Lenovo ThinkPad X250 Ultrabook Review

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For the original German review, see here.

Lenovo's X200-series has been one of the most popular subnotebook-series among business customers for years now. This is not surprising since the compact 12.5-inch device not only convinced with the excellent mobility in the past but also with other qualities that the ThinkPad-series is known for.

With the recent launch of the Broadwell CPU generation (5th Gen. Core) from the chip giant Intel, Lenovo now offers a new version of the successful model – the ThinkPad X250. As usual, potential buyers can choose from numerous configurations, which start with a comparatively inexpensive base model (WXGA display, Core i3 CPU, from 950 Euros, ~$1084) all the way up to a real high-end machine for almost 2,000 Euros (~$2282, Full HD display, Core i7 CPU, LTE module).

Thanks to generous education discounts, students and teachers can get a pretty well-equipped X250 for a comparatively low price. Our review unit is equipped with a Core i7-5600U, 8 GB RAM, 360 GB SSD storage as well as a Full HD IPS panel, but it is just affordable at almost 1,300 Euros (~$1483) without operating system – although this obviously depends on your wallet.

The strongest rivals for the ThinkPad are once again provided by Dell and HP. While the Latitude 12 E7250 already uses the modern Broadwell platform as well, the EliteBook 820 G1 is still powered by the Haswell predecessor; the updated successor 820 G2 should be available soon and we will review the device over the next couple of weeks.

Overview configurations (without education discount, excerpt):

ThinkPad X250 (20CM0020GE)	ThinkPad X250 (20CM001VGE)	ThinkPad X250 (20CM001RGE)
Core i3-5010U	Core i5-5200U	Core i7-5600U
4 GB RAM	8 GB RAM	8 GB RAM
500 GB (SSHD)	256 GB (SSD)	512 GB (SSD)
HD Graphics 5500	HD Graphics 5500	HD Graphics 5500
TN panel, 1366x768 pixels	IPS panel, 1366x768 pixels	IPS panel, 1920x1080 pixels
no WWAN	UMTS/LTE	UMTS/LTE
from €950 (~$1084)	from €1550 (~$1764)	from €1950 (~$2219)

Case

Lenovo introduced some significant chassis changes with the ThinkPad X240, so the modifications are pretty subtle this year: The design of the matte gray X250 is almost completely identical to the predecessor; the minor differences in terms of weight (1.43 kg) and height (20.3 mm) are negligible. The rivals from Dell (1.5 kg, 19.4 mm) and HP (1.52 kg, 21 mm) are very similar.

Lenovo uses a glass-fiber reinforced plastic chassis with an integrated magnesium frame to ensure a sufficient stability despite the low weight. An effort that paid off: Except for some small areas, for example, the slightly flexible area above the keyboard, the chassis leaves a very sturdy impression. The X250 was also tested according to military standards including the resistance against vibrations, humidity, dust and temperature changes – even though the notebook will hardly face those kinds of stresses in practice it is certainly reassuring in respect of the product quality.

The lid cannot quite keep up with the stiffness of the base unit and slightly twists under moderate pressure. Still, this issue is not really a cause for concern, especially since a certain amount of flexibility can even protect against serious damages in some cases – a crack, for example. The panel is once again held by massive metal hinges that hardly bounce during vibrations and allow a maximum opening angle of up to 180 degrees.

All things considered, the best description for the case is probably "functional" – not the design but the function and the ergonomics were more important during the development.

Connectivity

You still only get two USB 3.0 ports, which means the connectivity of the ThinkPad cannot quite keep up with the Latitude E7250 or EliteBook 820 G1 – both rivals have one USB port more. Otherwise, the port variety meets the usual standard: External displays can either be attached via VGA (analog) or mini-DisplayPort (digital, up to 3840x2160 pixels, 30 Hz) and you obviously get common ports like the headset jack or the SD/MMC-card reader.

A docking station is a good idea if you plan to use the notebook as a stationary device. Lenovo did not change the corresponding port at the bottom, so owners of the predecessor can use existing solutions like the Lenovo ThinkPad Ultra Dock (around 150 Euros, ~$170) without problems. Besides a large number of additional ports such a dock also has the advantage that attached devices and cables hardly affect the user – the ports at the notebook are located at the left and right sides of the case, respectively.

