Lenovo ThinkPad A485 review

A budget business 14-inch shelved among premium ultrabooks

The ThinkPad A485 (2018) at $264 is catalogued in the ultrabook class under a Premium preset, but the hardware is a plain budget business machine: a Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U with 32GB of RAM, a graphics score of zero against the class median of 3.84, a performance index of 28.3 versus 41.7, and reliability at 24 against 51. Judge it as what it is — an entry AMD business tool — not as the shelf label suggests.

Plain office capability, no more

The zero graphics score is a data floor, and the performance index about a third below median sets the honest envelope: documents, browsing, remote sessions, quiet multitasking on 32GB. Nothing on the sheet measures above the class — no top strength exists — which is consistent with entry silicon in a premium-priced shelf rather than a defect.

The mis-shelf discount, both ways

Sitting in the ultrabook class means the A485's comparisons run against genuinely premium machines, which makes its scores look worse than they are; the flip side is its $264 price reads as a bargain against a $373 class median that premium stock inflates. The rational view: this is a $260 office laptop whose shelf placement flatters neither the price nor the scores usefully.

Class-typical decay

From a $1,400 anchor the price has fallen to $264 at about 8% per year, projecting to $223 in two years — a further 15%. The curve matches the business-bracket norm; nothing here appreciates or collapses.

Neighbors across the shelf

Lenovo's IdeaPad S145-15API ($303) and HP's Envy TouchSmart 15 ($283) sit above; Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 Chrome 15IJL6 ($243) and 3 14ITL6 ($243) below. None of this row measures meaningfully better — the A485's ThinkPad chassis is its real differentiator.

Bottom line

A budget-friendly pick for office work with a proper business chassis and ample RAM. Read past the premium shelf label: this is an entry machine priced like one, and that honesty is the best thing about the listing.