Lenovo ThinkBook 14" 21UY0009US 2024, Core 5 210H, 16GB, 256GB SSD, Arctic Grey

The ThinkBook 14 G9 IRL has a port selection in the 90th percentile and a bright 400-nit display, but the 256GB SSD is in the 16th percentile and the integrated graphics cap gaming at 18.1 out of 100. At USD 1,046 it's a reasonable business laptop. At the EUR 2,095 end of the European price spread, it's a hard pass.

The Core 5 210H runs at 2.2GHz base and boosts to 4.8GHz, with 12MB of L3 cache. In our database, that puts the CPU in the 62nd percentile, so it's a capable daily driver but not a standout. The 16GB of DDR5 at 5600MHz is about average for this tier, and the integrated Intel graphics sit at the 56th percentile. You'll handle spreadsheets, video calls, and a dozen browser tabs without breaking a sweat. But don't expect much beyond light photo editing or very old games. The 48Wh battery paired with a 400-nit screen means you'll likely be hunting for an outlet by mid-afternoon under heavy use.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro, the ThinkBook gets absolutely smoked on CPU, GPU, and storage. The MacBook's M4 Pro chip is in a different universe, and Apple's base storage starts at 512GB. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus GA403WR and HP OMEN Transcend 14 both bring dedicated GPUs that make the ThinkBook's integrated graphics look like a calculator. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is a closer fight, with better portability and a sharper display, but the ThinkBook wins on ports and upgradeability. The MSI Raider is a gaming beast that trades blows on CPU but crushes the ThinkBook on graphics. For pure business use, the ThinkBook holds its own on ports and reliability. For anything else, the competition runs away.

Pricing is all over the map depending on where you shop. In the US, you're looking at USD 1,046 from a single listing. In Canada, the spread runs from CAD 1,200 to CAD 1,599 across three vendors, so it pays to shop around. The European market is even wilder, with EUR prices ranging from EUR 1,114 all the way up to EUR 2,095 across four listings. That's a EUR 981 gap for the same machine. If you're in Europe, the EUR 1,114 listing is the obvious pick. At the low end, this is a reasonable business laptop. At the high end, you're paying way too much for a 256GB SSD and integrated graphics.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G9 IRL lands with a port selection that sits in the 90th percentile of our database. That means Thunderbolt, dual USB-C, dual USB-A, HDMI, and Ethernet all show up on a 14-inch business machine, which is genuinely rare. The Core 5 210H with 8 cores and 12 threads is a solid mid-pack performer, and the 400-nit IPS display is well above average for this class. But the 256GB SSD is a real letdown, landing in the 16th percentile. For a business laptop in 2025, that's cramped.

Skip this if you need real storage or any kind of graphics muscle. The 256GB SSD is in the 16th percentile, and the integrated GPU lands at the 56th percentile with a gaming score of 18.1 out of 100. Creative professionals will also want to look past the 45% NTSC color coverage. And if portability matters, the 2.09kg weight is on the heavy side for a 14-inch machine. Anyone who needs to install large applications, keep a big media library, or do any rendering should look at the MacBook Pro M4 Pro or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus instead.

The ThinkBook 14 G9 IRL is a solid business machine with one glaring flaw: that 256GB SSD. The port selection is genuinely excellent, the display is bright, and the CPU handles office work without complaint. But 256GB in 2025 is a joke for a business laptop, especially when Windows 11 Pro and a few apps will eat a third of it before you even start. If you can find it at the low end of the price range and you're willing to swap in a bigger SSD, it's a decent buy. Otherwise, look elsewhere.