Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (Intel) review

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (Intel): the wide MX350 veteran

The E15 Gen 2 at $686 is the 15-inch expression of the 2021 Intel formula: an i3 1115G4 with an MX350 2GB and 32GB of RAM, the card scoring 44.73 against a business-class median of 3.84 — 1064.8 percent above in the mainstream band. Photo design reads 70 high-band, value 67.55 high-band, and the performance index of 57.67 runs 39 percent above the class median. The flagged weakness is memory: 32GB against a median of 40.

Where it holds up

The MX350's receipts travel intact to the bigger panel: recommended-level clearances for Overwatch and Grand Theft Auto V with a measured Far Cry 5 result of 34 frames per second at recommended settings, plus Photoshop and Visual Studio Code minimums. Photo design at 70 lands high-band — a point better than the 14-inch Intel twin — and the 32GB of RAM keeps the five-year-old platform credible under modern office loads. Value at 67.55 reads high-band; the premium is long since paid.

Where it falls short

Memory at 32GB is the flagged weakness against the drifted class median of 40, the era's signature. Gaming at 44 is clearance-level comfort, modeling at 42 and CAD at 44 sit mid-band, and office at 72.91 reads the lowest high-band tier. Portability of 49 is mid-pack — the 15-inch chassis sits closer to the desk than its 14-inch sibling's 65.6. Every limit is vintage-standard and every one is discounted.

Price and depreciation

$686 is mid-tier money for 2021 silicon. No listing history anchors this unit, so the class rate of about 9.45 percent a year is the anchor — among the gentlest in this batch. Wide-screen vintage buyers get the same slow arithmetic as everyone else.

Alternatives to consider

The E14 Gen 2 (model 1856) posts the matching MX350 sheet at the same $686 with better portability (65.6 against 49) — the carry pick of the pair. The T15 Gen 2 (model 1854) at the same price adds the T-chassis and 48GB of RAM. The AMD E15-route buyer notes this batch offers no AMD E15; the E14 Gen 3 (model 1857) is the Vega alternative in the smaller frame.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class. Verified clearances, high-band photo work and gentle depreciation on a wide panel at $686 — a rational vintage machine whose 32GB ceiling and clearance-level gaming are printed as plainly as its strengths.