Communication

Both the Gigabit-LAN (Intel I218-LM) as well as the wireless adaptor (Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265) of the X250 are provided by Intel and are among the best products you can currently get in this segment. The wireless module was introduced together with Broadwell and supports all current WLAN standards in 2.4 as well as 5 GHz networks (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) besides Bluetooth 4.0. We were able to determine excellent transfer rates of around 40 up to 45 MB/s in our test – you obviously do not only need a corresponding dual-stream 802.11 ac router like our TP-Link Archer C7, but also a suitable environment for these results. The performance is reduced at longer distances, but the overall signal quality is still above average.

We are almost used to a disappointing webcam: The 0.9 MP sensor takes noisy pictures with pale colors. The quality might be sufficient for video chats, but you should not expect decent snapshots or video clips. Lenovo at least integrated a very decent array microphone, which means you usually do not need an external headset.

Security

The X250 is a real ThinkPad and is therefore equipped with several administrative and security features like TPM, SmartCard reader, fingerprint reader and vPro support (depends on the CPU). BIOS and hard drive can be protected with a password and the notebook also supports Anti-Theft/Computrace – even though this requires an additional service contract (additional charge).

Accessories

We got used to the fact that many manufacturers do not ship many accessories, but we have to criticize that Lenovo does not even put a driver CD or a better solution like a USB stick in the box, especially when you consider the price. Still, all the necessary files can easily be found on Lenovo’s Support website, so the installation of an operating system – in our case Windows 7 Professional 64-bit – is quick and painless.

Maintenance

It is a good idea to have a look at the provided Hardware Maintenance Manual, which describes all procedures, before you clean the fan or upgrade the device. This is the short version: After the removal of 8 screws you have to carefully lift the bottom cover, which is also secured by some clips. After that you have access to the internal 24 Wh battery, the 2.5-inch drive (supports drives with a height of up to 9.5 millimeters), the WLAN adaptor as well as the only memory module. The free M.2 slot for the WWAN card (antenna cables already installed) can also be equipped with a second SSD.

Warranty

Lenovo grants a warranty of 36 months – longer runtimes and additional services like on-site repairs or accidental protection are available for an additional charge. The exact offers and prices are available on the website of the manufacturer after you entered your serial number; an upgrade to five years would cost at least 168 Euros (~$191) for our review unit.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Lenovo uses the spill-water protected chiclet keyboard from the X240 without any visible changes for the X250. There was no reason for bigger modifications anyway: Except for the familiar ThinkPad characteristic with switched Fn and Ctrl keys (can be changed in the BIOS), the keyboard is actually pretty close to a perfect input device in our opinion. The combination of firm pressure point, generous travel and high stability creates a very rich and mechanical typing experience, which can hardly be matched by any other notebook-series. The keys can be illuminated by white LEDs in dark environments; the intensity can be adjusted in two steps.

Touchpad & TrackPoint

The so-called UltraNav unit with the TrackPoint and touchpad was criticized in our last review since the lack of dedicated mouse buttons resulted in some significant comfort restrictions. The manufacturer now uses the old solution once again – at least to a certain extent: The TrackPoint gets back its three dedicated buttons with a smooth stroke, whereas the slightly smaller touchpad (8.7 x 5.3 centimeters) is still a fully integrated ClickPad. Even though Lenovo’s implementation can convince with a firm and well-defined pressure point, we prefer the typical design (see Latitude or EliteBook, for example). Still, the touchpad of the ThinkPad works pretty well and convinces with good gliding capabilities as well as the accurate execution of multi-touch gestures.

Display

Potential buyers of the X250 can choose between five different 12.5-inch displays: The least expensive solution is a TN panel with the WXGA resolution (200 cd/m², 300:1), followed by an IPS panel with 1366x768 pixels (300 cd/m², 700:1), which is also available in combination with a touchscreen (270 cd/m², 700:1). The two Full HD versions use the superior IPS technology and are available with (360 cd/m², 700:1) or without a touchscreen (400 cd/m², 700:1).

Our review unit is equipped with the matte non-touch panel with 1920x1080 pixels and 176 ppi. We measure 357 cd/m² and therefore cannot confirm the advertised maximum brightness, but the backlight is still way too bright for indoor environments and has to be dimmed – if necessary down to just 4 cd/m² (no visible PWM flickering). Despite the mediocre brightness distribution of just 81%, the picture is subjectively very even and you can hardly see any screen bleeding even with completely dark picture content.

