ThinkPad T14: which generation to buy refurbished

Buy a Gen 2 with an AMD processor and 16 GB of RAM for the best value. Buy a Gen 3 AMD for long battery life. Buy Intel only if you need Thunderbolt or a RAM slot on a Gen 3. The cheapest refurbished T14 of any generation, AMD or Intel, sells from €200 (8 GB), seen 17 September 2026.

The generations side by side

The T14 is Lenovo's 14-inch mainstream business laptop. Each generation comes in two versions, one with an Intel processor and one with an AMD processor. The two share a body but not all their parts. Each link in the table opens the Model page for that generation, with its own offers and prices in your Market.

The site also keeps a separate row for each processor. Intel: Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 3 and Gen 4. AMD: Gen 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3. Check the combined row and the row for your processor.

Live numbers: every T14 together

The number below counts every T14 together: every generation, Gen 5 and later too, with AMD and Intel. It does not count the T14s. For one generation, open its Model page in the table above.

• In your Market, refurbished ThinkPad T14 laptops of every generation sell across 2 shops, seen 3 October 2026.
• The ThinkPad table lists every ThinkPad offer from the cheapest up.

Gen 1 (2020)

• Processor. Intel: 10th generation Core i5 and i7, with 4 cores, or 6 cores on the i7-10710U and i7-10810U. AMD: Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U (4 cores), Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U (6 cores) or Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U (8 cores).
• RAM. 8 or 16 GB soldered, plus one DDR4 slot. The Intel sheet states "Up to 48GB (16GB soldered + 32GB SO-DIMM) DDR4-2666". The AMD sheet stops lower: "Up to 32GB (16GB soldered + 16GB SO-DIMM) DDR4-3200".
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:9. HD (1366x768) or Full HD, with touch and Privacy Guard options. The Intel version also offers UHD (3840x2160).
• Ports. Two USB-A, two USB-C, HDMI, Ethernet (RJ-45) and a microSD card reader. On Intel, one USB-C port has Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI is 1.4b. On AMD, neither USB-C port has Thunderbolt, and HDMI is 2.0.
• Battery. 50 Wh, built in.
• Windows 11. Yes. Microsoft's list names "10th Generation Core i5 Processors", and the 10th generation Core i7 too. Lenovo's AMD sheet lists Windows 11 among its operating systems.
• Year. 2020. Notebookcheck reviewed the AMD version in November 2020.

For the Gen 1 against the older T480 and T490, see ThinkPad T480 vs T490 vs T14 Gen 1.

Gen 2 (2021)

• Processor. Intel: 11th generation Core i5 and i7, all with 4 cores, such as the i5-1135G7 and i7-1165G7. AMD: Ryzen 3 PRO 5450U (4 cores), Ryzen 5 5600U or Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U (6 cores), or Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U (8 cores).
• RAM. 8 or 16 GB soldered, plus one DDR4 slot. Both versions now reach 48 GB.
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:9. Full HD, with touch, low power and Privacy Guard options, or UHD.
• Ports. Two USB-A, two USB-C, HDMI 2.0 and a microSD card reader. The Intel version has "2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4® 40Gbps (support data transfer, Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort™ 1.4a)". The AMD version has two plain USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports. Lenovo lists Ethernet as standard on AMD and as optional on Intel. On an Intel offer, check that it has the RJ-45 port.
• Battery. 50 Wh, built in.
• Windows 11. Yes. Lenovo's sheets list Windows 11 for both versions.
• Year. 2021. Notebookcheck reviewed the Intel version in May 2021.

See Gen 1 vs Gen 2, or the AMD pair AMD Gen 1 vs AMD Gen 2.

Gen 3 (2022)

• Processor. Intel: 12th generation Core i5 and i7, in U and P versions, with 10 to 14 cores. AMD: Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U (6 cores) or Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U (8 cores), with Radeon 660M or 680M graphics.
• RAM. Here the two versions split. The Intel version keeps 8 or 16 GB soldered plus one DDR4 slot, up to 48 GB. The AMD version has 8, 16 or 32 GB of LPDDR5 and no slot. Lenovo states "Memory soldered to systemboard, no slots, dual-channel". Buy the AMD version with the RAM you need.
• Screen. 14 inches, now 16:10. WUXGA (1920x1200), with touch, low power and Privacy Guard options, 2.2K (2240x1400, not sold in Europe), or WQUXGA (3840x2400).
• Ports. Two USB-A, two USB-C, HDMI 2.1 and Ethernet. The card reader is gone. Intel has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. AMD has two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, with no Thunderbolt and no USB4.
• Battery. 39.3 Wh or 52.5 Wh. Lenovo lists an "Integrated Li-Polymer 52.5Wh battery, supports Rapid Charge (charge up to 80% in 1hr) with 65W AC adapter". Look for the larger one in the offer.
• Windows 11. Yes. Lenovo's sheets list Windows 11 for both versions.
• Year. 2022. Notebookcheck reviewed the AMD version in September 2022.

See Gen 2 vs Gen 3, or AMD Gen 2 vs AMD Gen 3.

