I've had an E485 for approaching 2 years now. Lenovo implemented the 2700U pretty well and I ended up with a ~$700 laptop with 2 unsoldered DIMM slots, an easily-accessible M.2, and a midrange matte 1080p screen.
None of these systems substantially move the needle relative to the competition, imo. The platform moved to the same relative position and the chips involved upgraded to the expected models. AMD needs more showcase models, but outside of just gaming showcase models. That means the HS SKU without a dGPU, and that means the U SKU in a model tailored for the platform.
it appears that while these AMD laptops will be better than the previous ones, OEMs still won’t go top of the line on any component. So, no high nits and/or wide color gamut displays, no Thunderbolt, none of the best SSD’s, etc.
There appear to be some high battery life, somewhat above average displays, mid range SSDs, and better cooling. Frustratingly though, rarely altogether in the same device. Baby steps.
No, that's not the case. Intel owns Thunderbolt and hasn't licensed it out. It doesn't matter if an OEM wanted to do Thunderbolt on an AMD based system ... they simple can't.
This isn't correct. Intel opened the specification and it's available royalty-free. AFAIK adding Thunderbolt 3 to a current-gen AMD system should be no more difficult than adding it to the older Intel systems prior to Ice Lake.
If I were to speculate, I'd say it's likely down to two things: 1) OEMs still treating the AMD models as cost-reduced propositions, so avoiding any additional expenses that would be occurred from adding a Thunderbolt chip. 2) Intel offering discounts on their Thunderbolt 3 controllers that don't apply if you're not buying an Intel CPU, which would magnify the effect of (1).
OK, AMD has gotten me jonesing for a laptop in I don’t know how many years. But, The names from all the manufacturers are confusing me.
Even Googleing doesn’t make it really clear. What is the difference between the Ts and the X? Both seem to be high build quality slim ultraportable Thinkpads. Is the X even higher quality?
also, both the LMVE seems to be budget ThinkPad. I read that the L was done by the ThinkPad team, whereas the E comes from the Ideapad team. But, does that mean that there are differences that show up to the user?
E series: budget line thinkpads, lacks many of the features that people associate with the brand.
T series: your default thinkpad. High end mid size meant for business. Has nice QoL features like internal roll cage and liquid drain holes so spilling coffee on the keyboard wont ruin the laptop. Comes in 14 and 15 inch models. The ones with s at the end are ultrabook versions. Generally less expandable but thinner and lighter.
X series: High end ultraportables. Usually offered with 12 and 13 inch screens.
L series: lower end than a T series but higher end than an E, same general size class as both.
The poseur level X is limited to the X1 and X1 Yoga, the X13 and X13 Yoga are successors to the old ultraportable workhorses in the X2xx series. Prices for those aren't as silly, and the featuresets are no worse than the T14s (which after all is something of a sibling, a T-series "workhorse" but "s(lim)" to improve portability).
It would be very nice if this article didn't miss the series designation letters in 1/3rd of the paragraphs though. That would make this slightly easier to parse.
They aren't really. The S model T series are ultrabooks. While they are thin and light they are not as small as X series which are true ultraportables. The non S model T series are much larger than the X. What makes it seem like they are blending is that modern laptops are much thinner and lighter than they were in the past. So a modern 14 inch ultrabook is smaller than an old ultraportable in every way except footprint.
My work laptop is a T470s and its both thinner and lighter than my personal X230. But an X390 would be even more so.
This is great! I really hope the X13 comes configured to 25W and has LPDDR4X. And a FreeSync screen (they have had that on Picasso Thinkpads) would be a fantastic bonus.
while thinkpad quality is not as good as before, this should be the best laptops with Ryzen. Cant wait for this to release. I might replace my laptop with this one.
