Should I Pull The Trigger? ThinkPad P14s (AMD)

[z123killer]

I've been looking for a laptop that would last me at least 4 years of computer engineering school and I came across the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s.

 

I will be configuring it with the Ryzen Pro 4750U, 8GB of RAM (I will install another 8GB myself), 512GB SSD, 3-year warranty, 300nit (touchscreen, 45% NTSC) or 400nit (non-touch, 72% NTSC) display, opinions welcome, not really sure what to go with. 

 

It will cost about $1,200 total, should I go for it or are there better alternative/value laptops?

 

 

[uncreativespace]

I don't know about a better value option from another manufacturer but I can say if you have to choose between their touchscreen and non-touchscreen options go non-touchscreen. As someone who's tried their lineup of tablet and clamshell devices their touchscreen drivers are kinda unstable and finicky when it comes to day to day use.

[Streetguru]

10 minutes ago, z123killer said:

 

$1200 no GPU? Assuming you don't need one there are probably chunkier cheaper options with just an APU.

[z123killer]

4 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

$1200 no GPU? Assuming you don't need one there are probably chunkier cheaper options with just an APU.

This is what it says on the website, "Integrated AMD Radeon™ Graphics, *The latest Vega Radeon with its dedicated GPU cores/VRAM, driven by the Pro driver, offers you dGPU+ class of performance enhancement." would that just be integrated graphics? 

 

Any recommendations for other machines? I've seen the HP Envy with a 4700u instead and it's about $200 cheaper, but that's the best that I've seen with decent build quality and a decent screen.

[Streetguru]

33 minutes ago, z123killer said:

This is what it says on the website, "Integrated AMD Radeon™ Graphics, *The latest Vega Radeon with its dedicated GPU

Is it going to be used for gaming at all?

 

The older Matebooks were pretty good if you can find a newer one somewhere
 

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/huaweis-matebook-d-14-d15-are-reborned-with-amd-ryzen-4000-apus-for-under-dollar700

[z123killer]

2 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

Is it going to be used for gaming at all?

 

The older Matebooks were pretty good if you can find a newer one somewhere
 

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/huaweis-matebook-d-14-d15-are-reborned-with-amd-ryzen-4000-apus-for-under-dollar700

No I won't be gaming. 

 

Thanks for that recommendation, I can look into Huawei, I've never seen them mentioned anywhere. 

[Streetguru]

2 minutes ago, z123killer said:

No I won't be gaming. 

 

Thanks for that recommendation, I can look into Huawei, I've never seen them mentioned anywhere. 

The trade embargo may preventing it from being shipped depending on the region actually...can't find US on their website.

[uncreativespace]

On 11/18/2020 at 5:25 PM, Streetguru said:

The trade embargo may preventing it from being shipped depending on the region actually...can't find US on their website.

It's pretty hard to get Matebooks in North America unless you've got a middleman to relay shipping.

[Darkseth]

Well, the difference here is, the Thinkpad is much better build than the Huawei, and has much better warranty, and you can repair it better. Also, better service options, like those 3 years warranty, and you can even buy the service, where a technician comes to you the next day and repairs it.

Aside from other Features like SmartCard, dedicated Docking connector, mechanical slider for Webcam which supports Infrared for Windows Hello, Not just Mil-STD-810G, but also Keyboard can handle liquid splashes, the Thinkpad typical trackpoint some people prefer over the Trackpad.

Oh yea, you can replace Ram and SSD yourself.

Not to mention probably THE best Keyboard you can find in a Notebook.

Don't mistake Business Class Notebooks with Consumer toys there. These are 2 entirely different Products for 2 different Targets. But that's fine, since the Matebooks come with a much lower Pricetag.

If you can spend that much, there's no reason not to get this one tbh. You will not find better Build quality, repairability, and durability for that Price.

 

Of course, thinkpads aren't perfect, you kinda "have to like them". Design isn't the prettiest for example, and you can see fingerprints on that soft surface. But they are durable and reliable.