Lenovo ThinkPad T440 Review: An Old But Evergreen Laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: At First Glance

Business laptops have been in existence for a while, and Lenovo has a lot of them in its lineups. Specifically, the Lenovo Thinkpad lineup has many business laptops that Lenovo has put in the effort to make slimmer and more portable.

Thankfully, the 2013 model of the Thinkpad – the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 – follows this trend too. Although portability and slimness are important, this alone can’t keep the ThinkPad lineup at the top among other business laptops.

Hence, there is a need for a commendable performance, especially when other competitors have their business laptops in small sizes too. In light of that, it is okay to wonder if the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 has what it takes to be at the top.

However, to get the answer you need, let us start reviewing this laptop section by section.

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: Design, Dimension, and Weight

Lenovo focused so much on making the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 look like a business laptop that it failed to make it look stylish. Apparently, functionality is preferable for businesses over good looks.

Therefore, it is safe to describe this laptop as having a basic look with no sophistication. However, the laptop is quite durable thanks to its chassis made of magnesium alloy.

As evidence of its durability, this laptop passed military-grade MIL tests. Therefore, it is capable of withstanding rugged conditions like high temperatures, dust, vibration, shocks, and the likes.

In terms of design material, the lid of the laptop is laced with carbon fiber, and it has a matte surface. You will feel the smoothness of the lid’s texture when you run your palm across it.

Still, on the lid, you will notice a white ”ThinkPad” insignia cutting across the left edge of the matte black lid. The lettering stands out and will be easy to see from a distance.

Thanks to the two flexible hinges, you can open the laptop’s lid with just one hand. These hinges are located between the base of the lid and the laptop’s base, and their job is to hold these two parts together.

After you open the lid, as expected, you will see the laptop’s 14-inch display come into full view. However, just like the predecessor, there is nothing attractive about the display.

To worsen the situation, the display is surrounded by bulky bezels. However, it is good to see that the top bezel features a 720p HD resolution camera.

Impressively, the camera is sensitive to low-light situations, which means that the camera will produce a decently quality image even in low light. Not only that, but the camera also has face-tracking technology, which recognizes a human face.

With this technology, you can enjoy some facial recognition features like signing in via Windows Hello and lots more. Having talked about the feature on the top bezel, you should also be aware that the bottom bezel has white Lenovo branding on the left.

Now, let us talk about the display itself. Starting with the display resolution, there are two resolution options, but they are both not impressive.

The first option comes with an HD (1366 x 768 pixels) resolution, while the second comes with an HD+ (1600 x 900 pixels) resolution.

The difference between the two resolutions is the number of pixels they have. Because the HD+ resolution contains more pixels, it will deliver a better display quality than the HD resolution display option.

Therefore, to enjoy the best display quality from this laptop, you should go for a model with an HD+ resolution. However, you should keep in mind that you will spend more money if you decide to do that.

For the purpose of this Lenovo ThinkPad T440 review, let us focus on a model of this laptop with an HD+ (1600 x 900 pixels) resolution display. You should be aware that some models of this laptop with HD+ resolution are touch-enabled while others are not.

You can also expect that the touch-enabled models will be more expensive than the non-touch models.

Another display feature of my review model is that it has an antiglare-display surface. The anti-glare surface allows you to use this laptop in bright places like sunny environments without getting light reflections.

Furthermore, this laptop’s display is LED-backlit, giving it a better color expression. Also, this laptop has a display brightness of 250 nits which is not the best you can get on a laptop.

However, considering the price category of this laptop, its display brightness is acceptable. For aspect ratio, the display of this laptop is 16:9, which is known as widescreen.

With the widescreen aspect ratio, more content will fit into the display width than you will get on fullscreen displays. The last feature of this laptop’s display we’ll discuss is its contrast ratio.

The display has a contrast ratio of 400:1, which is also not the best you can get. As a result of its meager contrast ratio, the dark scenes of display content will not have deep black colors.

Moving down to the laptop’s deck, there you will find a chiclet keyboard. The keys are thin, clean-cut, and have enough spaces between them.

The keys give nice feedback, thereby delivering a comfortable and fast typing experience. More impressively, the keyboard offers some level of liquid resistance.

In fact, if you mistakenly pour any liquid on this keyboard, the liquid goes down through three ducts at the base of the laptop.

That said, on the keyboard, you will also find a TrackPoint between the G, H, and B keys. You can use the TrackPoint to control the cursor, although there is still a touchpad on the laptop.

Thankfully, the Trackpoint has an accurate cursor movement. Speaking of the touchpad, it is an integrated type, and it is located below the keyboard as usual.

The touchpad also works well, and it is very sensitive to touch.

Finally, you will find a white ThinkPad lettering on the laptop’s deck. The ThinkPad lettering is located on the right-hand side of the touchpad.