Gen 4 (2023)

• Processor. Intel: 13th generation Core i5 and i7, in U and P versions, with 10 to 14 cores. AMD: Ryzen 5 PRO 7540U (6 cores, Radeon 740M) or Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U (8 cores, Radeon 780M).
• RAM. Intel models with DDR4 or DDR5 keep one slot, up to 40 GB with DDR4 or 32 GB with DDR5. Intel models with LPDDR5x have none. Lenovo states "Models with LPDDR5x memory: memory soldered to systemboard, no slots, dual-channel". Lenovo fits LPDDR5x only to models with discrete graphics. The AMD version has 8, 16 or 32 GB soldered and no slot.
• Screen. 14 inches, 16:10. WUXGA, 2.2K, or 2.8K OLED (2880x1800), new on the T14.
• Ports. Two USB-A, two USB-C, HDMI 2.1 and Ethernet, with no card reader. Intel has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. AMD now has one USB4 port: Lenovo lists "1x USB4® 40Gbps (support data transfer, Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort™ 1.4a)", plus one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2.
• Battery. 39.3 Wh or 52.5 Wh.
• Windows 11. Yes. Lenovo's sheets list Windows 11 for both versions.
• Year. 2023. Notebookcheck reported at launch: "In Europe, the ThinkPad laptops of the T series will be available in July 2023."

See Gen 3 vs Gen 4. Check its Model page for current offers.

Gen 5 and later

The Gen 5 changes the RAM again. Both versions drop the soldered RAM, and Lenovo's AMD sheet states "Two DDR5 SODIMM slots, dual-channel capable", up to 64 GB. The site tracks it on the T14 Gen 5 Model page.

AMD or Intel, per generation

The two versions differ most in cores, graphics, Thunderbolt and battery life. On the Gen 3 and Gen 4, they also differ in RAM.

The battery figures are Lenovo's best case from each PSREF sheet. The Gen 1 and Gen 2 figures are MobileMark 2018. The Gen 3 and Gen 4 figures are MobileMark 25. Compare within a row, not across rows.

Cores and speed. On the Gen 1 and Gen 2, AMD offers up to 8 cores. Most Intel models have 4. Notebookcheck's Gen 1 AMD verdict: "The battery runtime is a bit worse and Thunderbolt 3 is missing as well, but you get HDMI 2.0 in return and the AMD APU is just much more powerful." Its Gen 2 Intel review agrees: "The efficiency of Tiger Lake is clearly visible, even though the T14 Gen 1 with AMD CPU remains unattainable in terms of multi-core performance."

Battery life. In Notebookcheck's real test, the Gen 1 AMD ran shorter than the Gen 1 Intel. From the Gen 2, Lenovo's figures favour AMD. Notebookcheck's tests confirm it on the Gen 3. Its Gen 3 Intel review, of a Core i7-1260P with a GeForce MX550, says: "We measure between 7-8 hours when surfing, while the AMD model lasted ~9.5-13 hours."

Overall. Notebookcheck's Gen 3 AMD review concludes: "When choosing between the ThinkPad T14 G3 with AMD or Intel CPUs, AMD is clearly the favorite because, in addition to high performance in the multi-core tests and the integrated GPU, it is especially impressive in terms of efficiency."

When to choose Intel. Choose Intel if you use a Thunderbolt dock, or need to add RAM on a Gen 3 or Gen 4. The Intel versions keep the RAM slot on the Gen 3, and on Gen 4 models without discrete graphics. The AMD versions do not.

RAM: what to check before you buy

On the Gen 1 and Gen 2, you can add one module later, but you cannot change the soldered part. Buy one with 16 GB soldered. Then one added module gives 32 GB or more. On the Gen 3 AMD and Gen 4 AMD, every gigabyte is soldered, so buy 16 GB or more. The 16 GB table and the 32 GB table list every offer with that much RAM or more.

Which generation for your budget

• Best value: Gen 2 AMD with 16 GB soldered. It runs Windows 11, has up to 8 cores, and keeps the RAM slot. A Gen 1 AMD is the choice if it costs less in your Market. Compare the two Model pages before you buy.
• Longest battery life: Gen 3 AMD with the 52.5 Wh battery. Lenovo's figure and Notebookcheck's test both put it well ahead of the Gen 3 Intel. A Gen 4 AMD has a higher Lenovo figure. Check its Model page for offers.
• Most processor power: Gen 3 or Gen 4 AMD with a Ryzen 7 PRO. You get 8 cores and Radeon 680M or 780M graphics. Choose a Gen 3 or Gen 4 Intel instead if you need Thunderbolt 4 or a RAM slot.
• Avoid: any 8 GB offer on a Gen 3 AMD or Gen 4 AMD. The RAM is soldered, so 8 GB stays 8 GB.

For the lighter X1 Carbon, see ThinkPad X1 Carbon: which generation to buy refurbished. To weigh the T14 against Dell and HP, see ThinkPad vs Latitude vs EliteBook.

Questions people ask

Which ThinkPad T14 generation should I buy refurbished?

A Gen 2 AMD with 16 GB of RAM soldered, for most buyers. It runs Windows 11, has up to 8 cores and keeps one RAM slot. For the longest battery life, buy a Gen 3 AMD.

Is the ThinkPad T14 better with AMD or Intel?

AMD, for most buyers. It has more cores on the Gen 1 and Gen 2, and longer battery life from the Gen 2 on. Intel has Thunderbolt on every generation. It keeps a RAM slot on the Gen 3, and on Gen 4 models without discrete graphics.

Can I upgrade the RAM in a ThinkPad T14?

On the Gen 1 and Gen 2, yes: each has RAM soldered to the board plus one slot. On the Gen 3 and Gen 4, only the Intel versions keep a slot, and Gen 4 Intel models with discrete graphics have none. The Gen 3 AMD and Gen 4 AMD have no slot.

Which ThinkPad T14 generations run Windows 11?

Every generation, with both AMD and Intel. The Gen 1 Intel has a 10th generation processor, which is on Microsoft's Windows 11 list.