Expert's Rating
Pros
- Good performance for productivity
- Solid aluminum build
- Tactile, spacious keyboard
- Convertible form factor
- Long battery life
- Includes stylus
Cons
- Middling display brightness
- Only 8GB of RAM in base model
- No Trackpoint on keyboard
Our Verdict
The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 offers solid performance and a great value for anyone who needs a laptop to get work done.
To many, Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops are the gold standard for Windows productivity, but they can be pretty spendy. The ThinkBook lineup offers almost every luxury you’ve come to expect from Lenovo’s serious business laptops with a much lower price point. The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 starts at just over $1,000 with solid but not amazing specs and fantastic build quality. It won’t scratch your gaming itch, but if you need to get work done, it’s hard to go wrong with the ThinkBook 14.
Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Specs and features
The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is a “budget-premium” business laptop—the base configuration has a Core Ultra 5 and just 8GB of RAM, and the 14-inch LCD touchscreen is only 1920×1200 and 60Hz. On the other hand, the aluminum chassis is robust and durable, which is necessary if you’re going to haul a laptop to meetings and toss it in your bag. The 2-in-1 design also makes this notebook useful in more situations than your average productivity machine.
Lenovo also offers this laptop with a more powerful Core Ultra 7 CPU and 16 or 32GB of RAM, which will make the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 better for multitasking and working with large files. These upgrades don’t add too much to the price, either. Fully decked out, the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 clocks in around $1,400. The Meteor Lake chip in this machine does have AI acceleration, but it’s not fast enough to qualify for Microsoft’s Copilot+ features. Here are the specs of the laptop I tested.
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Memory: 16GB DDR5
- Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc iGPU
- Display: 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD touchscreen, 60Hz
- Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD PCIe Gen 4
- Webcam: 1080p, IR for Windows Hello
- Connectivity: 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), 1x USB-C (10 Gbps), 2 x USB-A (5 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
- Networking: WiFi 6 802.11AX, Bluetooth 5.2
- Battery capacity: 60Whr, 65W charging
- Dimensions: 12.32 x 8.81 x 0.66 inches
- Weight: 3.61lbs
- MSRP as tested: $1,149.99
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Design and build quality
![ThinkBook design](https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lenovo-ThinkBook-14-2-in-1-Gen-4-1.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1200)
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
<div class="scrim" style="background-color: #fff" aria-hidden="true"></div>
</div></figure><p class="imageCredit">IDG / Ryan Whitwam</p></div>
The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 has a mature, elegant design. If you walk into a room with this machine, no one will think you grabbed a gaming notebook off your desk. The underside tapers to present a slimmer side profile, which also makes the machine very easy to pick up from almost any angle.
The chassis is fully aluminum, with a slick dual-texture finish on the lid. It comes with a Lenovo Slim Pen, which is about as good a stylus as you’ll find bundled with a Windows laptop. It attaches magnetically to the right edge of the laptop for quick access. There’s a robust settings application, and the pen is comfortable to hold. Sadly, Windows 11 still isn’t very good for stylus input, but that’s not Lenovo’s fault.
Lenovo’s latest ThinkBook is sleek, sturdy, and a delight to carry around.
Next to the stylus attachment, you’ll find the ThinkBook’s power button with integrated fingerprint scanner. It’s a bit slow if you’re accustomed to using a fingerprint sensor on a phone, and I don’t like how close it is to the pen. You have to sneak your finger in right next to the stylus tip to reach the button. That said, the accuracy is good if you can reach it. This edge also sports a microSD card slot, a USB-A port, and a Kensington lock. On the opposite side, the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 has both of its USB-C ports, another USB-A, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The 3.61-pound weight is slightly heavy for a 14-inch laptop, but the compact footprint makes it easily portable. The size also helps when you utilize the convertible 360-degree hinge to prop the machine up like a tent or fold the keyboard back. The hinge is on the stiff side, which is preferable for a 2-in-1, so it’ll stay put when you move between postures. You’ll probably need two hands to open the notebook, though.
The lid has Lenovo’s trademark reverse display notch, which gives you an ergonomically friendly lip to grasp when opening the laptop. This area houses the 1080p webcam (with Windows Hello support), but the rest of the bezel is extremely narrow—it’s almost all screen. The privacy-minded will also be happy to hear there is a physical camera shutter for the webcam.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Keyboard and trackpad
![ThinkPad keyboard](https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lenovo-ThinkBook-14-2-in-1-Gen-4-5.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1200)
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
<div class="lightbox-image-container foundry-lightbox"><div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large enlarged-image"><img decoding="async" data-wp-bind--src="selectors.core.image.enlargedImgSrc" data-wp-style--object-fit="selectors.core.image.lightboxObjectFit" src="" alt="ThinkPad keyboard" class="wp-image-2390050" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy" /></figure><p class="imageCredit">IDG / Ryan Whitwam</p></div>
</div></figure><p class="imageCredit">IDG / Ryan Whitwam</p></div>
Lenovo’s laptops consistently offer good keyboards, but some are better than good. The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is in the latter camp—it’s got an excellent keyboard. There’s no room for a number pad, but the compact layout fills most of the available space with full-sized keys that feel tactile and sturdy. The keys have reasonable travel, and the bottom out is firm without being harsh.
The ThinkBook has a small cutout that gives the arrow cluster a bit more space. These keys are not quite full size, but they’re not split in half like many of today’s mainstream laptops. Not only are these keys easy to find by touch, the layout is super-smart. I adore having the page up and down keys right next to the arrows.
If you do a lot of typing on the go, this is a fantastic machine to use. There’s even a Windows Copilot key, in case you want to consult a robot. The only thing you’re missing from the more expensive ThinkPad line is Trackpoint, but most people don’t need that additional pointer. It’s one of the few features you lose with the ThinkBook 14 versus the ThinkPad X1 convertible.
The trackpad isn’t the largest, but neither is this laptop. At 120 x 75mm, the trackpad occupies a sizable chunk of the space below the keyboard. It’s extremely responsive, and the smoothness is incredible. Lenovo opted to cover the surface of the trackpad with mylar. It gives the trackpad a silky texture that embodies the “premium” feel you’d expect from a high-end notebook.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Display and audio
![ThinkPad display](https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lenovo-ThinkBook-14-2-in-1-Gen-4-3.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1200)
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