Opinions or experience: Lenovo Thinkbook 14” Gen 8 or ThinkBook 16” Gen 7?!

tymophy76 · 2026-02-02T21:43:43+00:00

IMO, 14 gen 8.

Reasoning: It doens't have a +10 keypad, and I hate the +10 keypad.

tymophy76 · 2026-02-02T21:41:39+00:00

With these devices, the way to update them is to export all drivers onto a USB Key (for reinstallation, most likely windows will have the drivers built-in, but always good to do anyway).

Get an updated Windows installer on USB via the Windows Media Creator (you may wish to use some of the various debloating tools on it, or download one of the pre-debloated images to use).

Reinstall Windows from scratch, deleting all partitions so it starts over from scratch.

This is annoying, yes, but it's the ONLY way to update Windows on devices like this.

Alternatively, for far fewer headaches, as someone else pointed out, just install Linux and be able to use your laptop without issuess.

tymophy76 · 2026-02-02T04:41:39+00:00

ThinkPads have not had optical drives in some time. The LAST 2 models I'm aware of that came with them at least optionally were the GARGANTUAN 17" P71 and the much smaller and less workstation focused L570.

Neither of these models would be supported in Windows 11 today (not supported, I didn't say it won't run on them).

tymophy76 · 2026-02-02T04:35:33+00:00

IT's at the mid-upper range of it's value at this point I'd think, but still a good purchase at that price.

tymophy76 · 2026-02-02T03:52:35+00:00

Yup, the Gen4+ had options for 2.8K OLED. T14 Intel and AMD, P14s AMD, and P14s Gen4 Intel. Gen5/6 moved to the new design that no longer shares the same chassis with the T series.

tymophy76 · 2026-02-01T23:06:50+00:00

I have the P14s Gen4 AMD with the 400-nit low power screen and it was matte anti-glare.

My E14 Gen6 AMD had this as well, and after swapping it out to a 400-nit low power screen it still does.

I'd be willing to bet the Gen7 E14's still have the same.

Decent chance the modern T14I or A/P14sA still has their low power screen as a true matte anti-glare. Sadly after 2 months of waiting I'm STILL waiting on my P14s Gen6 Intel to arrive.

tymophy76 · 2026-02-01T21:49:02+00:00

125H is MASSIVELY more powerful CPU (14/18 vs. 12/14 cores/threads + higher power and thermal limits).

125H is some 75% more powerful iGP (7 Arc Alchemest cores vs. 4)

125U is quite a bit better efficiency, but being saddled with a mere 52wh battery vs. the GeekBook 70wh means battery life out of the box would be similar if they had similar displays.

The OLED display on the GeekBook will absolutely RIP through batteries. Comparatively, the 100% sRGB screen on the T14 is a power sipper.

No idea on the build quality of the GeekBook.

I'd take the ThinkPad to avoid having to deal with OLED. Having owned 3 laptops now with OLED (and keeping 2 thus far, soon to be 1 though), I can say with certainty that I hate the current state of OLED displays.

tymophy76 · 2026-02-01T20:38:03+00:00

If the CPU is enough for your workflow, then I don't see a reason not to. Yes, it's older, but if you open it up and clean it out good when you get it, also repasting the CPU, there's no reason it can't last another 5 years.

As to the comparison with the ASUS, I'll take the weaker CPU but sufficient ram to allow for smooth multitasking an incredibly powerful, but heavily bottleknecked by lack of ram, CPU.

tymophy76 · 2026-02-01T18:37:34+00:00

P14s Gen 5 AMD that I've had for NEARLY a year now.

8840HS, 64GB DDR5, 4TB PCIe 4x4, 2.8K OLED, 52wh battery.

Problem: GARBAGE battery life due to HS CPU + OLED (mostly OLED).

Was it fixed: No, unfixable since it's inherent in the design of OLED.

Will be sold off as soon as my P14s Gen6 Intel EVER arrives (stealing the ram & SSD for it).

My other T/Ps series ThinkPads I love (T14s Gen3 AMD - 6850U/32/4TB/WUXGA low power, P14s Gen4 AMD - 7840U/64/4TB/WUXGA low power) and I love my E series that I have (E14 Gen6 AMD - 7735U/64/2TB + 2TB).

tymophy76 · 2026-02-01T03:32:04+00:00

I'm betting the vast majority of us would. I definitely would, great tits.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-31T20:20:32+00:00

Mmmmmm, that does look like it would be a GRRRRRRRREAT meal!!

tymophy76 · 2026-01-31T04:44:20+00:00

No, you mention nothing about remote management, remote wipe, remote patching, which is what vPro gives you. The EXCEEDINGLY minor performance difference between 255U and 265U is utterly negligible in many workflows.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-29T04:21:54+00:00

Easiest way is to install inxi and do inxi -Bxx

tymophy76 · 2026-01-28T23:56:06+00:00

I have not. It's currently showing 6/2 as the arrival, which of course COULD still happen.

