Which Lenovo Thinkpad T470S And T470/T460s Is Worth Buying? A ...

Lenovo ThinkPad 2017 X270, T470s/T470/T470p/T570. Among them, T470 series products start at 6,999 yuan. Here is a comparative evaluation of ThinkPad T470s and T470/T460s. Please refer to

Lenovo ThinkPad 2017 X270, T470s/T470/T470p/T570. The four products have a variety of configuration models, the pre-sale price of the X270 starts at 5999 yuan, and the T470 series products start at 6999 yuan .

We got the top version of ThinkPad T470s and wrote this review. In addition to increasing the memory, increasing the hard drive, and upgrading the T470s to a Kaby Lake processor, the screen resolution has also been upgraded to WQHD 2K level. But the T470s' weak heat dissipation system surprised us a bit, and the ultra-low-voltage processor used could not use its full potential.

ThinkPad T470s top version comprehensive graphic evaluation

After we have evaluated the ThinkPad T470, we can finally turn our attention to this T470s. In the 14-inch product line of and Lenovo , T470s Located between the T470 and its flagship product X1 Carbon, the T470s is more compact and lighter than the T470s. This T470s on hand uses more expensive materials, is much lighter, and has greatly improved portability.

Related reading: ThinkPad T470 business book worth buying? ThinkPad T470 comprehensive graphic evaluation and disassembly

However,T470s does not use a new mold, the body structure is almost the same as T460s, and the changes are limited to the newly added USB-C (with Thunderbolt 3) interface and Intel's seventh-generation Kaby Lake processor. The specific model tested in this evaluation also uses a different WQHD panel.

The specific model of T470 on hand is 20HGS00VC00, which is a high-end model, priced at 2,099 Euros (about RMB 15,299). This model is equipped with the latest ultra-low voltage version of Core i7 , WQHD screen panel, 16GB memory and 1TB Samsung NVMe solid state drive. The model on hand is obtained through campus channels, and the Lenovo official website is more expensive at 2,850 euros (about 20799 yuan).

This evaluation compares T470s with T470. The gap between the latter and the former has narrowed a lot due to the use of new molds. In addition, some high-end business models from friends have been added, such as Dell Achievement E7470 and HP Smartbook 840 G4. Of course, T460s will also be in the comparison list, and even ThinkPad X1 Carbon has been added.

Lenovo ThinkPad T470s-20HGS00V00 detailed configuration:

Processor: Intel Core i7-7600U 2.8GHz

Graphics card: Intel HD620 core graphics, 1150MHz frequency

memory: 16384MB, -2400MHz dual channel , up to 24GB memory

storage: Samsung PM961 1TB M.2 PCLe 3.0 x4, support NVMe, 916GB spare

ports: 3 USB 3.0, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thuderbolt 3,1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 security keyhole, 1 docking port, 3.5mm headphone jack, 4-in-1 card reader, SmartCard reader, fingerprint recognition, NFC

Network: Intel I219-LM Ethernet Network card, Intel 8265 AC wireless network card, Bluetooth 4.1, support 4G LTE cellular network

Dimensions: 18.8 x 331 x 226.8mm

Battery: 51 watt-hours, of which the built-in battery is 24 watt-hours and the extended battery is 27 watt-hours. Theoretical battery life is 8 hours

weight: 1.364kg, power adapter 356g

body

As mentioned above, the structure of the T470s body is basically the same as that of the T460s. Still low-key and deep in a production environment. The body is made of magnesium alloy , there is no obvious excess, that is, the one-piece body structure is often said to be adopted. Only the bottom panel can be removed. The use of high-end metal has some advantages, but it also leaves an impression of complex structure. The big advantage of using expensive metal is that it is very light but strong. The T470s at hand weighs only 1.36kg, which can be easily placed on the lap or carried out for a long time.

The stability brought by metal materials is of course unquestionable. It takes a very hard squeeze to show some deformation. However, it also has this rock-solid cold feeling during normal ordinary use. The quality of ThinkPad has nothing to say. The two metal hinge design allows up to 180° opening and closing, but it still cannot completely prevent shaking. In addition, you still need both hands to open the screen cover.

