Benchmarks: Power, Temp and Noise
It is fascinating to see two similar laptops take such a different approach to cooling. The goal on the AMD-based T495s is to lower temps and maintain high frequencies, whereas the Intel is happy to run warm with little in the way of fan activity. During use, the T490s chassis does get noticeably warmer, but not uncomfortably so.
What's more important on a laptop, lower temps, or lower noise? That's a case of personal preference, but we must admit to being impressed at just how quiet the T490s is. Lenovo's Core i7 machine is practically silent when idle and remains suitably quiet when the going gets tough.