This article is a write up of the video we made on the P14s Gen 2 on our Youtube channel. If you would like to watch the video instead, it can be found here:

As the P14s Gen 2 is very similar to the T14 Gen 2, outside of some extra software support for the P14s, we won’t be covering the T14 separately. Just know anything said about the P14s likely holds true for the T14.

Build

The overall build quality of the P14s hasn’t changed too much, but it does have a bit bigger of an air vent for improved airflow. The system still feels firm and the material seems to have been improved, now likely leaving less fingerprints than before. In terms of the display, the touchscreen seems to have more glare compared to other models unfortunately, though it’s still very usable and due to the stiffness of the hinge and comparative lightweight, you won’t be able to open the system with only one hand.

We would imagine that with how similar the system is to previous models, the trackpad and keyboard would be the first part of the machine to show wear, wearing down to appear shiny.

Ports

Left side ports:

  • 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
  • USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
  • Side docking connector
  • HDMI 2.0
  • 3.5mm Combination Audio Jack
  • MicroSD card reader

Unfortunately unlike the Intel model, the USB-C ports are not Thunderbolt compatible. Instead they are regular USB-C, meaning while AMD will have better integrated GPU performance, they won’t be able to take advantage of plugging in an eGPU for additional performance.

And on the right:

  • (Optional) Smart Card reader
  • RJ-45/Ethernet
  • Kensington Security Slot
  • Another USB-A 3.2 Gen 1

Ignoring the (lack of) Thunderbolt in the room, the P14s still has a good range of ports; 2 of each USB-A and USB-C will be plenty for accessories, a standard HDMI for powering an external display, Ethernet for networking, docking port for docks and Kensington for security. MicroSD reader, audio jack and an optional Smart Card Reader are the cherries on top that round out the selection from good to great; it’s hard to complain about the selection.

Keyboard

Bizarrely, the Gen 2 decides not to have a backlight on it’s keyboard despite it being a feature in the Gen 1. Certainly a strange choice, but it’s not indicative of the quality of the rest of the keyboard which is as good as ever. Typing is a very similar experience overall, with a small improvement to the amount of flex and a more textured feel on the keys.

The texture may be personal preference, the keys feel less smooth than the Gen 1, and it’s the same 1.8mm keyboard feel beyond this distinction, making the biggest change the choice to remove the backlight. Still a very good keyboard overall.

Trackpad

Pressing the physical buttons on the trackpad has a satisfying click to them, the trackpad itself is smoother to the touch than previous systems, and the smoother material could take longer to wear down than previous models, providing a good experience with the trackpad. The only mark against the trackpad is that it isn’t as wide as the T14s, but it’s not too small to use.

Display

The P14s has a reasonably bright screen at 300 nits, with the option to go up to 500 nits and a 4K option. While the screen does look really good for general viewing, there’s definitely room for improvement in the colour gamuts with 54.7% sRGB and 37.9% Adobe RGB coverage. Regardless of the model, the display will be anti-glare and some of the FHD versions have multi-touch as an option.

Webcam

The webcam would best be described as 'acceptable' for video calling. 720p is certainly acceptable, as is the audio quality, but the microphone can ‘lag’ behind you as you move, as the mic tries to pick up audio from where you were instead of where you are making anything you said illegible until you stay still again. Additionally, videos are darker in the corners than the rest of the frame somewhat noticeably, and picture quality in low light suggests night calls aren’t an intended use case. It does, at least, handle changing light levels fairly well (so long as it’s still not too bright or dark).

Internals

Inside the machine, we have a slightly strange configuration in terms of upgradability - while there is an open DIMM slot for upgrading RAM, the rest of the system memory is soldered and therefore can’t be swapped, so should the memory fail or you saturate the other DIMM you can’t replace what the system came with. The spare slot is easily accessible after removing the back cover however, as is the M.2 drive which contains the system’s SSD.

Furthermore, the WLAN module is socketed and can be swapped, and WWAN antennas are provided if you want to install your own module, so a nice amount of upgradability overall. A 60wh battery would have been preferred, but the 50wh in the system is an acceptable compromise likely made to keep the form factor, and the dual heat pipe is a welcome improvement from the Gen 1 that makes use of the extended heat vent.

In terms of repairability, the soldered memory is less than desirable, but the CMOS battery is easily accessed, as is the SSD and heatsink for re-applying thermal paste; most major components are easily accessed after taking off the back cover, good repairability overall.

Thermals

We’d recommend not using the machine on your lap when it’s under load, as while the front stays reasonably cool for typing on, the back does get fairly hot (which makes sense with the vents being there). Other than this the thermals are good, the second heat pipe clearly helps with keeping the system cool, being consistently cooler whilst under load than the Gen 1.

Benchmarks

Moving on to the benchmarks, as expected the Gen 2 performs markedly better than the Gen 1, while being better or worse than the Intel T14 depending on the specific benchmark. Battery life has improved by about 20 minutes in our test, while not a giant improvement does show that the battery life hasn’t degraded between generations, which is reassuring. There was also a noticeable increase in performance when we upgraded to dual channel memory; if you’re aiming to squeeze all the performance you can out of your system, definitely invest in an upgrade.

 

While GPU performance without dedicated graphics is obviously going to be poor (this is a professional laptop, not a gaming laptop after all), we tested some games anyway to see the results. While 1080p is completely off the table, reducing the settings as low as possible in 720p would make most games at least run above 30fps, while certainly not an ideal way to play any game, if you desperately needed to it’s not impossible to make them run. These benchmarks also especially showed the difference between single and dual channel performance.

Conclusion

What’s great:

  • DolbyVision 4K panel now available, TN option gone & has a brighter base FHD IPS at 300 nits
  • Improved performance overall: visibly better single core, marginally multi-core & GPU enhancements.
  • Battery doesn’t seem to have been impacted
  • Thermals seem to behave marginally better.
  • Understated design that blends into the boardroom & cafe with versatility.
  • Decent build quality, attracts slightly less fingerprint marks than the Gen 1.
  • Retains the great keypad (1.8mm travel)
  • Reasonable upgradability (RAM/SSD)
  • Reasonable in repairability (keypad, screen, etc)
  • Better pricing than the T14s/X13 Gen 2 with very little performance trade-off
  • Wide support option: inc Onsite/Premiere Support

What could be improved:

  • Some 2021 business essential features are optional (e.g. backlit keypad)
  • Webcam & speakers could be better
  • Lacks a premium FHD panel (with 100% coverage) unless you go 4K
  • Hard to open the base cover (the clips are easily damaged)
  • Upgrade options for Intel Wi-Fi would be useful for Linux users

Where can I buy the ThinkPad P14s Gen 2 (AMD)? You can find Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 2 here (affiliate link):

UK: https://lenovo.7eer.net/6bPgv3 

US: https://lenovo.vzew.net/5b7vX2 

Canada: https://lenovo.vzew.net/2rMy7G