Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) vs. Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) and Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

efficient performance

excellent keyboard comfort

good battery life

versatile connectivity options

mediocre display resolution

heavier design

limited graphics power

higher price point

Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

slim, lightweight design

sharp full HD display

solid overall performance

fast SSD storage

decent battery life

limited port selection

no dedicated GPU

average sound quality

pricier than competitors

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) and Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
86 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
74 % - Battery
82 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
72 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) vs. Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 32.54 cm x 21.7 cm x 1.983 cm 32.07 cm x 22.28 cm x 1.59 cm
Weight 1.39 kg 1.55 kg
Case Material Polycarbonate ABS (bottom), polycarbonate ABS (top) Aluminium (top), aluminium (bottom)
Colour Thunder black Silver
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Screen Size (Type) 14" - IPS 14" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight -
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9
Image Brightness 250 cd/m² 300 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 45% NTSC -
Features Anti-glare, 170° viewing angle Anti-glare
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 5675U / 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 8250U / 1.6 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.3 GHz 3.4 GHz
Number of Cores 6-core Quad-Core
Cache L3 - 16 MB 6 MB
Features Integrated memory controller Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 8 GB (1 x 8 GB)
Max RAM Supported 64 GB 16 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM
Speed 3200 MHz 2400 MHz
Rated Speed 3200 MHz 2400 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty 2 1
Empty Slots 1 0
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe) 128 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Multi-GPU Configuration - 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) AMD Radeon Graphics NVIDIA GeForce MX150 / Intel UHD Graphics 620
Max Monitors Supported 3 external monitor(s) -
Video Memory - 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Camera Yes - 1080p Yes - 720p
Resolution - 1 Megapixel
Camera Features Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus Fixed focus
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3287 -
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio Premium
Audio Features - Output: JBL
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Wireless Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1
Wireless Controller AMD RZ616 - M.2 Card M.2 Card
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet -
Ethernet Controller Realtek RTL8111EPV -
Compliant Standards DASH -
Features Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2) Single stream (1x1)
WWAN
Generation 4G upgradable -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Technology Lithium polymer 4-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 57 Wh 55 Wh
Battery Life - Up to 14 hours
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 65 Watt 65 Watt
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, touchpad
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls Multi-touch touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Interfaces USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
HDMI
USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN
USB 3.0 (Always On)
USB 3.0
USB-C 3.1 Gen 1/Thunderbolt 3/DisplayPort 1.2a (Power Delivery)
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader Yes (microSD) 4 in 1 (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Card, SDXC Card)
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence - Dutch / English / French / German / Italian Windows 10 Home 64-bit Edition - English
Software Included - Lenovo Settings, McAfee LiveSafe (30 days trial), Lenovo ID, Lenovo App Explorer
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (21C5) Lenovo IdeaPad 720S-14IKBR (81BD)
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter Power adapter
Security Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader, smart card reader Fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type Kensington nano security slot -
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) -
Features Administrator password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password Administrator password, power-on password
Compliant Standards RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified RoHS
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C -
Min Operating Temperature 5 °C -
Humidity Range Operating 8 - 95% -
Manufacturer Warranty Base warranty - 1 year - pick-up and return
Extended warranty - 1 year - on-site
Limited warranty - 1 year - pick-up and return
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