The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 AMD is a solid choice for a business laptop, blending traditional design with modern performance. My model (21CQ000DUS) features an AMD Ryzen 7 6850U CPU and Radeon 680M graphics, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB NVMe SSD.
This guide reviews the experience of running Linux on this hardware and provides tweaks for optimized battery performance.
First Impressions and One-Month Review
NOTE: All photos show real-world use after one month without cleaning. I am not affiliated with Lenovo and receive no compensation for this review. I purchased this laptop on eBay and am writing this review independently.
Unboxing the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 AMD reveals familiar, minimalist packaging. The laptop has a professional look with a sleek, matte black finish and durable construction.
Build Quality
The ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 AMD uses high-quality magnesium and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). This makes the laptop sturdy and lightweight, balancing durability and portability.
The build quality can withstand daily professional use. The “Thunder Black” color minimizes fingerprints compared to darker shades. The device has survived daily use and transport in my backpack without cleaning for the past month.
Display Screen
The 16:10 aspect ratio is excellent. The display is a power-saving, low-power IPS panel with a WUXGA resolution (1920x1200) and 400 Nits max brightness. I use 20% to 50% brightness indoors.
The matte display reduces glare, which is useful in bright environments. Photos were taken outdoors on a sunny day, and the screen remained clear.
Keyboard, Touchpad, and TrackPoint
The keyboard maintains the ThinkPad’s high input quality. The tactile feedback is precise, and while not as deep as my T460’s keyboard, it’s still comfortable and accurate.
I disable the touchpad in the BIOS. The TrackPoint is precise and easy to use.
I use a Logitech MX Anywhere 2S mouse, but the TrackPoint is superior to the touchpad for quick cursor movements because it doesn’t require moving a hand away from the keyboard.
CPU Performance and Cooling
The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U handles intensive tasks well. The octa-core chip boosts up to 4.7 GHz and is efficient. Integrated AMD Radeon 680M graphics support gaming and media.
The cooling system uses a single heat pipe and fan. The laptop remains cool under load and prevents throttling. The fan is quiet, which is ideal for professional environments.
Battery Life
Apple MacBooks have the best battery-life-to-performance ratio. I need 4 to 6 hours of continuous battery life at most, and rarely. My previous Alienware 14 R3 laptop lasted 1–2 hours.
I got 6 to 8 hours on Windows 10 and Kali Linux with default settings. After installing Kali-i3 and applying TLP tweaks, battery life increased to 10 to 12 hours.
Ports and Connectivity
The available ports are sufficient:
Left side: USB-C 4.0 (charging), USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.0, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On), and Headphone/microphone combo jack (3.5mm).
Right side: Smart card reader slot, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, and Kensington Nano Security Slot.
Audio Quality
The audio quality is functional for video conferencing and media playback. However, it lacks bass and overall richness.
Webcam
The 1080p webcam offers improved clarity over 720p, and it’s adequate for video calls and basic streaming.
Storage
The included NVMe drive offers acceptable read and write speeds. The storage capacity is sufficient for my needs.
I want more performance, so I will purchase a SK Hynix Platinum P41 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe. I use this NVMe in my desktop PC. I cloned Kali-i3 OS using Clonezilla.
RAM and Upgradability
T-series laptops have soldered RAM, which means the memory is not user-upgradable.
Available RAM options are 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB. 16 GB is usually enough for Linux. 32 GB is recommended for dual-booting Windows 10 or 11. Kali-i3 OS uses less than 1 GB of memory on boot.
Restrict the UMA Frame buffer Size in BIOS if you won’t be gaming. This limits the amount of system RAM allocated to the integrated graphics.
If the lack of memory upgradability is a dealbreaker, consider the ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 and 4, or the P14s Gen 3 and 4.
Weight and Portability
The Gen 3 T14s weighs around 1.23 kilograms (2.71 pounds), which makes it portable. The design does not compromise durability or functionality.
TLP: Extending Battery Life on Linux
The most effective way to extend battery life is by using TLP with specific configurations that limit CPU performance and manage power consumption aggressively.
To maximize battery lifespan, I’ve configured charging to a maximum of 80% and discharging to a minimum of 20%, with notifications via dunst. This provides around 7 to 8 hours of battery life.
Step 1: Install tlp and cpufrequtils.
sudo apt install tlp cpufrequtils
Step 2: Enable the tlp service.
sudo systemctl enable tlp.service
Step 3: Mask the systemd-rfkill service and socket.
sudo systemctl mask systemd-rfkill.service && sudo systemctl mask systemd-rfkill.socket
Step 4: Restart the tlp service.
sudo systemctl restart tlp.service
Step 5: Check tlp status.
sudo tlp-stat -p
sudo tlp-stat -s
Step 6: Edit the TLP configuration file.
sudo vi /etc/tlp.conf
Step 7: Modify the TLP configuration file with the settings below.
