Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 2023, Core i7-1355U, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Graphite Black

The ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 is a reliable business workhorse with a fantastic keyboard and number pad, strong port selection, and solid build quality. The Core i7-1355U and 16GB of RAM are adequate but not impressive, and the 47Wh battery is the biggest weakness. Prices vary widely, from USD 950 to USD 1,278 in the US, so shop around. If you need a dependable Windows machine for office work and don't mind staying near an outlet, this is a solid pick.

The Core i7-1355U is a 10-core chip with a 1.7GHz base clock, and it's fine. Not exciting, but fine. It's built for efficiency more than raw power, which makes sense in a business laptop. The integrated Iris Xe graphics handle everyday tasks without breaking a sweat, but don't expect to game on this thing. The gaming score of 16.4 out of 100 is one of the weakest areas, and that's being generous. This is not a gaming laptop, and it doesn't pretend to be.

Where the E16 shines is in the stuff that matters for office work. The 512GB NVMe SSD is quick enough that boot times and app launches feel snappy. The 16GB of DDR4 is adequate for multitasking, though it's worth noting that DDR4 is last-gen tech at this point. The 300-nit IPS display with 100% sRGB coverage is solid for indoor use, though you'll struggle in bright sunlight. The port selection is genuinely impressive for this class, with Thunderbolt, two USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI 2.1, and Ethernet. That's more connectivity than some laptops twice the price.

The ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 sits in an awkward middle ground. It's not as premium as the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro, which absolutely demolishes it in performance and battery life, but it's also a fraction of the price. If you're in the Apple ecosystem and have the budget, the MacBook Pro is a different class of machine entirely. The E16 is for people who need Windows, want a number pad, and don't want to spend MacBook money.

Against something like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, the E16 trades blows. The Surface is sleeker and lighter, but the ThinkPad has better port selection and that legendary keyboard. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and HP OMEN Transcend 14 are gaming-focused machines that will run circles around the E16 in graphics performance, but they're aimed at a completely different buyer. If you need to play games or do GPU-heavy work, the E16 is not your machine. If you need a dependable daily driver for business tasks, it's a strong contender.

Pricing is all over the map, which is worth paying attention to. In the US, you're looking at USD 950 to USD 1,278 across three listings. That's a USD 328 spread for what appears to be the same machine. If you're shopping in the US, do yourself a favor and check the lower end of that range before you pull the trigger. In Europe, the spread is even wilder, EUR 1,545 to EUR 2,560 across Spain, France, and Italy. That's a EUR 1,015 difference. Someone in Europe is getting a much better deal than someone else, and it's probably worth shopping around before you commit.

For what you get, the E16 is a solid value at the lower end of those ranges. A reliable business laptop with a great keyboard, strong port selection, and Windows 11 Pro for under a grand in the US is a reasonable deal. At the higher end of the price spread, though, you're creeping into territory where better-spec'd machines start to look more attractive.

The ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 is Lenovo's pitch to small businesses and budget-conscious professionals who want that classic ThinkPad feel without the T-series or X-series price tag. You get a 16-inch 1920x1200 display, a Core i7-1355U, 16GB of DDR4, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. It's not flashy, but it's not trying to be. This is a machine built for spreadsheets, email, code editors, and the occasional video call.

What's interesting here is the mismatch between specs and reputation. On paper, the CPU sits at the 45th percentile and the RAM at the 37th. Not exactly chart-topping. But the social proof is at the 90th percentile and reliability at the 81st. People genuinely like this laptop. That tells you something about how it performs in the real world versus how it looks on a spec sheet.

And the keyboard. We have to talk about the keyboard. ThinkPad keyboards have a cult following for a reason, and this one includes a number pad, which is a big deal for anyone who lives in Excel or does data entry. The 1.81kg weight is reasonable for a 16-inch machine, though the 47Wh battery is a red flag we'll get into later.

If you're a gamer or someone who needs serious graphics performance, skip this. The integrated Iris Xe graphics are not built for that, and the gaming score of 16.4 out of 100 should tell you everything you need to know. Look at the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 or HP OMEN Transcend 14 instead.

If you travel constantly or work from coffee shops without reliable outlets, the 47Wh battery will frustrate you. Owners consistently report short battery life, and a 16-inch laptop with a small battery is a recipe for range anxiety. Something like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition or a MacBook Pro M4 Pro would serve you much better on the road. And if you need facial recognition for Windows Hello, the camera here doesn't support it, which is a strange omission for a business machine.

For business professionals who spend their days in spreadsheets, documents, and video calls, the ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 is a solid choice. The keyboard is genuinely excellent, the build quality is reliable, and the port selection means you won't need a dongle for every peripheral. The number pad is a real differentiator for anyone doing data entry or financial work.

But if you're a developer who needs to compile large projects or run virtual machines, the 16GB of DDR4 and mid-tier CPU might feel limiting. And if you travel frequently or work away from outlets, the 47Wh battery is a genuine concern. The short battery life is the most common complaint from owners, and it's a legitimate one. This is a laptop that wants to be plugged in.