Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 2025, Core Ultra 5 225U, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Eclipse Black

A dependable 16-inch workhorse with a great keyboard and ports, but a dull screen and weak battery hold it back. Buy it for work, not for fun.

The Core Ultra 5 225U with 12 cores surprised us. It's not going to set any benchmark records, sitting right around the middle of the pack for CPUs, but it chews through everyday multitasking without breaking a sweat. The 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM helps a lot here. What really caught us off guard was how quiet the thing stays under load. The integrated Intel graphics are fine for everything except gaming, where this laptop scores a brutal 18.2 out of 100. Don't even think about it.

Against the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, the ThinkPad wins on ports and repairability but loses badly on display quality and battery life. The MacBook Pro M4 Pro is in a completely different league for performance and screen, but it also costs way more. If you need Windows and a numeric keypad, the E16 Gen 3 is a sensible pick. If you want a premium screen and all-day battery, the Surface Laptop is the better call.

Pricing is all over the place in Canada, ranging from CAD 1,460 to CAD 2,149 across two listings. At the low end, this is a solid deal for a durable business laptop with Thunderbolt 4. At the high end, you're getting into MacBook Air territory and that's a much better screen and battery. Shop around and don't pay more than CAD 1,600 for this thing.

The ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 is a workhorse that knows exactly what it is: a big, comfortable business laptop that won't win any beauty contests but will get you through a full day of spreadsheets, code, and browser tabs without complaint. The one thing to know? That 16-inch 1920x1200 display is a joy for productivity, even if the 45% NTSC color coverage means your Netflix binges will look a little washed out.

If you're looking for a laptop with a vibrant screen for media or creative work, this isn't it. Go get a MacBook Air or a Surface Laptop instead. And if you want to game even a little, look at the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and don't look back.

The ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 is a no-nonsense business laptop that nails the basics: solid build, comfortable keyboard, good port selection, and enough power for real work. It's not exciting, but it's dependable. If you can find it near the CAD 1,460 mark, it's a smart buy for office work and coding. Just don't expect it to be your entertainment machine too.