Copyright XDA Developers
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (Intel) is a thin and light business laptop that rounds out the T14s lineup with Intel's efficient Lunar Lake chipset. We've already taken a look at the Qualcomm Snapdragon and AMD versions of the T14s Gen 6, so the biggest change here is the silicon under the hood. Due to its lightweight chassis, efficient Lunar Lake SoC, and user-replaceable components, the T14s Gen 6 is an ideal platform for an IT fleet, though the price point makes it a difficult choice for individual users. Compared to its AMD and Snapdragon counterparts, the Intel version of the T14s isn't much different. It's got the same chassis, same high-quality user-replaceable keyboard, same TrackPoint pointing stick and oversized touchpad. The only difference is that the Lunar Lake model offers slightly better power efficiency than the AMD variant while still having the full x86 Windows experience for app support compared to the slightly more limited Windows on Arm variant supported by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite model. Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 pricing and availability What does this Lunar Lake business laptop even cost, anyway? The starting configuration of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (Intel) officially retails for $1,879, and features an Intel Core Ultra 5 228V processor with 32GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, 14-inch, 1920x1200, IPS display, and Windows 11 Home. This model is currently available on sale from Lenovo directly for just $1,503. Upgrading to our Intel Core Ultra 7 268V review model brings the price up to $2,459. However, this model also comes with a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro license along with the CPU upgrade. This model is currently on sale from Lenovo directly for $1,849. Because the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is an enterprise laptop, the pricing is a little imprecise. If you're buying a few hundred laptops for your IT department, you won't be paying full price. But for individual users, that leaves the ThinkPad T14s as a rather steep purchase. While the Qualcomm and AMD models are a bit cheaper than our Intel review model, none of the T14s models are a particularly great bargain. The T14 Gen 6, on the other hand, is a bit more affordable for a small business or individual purchase. ThinkPad durability and timeless design Industry-leading quality Lenovo's ThinkPad design is still a very clear echo of the classic IBM days. The ThinkPad is still housed in a matte black chassis with a bright red TrackPoint pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard and discrete buttons at the top of the touchpad. Much like the T14 Gen 6, this generation updates the camera hub on the top panel cover to help modernize the ThinkPad design for the hybrid workforce. As far as sizing goes, the T14s Gen 6 feels a bit old-school in terms of chassis dimensions. At 0.66 inches thick, it's not the most svelte laptop, especially compared to the flagship ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The T14's 2.82-pound weight does help offset its slightly chunkier build, though, which does keep it feeling like a modern laptop. Like other ThinkPad models, the T14s meets the rigorous MIL-STD-810H standards for durability, ensuring your files will be safe even through exposure to high altitude, extreme temperatures, moisture, and dust. The only real drawback to the T14s in terms of design is its display. At 400 nits of brightness with an anti-glare coating, the T14s is more than bright enough for any indoor work environment, but it struggles when it comes to colors. The T14s' display is pretty lackluster, with content appearing dull and a bit lifeless. This is true of the other two T14s models and the T14 Gen 6 as well, so it didn't come as a surprise. But it is a minor weak point in the laptop. Meanwhile, the user-facing speakers pack a powerful punch, which is great for video calls and music streaming. While I would personally prefer a strong display over great audio, it makes sense to opt for better audio in a business laptop, considering today's hybrid work environment. Easy upgrades and repairs The T-series doesn't play around with user-repairs The ThinkPad T14s is a bit lighter than the ThinkPad T14, but the biggest difference between the two 14-inch ThinkPad T-series laptops is the number of screws on the backplate that you need to remove in order to access the laptop's internal components. With just 5 retaining screws on the back side of the chassis, the most difficult part of repairing the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is prying open the chassis without breaking any of the plastic latches holding it together. Under the hood, the T14s has an easy-to-replace 58Whr lithium-ion battery, and you can also replace or upgrade the laptop's NVMe SSD with a little bit of effort. Because the T14s Gen 6 (Intel) is running a Lunar Lake SoC, you can't easily upgrade the RAM since Lunar Lake has the system memory soldered on the CPU package. However, you can also replace the keyboard on the T14s to deploy the laptop in another region or replace keys that have been worn smooth after years of consistent use. Steady, efficient performance Lunar Lake continues to have great battery efficiency The ThinkPad T14s Intel Core Ultra processor wasn't going to be breaking any performance records in terms of raw power, but it is one of the more efficient CPUs. If you're looking for raw power in the T14s Gen 6 lineup, opting for the AMD version is going to get you better power at the expense of efficiency, while the Qualcomm Snapdragon version has a slightly better balance of both at the expense of the full compatibility with x86 apps. So, you're stuck picking the best compromise between the three silicon options. That said, the T14s Gen 6 (Intel) isn't unusable. Lunar Lake has more than enough power for most users and gets all-day battery life. So it really isn't a bad choice of CPU. It just struggles a bit with multithreaded workloads compared to the Snapdragon X Elite model's 12-core CPU or the AMD model's 8-core Ryzen AI 7 PRO APU. And that's pretty obvious when looking at our synthetic performance benchmarks. As usual, Intel's Lunar Lake has a far stronger integrated GPU, which gives it a boost in 3DMark scores and in multi-app workloads like CrossMark. And that also makes the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 a better choice than the AMD or Qualcomm models if you're going to be doing a lot of on-device AI modeling, since most LLMs are still optimized for the GPU rather than the CPU or NPU. In terms of battery life, the Intel T14s lasted me more than a full workday, going over 11 hours easily on a single charge. It's not quite as efficient as the Qualcomm model, which got 12 hours of battery life, but it's damn close. And that's pretty typical of Intel Lunar Lake when compared against the Snapdragon X Elite chipsets. Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6? You should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 if: You need a fleet of laptops for your company or organization You need enterprise-grade security for your personal device You want a laptop that can be upgraded and repaired easily You should NOT buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 if: You want a laptop for personal or gaming use You need to stay on a tight budget While Lenovo's ThinkPad lineup offers a great balance of security, durability, repairability, and performance, these laptops often come at a premium price since they're intended for enterprise customers who buy in bulk. This makes buying a ThinkPad for your individual use less than ideal, particularly if you need to stay on budget.