# Select a CPU scaling driver operation mode.
# AMD Zen 2 or newer CPU with amd-pstate_driver as of kernel 6.3/6.4(*):
# active, passive, guided(*).
# Default: <none>
CPU_DRIVER_OPMODE_ON_AC=passive
CPU_DRIVER_OPMODE_ON_BAT=passive
# Select a CPU frequency scaling governor.
# AMD CPU with amd-pstate driver in active mode ('amd-pstate-epp'):
# performance, powersave(*).
# AMD CPU with amd-pstate driver in passive or guided mode ('amd-pstate') or
# Intel, AMD and other CPU brands with acpi-cpufreq driver:
# conservative, ondemand(*), userspace, powersave, performance, schedutil(*).
# Use tlp-stat -p to show the active driver and available governors.
# Default: <none>
CPU_SCALING_GOVERNOR_ON_AC=ondemand
CPU_SCALING_GOVERNOR_ON_BAT=conservative
# Set the CPU "turbo core" (AMD) feature:
# 0=disable, 1=allow.
# Allows to raise the maximum frequency/P-state of some cores if the
# CPU chip is not fully utilized and below it's intended thermal budget.
# Note: a value of 1 does *not* activate boosting, it just allows it.
# Default: <none>
CPU_BOOST_ON_AC=0
CPU_BOOST_ON_BAT=0
# Select platform profile:
# performance, balanced, low-power.
# Controls system operating characteristics around power/performance levels,
# thermal and fan speed. Values are given in order of increasing power saving.
# Note: check the output of tlp-stat -p to determine availability on your
# hardware and additional profiles such as: balanced-performance, quiet, cool.
# Default: <none>
PLATFORM_PROFILE_ON_AC=balanced
PLATFORM_PROFILE_ON_BAT=low-power
# AMD GPU power management.
# Performance level (DPM): auto, low, high; auto is recommended.
# Note: requires amdgpu or radeon driver.
# Default: auto
RADEON_DPM_PERF_LEVEL_ON_AC=auto
RADEON_DPM_PERF_LEVEL_ON_BAT=low
# Exclude bluetooth devices from USB autosuspend:
# 0=do not exclude, 1=exclude.
# Default: 0
USB_EXCLUDE_BTUSB=1
# Radio devices to disable on battery when not in use (not connected):
# bluetooth, nfc, wifi, wwan.
# Default: <none>
DEVICES_TO_DISABLE_ON_BAT_NOT_IN_USE="bluetooth nfc wifi wwan"
# Battery Care -- Charge thresholds
# Charging starts when the charger is connected and the charge level
# is below the start threshold. Charging stops when the charge level
# is above the stop threshold.
# Required hardware: Lenovo ThinkPads and select other laptop brands
# are driven via specific plugins
# - Active plugin and support status are shown by tlp-stat -b
# - Vendor specific threshold levels are shown by tlp-stat -b, some
# laptops support only 1 (on)/ 0 (off) instead of a percentage level
# - When your hardware supports a start *and* a stop threshold, you must
# specify both, otherwise TLP will refuse to apply the single threshold
# - When your hardware supports only a stop threshold, set the start
# value to 0
# - Older ThinkPads may require an external kernel module, refer to the
# output of tlp-stat -b
# For further explanation and vendor specific details refer to
# - https://linrunner.de/tlp/settings/battery.html
# - https://linrunner.de/tlp/settings/bc-vendors.html
# BAT0: Primary / Main / Internal battery
# Note: also use for batteries BATC, BATT and CMB0
# Default: <none>
# Battery charge level below which charging will begin.
START_CHARGE_THRESH_BAT0=50
# Battery charge level above which charging will stop.
STOP_CHARGE_THRESH_BAT0=80
# Control battery care drivers: 0=disable, 1=enable.
# Default: 1 (all)
NATACPI_ENABLE=1
My /etc/default/grub edits
For quiet boot (only shows the Linux OS logo, no text) I added loglevel=3. Set amd_pstate=passive for TLP. My Bluetooth mouse movement lagged after 5 seconds of inactivity, so fixed with btusb.enable_autosuspend=0 (if mouse lag issue persists, also try this). Not a dual boot laptop, so enabled GRUB_DISABLE-OS-PROBER=true and also removed the 5-second boot delay with GRUB_TIMEOUT=0.
Step 1: Edit /etc/default/grub with your favorite text editor, such as nano or vi.
sudo vi /etc/default/grub
Step 2: Make the following changes to the file.
GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash loglevel=3 amd_pstate=passive btusb.enable_autosuspend=0"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
# Uncomment to enable Hidden Menu, and optionally set the time highlight the menu
# when GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT is set to non-zero.
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
#Uncomment to show graphical terminal
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
#GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT="gfxterm"
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true
# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true
# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"
# Uncomment to get a beep at GRUB start
#GRUB_BEEP="true"
Step 3: After changes run:
sudo update-grub
Kali Linux Tweaks (Also Applies to Debian/Ubuntu)
Update the system
Step 1: Add an alias to Zsh.
echo 'alias upd="sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc
Step 2: Now update the system with:
upd
Downloaded Google Chrome and installed using dpkg:
Step 1: Download the google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb file from the official website.