I can't wait for them to release a P series one with the 4000H series CPU. I need to get an engineer here a new laptop and I am waiting for a business/workstation class machine with the H series. Something durable too because he takes it all over. I'd prefer a Lenovo, but I will get a Dell or HP if they come out with it first. And it needs a workstation GPU (Radeon Pro/Quadro) because it will be used for SolidWorks.
it's atrocious to release single-channel only laptop in this day and age. please stay away from E14 and E15 as it doesn't has second ram slot. I don't know if it's deliberate attempt to gimp amd's performance.
Same with my E485. Lenovo gimped the later versions.
They had a problem, the L and E series were more expandable and upgradable (along with some of them having better cooling solutions) than the T and X series.
They had two choices, either improve T and X (they just got done gimping them...) or propagate the downgrades to the L and E.
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goatfajitas - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
No mention of T15? It seems odd they omitted it - either from the lineup or the press release. Either way that is odd.The_Assimilator - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
Excellent, AMD's encroachment into Intel's last bastion begins now.lmcd - Saturday, May 9, 2020 - link
I've had an E485 for approaching 2 years now. Lenovo implemented the 2700U pretty well and I ended up with a ~$700 laptop with 2 unsoldered DIMM slots, an easily-accessible M.2, and a midrange matte 1080p screen.None of these systems substantially move the needle relative to the competition, imo. The platform moved to the same relative position and the chips involved upgraded to the expected models. AMD needs more showcase models, but outside of just gaming showcase models. That means the HS SKU without a dGPU, and that means the U SKU in a model tailored for the platform.
NICOXIS - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
No thunderbolt on AMD systems?The Hardcard - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
it appears that while these AMD laptops will be better than the previous ones, OEMs still won’t go top of the line on any component. So, no high nits and/or wide color gamut displays, no Thunderbolt, none of the best SSD’s, etc.There appear to be some high battery life, somewhat above average displays, mid range SSDs, and better cooling. Frustratingly though, rarely altogether in the same device. Baby steps.
bitterseed - Sunday, May 10, 2020 - link
No, that's not the case. Intel owns Thunderbolt and hasn't licensed it out. It doesn't matter if an OEM wanted to do Thunderbolt on an AMD based system ... they simple can't.Spunjji - Monday, May 11, 2020 - link
This isn't correct. Intel opened the specification and it's available royalty-free. AFAIK adding Thunderbolt 3 to a current-gen AMD system should be no more difficult than adding it to the older Intel systems prior to Ice Lake.If I were to speculate, I'd say it's likely down to two things:
1) OEMs still treating the AMD models as cost-reduced propositions, so avoiding any additional expenses that would be occurred from adding a Thunderbolt chip.
2) Intel offering discounts on their Thunderbolt 3 controllers that don't apply if you're not buying an Intel CPU, which would magnify the effect of (1).
psychobriggsy - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
I think we'll have to wait for USB4 in 2021 on AMD devices.I believe there are a couple of laptops that have already paired Intel's thunderbolt controller with an AMD APU, but these are the exception.
Still, these are nice bits of kit, good for AMD, good for consumers and businesses.
Spunjji - Monday, May 11, 2020 - link
+1 to that. USB 4 will be where we get full feature parity for those who need it.The Hardcard - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
OK, AMD has gotten me jonesing for a laptop in I don’t know how many years. But, The names from all the manufacturers are confusing me.Even Googleing doesn’t make it really clear. What is the difference between the Ts and the X? Both seem to be high build quality slim ultraportable Thinkpads. Is the X even higher quality?
also, both the LMVE seems to be budget ThinkPad. I read that the L was done by the ThinkPad team, whereas the E comes from the Ideapad team. But, does that mean that there are differences that show up to the user?
The Hardcard - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
change in my comment: “both the LMVE” should be “both the L and the E”zmatt - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
E series: budget line thinkpads, lacks many of the features that people associate with the brand.T series: your default thinkpad. High end mid size meant for business. Has nice QoL features like internal roll cage and liquid drain holes so spilling coffee on the keyboard wont ruin the laptop. Comes in 14 and 15 inch models. The ones with s at the end are ultrabook versions. Generally less expandable but thinner and lighter.
