Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 5 review

Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 5: paying extra for freshness, not for output

The Gen 5 of Lenovo's 14-inch folder asks $1,275 — a solid step up from the $1,084 Gen 4 — and the honest question is what the extra money buys. The reliability story remains strong at 80 against a convertible median of 49, a 63 percent edge keeping it in the class's top quarter. The Core Ultra 5 225U and 32GB of RAM carry the same office index of 76.51 as its predecessor. But the sheet also shows where the generational premium does not translate: a value index of 15.65, the lowest reading in this batch, and a performance index of 32.69 that lands in the low band.

Where it holds up

Dependability is still the product. The reliability figure of 80 says this chassis is built to survive years of folding and commuting, and 32GB of memory gives it headroom that many convertibles at this price skip. The office score of 76.51 — identical to the Gen 4's — confirms the daily-driver role, and portability holds at 64.1, mid-band and honest for the format. In every carry-and-type sense, the machine does the job its predecessor did.

Where it falls short

The graphics line reads zero, which is a coverage gap rather than a measured failure — the integrated configuration has no matched scoring entry — so treat it as unmeasured and verify hands-on. The resolved axes are more concrete: gaming at 19, 3D modeling at 19 and engineering CAD at 25, all low band, photo design at 35 mid. The harder pill is value: at 15.65 it is the weakest value reading in this batch, and the performance index of 32.69 sits a full band below the Gen 4's 41.48 despite the newer silicon. You are paying for one generation of freshness, and the yardstick does not reward it.

Price and depreciation

$1,275 is near the top of this batch's convertible pricing. No listing history exists for this unit, so the class rate of about 15 percent a year is the only anchor available — a faster drain than the Gen 4's 13.87, which compounds the value concern for anyone buying to keep.

Alternatives to consider

The most direct comparison is the machine's own predecessor: the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 (model 1798) costs $191 less, matches six of eight axis figures including office and portability, and posts a stronger performance index (41.48) and a far stronger value figure (42 against 15.65). Buyers who want the reliability without the generational premium have an obvious path.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class, but only if freshness is what you value. The Gen 5 delivers the same dependable folding experience as before; the data says the extra $191 buys a newer badge rather than more output, and the batch's lowest value index says so plainly.