ThinkPad T480 vs T490 vs T14 Gen 1: the price gap today

Buy the T480 for RAM upgrades and a spare battery, the T490 when it is the cheapest, and the T14 Gen 1 AMD for speed. A refurbished T490 costs from €206 (16 GB), seen 12 September 2026. The table below sets it against the T480 and the T14.

The price gap today

Here are today's numbers for each model in your Market. The price is the cheapest offer with 16 GB of RAM or more. The shop count tells you how easy the model is to find. The median price per GB of RAM reads every offer, not only the cheapest one.

The T14 row covers every T14 generation this site tracks, not only the Gen 1. Its cheapest offer can be a Gen 1 or a later model. Read the generation in the offer's name before you buy, and see the Gen 1 offers on the T14 Gen 1 model page.

When two rows are close, the price does not decide. The parts do.

The specs side by side

The sections below explain each difference and name the source.

RAM: only the T480 has two slots

Lenovo's T480 sheet states "32GB max / 2400MHz DDR4, dual-channel capable, two DDR4 SO-DIMM sockets". You can replace both modules.

The T490 and the T14 Gen 1 solder part of the RAM to the board. The T490 sheet states "One memory soldered to systemboard, one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, dual-channel capable", and the T14 Gen 1 AMD sheet states the same. On the AMD T14 Gen 1, Lenovo lists "Up to 32GB (16GB soldered + 16GB SO-DIMM) DDR4-3200". You can add one module, but you cannot change the soldered part. Buy these two with the RAM you need. Or buy one with 16 GB soldered, so you can add a module later.

Battery: the T480 is the only one you can swap

The T480 can take two batteries. Lenovo lists an "Optional integrated Li-ion 24Wh battery and external Li-ion 24Wh, 48Wh, or 72Wh battery". You can replace the external one yourself, so a worn battery on a refurbished T480 is easy to fix.

The T490 has one. Lenovo lists an "Integrated Li-Polymer 50Wh battery, supports Rapid Charge (charge up to 80% in 1hr) with 65W AC adapter". Notebookcheck's T490 review regrets the change: "It is a shame that the battery is no longer removable as it was with the ThinkPad T480 though." The same review found that the older model still lasted longer: "Overall, only the ThinkPad T480 of our comparison devices has better battery life than the T490 without an NVIDIA GPU."

The T14 Gen 1 AMD also has one: Lenovo lists an "Integrated Li-Polymer 50Wh battery".

Processor: the T14 Gen 1 AMD is the fastest

The T480 has a 7th or an 8th generation Intel processor. The T490 has an 8th or a 10th generation Intel processor, but Lenovo notes that "10th Generation Intel Core Processors are NOT available in EMEA." So a T490 first sold in Europe has an 8th generation processor, like an 8th generation T480. Refurbished stock can come from other regions, so read the processor name.

The T14 Gen 1 is much newer. The AMD version is the one to look for. Notebookcheck writes: "You can get the Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U with 8 cores". Its verdict against the Intel version: "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."

Who should buy which

• Buy the T480 if you want to upgrade the RAM yourself or carry a spare battery. Our guide Is the ThinkPad T480 still good in 2026? covers Windows 11 support and the weak parts.
• Buy the T490 if it costs less than the T480 in your Market and you do not need to swap batteries. It has one battery and part-soldered RAM, and a T490 first sold in Europe has the same processor generation as an 8th generation T480.
• Buy the T14 Gen 1 if the gap to the other two is small. The AMD version gives you much more processor power for a small extra cost. Check that the offer is a Gen 1 and has the RAM you need, because you cannot change the soldered part.

For side-by-side specs of the T14 Gen 1 and its successor, see T14 Gen 1 vs T14 Gen 2. For other ThinkPad pairs, browse the comparison pages.

Questions people ask

Which is better, the ThinkPad T480 or the T490?

A T490 first sold in Europe has an 8th generation processor, like an 8th generation T480. The T480 has two RAM slots and a swappable battery. The T490 has one battery and part-soldered RAM. Buy the one that costs less, unless you need the T480's upgrades.

What is the difference between the T14 Gen 1 and the T480?

The T14 Gen 1 has a newer processor. Lenovo lists a "10th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 / i7 Processor" for the Intel version, and the AMD version has a Ryzen 4000. The AMD version is much faster. The T480 has two RAM slots and a swappable battery, and the T14 Gen 1 has neither.

Can I upgrade the RAM in a T490 or a T14 Gen 1?

Only in part. Both have RAM soldered to the board plus one slot. You can add or replace the module in the slot. The T480 has two slots.

Which of the three has the best battery?

The T480, because you can swap its external battery and carry a spare. In Notebookcheck's test, the T480 with its larger battery also lasted longer than the T490.