336cd/m² 332cd/m² 321cd/m² 370cd/m² 397cd/m² 379cd/m² 366cd/m² 344cd/m² 365cd/m²

Distribution of brightnessLG LP125WF2-SPB2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2Maximum: 397 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 356.7 cd/m²Brightness Distribution: 81 %Center on Battery: 396 cd/m²Contrast: 902:1 (Black: 0.44 cd/m²)ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 4.2 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.78}ΔE Greyscale Calman: 3.1 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5}65.5% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)42% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)45.71% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)65.8% sRGB (Argyll 3D)44.14% Display P3 (Argyll 3D)Gamma: 2.6CCT: 6246 KDownload ICC File (X-Rite i1Pro 2)

Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00HD Graphics 5500, 5600U, Intel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5L	Dell Latitude 12 E7250HD Graphics 5500, 5300U, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP	HP EliteBook 820 G1HD Graphics 4400, 4510U	Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036GHD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
Display	1%	-3%	-1%
Display P3 Coverage (%)	44.14	44.48 1%	42.77 -3%	43.55 -1%
sRGB Coverage (%)	65.8	66.2 1%	64.1 -3%	64.9 -1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage (%)	45.71	45.96 1%	44.23 -3%	45.05 -1%
Screen	-15%	-23%	-10%
Brightness middle (cd/m²)	397	360 -9%	385 -3%	433 9%
Brightness (cd/m²)	357	330 -8%	355 -1%	396 11%
Brightness Distribution (%)	81	81 0%	82 1%	80 -1%
Black Level * (cd/m²)	0.44	0.53 -20%	0.548 -25%	0.47 -7%
Contrast (:1)	902	679 -25%	703 -22%	921 2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *	4.2	5.58 -33%	5.99 -43%	5.56 -32%
Greyscale dE 2000 *	3.1	3.98 -28%	5.7 -84%	4.92 -59%
Gamma	2.6 85%	2.21 100%	2.05 107%	2.48 89%
CCT	6246 104%	6192 105%	6594 99%	6054 107%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) (%)	42	42.2 0%	40.63 -3%	41 -2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) (%)	65.5
Total Average (Program / Settings)	-7% / -11%	-13% / -17%	-6% / -7%

* ... smaller is better

The IPS panel from the manufacturer LG supports its excellent quality with a contrast ratio of 902:1 and the advantages compared to a cheap TN panel are visible right away: The picture looks more vivid and both the black value and the colors appear richer. Not only pictures and videos benefit from that, you will appreciate the great display during office tasks as well. However: Other manufacturers also offer comparable panels.

The small display size of the X250 is not perfect for PhotoShop or similar applications, but the ThinkPad is more than sufficient for the occasional editing of holiday pictures. Colors (DeltaE 4.2) and the grayscale (DeltaE 3.1) already show pretty low deviations out of the box and the situation can be further improved with a calibration. The limited color-space coverage (42% AdobeRGB, 66% sRGB - (Correction 20.5.2015 due to a wrong sRGB-reference-profile)) for blue and magenta colors in particular, unfortunately, prevents even better results.

Matte display surface, powerful background illumination – our review unit is well-suited for outdoor environments. It is therefore hardly surprising that the picture content is perfectly visible, even on sunny days. You can even dim the brightness in the shade, which reduces the power consumption and therefore improves the battery runtimes.

Outdoor use (maximum brightness)

Not only high contrasts and rich colors are advantages of IPS panels – the superior viewing-angle stability justifies the additional charge over other display technologies as well. It does not matter from which side you look at the display of the ThinkPad: The picture quality hardly changes even with very big deviations from the center. Only the view from an angle above results in a visible deterioration of the black value.

Performance

The Core i7-5600U is currently the fastest chip with a TDP of 15 Watts. The high nominal clock of 2.6 GHz for the dual-core processor surpasses the previous high-end chip Core i7-4600U (Haswell) by 500 MHz, which is pretty remarkable. It is, however, interesting that the maximum Turbo clock was lowered by 100 MHz to 3.2 GHz. This difference should be compensated for by the higher per-MHz performance of the Broadwell architecture. We collected all the information about the new 14 nm generation in our CPU database and a separate architecture article.

The integrated graphics solution with the designation HD Graphics 5500 was reworked as well and now has 24 Execution Units (HD 4400: 20 EUs) that run with 300 up to 950 MHz. It is also the first time that an Intel GPU supports DirectX 11.2 – a feature that has already been supported by several AMD and Nvidia chips for a while now.

