Lenovo ThinkPad 14" X1 Yoga Gen 7 2022, Core i7-1255U, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Silver

A tough, reliable business 2-in-1 that's a steal at $439, as long as you can live with dongles and a mediocre screen.

The 10-core i7-1255U is a mixed bag. For everyday productivity, it's snappy and responsive, and 16GB of LPDDR5 means you can keep a ridiculous number of Chrome tabs open without things grinding to a halt. But the CPU sits in the 38th percentile, which is mediocre for this class. The real surprise is how weak the port situation is, landing in the 11th percentile. For a business laptop, that's a genuine pain point. You'll likely need a dongle just to plug in a standard USB-A mouse and an HDMI cable at the same time.

Against the MacBook Air M4, the X1 Yoga loses on raw performance, battery life, and display quality, but it wins on price and the flexibility of a touchscreen with stylus input. The Surface Laptop 7th Edition is a closer match for the 2-in-1 crowd, but it's significantly more expensive. The HP OmniBook X Flip is another convertible option with better port selection, though you'll pay more for it. If you want the ThinkPad keyboard and durability, this is the budget pick. If you want the best screen and battery, look elsewhere.

At $439 used, this is a solid deal if you need a durable business machine and don't care about gaming or a fancy display. You're getting ThinkPad build quality and a capable productivity setup for less than half the price of a new MacBook Air. But if you need more storage or better ports, you'll spend extra on accessories and adapters, which eats into the savings.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is a business 2-in-1 that knows exactly what it is: a workhorse for spreadsheets, emails, and the occasional Netflix break. The i7-1255U and 16GB of RAM handle office multitasking without breaking a sweat, and that 14-inch touchscreen flips around for tablet mode when you need to scribble on something. But don't expect fireworks. The integrated Iris Xe graphics put gaming firmly in the 'maybe Minesweeper' category, and the port selection is a real letdown for a machine aimed at professionals.

If you're looking for a laptop with a great display or any kind of gaming capability, this isn't it. Go get a MacBook Air M4 or a Surface Laptop instead. And if you need lots of ports without a dongle hanging off the side, look at the HP OmniBook X Flip.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is a no-nonsense business 2-in-1 that nails the basics: solid performance, great keyboard, and a touchscreen that actually works well. The port situation is annoying, and the display is nothing to write home about, but at this price, it's hard to argue with the value. Buy it for work, not for play.