The T470 screen case is made of carbon fiber mixed plastic. It is inevitable that there are some weaknesses. When the screen frame is squeezed, the LCD screen next to it will appear ripples, and the image at the bottom of the screen will be blurred. The screen can even bend by applying external force, although it will not affect the screen display.

Here are a few real machine pictures:

A side

D side

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Maximum 180° opening and closing

Left side of the fuselage

Right side of the fuselage

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Bottom of the fuselage_p5

Host and power adapter

Many people want to know whether T470s is worth the price.In response to this problem, this time the T470 and T470s will be directly compared in many ways, and the T470s performed very well. Although the two are similar in size, they have completely different structures. The T470s adopts a one-piece structure, while the T470 is a traditional "bento box" design. The different materials of the fuselage also lead to different intuitive feelings. The plastic fuselage T470 is significantly rougher and less precise. The magnesium alloy fuselage of the T470s is very advantageous here. Although T470 does not weigh a lot, the 400g gap is obvious when you carry it for a long time, so if you are often busy outside, T470s is obviously a better choice.

The footprint of T470s and T470 are very similar. Both devices are similar and the height is almost the same. If you want a more compact body, then X1 Carbon may be more suitable.

port

Compared with T460s, Lenovo has made only one change to T470s: the original Mini DP interface is replaced by USB-C with Thunderbolt 3. This modern interface can provide 40GB of bandwidth and also supports Fast charge and video output by converting to DP1.2a. The version tested this time is equipped with a 65w USB-C adapter, but the location is a bit awkward, located in the middle of the right side, which affects the normal use of peripherals such as the mouse.

Lenovo has equipped T470s with a very complete interface, including a slim power interface and a full-size Ethernet card interface. T470s has 3 USB 3.0 ports in total. Tested with Samsung T3 portable SSD , the transmission speed under USB 3.0 can reach 390MB/s. There is also an expansion base slot at the bottom of the machine.

The left side of the fuselage is from left to right: power port, USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone port, card reader; on the right: SmartCard smart card reader, Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port, USB3.0, HDMI 1.4b, USB 3.0 (supports shutdown and charging function), a network card, SIM cellular network card slot and security keyhole.

SD card reader performance

T470s card reader is located on the left side of the fuselage, the SD card will not protrude when inserted. We used Toshiba 's Exceria Pro SDXC UHS-II 64 GB (theoretical speed is 260MB/s) for testing, and the results show that T470s cannot play the full performance of this card.

Disk Tool AS SSD shows that the maximum transfer speed of SD card is about 90MB/s under T470s, and the copy speed of 1GB photo folder composed of each 5MB is close to 80MB/s. Therefore, the performance of the SD card reader of T470s is comparable to that of similar products, while the mobile workstation ThinkPad P70 can reach 251MB/s.

network communication performance

T470s is equipped with the currently popular dual-band wireless network card Intel 8265 AC, in addition to a WWAN module (Sierra Wireless EM7455, M.2, support 2, 3, 4G) . Lenovo also equipped the T470s with a tri-band wireless network card Intel 18625 (optional) suitable for WiGig wireless docking stations. However, contrary to T470, WWAN and WiGig technologies are mutually exclusive and incompatible on T470s.

equipped with this Intel network card supports all common standards, including 802.11ac. In this test, the router we used was Linksys EA8500, and the results showed that the average rate of receiving files was 639Mbps, and the transmission rate could only be detected at about 300Mbps. Several repeatability tests have been conducted, and the results are roughly the same.

's built-in camera remains unchanged. There is no problem with the built-in HD camera for video conferencing, but the gap is still a bit big compared with the current smart phones. It is recommended to use a mobile phone or camera to take pictures. In addition, the built-in dual-matrix microphone performs very well, and the recording sound is clear and loud.

security aspects

security aspects Lenovo did not do extra homework, everything is the same as T460s. The fingerprint recognition response on the T470s is very fast and accurate. The smart card reader is also a powerful tool for identification, and the security lock zone can also avoid the risk of laptop theft. In terms of software, TPM2.0 encryption chip also further strengthens the security performance of T470s.