At this point, let us talk about the ports you will find on this laptop which are all located at the sides of the laptop’s base.

Starting with the left side, you will find an AC charging port and one USB 3.0 port. You will find one USB 3.0 port and a 4-in-1 card reader for MMC, SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards on the right side.

In addition to that, you will also find an Ethernet port, a VGA port, and a combined stereo jack. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 comes with just two USB ports, unlike some other business laptops that have a generous amount of USB ports.

The last point I’ll discourse in this section of the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 review is the dimension and weight of this laptop. Regarding its weight, this laptop weighs differently depending on the model.

For instance, the non-touch models of this laptop can weigh 1720 g or 1860 g. These models also have a dimension of 339 x 232.5 x 23 mm (W x D x H).

Meanwhile, for the touch models of this laptop, they can have a weight of 1830 g or 1970 g. They also have a dimension of 339 x 232.5 x 21 mm (W x D x H).

From the figures above, it is obvious that the touch models of the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 are heavier than the non-touch models.

To compare the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 with another laptop, let us use the ASUS VivoBook F412DA. The ASUS VivoBook F412DA weighs 1500 g which makes it lighter than any model of the Lenovo ThinkPad T440.

The ASUS VivoBook F412DA also measures 322 x 212 x 19.9 mm (W x D x H), making it smaller and slimmer than the Lenovo ThinkPad T440.

In conclusion, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 does not look sophisticated, but it has a rugged build. Unfortunately, it comes with fewer USB ports than some business laptops.

Based on this, I will be rating the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 seven out of ten in this section of the review.

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: Processor (CPU) Performance

Lenovo ThinkPad T440 comes with two processor configuration options. Firstly, it comes with a dual-core Intel Core i3-4010U processor.

This processor has a base frequency of 1.70 GHz and 3 MB cache memory. This laptop’s second processor configuration features a dual-core Intel Core i7-4600U processor.

This processor has a based frequency of 2.10 GHz. It also has a boost frequency of 3.30 GHz and 4 MB cache memory.

In a bid to help you decide which processor is best, you should be aware that the Intel Core i7-4600U processor is more powerful.

Meanwhile, this review focuses on a model of this laptop with the Intel Core i7-4600U processor.

To be sure of the processor’s performance, I will be sharing its Cinebench R11.5 test result. This test evaluates a processor’s performance with respect to its cores.

When a computer uses one of its cores in the Cinebench test, it is regarded as a single-core test. On the other hand, when all its cores are used, that is regarded as a multi-core test.

In addition to that, the computer is said to have good performance when it records high scores on these tests.

With this in mind, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 had a single-core score of
1.41 points. For the multi-core test result, the laptop scored 2.64 points.

In comparison, the HP EliteBook 840 G1, which uses the same processor, had a score of 1.46 points in the single-core test. It also had a score of 2.92 points on the multi-core test.

From the test result above, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 performed below its competitor, which uses the same processor. Based on this, I will be rating it seven out of ten in this processor review section.

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: Memory (RAM) Performance

The Lenovo ThinkPad T440 comes with DDR3L RAM, which operates at a speed of 1600 MHz. The DDR3L is an older memory type that has been replaced by better ones like DDR4.

However, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 is an old laptop; hence, Lenovo’s choice of memory type on this laptop is acceptable. For memory capacity, the least you can get on this laptop is 4 GB, while the maximum is 12 GB.

Specifically, on this laptop, you will get a standard 4 GB RAM soldered to the motherboard. Then, there is a slot that houses removable RAM.

This slot can take a maximum memory capacity of 8 GB.

With the 12 GB maximum memory capacity on my test model, it is capable of multitasking very well. Speaking of which, the laptop should be able to open up to 30 Chrome browser tabs.

Furthermore, running these Chrome browser tabs will not cause lag in the laptop’s performance. Moreover, you can as well stream YouTube videos on some of the browser tabs.

Nevertheless, to be more certain about the memory performance of this laptop, I will be sharing its PC Mark 7 test result. This benchmark test measures a computer’s overall performance when it handles real-world applications.

You should be aware that high scores on this test denote better performance. In the test, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 scored 3349 points.

In comparison, the HP EliteBook 840 G1 had a better score of 5303 points in the same test.

Therefore, based on its performance, I will be rating the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 seven out of ten in this memory review.

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: Storage Options and Performance

The Lenovo ThinkPad T440 comes with three impressive storage options. Firstly, the laptop comes with a SATA HDD with a revolution of 7200 RPM.

This storage option supports a maximum capacity of 500 GB.

Secondly, you will get this laptop with a SATA HDD, which has a revolution of 5400 RPM. This storage option supports a maximum storage capacity of 1 TB.

Basically, the two storage options above are both SATA HDDs, but they have different revolutions per minute (RPM). Hence, the option with a 7200 RPM SATA HDD will rotate faster than the second option – making it a better option.