Lenovo only integrated one memory slot, which means the existing 8 GB DDR3L-1600 RAM are also the maximum equipment. Also annoying: This means the memory can only work in a slow single-channel configuration, which affects the graphics performance significantly. The storage solution is a 2.5-inch SSD with a capacity of 360 GB.

System information Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00

Processor

Whether a modern CPU can deliver the expected performance primarily depends on the utilization of the Turbo Boost, in the ULV segment in particular. The processor can only maintain the specified maximum clock if the temperature development and the power consumption are in the permissible range. Our Core i7-5600U can reach up to 3.2 GHz (one core) and 3.1 GHz (two cores), respectively.

We can see the expected 3.1 GHz immediately after we start Cinebench R11.5 (multi-threading), but the clock drops to 2.8 GHz after around 30 seconds. The reason: Despite the 14 nm manufacturing process, the CPU consumption reaches around 19.5 Watts with the maximum Turbo Boost, only the slight reduction to 2.8 GHz throttles the chip to 15 Watts. The TDP is, however, no limiting factor in single-core scenarios; the integrated sensors show 3.2 GHz with a consumption of around 11 Watts, so the clock is steady. This behavior is similar on mains and on battery power.

Thanks to the combination of higher clocks and improved micro architecture, the Core i7-5600U can beat the old Core i7-4600U by 5 up to 20%, depending on the benchmark. You should still evaluate if you really need such a high-end model – a Core i5, like the one we recently reviewed in the Dell Latitude 12, costs less and is not that much slower.

Cinebench R11.5 | Cinebench R15 | X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 | TrueCrypt

Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	1.51 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	1.33 Points -12%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	1.43 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	1.39 Points -8%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	1.18 Points -22%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	3.29 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	2.94 Points -11%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	2.83 Points -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	2.67 Points -19%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	2.59 Points -21%

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	130 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	114 Points -12%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	125 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	124 Points -5%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	104 Points -20%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	301 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	264 Points -12%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	261 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	248 Points -18%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	239 Points -21%

X264 HD Benchmark 4.0
Pass 1 (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	101.6 fps
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	82.6 fps -19%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	91.7 fps -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	97.5 fps -4%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	78.9 fps -22%
Pass 2 (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	18.67 fps
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	16.23 fps -13%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	16.29 fps -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	15.29 fps -18%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	15.29 fps -18%

TrueCrypt
AES Mean 100MB (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	1.9 GB/s
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	1.6 GB/s -16%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	1.7 GB/s -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	1.8 GB/s -5%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	1.4 GB/s -26%
Twofish Mean 100MB (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	0.303 GB/s
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	0.24 GB/s -21%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	0.272 GB/s -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	0.282 GB/s -7%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	0.227 GB/s -25%
Serpent Mean 100MB (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	0.176 GB/s
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	0.15 GB/s -15%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	0.16 GB/s -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	0.16 GB/s -9%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	0.128 GB/s -27%

Legend

Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00 Intel Core i7-5600U, Intel HD Graphics 5500, Intel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5L Dell Latitude 12 E7250 Intel Core i5-5300U, Intel HD Graphics 5500, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP HP EliteBook 820 G1 Intel Core i7-4600U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Intel SSD Pro 1500 Series SSDSC2BF180A4H Lenovo ThinkPad X240 Intel Core i7-4600U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Samsung SSD 840 250GB MZ7TD256HAFV Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G Intel Core i5-4210U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Toshiba MQ01ABF050 Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit5367 Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit10350 Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit4943 Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit5338 Points Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit13673 Points Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit6494 Points Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit20.35 fps Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit3.29 Points Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit1.51 Points Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit98 % Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit25.25 fps Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit301 Points Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit130 Points Help... in comparison

Storage Solution

The Intel SSD Pro 2500 with a capacity of 360 GB inside the Lenovo is not just any SSD, but a model that was specifically designed for professional scenarios. This is indicated by the manufacturer's warranty of five years, but also by other features: The drive meets the TCG Opal 2.0 standard and is therefore compatible to Microsoft's eDrive, a technology for a hardware-based encryption of files.

The performance results of the drive, which is based on the familiar Sandforce controller SF-2281 with MLC storage from Hynix (20 nm), are a bit disappointing. While the sequential transfer rates of 458 MB/s (read) and 258 MB/s (write) are actually on par with other current SSDs, we can see that the writing performance of small 4K files is far behind comparable rivals.

