThinkPad T450s scored above average 3DMark ratings using the Fire Strike, Cloud Gate, and Sky Diver tests in the Ultrabook category average, earning scores of 731, 5,305 and 2,648 respectively, compared to 706, 4,160 and 2,437 for the category average.

Even without a discrete graphics processor, the integrated HD 5500 graphics provides a big enough jump in performance to be noticeable in casual game play. Intel claims that compared to last year's HD 4400 graphics, there is a 22% increase in performance on the HD 5500 graphics.

With the integrated graphics, I didn't find any issues with lags, delays, or stutters in casual game play, not to mention light Photoshop and video editing work. Still, those with higher graphics, video, and rendering needs should consider upgrading to Lenovo's ThinkPad W550s, which comes with a dedicated Nvidia Quadro K620M processor and 3K touchscreen for about the same cost as a fully-configured T450s.

Lenovo claims the fan is "whisper quiet" on the T450s. In general operation, I found that the fan doesn't kick in until system resources are taxed. You'll definitely hear the blades spin when the laptop needs to cool the processor.

But sometimes there isn't a correlation between processor workload and when the fan turns on. I found that at times, the fan comes on even when just running a single Chrome browser window, but unlike on my MacBook Pro, the fan isn't constantly on and will spin down if it's not needed.

Keyboard and TrackPoint

The ThinkPad T series has long been known for its best-in-class keyboard, and fortunately the tradition continues with the T450s. Backlit keys are now standard on Lenovo's business Ultrabook, which makes typing in the dark easier.

When typing, the keys on the T450s do not sound as clicky as the MacBook Pro keys. The keyboard sounds a little bit dampened, and the experience is similar to typing on the Lenovo ThinkPad W540s and W550s.

The dampened sound is less distracting when typing in a quiet meeting. I prefer the stiffer keyboard of the MacBook Pro, but I appreciate that the ThinkPad T450s keys offer more travel when pressed, making for a more comfortable typing experience.

Given its business focus, users who live inside Microsoft Excel or who enter numbers all day may bemoan the lack of a dedicated number pad on the T450s' keyboard.

With a water-resistant keyboard, Lenovo users can now enjoy a beverage while working without fear of liquid damage. In case of a liquid accident, there are drain channels within the keyboard to direct liquid flow out of the bottom of the notebook.

Nestled in the center of the keyboard is Lenovo's signature red TrackPoint. For those who prefer not to use the TrackPad, Lenovo's TrackPoint allows you to navigate the cursor without moving your fingers too far away from the keyboard. I found the TrackPoint offers more precise cursor control than the TrackPad.

Devoted ThinkPad users will be happy to know that the T450s has dedicated TrackPoint buttons. Two years ago, Lenovo made a choice to move the dedicated click buttons for the TrackPoint into the five-button TrackPad. After user outcry, Lenovo reversed its decision on last year's ThinkPad T series, which is now carried over into this year's ThinkPad T450s.

The nice part about the TrackPad is that it supports Microsoft's gestures for Windows 8. With the gesture support, I no longer reach for the touchscreen, so my display stays cleaner and fingerprint-free. Like touchscreen gestures, TrackPad gestures are activated by swiping in from the edges.

Compared to the ThinkPad W550s, I found the TrackPad on the T450s performs more reliably. Cursor tracking is more consistent, and the cursor doesn't jump spontaneously when using the T450s's TrackPad.

Battery life

One of the marquee features of the T450s is Lenovo's Power Bridge technology. Rather than offering a large, sealed battery that's not accessible to the user, the T450s uses two batteries: a sealed three-cell battery inside the laptop and a replaceable three-cell battery. Thanks to the internal battery, Power Bridge allows users to swap out the rear battery without interrupting their workflow.

If the internal battery still has some juice left, you can replace a dead rear battery for a freshly charged one without having to shut the laptop down.

The idea works better in theory than in practice. The replaceable battery design shows its value only when carrying a spare battery. In its stead, Lenovo may have been able to either reduce the laptop's weight and thickness or squeeze in a larger, sealed battery inside the T450s.

Whereas the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display delivers just over 10 hours of battery life in real-world usage, the ThinkPad T450s lasts for just 6 hours with the standard three-cell removable battery. Carrying a second battery would match the MacBook's battery life, but at the cost of having to tote extra weight when traveling.

