ThinkPad T470 vs Latitude 5490: 15 metrics compared
ThinkPad T470 vs Latitude 5490: 15 metrics compared — detailed laptop comparison: performance, mobility, price, specifications.
Advantages
- + Mobility (+4.0)
- + Estimated price (-$49)
- + Weight (-0.28 kg)
- + USComp overall score (+18.0)
- + Performance (+9.1)
- + Gaming performance (+34.0)
- + Reliability (+10.0)
- + Value (+8.1)
- + CPU (+22.7)
- + Battery (+21 Wh)
- + Release year (+1)
- + Modernity (+7.7)
Detailed spec comparison
| Spec |
Component A
ThinkPad T470
|
Component B
Latitude 5490
|
|---|---|---|
| USComp overall score | 39.0 | 57.0 (+18.0) |
| Performance | 40.8 | 49.9 (+9.1) |
| Gaming performance | 40.0 | 74.0 (+34.0) |
| Mobility | 58.0 (+4.0) | 54.0 |
| Reliability | 23.0 | 33.0 (+10.0) |
| Value | 54.6 | 62.8 (+8.1) |
| Screen quality | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| CPU | 26.7 | 49.4 (+22.7) |
| GPU | 45.9 | 45.9 |
| Estimated price | $362 (-$49) | $411 |
| Weight | 1.32 kg (-0.28 kg) | 1.60 kg |
| Battery | 27 Wh | 48 Wh (+21 Wh) |
| Max RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Release year | 2016 | 2017 (+1) |
| Modernity | 38.5 | 46.2 (+7.7) |
One year apart, one tier apart in the catalog: the Latitude 5490 (2017-2018) is the machine the ThinkPad T470 (2016) was trying to become. Both trade near $400 used, both have dGPU paths, and the data gives the Latitude a comprehensive 9-3 win with 3 ties — the rare cross-brand comparison where one side simply dominates.
ThinkPad T470 vs Latitude 5490: specs compared
The Latitude sweeps the performance stack: overall score 57 versus 39, performance index 49.9 versus 40.8, CPU 49.4 versus 26.7, gaming 74 versus 40, reliability 33 versus 23 and value 62.8 versus 54.6. The two machines actually TIE on GPU ceiling (45.9 each — the T470's 940MX and the 5490's dGPU options score identically), which is remarkable for a year-apart pair. The T470's wins are all physical: lighter at 1.32 kg versus 1.6 kg, and $50 cheaper at ~$362 versus ~$411. Battery goes to the Latitude, 48 Wh versus 27 Wh, and both top out at 32 GB RAM.
Gaming performance
With identical GPU ceilings, the difference is everything around the GPU: the 5490's newer quad-core CPUs feed its graphics config without bottlenecking, pushing the gaming index to 74 versus the T470's 40. In practice the 5490 sustains higher settings in the same game library — older esports and 2010s AAA titles — while the T470's dual-core low-end configs stutter where its 940MX should shine. Config note: both machines exist in integrated-only trims; hunt the dGPU listings.
Battery and portability
The T470 is the travel machine: 1.32 kg versus 1.6 kg is immediately noticeable in a bag. Its 27 Wh internal battery looks poor against the 5490's 48 Wh — but Power Bridge hot-swap support means a second pack restores (and exceeds) parity. Out of the box with one battery each, the 5490 simply runs longer.
Which to buy in 2026
The Latitude 5490 is one of the strongest data verdicts in the used 14-inch class: newer silicon, same GPU ceiling, better battery, better reliability — at only a $50 premium. The ThinkPad T470 case is narrow but real: minimum weight, minimum price, the hot-swap battery ecosystem and the ThinkPad service manual culture. If you are choosing with your head at the same configuration level, the 9-3 verdict speaks for itself.
🤔 How to choose
Universal advice for any use case.
- Reliability vs price: reliability (median 50) ↔ price (median 385.1).
- Weight vs CPU: mobility (median 48) ↔ overall performance (median 49.9).
- Upgradeability vs battery: upgradability (median 50) ↔ battery life (median 2.9).