HD Tune CrystalDiskMark 3.0 AS SSDIntel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5LTransfer Rate Minimum: 267.8 MB/s Transfer Rate Maximum: 433.4 MB/s Transfer Rate Average: 392.7 MB/s Access Time: 0.1 ms Burst Rate: 300.2 MB/s CPU Usage: 1 % HD Tune CrystalDiskMark 3.0 AS SSDIntel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5LSequential Read: 419.8 MB/s Sequential Write: 228.6 MB/s 512K Read: 355.2 MB/s 512K Write: 203.3 MB/s 4K Read: 27.86 MB/s 4K Write: 15.3 MB/s 4K QD32 Read: 163.9 MB/s 4K QD32 Write: 60.2 MB/s HD Tune CrystalDiskMark 3.0 AS SSDIntel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5LSequential Read: 457.9MB/s Sequential Write: 258.3MB/s 4K Read: 23.41MB/s 4K Write: 14.05MB/s 4K-64 Read: 197.3MB/s 4K-64 Write: 82.1MB/s Access Time Read: 0.075ms Access Time Write: 0.309ms Copy ISO: 240.4MB/s Copy Program: 196.1MB/s Copy Game: 210.6MB/s Score Read: 266Points Score Write: 122Points Score Total: 523Points

System Performance

What are the effects of the mediocre SSD performance in practice? Subjectively, there are none: System starts, loading times and installations are just as quick as you would find from other flash drives. The powerful processor obviously does its part as well and even handles excessive multi-tasking or very demanding software without bigger problems. The performance of the Core i7-5600U can even compete with a quad-core chip like the i7-4700HQ if an application can only use one or two cores.

The partly average results in the synthetic PCMark can be explained with the previously mentioned SSD issues and should not be overstated in respect of the real performance.

PCMark 7 | PCMark 8

PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	4609 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	4662 Points +1%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	5196 Points +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	4629 Points 0%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	2504 Points -46%

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	3148 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	2772 Points -12%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	3624 Points +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	2470 Points -22%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	2120 Points -33%
Creative Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	3458 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	3052 Points -12%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	3045 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	2461 Points -29%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	2115 Points -39%
Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	4345 Points
HP EliteBook 820 G1	5363 Points +23%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	3697 Points -15%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	3066 Points -29%

Legend

Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00 Intel Core i7-5600U, Intel HD Graphics 5500, Intel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5L Dell Latitude 12 E7250 Intel Core i5-5300U, Intel HD Graphics 5500, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP HP EliteBook 820 G1 Intel Core i7-4600U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Intel SSD Pro 1500 Series SSDSC2BF180A4H Lenovo ThinkPad X240 Intel Core i7-4600U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Samsung SSD 840 250GB MZ7TD256HAFV Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G Intel Core i5-4210U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Toshiba MQ01ABF050

PCMark 7 Score	4609 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2	3148 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2	3458 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2	4345 points
Help

... in comparison

Graphics

Similar to all the other rivals you can only get the ThinkPad with integrated processor GPUs. The direct comparison between the HD Graphics 4400 (X240) and HD Graphics 5500 (X250) shows a performance advantage of 20 up to 25% – which means the Broadwell GPU with a single-channel memory configuration has a small advantage over the Haswell counterpart with a dual-channel interface. However, we want to emphasize that the 3DMark-series usually does not really benefit from a higher memory bandwidth.

The actual performance is still pretty low and cannot compete with dedicated low-end solutions like the Nvidia GeForce 820M, for example. The HD 5500 offers other qualities in return, starting with the low power consumption all the way up to flawless multimedia capabilities. The chip can handle high-resolution H.264 videos with minimum CPU load or transcode very quickly and efficiently via Quick Sync.

3DMark 11 | 3DMark

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	1079 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	927 Points -14%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	937 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	828 Points -23%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	835 Points -23%

3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	40296 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	42996 Points +7%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	41559 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	29301 Points -27%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	31711 Points -21%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	4801 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	4633 Points -3%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	4636 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	3985 Points -17%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	4069 Points -15%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00	625 Points
Dell Latitude 12 E7250	599 Points -4%
HP EliteBook 820 G1	592 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X240	516 Points -17%
Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G	508 Points -19%

Legend

Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00 Intel Core i7-5600U, Intel HD Graphics 5500, Intel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5L Dell Latitude 12 E7250 Intel Core i5-5300U, Intel HD Graphics 5500, Samsung PM851 Series MZMTE256HMHP HP EliteBook 820 G1 Intel Core i7-4600U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Intel SSD Pro 1500 Series SSDSC2BF180A4H Lenovo ThinkPad X240 Intel Core i7-4600U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Samsung SSD 840 250GB MZ7TD256HAFV Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G Intel Core i5-4210U, Intel HD Graphics 4400, Toshiba MQ01ABF050