Lenovo also has an optional six-cell rear battery to keep the T450s going longer. Lenovo claims that the extended battery gives the T450s a rated 17 hours of usage.

With the six-cell battery, I was able to squeeze almost 11 hours with screen brightness turned to 50% while running multiple Chrome browser tabs and windows, streaming Pandora and short video intermittently, and running Microsoft Word. Likely delivered by Intel's energy efficient Broadwell architecture, battery life is nearly doubled compared to the 6 hours and 17 minutes of battery life on last year's T440s on the six-cell pack.

Verdict

Don't let the ThinkPad T450s' simple, black silhouette fool you. Sure, the T450s doesn't come with slim screen bezels like the Dell XPS 13 or the sheen of Apple's aluminum-clad MacBook Pros. Regardless, the T450s can hold its own ground with performance and battery stamina coupled with some unique features on top.

We liked

Business users will find a lot to like with the ThinkPad T450s. The notebook is an evolution of last year's T440s. With Intel Broadwell under the hood this year, Lenovo delivers improved processing and graphics performance along with even better battery life.

With a claimed 17 hours of charge with an extended hot-swappable six-cell battery and the internal three-cell battery, the ThinkPad T450s frees frequent travelers, road warriors, and field workers from range anxiety.

Although the T450s isn't rated as a rugged laptop, it's solidly constructed with a metal-reinforced skeleton, carbon fiber shell, and a strong roll cage system. Coupled with a spill-resistant keyboard, the T450s should last for years with normal day-to-day use and abuse.

With a spacious 14.1-inch display, best-in-class keyboard with backlighting, and support for both TrackPoint and TrackPad options for cursor control, the touchscreen is really an optional luxury. Gesture support on the TrackPad makes swiping easy and convenient, while at the same time keeping fingers away from the screen to keep your display clean.

We disliked

The ThinkPad T450s lacks the slimness of most other Ultrabooks. At 0.83 inches (2.11cm) thick all around, the T450s is nearly twice as thick as the 0.5-inch (1.27cm) Yoga 3 Pro and comes with a lower resolution display compared to the latter's QHD panel. Although there isn't much difference between the T450s and the 0.68-inch (1.72cm) 13-inch MacBook Air, Apple tapers its Air at the front to just 0.11-inch (0.28cm) thick to make it feel a lot slimmer than it really is.

To achieve all-day battery life, Lenovo made concessions in the ThinkPad T450s' thinness and weight. The T450s feels more like a rectangular brick than an Ultrabook. If this is to be the T series form factor, then Lenovo could have offered a single, larger sealed battery inside the T450s to achieve better endurance or reduced the laptop's thickness.

The ThinkPad T450s starts at 3.5 pounds (1.6kg), but add in a touchscreen and that weight jumps to 3.9 pounds (1.8kg). And if you throw in the larger extended battery, not only will that bump up the thickness of the laptop, but it also increases the weight to 4.2 pounds (1.9kg).

While the matte display helps reduce glare and reflection, the downside is that it makes text and images on the screen appear grainy.

Additionally, Lenovo's 17-hour battery life claim with the extended battery doesn't quite add up to my real-world usage. I was only able to net 11 hours of usage on a single charge with the six-cell battery.

Final verdict

The ThinkPad T450s is a machine designed around compromises. Once you begin configuring the laptop with larger SSDs, more RAM, a touchscreen and better processor, the price quickly climbs. At its highest configuration, the T450s encroaches on territory reserved for mobile workstations with dedicated graphics chips and higher resolution displays.

Given that there is little price difference at the high end between the T450s configuration and the Lenovo W550s, there is little reason to recommend the T series over the W series. That is, unless you need a smaller 14.1-inch footprint rather than a 15.6-inch workstation.

But if that's the case, you could easily find lighter, more portable and sleeker Ultrabook alternatives. Just keep in mind those systems lack the spill-resistant keyboard, swappable battery, fingerprint scanner and dual cursor input methods of the ThinkPad.

Aside from battery life, the ThinkPad T450s struggles to meet the needs of number-crunching, mobile business folks and those that need the raw, portable power of a workstation, landing somewhere in the middle. If Lenovo's signature features don't appeal to you, you may not find the tradeoffs made in the ThinkPad T450s design to be worth it.

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