The last storage option on this laptop is a SATA 3 SSD storage which comes with a maximum capacity of 512 GB. This is the fastest storage of all three options, which is unsurprising because SSDs are faster than HDDs.

Hence, if you need the fastest storage speed, you should buy a model of this laptop with SATA 3 storage. However, if you want a model with the largest storage capacity, the 5400 RPM SATA HDD option is the one for you.

In addition to the primary storage options we have talked about above, Lenovo added a 4-in-1 card reader to this laptop. Thankfully, this will provide additional storage space.

For the purpose of this Lenovo ThinkPad T440 review, let’s discuss the performance of this laptop with a 1 TB SATA HDD.

To have an idea about this laptop’s storage performance, I will present its CrystalDiskMark test result. This benchmark test measures the read and write speeds of a storage drive.

If you are wondering what read and write speed means, they refer to how fast files open and save on a computer, respectively. In both cases, faster speeds mean better storage performance.

In the benchmark test, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 had a write speed of 2171.68 MBps. On the other hand, it had a read speed of 1827.54 MBps.

In comparison, the HP Pavilion 15-eg had a read speed of 1575 MBps and a write speed of 1337 MBps.

From the test result, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 can open and save files faster than the competitor I compared it with. Not only that, but it also comes in three storage options that users can choose from.

Based on all these, I will be rating it eight out of ten in this storage section of the review.

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: Graphics Card Performance

The Lenovo ThinkPad T440 features an integrated and dedicated graphic card.

For its integrated graphics card, it comes with Intel HD Graphics 4400. In case you don’t know, integrated graphics cards are built directly into the computer’s processor.

As a result of that, they do not have dedicated video RAM, which limits their graphics processing ability.

In terms of specs, the Intel HD Graphics 4400 has a base frequency of 200 MHz. Furthermore, you can boost its frequency to 1100 MHz.

For the dedicated graphics card, this laptop features an NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M. This graphics card has a base frequency of 625 MHz and a boost frequency of 938 MHz.

However, unlike an integrated graphics card, the dedicated graphics card has Video RAM that is useful for improving its graphics processing capabilities. Hence, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M graphics card comes with a 2 GB DDR3 VRAM.

Consequently, the models of this laptop with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M GPU are capable of handling more intensive graphics tasks than the first GPU. However, this laptop’s model with the first GPU option can also play some games at modest graphics settings.

Speaking of games, the Intel HD Graphics 4400 model of this laptop should be able to play Fifa 14 (2013). This game will play smoothly at 60.9 fps on high graphics settings.

In addition to the gaming performance above, I will be sharing the laptop’s performance on a 3Dmark benchmark test. A 3Dmark test determines a computer’s 3D graphic rendering ability.

In this test, a higher score means better performance.

Hence, in the benchmark test, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 had a score of 901 points. Meanwhile, as a means of comparison, the HP EliteBook 840 G1, which uses the same Intel HD Graphics 4400, performed better.

To be precise, the HP EliteBook 840 G1 scored 988 points on the same test.

Nevertheless, I have decided to rate the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 an eight in this section. This is because the laptop is available with a more powerful graphics option than the one evaluated above.

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: Battery Life and Performance

The Lenovo ThinkPad T440 comes with a 3-cell 23.5 WHr battery. Impressively, the laptop can last up to 9 hours, according to Levono.

However, in order to be sure of Lenovo’s claim about the battery life, I will be sharing the results of this laptop in some battery tests. Hence, according to notebookcheck.com, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 can last up to 14 hours and 18 minutes on minimum load.

Also, notebookcheck.com performed a web surfing test that involved setting the screen brightness to 150 nits. As part of the test, the browser tabs were refreshed every 40 secs.

From the test, the laptop lasted 4 hours and 20 minutes.

In comparison, the HP EliteBook 840 G1, which has a larger battery capacity of 50 WHr, lasted 6 hours and 4 minutes in the web surfing test.

The tests above show that the battery life you will get from your laptop is determined by how rigorous the tasks performed are. Therefore, it is possible to get a battery life longer than what was achieved in the web surfing test.

Considering all I have discussed in this section, I will be rating the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 seven out of ten.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkPad T440 is well-built, and it has a rugged chassis that meets military standards. Not only that, but the laptop comes at an affordable price tag with a starting price of $239.79 (accurate in May 2022).

Furthermore, the laptop features three storage options to choose from, with the addition of a 4-in-1 card reader. Also, users can either decide to go for a touch or non-touch model of the laptop.

However, the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 comes with a display that can not actually compete with some more recent business laptops. Not only that, but the laptop also comes in a thicker chassis, unlike modern business laptops.

Nevertheless, the overall performance of the Lenovo ThinkPad T440 is satisfactory. Therefore, it is recommendable.

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