X series: High end ultraportables. Usually offered with 12 and 13 inch screens.
L series: lower end than a T series but higher end than an E, same general size class as both.
psychobriggsy - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
E - EconomyT - just get this one
X - poseur level
L - at least it's not an E
eastcoast_pete - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
Nice! That pretty much covers it!Valantar - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
The poseur level X is limited to the X1 and X1 Yoga, the X13 and X13 Yoga are successors to the old ultraportable workhorses in the X2xx series. Prices for those aren't as silly, and the featuresets are no worse than the T14s (which after all is something of a sibling, a T-series "workhorse" but "s(lim)" to improve portability).It would be very nice if this article didn't miss the series designation letters in 1/3rd of the paragraphs though. That would make this slightly easier to parse.
phoenix_rizzen - Monday, May 11, 2020 - link
So, closer to:E: entry-level, bottom-of-the-barrel
L: budget-friendly
T: business laptop
X: high-end business laptop
(Helps to put them in order, instead of sticking the L at the end.) :)
Rookierookie - Friday, May 8, 2020 - link
It's unfortunate that Lenovo seems to be trying to do away with the differentiation between X and T, which to me makes very little sense.zmatt - Friday, May 8, 2020 - link
They aren't really. The S model T series are ultrabooks. While they are thin and light they are not as small as X series which are true ultraportables. The non S model T series are much larger than the X. What makes it seem like they are blending is that modern laptops are much thinner and lighter than they were in the past. So a modern 14 inch ultrabook is smaller than an old ultraportable in every way except footprint.My work laptop is a T470s and its both thinner and lighter than my personal X230. But an X390 would be even more so.
lmcd - Saturday, May 9, 2020 - link
Personal experience: E series AMD can't use AMD latest GPU drivers without losing DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB-C.It's possible higher tier ones have better implementations.
Valantar - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
This is great! I really hope the X13 comes configured to 25W and has LPDDR4X. And a FreeSync screen (they have had that on Picasso Thinkpads) would be a fantastic bonus.murak01 - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
I second all of that! Beefed up cooling for 25W would help for people like me who actually game on igpu.trivik12 - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
while thinkpad quality is not as good as before, this should be the best laptops with Ryzen. Cant wait for this to release. I might replace my laptop with this one.extide - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
I can't wait for them to release a P series one with the 4000H series CPU. I need to get an engineer here a new laptop and I am waiting for a business/workstation class machine with the H series. Something durable too because he takes it all over. I'd prefer a Lenovo, but I will get a Dell or HP if they come out with it first. And it needs a workstation GPU (Radeon Pro/Quadro) because it will be used for SolidWorks.murak01 - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
Actually the T14s is lighter than X13.ballsystemlord - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
@Gavin , Please ask to review one of these from Levovo! How about an AMD L15 model?Rictorhell - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
Waiting for my AMD powered Thinkpad X1 Yoga.ZeDestructor - Friday, May 8, 2020 - link
Same.Hell, I'd settle for an X13 Yoga if it has the 4K screen option.
Fulljack - Thursday, May 7, 2020 - link
it's atrocious to release single-channel only laptop in this day and age. please stay away from E14 and E15 as it doesn't has second ram slot. I don't know if it's deliberate attempt to gimp amd's performance.lmcd - Saturday, May 9, 2020 - link
That's weird -- my E485 (which I assume those descend from) has 2.jeremyshaw - Sunday, May 10, 2020 - link
Same with my E485. Lenovo gimped the later versions.They had a problem, the L and E series were more expandable and upgradable (along with some of them having better cooling solutions) than the T and X series.
They had two choices, either improve T and X (they just got done gimping them...) or propagate the downgrades to the L and E.
I think we all know what they chose to do.