3DMark 06 Standard Score	6482 points
3DMark 11 Performance	1079 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score	40296 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score	4801 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score	625 points
Help

... in comparison

Gaming Performance

Complex 3D games are not really a common scenario for the X250 when you consider the business orientation as well as the low graphics performance. The HD Graphics 5500 is powerful enough for smooth frame rates when you play simple titles like Diablo 3 or Dota 2 with medium settings, but current games with impressive graphics are too demanding. Far Cry 4, Assassin's Creed Unity or Ryse: Son of Rome only run with 10 -15 fps, even in 1024x768 and with the lowest settings.

low	med.	high	ultra
Diablo III (2012)	54	35.6	28.6	17.3
Tomb Raider (2013)	46.7	24.1	15.1	7.7
Dota 2 (2013)	56.3	32.1	14.8
Fifa 15 (2014)	38.6	29.2	15.4

Emissions

System Noise

A quiet operating noise was always an advantage of the ThinkPad-series – a tradition that does not change with the X250. Light workloads rarely need the fan at all, but even the activated fan only produces around 30 dB(A). The maximum noise is 33.7 dB(A), which is the best result within our comparison group with the Latitude 12 (up to 42.8 dB(A)) and EliteBook 820 G1 (up to 35.8 dB(A)). The gentle murmur is subjectively very even and has a low frequency.

You can activate the so-called "Turbo Boost+" mode in the Lenovo Energy Manager to enforce higher fan speeds in favor of lower temperatures. We could not notice any performance advantages, only a much higher system noise of more than 40 dB(A).

Noise level

Idle	29 / 29 / 30.3 dB(A)
Load	33.4 / 33.7 dB(A)
30 dBsilent40 dB(A)audible50 dB(A)loud
min: , med: , max: Voltcraft sL-451 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The real challenge is not to build a quiet notebook – the cooling solution is only powerful if the temperature development is convincing as well. The cooling system of the ThinkPad X250 is certainly a success since large parts of the surface do not even reach 30 °C in our stress test. Only the area around the fan exhaust at the left side of the case is much warmer with almost 44 °C. The user, however, does not really notice that and using the notebook on your lap is no problem at all.

The Core i7-5600U suffers from throttling, despite uncritical core temperatures of around 80 °C. To stay within the TDP limit of 15 Watts, the chip lowers the CPU clock to 1.6 GHz while the GPU can run with 800 MHz. This behavior is typical for ULV hardware and should not be interpreted as a thermal problem of the notebook.

Max. LoadIdle

43.6 °C110 F 27 °C81 F 24.4 °C76 F 35.9 °C97 F 39.3 °C103 F 24.8 °C77 F 27.5 °C82 F 26.8 °C80 F 26 °C79 F

Maximum: 43.6 °C = 110 FAverage: 30.6 °C = 87 F

24.7 °C76 F 29.8 °C86 F 31.8 °C89 F 26.1 °C79 F 40.4 °C105 F 42.3 °C108 F 27.2 °C81 F 27.3 °C81 F 28.3 °C83 F

Maximum: 42.3 °C = 108 FAverage: 30.9 °C = 88 F

Power Supply (max.) 43 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 20.2 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 MaxMax. LoadIdle

27.6 °C82 F 24.4 °C76 F 23 °C73 F 28.3 °C83 F 29.1 °C84 F 24.2 °C76 F 24.1 °C75 F 23.4 °C74 F 24.6 °C76 F

Maximum: 29.1 °C = 84 FAverage: 25.4 °C = 78 F

23.8 °C75 F 25.9 °C79 F 29.8 °C86 F 26.2 °C79 F 27.7 °C82 F 30 °C86 F 25.2 °C77 F 23.9 °C75 F 24.5 °C76 F

Maximum: 30 °C = 86 FAverage: 26.3 °C = 79 F

Power Supply (max.) 31.4 °C = 89 F | Room Temperature 19.8 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Max(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.6 °C / 87 F, compared to the average of 30.8 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.6 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.3 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 39.3 °C / 103 F(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.4 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.5 °C / 81.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch. (±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.2 °C / 82.8 F (+0.7 °C / 1.3 F).