Step 2: Install using dpkg:
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
Installed greenclip a simple clipboard manager to be integrated with rofi and i3wm:
Step 1: Download greenclip.
wget https://github.com/erebe/greenclip/releases/download/v4.2/greenclip
Step 2: Give execute permissions.
chmod +x greenclip
Step 3: Move to /usr/bin.
sudo mv greenclip /usr/bin
Installed redshift, and geoclue for night light feature:
Step 1: Install redshift.
sudo apt install redshift
Step 2: Install geoclue-2.0.
sudo apt install geoclue-2.0
Step 3: Configure redshift.
vi ~/.config/redshift/redshift.conf
Installed tilix (replaced kitty) for terminal app:
Step 1: Install tilix.
sudo apt install tilix
Step 2: Set tilix as default terminal.
sudo update-alternatives --config x-terminal-emulator
Installed rclone to sync my Google Drive storage for faster access via Thunar:
Step 1: Install rclone.
sudo apt install rclone
Step 2: Create the mount point.
mkdir -p ~/gdrive
Step 3: Configure rclone.
rclone config
Step 4: Mount Google Drive.
rclone mount gdrive: ~/gdrive
Installed flameshot
For i3wm shortcuts, I’ve set the Printscreen key to save screenshots to the clipboard. While pressing Mod+Print shortcut saves screenshot to ~/Pictures/screenshots/.
Step 1: Install flameshot.
sudo apt install flameshot
Additional Notes on a Few of the Above TLP Settings
Set amd-pstate_driver mode
CPU_DRIVER_OPMODE_ON_AC=passive
CPU_DRIVER_OPMODE_ON_BAT=passive
The passive setting allows CPU idle clock speeds of 400MHz, disabling “turbo core” and use of the acpi-cpufreq driver to set CPU governor. Reference: amd-pstate.
Set CPU scaling Governor
CPU_SCALING_GOVERNOR_ON_AC=ondemand
CPU_SCALING_GOVERNOR_ON_BAT=conservative
These CPU scaling settings extend battery life. Reference: governors.
-
ondemand= CPU frequency scales depending on the current system load. -
conservative= CPU speed increases more gradually, which is suitable in a battery-powered environment.
Disable CPU boost/turbo
CPU_BOOST_ON_AC=1
CPU_BOOST_ON_BAT=0
This disables CPU boost while on battery, ensuring that the fans remain off during battery use, which results in cooler temperatures and better battery conservation. Reference: Optimizing TLP.
Even with boost disabled (max = 2.7 GHz), single-core performance is still 25% faster than my previous 2012 model laptop (Intel Core i7-4700MQ) with turbo enabled, and Multi-Core performance is more than x2 faster.
Battery Smart Charge and Smart Capacity
START_CHARGE_THRESH_BAT0=50
STOP_CHARGE_THRESH_BAT0=80
These settings limit the laptop’s charging to a maximum of 80% and alert me when the battery drops to 20%. Between 80% and 20% battery levels, I get 7 to 8 hours of usage.
Setting the charge threshold to 50% prevents constant charging and discharging, which increases lifespan. If you use your laptop unplugged, a setting of 5% to 10% below the stop charge threshold is recommended. Example: START_CHARGE_THRESH_BAT0=75. Reference: TLP Battery care.
Connecting to Captive Portal Wi-Fi Networks
If you’re using i3wm (a window manager) instead of a desktop environment, you won’t be able to connect to Wi-Fi networks like Starbucks, Marriott, etc. The workaround is to run curl -L google.com in terminal, and this will produce an output that includes the URL you need to click or paste into your browser to load the captive portal.
Why didn’t you buy the new Gen 4 T14s AMD?
While the ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 AMD Ryzen 7 laptop may have a slight performance advantage, the combination of a lower price point, less fan noise, cooler thermals, and slightly longer battery life made the Gen 3 model the more suitable choice for me. I found out these drawbacks from YouTube, reading and benchmarks of both CPUs. That said, if you can purchase the Gen 4 for < 10% more than the Gen 3 and don’t mind the increase in fan noise, heat and power draw, then at that price point the upgrade be worth it. The Gen 3 and Gen 4 remain largely identical, the main upgrade the CPU.
Why Kali Linux?
I started using Kali Linux more regularly on a few machines for ~ 5 years now. Although based on Debian Testing, it’s a stable Linux distro maintained by the Kali Linux team. Some advantages of installing Kali Linux as your daily Linux distro are:
-
It’s available without pen-tent tools - Supports installation without penetration testing tools.
-
Based on Debian Testing – Being based on Debian Testing provides access to the latest packages maintained by the Kali team.
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Saves time - Kali Linux is easy to maintain. However, if you have the time to maintain Debian Testing yourself, go for it. Read this first.
-
Rolling release - Unlike most Linux distros that reach end-of-life (EOL) and require upgrading, a rolling release continuously updates without needing a full replacement.
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Debian is one of the oldest and most trusted Linux distros - You’ll gain the advantages of Debian with Kali’s oversight.
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Gain access to the latest desktop environment releases - You can opt to go with the very latest releases of Gnome, KDE, XFCE (default) or others.
In conclusion, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 AMD is a capable business laptop, offering a blend of performance, durability, and portability suitable for Linux users.