Random accessories

The high configuration version of T470s in this evaluation comes with a 64w USB-C power adapter and a user manual. Lenovo provides a wide range of optional accessories, among which the docking station is arguably the most interesting option. T470s still has an expansion dock slot. This design has been around for many years and is also very practical. In addition, there is an expansion dock for Thunderbolt 3 interface, but the awkward position of the interface is not recommended here.

Maintainability

T470 bottom case is very easy to disassemble, just loosen the five screws.

After opening the shell, two lithium batteries are introduced into the eye

T470s memory half board

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communication module

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WiFi module next to

NVMe solid state (M.2-2280)

You can see two lithium batteries, single DDR4 memory slot, M.2 hard disk slot and communication Module. The model evaluated this time is also equipped with a WWAN card,Conveniently connect to cellular networks. Other versions are also equipped with related antennas.

Warranty Policy

Lenovo provides a three-year on-site warranty service for T470s in the European Union, and also provides a cross-border warranty service. In addition, you can purchase a 5-year warranty as an additional service.

input device

keyboard

T470s perfectly inherits the keyboard of the predecessor T460s, and is still one of the best keyboards in mobile computing devices. The black chocolate keyboard with concave keycaps has strong feedback, and people who use it are destined to like it. Although the T470s body is relatively thin and light, it does not sacrifice key travel. The keyboard is solid as a whole, and the space bar is louder. Compared with the T470, the T470s keyboard has a higher key resistance and requires more effort when typing, but this change is actually very small, and you will feel the difference in writing for a long time. Both options are good choices.

ThinkPad keyboard layout is a little different from other notebooks, and T470s is the same, but you can adjust the key functions, such as Fn key and Ctrl key, in Lenovo's official software or BIOS. Like T470, Lenovo provides a two-stage keyboard backlight, and we hope to provide a brighter third-level backlight.

touchpad

The touchpad has not changed from the predecessor T460s, but adopts a new standard, called the precision keyboard. The driver provided by Windows natively no longer needs to rely on third-party drivers. Only limited custom settings are currently provided in the related settings, and important settings can be directly customized in the system settings.

The touchpad is equipped with a pointing stick and has a small red dot. In fact, using ThinkPad does not require an external mouse. However, the T470s touchpad still has room for improvement. There is a small gap between the touchpad and the TrackPoint, and space should not be wasted in this area. T470s TrackPoint's three button sounds are also louder than T470's, although it does not affect it.

screen

T470 screen has two specifications,It is 1080P resolution and 2K screen. This time I tested the 2K screen version, the screen panel is IPS, but it is provided by AUO (model B140QAN01.5) instead of the Panasonic screen used by T460s. Therefore, the purchase of a machine with a manufacturer's panel is pure luck, and the specific model of the LCD can only be seen through the panel. It is very comfortable to observe this screen with the naked eye, but the color is a little greenish for some reason.

T470s screen test results are better than T460s. The average brightness of the T470s screen is 311 nits, the black value of the screen is only 0.25cd/m2, and the contrast ratio is 1300:1, which is at a very good level. T470s does not use PWM (Pluse-Width Modulation) to control the brightness. Similar to the T470, the brightness of the T470s will be reduced to about 260 nits by default under battery power.

ThinkPad T470s screen black to white, corresponding time Test:

CalMAN Grayscale

CalMAN Saturation Sweeps

CalMAN ColorChecker

When the screen with After calibration of the professional software CalMAN and X-Rite1Pro spectrophotometer, we saw the potential of the T470s screen. After calibration, all aspects have been greatly improved. The deviation of gray and color has dropped below the value of Alarm 3, the greenish problem has also disappeared, and the color temperature and gamma are also close to ideal values.

CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (after calibration)

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Lower domain issues,So this version of the machine is not suitable for professional photo editing, so what about the 2K screen? The AUO 2K screen used in the evaluation model has a s RGB color gamut of 95%, and Adobe RGB is still 61%. Although this result is not so ideal, it is much better than the 1080P version.

Note: The response time of the monitor ---- refers to how fast it takes for the display screen to switch from displaying one color to displaying another color. Slow response time can cause afterimages, making moving objects blurred (ghosting). 3D images that change quickly during the game particularly require fast response time.

ThinkPad T470s screen black to white response time test:

ThinkPad T470s screen from 50% gray to 80% gray response time:

strong pulse width modulation 8

/strong PWM

Remarks: PWM-----The backlight used in some laptop LCD screens is a continuous and rapid lighting method, called PWM . The ideal flicker frequency of this backlight should not be detected by the human eye. But if the frequency is too low, some sensitive people can detect it with the eyes, causing the user to feel nervous or headache, and even notice the flickering of the screen.

No screen flicker was detected in the T470s screen flicker/PWM test. In contrast: in the test database of the equipment tested in the past, 60% of the devices have no screen flicker. If PWM is detected, the average is 655Hz (there are 43~10420Hz values ​​in the database).

In addition, T470s performs very well outdoors,This is thanks to its high brightness and matte screen. However, it is still necessary to avoid reflections from indoor windows and try to adjust the angle of the screen to avoid direct sunlight.

Lenovo provides T470s with a high-quality IPS panel, which is excellent in viewing angles. No matter which angle you look at the screen, you can get a bright picture. However, the contrast will decrease when viewed from the top of the screen.

T470s different perspective performance

performance

ThinkPad has always been a good office business machine. The version tested this time is the high-end version of T470, equipped with a Core i7 processor and NVMe solid state drive. The low-end version is also equipped with a seventh-generation platform and solid state drive. No matter what version you buy, there should be no problem in performance.

memory is more interesting. Part of the memory of T470s is soldered on the motherboard in the form of onboard. Depending on the version, the size of the onboard memory may be 4GB or 8GB. Although there is another removable memory slot but for 4GB For the onboard model, the maximum memory can only be up to 20GB. Another point is different from T470, T470s does not support discrete graphics.

T470s configuration overview

dual-channel memory, including 8GB onboard

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7 T470s is equipped with Intel Core i7-7600U, which is currently the best ultra-low voltage processor with dual-core four-thread design. The basic frequency is 2.8GHz and the Core can be accelerated to 3.9GHz. The thermal power consumption of the ultra-voltage mobile platform processor is designed to be 15w, but the general manufacturer will increase this threshold so that it can give full play to all performance.Lenovo has increased the power consumption limit of the processor to 25w since the predecessor model T460s, so this i7 can theoretically be overclocked at will.

overclocking software Intel XTU identification list

Intel XTU advanced mode

The heat dissipation of overclocking systems cannot be suppressed. In the single-core test with Cinebench 15, the processor can reach the highest frequency of 3.9GHz. The single-core performance of the i7-7600U is more than 20% higher than that of the i5-7200U. At this time, the processor power consumption is roughly 15w.

Intel XTU Benchmark: Occasional thermal throttling

Intel XTU Benchmark

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when the processor is cold booted quickly when the temperature is cold start

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It rises to 75°, and the frequency is reduced at this time, so our Cinebench R15 multi-core test processor has never reached the highest value of 3.9GHz. This one was still at the beginning of the multi-core stress test with a frequency of 3.5-3.6Ghz and a power consumption of 22w, and then dropped to 3.3-3.4GHz when the temperature reached 70-72°C, and the power consumption was 19w at this time. This means that even if the machine is not very hot, it can't start all the performance of the processor. Lenovo's additional 10w power supply solution did not fully work. The following is a comparison of the Cinebench R15 test.

