Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC)
Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC)
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)

Our Rating: 82 %

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) and Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK). 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 P14s Gen 3 (21AK) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

impressive CPU performance

good battery life

portable design

mediocre display brightness

limited graphics capability

noisy under load

higher price point

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) and Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
81 % - Design
75 % - Display
75 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Product Type Mobile workstation Mobile workstation - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 36.58 cm x 25.28 cm x 2.02 cm 31.77 cm x 22.69 cm x 1.795 cm
Weight 1.99 kg 1.38 kg
Case Material Glass-fibre reinforced plastic, polyphenylene sulfide Carbon fibre (top), glass-fibre (top), polycarbonate (top), polyphenylene sulfide (bottom)
Colour Black Black
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" - IPS 14" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Image Brightness 250 cd/m² 400 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 100% sRGB
Features Anti-glare Anti-glare, Eye comfort mode, Low Blue Light technology, 84% screen-to-body ratio, ICC template colour calibration, DC dimming
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
CPU Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) 8550U / 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7 (12th Gen) 1270P / 2.2 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4 GHz 4.8 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 12-core
Cache 8 MB 18 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Platform Technology - Intel vPro Enterprise
Features Integrated memory controller Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 16 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 32 GB 48 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM - non-ECC
Speed 2400 MHz 3200 MHz
Rated Speed 2400 MHz 3200 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty 2 1
Empty Slots 1 1
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD 2.5" (7 mm) SATA 6Gb/s - TCG Opal Encryption - Samsung 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Multi-GPU Configuration 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) NVIDIA Quadro P500 / Intel UHD Graphics 620 NVIDIA Quadro T550 / Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Video Memory 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM 4 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Camera Features ThinkShutter camera privacy Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3287 Realtek ALC3287
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio Premium High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio
Audio Features - Input: Dolby Voice
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 Bluetooth 5.1, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 - M.2 Card Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Controller - Intel I219-LM
Features - Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation 4G 4G upgradable
Technology LTE -
Controller FIBOCOM L830-EB - M.2 Card -
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Technology Lithium Ion Lithium polymer
Installed Qty 2 -
Battery Capacity (Size) - 52.5 Wh
Battery Life Up to 13.5 hours -
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 65 Watt, 20 V, 3.25 A 100 Watt
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Numeric Keypad Yes -
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, buttonless touchpad Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Slots 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free) 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free)
Interfaces USB 3.1 Gen 1
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 1
USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3)
HDMI
LAN
Dock
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB 3.2 Gen 1
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.0 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI (4K support)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN
Memory Card Reader 4 in 1 (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Card, SDXC Card) -
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition Windows 11 Pro - English
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad P52s (20LC) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Dockable Yes -
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter USB-C slim power adapter
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader, smart card 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, MIL-STD-810G tested Administrator password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password
Compliant Standards RoHS RoHS, TCG Certified, TCO Certified 9.0
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
Carbon Footprint - 246 kg carbon emissions
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 8 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty - Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Base warranty - battery - 1 year
Extended warranty - 1 year - on-site - response time: next business day
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