Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 review
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 — from 2020, 1.7 kg, performance 29.
Technical specifications
| Type | Business |
| Release year | 2020 |
| Screen | 15.6" · 1920x1080 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U |
| Max. RAM | 32 GB |
| Weight | 1.7 kg |
Performance scores
ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 — modern Ryzen office value without a graphics story
The E15 Gen 2 (2020) is Lenovo's mainstream business 15-incher, here with a six-core Ryzen 5 4500U and 32GB of RAM at $319 — slightly above the $297 business-class median. Its profile is the classic office-book shape: strong everyday compute, no graphics dimension at all. The 4500U's Vega iGPU registers as zero in this class because the business median itself is iGPU-dominated, and the performance index of 28.9 versus 41.5 reflects an older-but-competent CPU against a class that includes newer silicon.
What it does well
The Ryzen 5 4500U remains a genuinely capable office CPU: six cores, efficient 7nm silicon, comfortable through a full workday of browser, office, and calls. 32GB of RAM is more than the 40GB-class median workloads demand — heavy tab counts, local dev servers, and VMs all fit. As a typing-and-meetings machine it is close to the practical optimum at this price.
The trade-offs, stated plainly
Graphics is the named weak axis — no discrete GPU and an iGPU that clears no gaming bar worth claiming. The E-series chassis is also the value tier of the ThinkPad line: acceptable build, but not the T-series hinge and keyboard standard. Weight and battery are mid-pack for a 15-inch office machine.
Price trajectory
From a $1,300 launch configuration it has settled at $319, declining at about 8.9% per year, with a projected $264 in two years — a 17% further drop. That is a normal business-laptop curve: steeper than the vintage classics, gentler than premium consumer lines.
Against its neighbors
The band includes a Dell Latitude 3310 at $361 and a Latitude 5591 at $357 above, and an HP EliteBook 845 G7 at $291 and an EliteBook 735 G6 at $293 below. The 845 G7 at $291 is the direct rival — newer-tier Ryzen silicon in a premium chassis for $28 less; the E15's counterargument is the 32GB of RAM and a larger screen.
Bottom line
A fairly priced, well-balanced office machine with modern-enough Ryzen compute and abundant memory, and zero gaming or GPU ambitions. For a work laptop at ~$300 the E15 Gen 2 makes a defensible case; buyers wanting any graphics headroom should spend the same money on a machine with a discrete card instead.
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⭐ What stands out
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graphics performance absent (no data or feature not provided).
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overall performance is lower than typical business class (+30.3%) (low tier).
budget segment of category -
memory capacity is lower than typical business class (+20%) (professional).
below class average
🔁 Alternatives
Compromise axis: reliability ↔ price
⚙️ Configuration analysis
Top configuration is built for office apps, web browsing, and basic daily tasks.
🤔 How to choose
Universal advice for any use case.
- Reliability vs price: reliability (median 42.5) ↔ price (median 297.4).
- Weight vs CPU: mobility (median 60) ↔ overall performance (median 41.5).
- Upgradeability vs battery: upgradability (median 62.5) ↔ battery life (median 3.3).
ThinkPad E15 Gen 2: verdict
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