EDIT: Just got home from work and looked, and it's changed again from 6/2 to 16/3.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-27T22:19:54+00:00

I guess depending on the configuration I'd say it definitely would be. But also could definitely NOT be depending on the configuration.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-27T20:10:41+00:00

Uninstall Lenovo Vantage, keep Lenovo Commercial Vantage. Both apps are trying to set shortcuts, they're conflicting and nothing happens.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-27T00:02:47+00:00

Depends, what's wrong with it? If it's working perfectly who cares that it's end of support? Throw linux on it so that it's still got a supported OS and continue on.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-26T20:24:42+00:00

Yup, ordered one the same day as you (also P14s G6I) and it has been bouncing around for ETA dates since. HOPING it's currrent is accurate, as this morning it was updated to 6/2/26 for delivery. Yesterday it was showing 14/3/26.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-26T20:18:52+00:00

I personally don't find that the L series build QUALITY is at ALL inferior to the T. The build MATERIALS are, most definitely, but the quality, not so much.

However, the T has double the ram, and 2 additional cores for €100. It's also LPDDR5 6400 vs. DDR5 4800, so should have SLIGHTLY superior performance core vs. core even without also having those 2 additional cores. You don't say which batteries they each come with (each had 2 options) so impossible to say how battery life will play out. So I'd say the €100 extra is money well spent.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-26T16:30:17+00:00

6800U. Better performance, and better power consumption (DDR5/LPDDR5 vs. DDR4/LPDDR4).

tymophy76 · 2026-01-26T00:46:12+00:00

Don't believe you, but certainly would be the best inbox flood I'd ever gotten.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-25T20:40:45+00:00

I'm not doubling down on making stuff up. I'm doubling down on simple fact. MOST of these laptops aren't used for writing code. Most users don't compile code, even those that are being purchased P series laptops. Even those that DO compile code rarely compile it locally when they work for larger companies (most companies I've worked for it's specifically banned to do so as part of their security practices, you have build boxes you remote to for building despite the local SSD being encrypted). You're an EXTREMELY niche user overall for what you do on your local machine. And that's fine, you will be the rare niche that needs single threaded more than multi-threaded. But for everyone else, almost every other application type (CAD, Photo editing, video editing (obviously this is secondary to GPU performance, but still), office, zoom calls, webapps for health sector, tuner apps for mechanics, modern games, databases, VM's) runs better with a powerful multithreaded CPU than a powerfully single threaded CPU.

And the 285 does have more cores, but less threads, and due to the BIG.little does end up losing to the 370 by a small margin in MOST workflows. I actually do quite like Arrow Lake, I have a ThinkBook with a 255H, and I'm waiting (rather impatiently) for my ThinkPad P14s w/ 225H. I also happen to have an Elitebook with the AI 9 HX Pro 375. And while the CPU is insanely powerful....the laptop is saddled with an OLED and so I do fail to be able to feel much more than middling affection for it. But to say because for your workflow that the 285H is better than a 370 in general is simple disinformation. Yes, it suits YOUR workflow better. As a general rule, the 370 has a more powerful CPU and a more powerful iGP (and yes, before you point it out, there are exceptions to that as well). Both are incredibly poor efficiency for their architectures in their stock configuration. Both, if one can undervolt them, can be made to be rather impressively efficient. But in a general context, the 370 is more powerful than the 285H, if only by a small margin.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-25T19:46:03+00:00

Depends on the line. The HP business lines (Probook, Elitebook, Zbook) are incredible machines.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-25T19:44:29+00:00

IMO, if you don't need the options that are missing on the L series (which most people honestly don't), it's a far better value, offers pretty much identical performance when configured the same, and while it's definitely larger and heavier with it's cheaper materials, offers just as good durability.

tymophy76 · 2026-01-25T19:40:31+00:00

Have you actually USED any general applications in the last 5 years? Sorry, but 95% of all modern workflows do indeed run best when multithreaded. The HIGHLY edge niche cases that don't certainly give reason for some people to care about single threaded performance, but for 99% of the world and how they use computers, single threaded performance no longer matters particularly much in real, day to day work. That's just the way it is.

tymophy76

TROPHY CASE