Lenovo · 2024
Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6 (AMD)
A 719 dollar ThinkPad with a great keyboard, a SO-DIMM slot, and an all-AMD Rembrandt chip that just works on Linux. The panel is a dim 300-nit 1200p and the CPU is a generation old. For a cheap, repairable Linux box that is the trade.
Compiled from public sources and community data, not hands-on tested. What that means.
Best on ubuntu LTS. Confidence: high
Scores
Specs
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS |
|---|---|
| GPU | AMD Radeon 680M (integrated) |
| RAM | 16 GB (slotted) |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Screen | 14" 1920x1200 @ 60Hz |
| Weight | 1.41 kg |
| Battery (real) | ~9 h |
Linux compatibility
- ubuntu-lts Minor setup
- Wi-Fi
- works
- Bluetooth
- works
- Fingerprint
- needs tweak
- Webcam
- works
- Audio
- works
- Suspend
- works
- fedora Minor setup
- Wi-Fi
- works
- Bluetooth
- works
- Fingerprint
- needs tweak
- Webcam
- works
- Audio
- works
- Suspend
- works
ubuntu-lts: The 7735HS is Rembrandt, a generation old and well baked into mainline. Ubuntu 24.04 installs clean, Radeon 680M works on the amdgpu Mesa stack, audio and webcam are fine. The fingerprint reader is the usual ThinkPad coin toss: some units carry a Synaptics sensor libfprint handles, others do not, so treat it as a tweak, not a given. One SO-DIMM slot plus soldered RAM, so it does take a memory bump, unlike most thin-and-lights here.
fedora: All-AMD and a year-old SoC means Fedora is uneventful. The only thing to check is the fingerprint sensor model before relying on it.