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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 29, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on engineering tasks, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is a strong choice with its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and ample 32GB of RAM, which will handle demanding applications smoothly. Its 14-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and a 16:10 aspect ratio is excellent for productivity, though it lacks touch capability. The inclusion of an AMD Radeon 780M GPU makes it suitable for some gaming and 3D tasks, and the laptop's build quality is top-notch, as expected from the ThinkPad line. However, with a weight of nearly 3 pounds and a thickness of 0.7 inches, it's less portable than some alternatives. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" offers a more compact and lightweight design, making it ideal for users who prioritize mobility. Its 13.5-inch touchscreen with a higher resolution of 2256 x 1504 and a 3:2 aspect ratio is great for general use and provides vibrant colors with high DCI-P3 coverage, which is beneficial for media consumption and light photo editing. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and 16GB of RAM will suffice for most daily tasks, but it may not perform as well as the ThinkPad T14 in intensive engineering software. The Surface Laptop also has a more limited selection of ports and no dedicated GPU, which means it's not the best choice for gaming or heavy graphical work. In summary, if you need a laptop that can handle more demanding tasks and don't mind a bit more weight, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is the way to go. If portability and a high-quality display for general use are your main concerns, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is a better fit. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
- Good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.5
7.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
321.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
8.3
7.7
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.3
7.7
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.9
7.8
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
321.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Build Quality
8.0
7.4
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.6
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.7
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Battery
9.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has 9 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has 9 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,241
$1,200
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a price of $1,241 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,241 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.5'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.96 lbs | 3.04 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.51" | 12.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.93" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | Intel Core Ultra 7 135H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 39.3 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 321 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.5/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.4/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | December 2023
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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