Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests

Side by side comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5). Compare dimensions, processors, batteries, storage capacities and other key specifications and features to simplify the choice of your perfect laptop. Our goal is to make it easier for you to decide on the laptop that will best meet your expectations by revealing the main differences between the products.

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard feel

good security features

decent battery life

affordable price point

average display quality

modest graphics performance

no thunderbolt support

heavier design

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard feel

powerful AMD processor

high-resolution display

good battery life

heavier than competitors

expensive base model

limited color options

noisy under load

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
83 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery
85 % - Design
85 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 36.5 cm x 24 cm x 1.89 cm 35.44 cm x 23.74 cm x 1.58 cm
Weight 1.7 kg 1.94 kg
Case Material Aluminium (top), polycarbonate ABS (bottom) Aluminium (top), aluminium (bottom)
Colour Black Black (bottom), arctic grey (top)
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" - TN 16" OLED
Touchscreen - Yes (10-point multi-touch)
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 3840 x 2400 (WQUXGA)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Image Brightness 220 cd/m² 500 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 45% NTSC 100% DCI-P3
Features Anti-glare, 90° viewing angle Anti-reflective, One Glass Solution, anti-smudge, Low Blue Light technology, Dolby Vision, 175° viewing angle, 92.3% screen-to-body ratio
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
CPU Intel Core i5 (11th Gen) 1135G7 / 2.4 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850H / 3.2 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.2 GHz 4.7 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 8-core
Cache 8 MB L3 - 16 MB
Features Integrated memory controller Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 32 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 32 GB -
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM LPDDR5 SDRAM
Speed 3200 MHz 6400 MHz
Rated Speed 3200 MHz 6400 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin -
Slots Qty 1 -
Empty Slots 0 -
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0 x4 - Samsung 1.024 TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption - Western Digital
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Graphics Processor (GPU) NVIDIA GeForce MX450 / Intel Iris Xe Graphics AMD Radeon 680M
Max Monitors Supported 2 external monitor(s) 3 external monitor(s)
Video Memory 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM -
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Camera Features Privacy shutter, fixed focus Windows Hello, fixed focus, e-camera shutter, hybrid FHD/IR camera
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3287 Realtek ALC3306
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos
Audio Features Harman audio technology Input: Dolby Voice, 360° far-field
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1 Bluetooth 5.1, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 - M.2 Card Qualcomm NFA725A
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet -
Ethernet Controller Realtek RTL8111H-CG -
Features Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2) -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Technology 3-cell lithium polymer 4-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 45 Wh 72 Wh
Battery Life Up to 10.8 hours -
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 65 Watt 135 Watt, 5 / 9 / 15 / 20 V
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Numeric Keypad Yes -
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Slots 1 x M.2 (PCI Express 3.0 x4) (1 free) -
Interfaces USB 2.0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
2 x USB4 (supports DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader - Yes (SD Card, SDXC UHS-II Card)
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition Windows 11 Pro
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 (20TE) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter USB-C slim power adapter
Security Firmware Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip with Microsoft Pluton, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type Kensington security slot Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features Administrator password, hard drive password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS Administrator password, system password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password, certificate based BIOS authentication, FIDO (Fast Identity Online) authentication
Compliant Standards RoHS, TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified RoHS, TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified, TCO Certified 9.0
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold -
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 5 °C 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating 8 - 95% 8 - 95%
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