Skip to content

Tech head-to-head

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD)vsLenovo ThinkPad T480

Two Lenovo models that average 8.1 and 7.8. Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) takes Performance, 8.4 to 6.8.

The T14's Ryzen chips in a thinner body, with all memory soldered and no room to grow.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.

Two batteries, two memory slots, and a keyboard people still seek out, on an aging 8th-gen chip.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens current listings on eBay. eBay listings come from individual sellers: condition, battery health, and what's in the box differ from one to the next, so read the listing and the return terms before you buy.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Performance, Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) ahead 8.4 to 6.8. They come closest on Ease of use, 8.2 to 7.9. Left of center is Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD), right is Lenovo ThinkPad T480.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) versus Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) run left from the axis labels, bars for Lenovo ThinkPad T480 run right. Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD): Performance 8.4, Value 8.2, Durability 7.6, Ease of use 8.2, Design 8.3. Lenovo ThinkPad T480: Performance 6.8, Value 8.9, Durability 8.4, Ease of use 7.9, Design 6.8.Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) (left)Lenovo ThinkPad T480 (right)PerformanceLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) — Performance 8.4 out of 108.4Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — Performance 6.8 out of 106.8ValueLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) — Value 8.2 out of 108.2Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — Value 8.9 out of 108.9DurabilityLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) — Durability 7.6 out of 107.6Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — Durability 8.4 out of 108.4Ease of useLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — Ease of use 7.9 out of 107.9DesignLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) — Design 8.3 out of 108.3Lenovo ThinkPad T480 — Design 6.8 out of 106.8Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD)

Leads on Performance, Ease of use and Design.

  • You want Ryzen performance in a body light enough to carry every day
  • You can find a 16GB or 32GB unit and never plan to open it

Take the Lenovo ThinkPad T480

Leads on Value and Durability.

  • You want a laptop you can fix, upgrade, and swap batteries on yourself
  • The work is writing, browsing, and terminals rather than heavy compute
  • You want a large removable battery for long days away from outlets

What each one gets wrong

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD)

  • You want to add memory later, because there is no slot
  • Fan noise under sustained load bothers you

Lenovo ThinkPad T480

  • The listing has the 1366×768 screen and you are not willing to replace it
  • You want a machine that feels current alongside a 2021 Ryzen laptop

Specs, side by side

SpecLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD)Lenovo ThinkPad T480
ProcessorRyzen 5 PRO 5650U or Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U8th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 (quad-core U-series)
Memory8GB, 16GB, or 32GB soldered LPDDR4xTwo SO-DIMM slots
Display14-inch, 1920×1080 on most units14-inch, 1366×768 or 1920×1080
Battery57WhInternal 24Wh plus removable rear battery (24Wh or 72Wh)
StorageOne M.2 NVMe slotM.2 NVMe slot
Ports—Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, 2× USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Both are Lenovo. Which one do I want?
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) leads on Performance, Ease of use and Design. If Value and Durability matter more to you, take the Lenovo ThinkPad T480 instead. Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) averages 8.1 and Lenovo ThinkPad T480 averages 7.8, over the 5 axes Tech is scored on.
Where do the two Lenovo models actually differ?
Performance is the widest gap, Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) ahead 8.4 to 6.8. Every axis lands somewhere different, so the profile shapes differ as much as the totals.
Which one ranks higher in "Off-lease ThinkPads: which generation is still worth it"?
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 (AMD) sits at #3 in "Off-lease ThinkPads: which generation is still worth it", Lenovo ThinkPad T480 at #4.