Speakers

Because of the low maximum volume, the lack of bass and the slightly shrill sound characteristic, we cannot recommend the integrated stereo speakers for movies or games. The emphasis on the high tones is apparent when you look at the amplitude frequency response that we recorded with the predecessor X240: The curve drops significantly below 250 Hz, and the inconveniently sharp high tones should be a result of the peak at around 12 kHz. Even cheap external speakers will improve the sound dramatically and are actually necessary for medium or large rooms.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The idle consumption of the ThinkPad is only 2.7 up to 8 Watts, depending on the power plan, the display brightness and activated wireless modules. This means the X250 is among the most frugal subnotebooks in its class and beats the similarly equipped Latitude 12 E7250 (4.1 up to 9.4 Watts) by more than one Watt. However, we measure the consumption at the socket including the power adaptor, so the difference is not necessarily caused by the device alone.

We can measure up to 44.3 Watts at the start of our stress test before it levels off at around 30 Watts after a couple of seconds. 3D games and CPU benchmarks resulted in similar values since the Broadwell chip automatically adjusts its clock to utilize the full TDP. The provided 45-watt power adaptor therefore does not have a lot of headroom but is still sufficient.

Power Consumption

Off / Standby	0 / 0.1 Watt
Idle	2.7 / 7 / 8 Watt
Load	28.6 / 44.3 Watt
Key: min: , med: , max: Extech Power Analyzer 380803

Battery Runtime

Lenovo introduced the so called "Power Bridge" system with the ThinkPad X240, which consists of an integrated 24 Wh battery as well as an optional secondary battery (24, 48 or 72 Wh) at the back of the device. The advantage of this solution: The additional battery can be removed or replaced in operation and the user does not have to turn the notebook off. Our review unit is equipped with the small 24 Wh module, which is the only module that sits flush with the rest of the chassis.

The result is a total capacity of 48 Wh for our review unit, but the usable value is just 44.5 Wh according to several tools. This might be a reason for the unexpected short runtimes, especially in the practical tests: The X250 only manages around 5 hours light web-browsing with a medium display brightness and activated WLAN. The Latitude 12 (52 Wh) is also much better while idling and under load.

Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D0048 Wh	Dell Latitude 12 E7250 52 Wh	HP EliteBook 820 G1 46 Wh	Asus ASUSPRO Advanced BU201LA-DT036G 32 Wh	Lenovo ThinkPad X240 48 Wh
Battery runtime	19%	15%	-24%	5%
Reader / Idle (h)	13	14.1 8%	13.6 5%	7.7 -41%	12 -8%
H.264 (h)	5.7	6.7 18%	5.5 -4%	3 -47%	5.4 -5%
WiFi (h)	5.4	7.4 37%	6.5 20%	3.6 -33%	6.1 13%
WiFi v1.3 (h)	5
Load (h)	1.5	1.7 13%	2.1 40%	1.9 27%	1.8 20%

Battery Runtime

Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)	12h 59min
WiFi Surfing	5h 25min
WiFi Websurfing	4h 58min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p	5h 42min
Load (maximum brightness)	1h 32min

Verdict

Lenovo once again only introduces small changes for a successful product – the ThinkPad X250 is a careful evolution of the X240 that was launched in the end of 2013, no more and no less.

Still, this continuity does not have to be a disadvantage: The solid case, the proven ThinkPad keyboard or the low noise development were already convincing in the past and did not require any changes. This also applies for the recommendable Full HD display with the high resolution that enables good productivity. It is unfortunate that less expensive configurations are usually only offered with the WXGA resolution and sometimes with low-quality TN panels.

Another positive aspect is the high performance of the Broadwell processors that do not consume more power thanks to the improved manufacturing process. Long-time ThinkPad users will also be happy about the return of the dedicated TrackPoint buttons – even though it would have been better if Lenovo did the same for the touchpad. This is an advantage for the rivals from HP and Dell, just like the lack of a second memory slot or the lower number of USB ports.

All in all, the ThinkPad just misses a very good rating, but it can still claim the top spot in the subnotebook category thanks to the variety of qualities. Students or teachers that can participate in Lenovo's education program also get good discounts for the ThinkPad X250 – and the resulting difference compared to similar consumer models might pay off quicker than you think when you consider the durable construction.

