Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5). 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 L490 (20Q5) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

good security features

decent battery life

solid performance

average display quality

heavier design

limited graphics power

no thunderbolt support

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 L490 (20Q5) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
74 % - Design
65 % - Display
75 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
74 % - Battery
85 % - Design
85 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 33.5 cm x 23.5 cm x 2.25 cm 35.44 cm x 23.74 cm x 1.58 cm
Weight 1.69 kg 1.94 kg
Case Material Polycarbonate ABS Aluminium (top), aluminium (bottom)
Colour Black Black (bottom), arctic grey (top)
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Screen Size (Type) 14" - IPS 16" OLED
Touchscreen - Yes (10-point multi-touch)
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight -
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 3840 x 2400 (WQUXGA)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Image Brightness 250 cd/m² 500 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 45% 100% DCI-P3
Features Anti-glare, 170° 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 L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
CPU Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 8265U / 1.6 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850H / 3.2 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 3.9 GHz 4.7 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 8-core
Cache 6 MB L3 - 16 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Features Integrated memory controller Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 32 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 64 GB -
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM LPDDR5 SDRAM
Speed 2400 MHz 6400 MHz
Rated Speed 2666 MHz 6400 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin -
Slots Qty 2 -
Empty Slots 1 -
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x2 - TCG Opal Encryption - Samsung 1.024 TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption - Western Digital
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel UHD Graphics 620 AMD Radeon 680M
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Camera Features ThinkShutter camera privacy 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 Advanced Audio High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos
Audio Features - Input: Dolby Voice, 360° far-field
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.1, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9260 - M.2 Card Qualcomm NFA725A
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet -
WWAN
Generation 4G -
Technology LTE -
Controller FIBOCOM L830-EB - M.2 Card -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Technology 3-cell Lithium Ion 4-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 45 Wh 72 Wh
Battery Life Up to 12 hours -
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 65 Watt 135 Watt, 5 / 9 / 15 / 20 V
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, buttonless touchpad Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Slots 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free) -
Interfaces USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (supports DisplayPort Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
HDMI
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Dock
USB 3.1 Gen 1
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 (microSD) Yes (SD Card, SDXC UHS-II Card)
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition Windows 11 Pro
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad L490 (20Q5) Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 (21D5)
Dockable Yes -
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter USB-C slim power adapter
Security 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-810G tested 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 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 Silver -
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 8 - 95%
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