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If there’s one word we would use to describe Lenovo’s ThinkPad range, it’s ‘consistent’. The chassis might have got thinner and the components inside are definitely faster, but the T420s looks every bit the same as any other laptop in the range. Its black plastic finish is understated and business-like, which is appropriate considering it’s aimed more at professionals than the home user.
Don’t let the rather plain exterior put you off, as there are some powerful components underneath. An Intel Core i7-2640M running at 2.8GHz, 4GB of RAM and a 160GB SSD should be fast enough to challenge low-end desktop PCs in certain applications, particularly when the processor uses Turbo Boost to reach 3.5GHz. An overall score of 65 in our multimedia benchmark shows the T420s is quick enough for all but the most intensive tasks.
Graphics performance is split between the integrated GPU on Intel’s processor and a dedicated Nvidia NVS 4200M graphics chipset. The NVS 4200M is designed to adhere to the certification process required by many professional applications, so is more suited to CAD work than gaming – in our Dirt 3 test, it could only manage a paltry 14fps. There’s no GPU-switching technology to use the processor’s less power-hungry graphics chipset, and the T420s’s battery life is poor – three and a half hours in our light-use test is far less than we’d expect.
The T420s’s screen is a real highlight – its 1,600×900 resolution made both images and text looked pin-sharp. A matte coating also helps diffuse light reflections, so we weren’t distracted by the overhead fluorescent tubes in our office. Colours were mostly accurate, although the disappointing viewing angles meant they only looked their best from a face-on position. There’s a huge amount of screen tilt, so it’s easy to find an angle that suits you and to get comfortable with the laptop on a plane or train.
We weren’t quite so impressed with the keyboard. The keys themselves were relatively springy, but there wasn’t much in the way of tactile feedback to let you know your presses have registered. You’ll also have to get used to the Ctrl and Fn keys being swapped round, so Fn is the key at the bottom-left edge of the keyboard. It all felt rather cramped, partly because the whole keyboard has been compressed to make room for the mediocre-sounding speakers positioned at either side of the tray. There’s no backlight – instead, a small spotlight built into the display bezel can illuminate the keyboard tray for night-time working.
The touchpad also felt rather constrictive, which was mainly caused by the buttons for the secondary touchstick taking up more room than we would like. If you’re used to using a touchstick this will be a welcome inclusion, but we preferred to use the touchpad, which was reasonably responsive.
As you might expect from a business laptop, there are plenty of connectivity options, including two USB ports, a faster USB3 port and an ExpressCard/34 slot filled with a multi-format card reader. There’s also a DVD re-writer, which automatically switches itself off when not in use to save battery power – although as we mentioned above this didn’t seem to make much difference in our tests.
Considering the high-powered components inside and the type of person it’s aimed at, there’s no surprise that the T420S is an incredibly expensive laptop – for over £1,600, you could buy an Ultrabook and still have change to buy a second machine. If you want something portable, powerful and need the certified graphics hardware to run specific applications, this may be a good investment, but for most people the £1,000 Samsung Series 7 Chronos would be a better choice.