ThinkPad T470s Cinebench R11.5&R15 benchmark test results:

speakers

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Tp 470 speakers are not very loud at the bottom of the stereo speaker ,The maximum is 72 minutes, but the sound is very balanced, the external sound effect is clear, listening to music at the appropriate volume is still very practical, but there is no bass enhancement effect. For more listening enjoyment, it is recommended to connect an external speaker. When connected to the Bluetooth speaker , the noise is very low and the connection is also very stable.

power consumption

T470s has a higher total power consumption than T460s. One of the reasons is that it provides a brighter screen. When the T470s screen is at its brightest, the power consumption is 9w, and with higher resolution, this part of the change is still very interesting.

load test results also clearly indicate the power consumption limit of the processor. The measuring instrument shows that the average power consumption of T470s is 42w, which is higher than the 30w power consumption value of a general ultrabook. In the stress test, the maximum power consumption of the T470s is 47.3w. In various benchmark tests, the power consumption is slightly reduced to 45-46w. This also explains why Lenovo is equipped with a 65w power adapter. If you use a 45w power supply, it just meets the power consumption requirements, and there is no excess current to charge the battery.

battery life

The total battery capacity of T470s is slightly larger than T460s, which is 51Wh. T470s uses a rather strange dual built-in battery, which is distributed on the upper and lower ends of the motherboard, while the T470's solution is one built-in and one detachable. Most people like the latter.

The battery capacity is large and the battery life is also improved accordingly. In the WiFi Internet test, the brightness is adjusted to 150 nits (75% brightness), and the battery life is 7 hours, which is 1 hour and 20 minutes longer than the T460s with the same 2K screen. Played 1080P H.264 format video under the same brightness for 7.5 hours.

We also tested the battery life under the highest load and repeatedly verified that the battery life of the T470s in this case is half an hour longer than that of the T460s.

T470s charging curve

T470s charging speed is not very fast,It takes more than 3 hours to fully charge, and the last 10% takes the longest time. Due to the built-in dual batteries, the second battery will be charged when the first battery is 80% charged, and the first battery will continue to be charged when the second battery is charged to 80%. Both require time. For 40 minutes. Lenovo has also set up a charging protection called "Anti-Fry" for the USB-C charging port of the T470s to prevent overshoot from burning the USB-C charging head, and it will automatically disconnect when the voltage is abnormal.

ThinkPad T470s battery test comparison:

Summary

Lenovo has upgraded most of its product lines this year. ThinkPad T470s is one of them. The predecessor T460s is already a very good one. For business notebooks, T470s will not be too bad.

Due to the integrated body design of magnesium alloy, T470s has excellent structure, stability, and lightness. The craftsmanship and quality of T470s are above T470. The keyboard is still one of the best keyboards currently available, but the touchpad and TrackPoint buttons still have room for upgrade; Lenovo also uses a better WQHD screen for T470s to make it have higher brightness; longer battery life; The Thunderbolt 3 interface has not fallen, but its location is a bit unfriendly.

Our first impression of ThinkPad T470s is a bit complicated, especially after witnessing the good performance of the new T470. In any case, the thin and light body of the T470s and the same excellent keyboard feel are worthy of recognition, and the new display is brighter and has longer battery life.

Lenovo raised the upper limit of thermal power consumption of Intel's ultra-low voltage processors in order to give full play to its full performance, but the results are not ideal due to the limitations of temperature walls and cooling systems. Under full load, the processor temperature rises very quickly. When the clock frequency reaches 3.3-3.4GHz, it encounters a temperature wall and lowers the frequency, so only one of the cores has a chance to reach the highest frequency of 3.9GHz. Another problem with T470s is the sharp drop in graphics performance when using battery power.There is no clear explanation for this problem, nor can it be solved when the BIOS is upgraded to 1.06 and 1.07. Therefore, the final score was reduced by 3 points, and the high-end version of the T470s was rated as "very good".

Advantages:

Light and strong body, WQHD screen with good brightness, excellent keyboard, multiple safety features, built-in LTE module, USB-C/Thunderbolt3, battery life Long, 3-year onsite warranty

Disadvantages:

The temperature is high, the processor performance cannot be fully utilized, the performance under the battery is drastically reduced, the USB-C location is not friendly, and the price is too high

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