Lenovo ThinkPad T540p vs. Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Lenovo ThinkPad T540p and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF). 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 T540p Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad T540p based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard feel

good performance levels

reliable security features

decent battery life

heavy and bulky

outdated design

mediocre display quality

limited graphics performance

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard feel

powerful processor options

good battery life

impressive security features

heavier than competitors

average display brightness

limited color options

expensive base model

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad T540p and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
75 % - Design
63 % - Display
65 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery
82 % - Design
72 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad T540p vs. Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Product Type Notebook Notebook - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 37.6 cm x 24.8 cm x 2.77 cm 31.77 cm x 22.69 cm x 1.79 cm
Weight 2.49 kg 1.32 kg
Case Material Glass-fibre reinforced plastic Carbon fibre (top), glass-fibre (top), polycarbonate (top), polyphenylene sulfide (bottom)
Colour Black Thunder black
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" 14" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 (HD) 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Image Brightness - 300 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 45% NTSC
Features Anti-glare Anti-glare, 170° viewing angle
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
CPU Intel Core i5 (4th Gen) 4300U / 1.9 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 6650U / 2.9 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 2.9 GHz 4.5 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core 6-core
Cache 3 MB L3 - 16 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Features Hyper-Threading Technology, integrated memory controller, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
RAM 8 GB 8 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 16 GB -
RAM Type DDR3L SDRAM LPDDR5 SDRAM
Speed - 6400 MHz
Rated Speed - 6400 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 204-pin -
Slots Qty 2 -
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 240 GB SSD 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
Optical Drive DVD-Writer removable -
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel HD Graphics 4400 AMD Radeon 660M
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Camera Yes - 720p Yes - 1080p
Camera Features - Privacy shutter, IR camera, fixed focus
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3232 Realtek ALC3287
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Home Theater v4 High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio, Dolby Voice
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Wireless Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller - Qualcomm NFA725A
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Controller - Realtek RTL8111EPV
Compliant Standards - DASH
Features - Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation WWAN upgradable 4G upgradable
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Technology Lithium Ion Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) - 52.5 Wh
Battery Life - Up to 21.1 hours
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 45 Watt
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Numeric Keypad Yes -
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Slots 1 x ExpressCard/34 (1 free)
M.2 Card
-
Interfaces 2 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0
VGA
Mini DisplayPort
LAN
Dock
Headphone/microphone combo jack
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB 3.2 Gen 1
2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader 4 in 1 (SD Card, MultiMediaCard, SDHC Card, SDXC Card) -
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence - French
Software Included - Glance by Mirametrix
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad T540p Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (21CF)
Dockable Yes -
Included Accessories Power adapter USB-C power adapter
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) Security Chip Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip with Microsoft Pluton, 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, ThinkPad Roll Cage, 1 USB 2.0 (Always On) Administrator password, system password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password, USB FIDO (Fast Identity Online) device integration, certificate based BIOS authentication
Compliant Standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001, RoHS, ISO 27001 RoHS, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 8 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 2 years - pick-up and return Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Extended warranty - 1 year - on-site
Base warranty - battery - 1 year
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