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Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Review
Table of Contents
Specifications –
- Intel Core i5-8365UÂ
- UHD 620 graphics
- Ram expandable Upto 40GB (8GB soldered + 32GB SO-DIMM) DDR4-2400 MHz
- 256GB NVMe SSD ( expandable)Â
- 1080p IPS non-touch display,
- Intel Wireless-AC 9560 2×2 w/ Bluetooth 5 (integrated on chip)
- backlit keyboard
- Standard 720p webcam and dual microphones
- Weight – 1.550 kg
The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is a classic, top-shelf business laptop designed to be a reliable work machine for professionals. While it is slightly thicker and heavier than its slimmer siblings (like the X390 or the X1 Carbon), it trades that extra bulk for better expandability, a wealth of ports, and a highly durable chassis.
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Design & Build Quality
The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is essentially a chunkier version of the smaller ThinkPad X390. Sticking to its heritage, the T490 features the iconic matte-black styling and robust build quality that ThinkPad loyalists expect. It is built to withstand rigorous daily use and travel. One notable design shift from its predecessor, the T480, is the removal of the hot-swappable “bridge” battery system in favor of a single internal battery, though the battery life remains dependable for everyday office tasks.
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Review: Display
The laptop features a 14-inch display. The Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display gives you a solid, anti-glare screen with good viewing angles, offering an excellent bright panel with vibrant colours and incredibly fine detail without draining the battery as quickly as a higher resolution screen would.
Performance & System Benchmark
To give you a real-world idea of what this laptop can handle, we put it through a few popular benchmark tests. Powered by the Intel Core i5-8365U processor and Intel UHD Graphics 620.
Storage Performance (CrystalDiskMark)
The storage drive shows a massive disparity between reading and writing data. The sequential read speed is excellent at 3,031.15 MB/s, which is why the laptop boots up quickly, loads applications fast, and feels generally responsive. However, the sequential write speed drops drastically to 345.19 MB/s. While you won’t notice this during regular office work, you will feel the slowdown if you are copying or saving massive files to the hard drive.
Everyday Processing: (Geekbench)
The CPU benchmarks show a Single-Core score of 1270 and a multi-core score of 2433. These are modest scores by today’s standards. It means the laptop feels snappy when opening single applications or running day-to-day tasks (thanks to a solid single-core score), but it lacks the heavy multi-threaded work power needed for intense computing or running heavy software. It can manage to run 20 plus chrome tabs in the background while you are working on excel.
Overall System & Productivity (PC-Mark 10)
The system scored an overall 3,334 in PC-Mark 10, placing it in the lower tier compared to modern high-end machines (better than 15% of all results).Â
However, looking at the breakdown reveals its true purpose. It scores high in “Essentials” (6,352) and “Productivity” (5,785), meaning it will handle web browsing, video conferencing, large spreadsheets, and word processing effortlessly. Where it drops off significantly is “Digital Content Creation” (2,738), indicating that video rendering or heavy 3D work is not these laptops’ strong suit.
The laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i5-8365U processor from the “Whiskey Lake” family, built on a 14-nanometer infrastructure. It is a power-efficient processor designed for thin laptops, featuring a low maximum Thermal Design Power (TDP) of just 15.0 watts. Under the hood, it packs 4 physical cores and 8 threads for capable multitasking, along with 6 MB of Level 3 cache. While its base clock speed is 1.60 GHz, the multiplier range (up to 4x) indicates It can boost up to roughly 4.1 GHz when heavy workloads demand it, offering a solid balance between everyday performance and battery conservation.
Battery Back-up
Given that my review unit is refurbished, I am getting roughly half the battery life of a brand-new model, yielding about 2 to 3 hours of use. This is perfectly acceptable, especially considering the age of a laptop with such an ultra-thin chassis still working well.
Connectivity
Lenovo has worked pretty well to give decent port connectivity for their Ultrabook series:Â
On the left side, USB 3.1 Type-C, Thunderbolt 3, Ethernet, USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI, 3.5 mm jack, microSD reader
On the right side, Smart card reader, USB 3.0 Type-A, RJ45 Ethernet, Kensington lock slot
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 review: Keyboard and touchpad
Lenovo’s reputation for making the best laptop keyboards remains intact here. The spill-resistant, backlit keyboard offers an incredibly tactile, precise, and comfortable typing experience with long key travel. Navigation is handled by a smooth, highly responsive glass touchpad with three buttons on top of it, as well as the iconic red TrackPoint nub nested in the center of the keyboard.
Bottom Line
The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is a top-tier business work machine that prioritizes practicality, durability, and a phenomenal typing experience. While it sacrifices the hot-swappable battery feature of its predecessors and is slightly bulkier than the ultra-thin ThinkPad T490s, it compensates by offering superior expandability and an unbeatable port selection. If you need a robust, highly secure, and well-connected laptop for serious professional work, the T490 is a sensible and highly capable choice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Is the Lenovo ThinkPad T490 good for gaming?
The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is not designed for gaming. It is a business-focused laptop equipped primarily with Intel UHD Graphics 620, which is suitable for basic media consumption but struggles with modern 3D games
Q. Can I upgrade the RAM on the Lenovo ThinkPad T490?
Yes, but with some limitations compared to older models. The ThinkPad T490 typically features some soldered RAM (often 8GB or 16GB integrated directly into the motherboard) alongside one accessible SO-DIMM slot.
Q. Can I upgrade the storage on the ThinkPad T490?
Yes. While it does not support 2.5-inch SATA hard drives because of its slim chassis, it features an accessible M.2 NVMe PCIe slot. You can easily swap out the existing SSD for a larger capacity drive if you run out of storage space.
Q. Does the T490 have an SD card reader?
The ThinkPad T490 includes a MicroSD card reader located on the left side of the laptop. If you are a photographer or videographer who relies on standard, full-sized SD cards, you will need to use an external USB adapter.
Q. Is the ThinkPad T490 still worth buying today?
Yes, the ThinkPad T490 remains an excellent, cost-effective choice for students, writers, and business professionals. Because it features a highly durable chassis, an industry-leading keyboard, and a great selection of ports, it holds up exceptionally well as a refurbished or second-hand purchase for everyday productivity and office-style workloads.