Read all 6 comments / answer static version load dynamicLoading Comments Comment on this article Editor of the original article: Sebastian Jentsch - Managing Editor Consumer Laptops - 1750 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2010Computers always had an important place in my life, starting with an Intel 80286 microprocessor in the early 1990s. I became interested in the productive side of technology, especially in campus radio, while studying at TU Chemnitz and during a trainee program in Belfast. Hardware interests led me to manage Notebookjournal.de, which is now a division of Notebooksbilliger, for a few years. I became self-employed in 2010 and took the next logical step in my career by starting to write for Notebookcheck.contact me via: XingTranslator: Andreas Osthoff - Managing Editor Business Laptops - 1979 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2013I grew up with modern consumer electronics and my first computer was a Commodore C64, which encouraged my interest in building my own systems. I started working as a review editor for Notebookcheck during my dual studies at Siemens. Currently, I am mainly responsible for dealing with business laptops and mobile workstations. It’s a great experience to be able to review the latest devices and technologies and then compare them with each other.contact me via: LinkedIn Please share our article, every link counts! Add as a preferredsource on Google

good (86%) ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00 Intel Core i7-5600UIntel HD Graphics 5500 Subnotebook - 02/16/2016 - v5 Download your licensed rating image as PNG / SVG

Specifications

Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00ProcessorIntel Core i7-5600U 2 x 2.6 - 3.2 GHz (Intel Core i7)Graphics adapterIntel HD Graphics 5500, Core: 950 MHz, single-channel memory, 10.18.14.4029Memory8 GB , 1x 8 GB DDR3L-1600, single-channel, 1 of 1 slot filledDisplay12.50 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, LG LP125WF2-SPB2, IPS screen, LED backlight, glossy: noMainboardIntel Broadwell-U PCH-LP (Premium)StorageIntel SSD Pro 2500 Series SSDSC2BF360A5L, 360 GB , 304 GB freeSoundcardIntel Broadwell PCH-LP - High Definition Audio ControllerConnections2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: headset jack (3.5 millimeter), Card Reader: 4-in-1 (MMC, SD, SDHC, SDXC), 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness SensorNetworkingIntel I218-LM Gigabit (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0Sizeheight x width x depth (in mm): 20.3 x 306 x 209 ( = 0.8 x 12.05 x 8.23 in)Battery48 Wh Lithium-Polymer, removeable, 24 Wh internal + 24 Wh removableOperating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 Professional 64 BitCameraWebcam: 720pPrimary Camera: 1 MPixAdditional featuresSpeakers: stereo (2x 1.5 W), Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 45 watt power supply, brochures, 36 Months WarrantyWeight1.43 kg ( = 50.44 oz / 3.15 pounds), Power Supply: 182 g ( = 6.42 oz / 0.4 pounds) Price1300 EuroLinksLenovo homepageLenovo notebook section [+] Add to comparison» Compare devices

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Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00 (ThinkPad X250 Series)Review•First Impressions: Lenovo ThinkPad X250 Notebook R...

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Pros

+ Durable chassis + Crisp keyboard + LTE module can be added + High-contrast Full HD display + Excellent application performance + Low noise and temperature development + 3-year warranty

Cons

- Only 2x USB - Only up to 8 GB memory - Weak speakers - Mediocre battery runtimes

Shortcut

What we like

Lenovo finally equipped the TrackPoint with dedicated buttons once again – the unusual 5-button ClickPad is therefore gone after just one generation. It is, however, unfortunate that this change does not include the touchpad, which still has integrated buttons.

What we'd like to see

Due to the lack of the second memory slot you cannot use the maximum performance and it also limits the upgradeability.

What surprises us

That the runtimes are slightly shorter compared to the predecessor, despite the similar battery capacity and reduced power consumption.

The competition

HP EliteBook 820 G1

HP EliteBook 820 G2

Dell Latitude E7250

AsusPro Advanced BU201LA

Toshiba Portege Z30

Rating

Lenovo ThinkPad X250-20CLS06D00 - 02/16/2016 v5 (old) Till Schönborn

Chassis90 / 98 → 92% Keyboard93% Pointing Device85% Connectivity59 / 80 → 74% Weight70 / 35-78 → 81% Battery81% Display89% Games Performance56 / 68 → 82% Application Performance79 / 87 → 91% Temperature90 / 91 → 99% Noise95% Audio54 / 91 → 59% Camera50 / 85 → 59% Average76% 86% Subnotebook - Weighted Average Read about the changes in the new rating version 5 4 Reviews Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to translate? Then join our Team! Details here

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