When it comes to business laptops, few brands are as widely recognized as Lenovo's ThinkPads. These are iconic laptops for work and they get all the basics right. For 2022, Lenovo introduced the ThinkPad T14 Gen 3, the latest in its more mainstream-oriented lineup of laptops, and it comes with some major upgrades, including new processors, a taller screen, and a better webcam. One thing business laptops are also known for is their repairability and serviceability, and if you plan on replacing the battery in the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, you're in luck.

According to Lenovo, you can technically replace the battery in the ThinkPad T14 Gen 3, though it's not meant to be replaced by the end-user. What you'll need to do is find a compatible battery, and Lenovo hasn't listed a specific part number for the battery yet, so it may be hard to find. Once you do, though, you can replace it yourself relatively easily.

What you'll need

Before you get started with replacing anything inside your computer, it's important to make sure you're ready to do it safely. Opening the laptop is fairly easy and all you should need is a Philips screwdriver, but you can always buy an iFixit toolkit to get a few more tools that might come in handy for other electronics. Another thing that's important is avoiding electrostatic discharges, so it might help to buy an anti-static wrist strap you can wear during the process. You'll also want to make sure you're working on a clean surface without fabric that can generate static electricity.

As for the battery itself, the laptop comes with either a 39.3Whr or a 52.5 Whr battery out of the box, so you'll probably want to look for one that has the same capacity as your original model. You can keep an eye on Lenovo's parts lookup page to find the right part number to look for. That should make it easier to find it online.

Finally, before you get started, you're going to want to disable the battery to avoid any current going through your system while working on it. Here's how you can do that:

  • Open the Control Panel in Windows (the easier way to do it is to search for it in the Start menu search bar).
  • Click Power options and then click Choose what the power buttons do on the left-side menu.
  • Here, click Show options that are currently unavailable. You'll need to have administrator privileges to click Yes in the prompt window that appears.
  • Uncheck the Turn on fast startup box, then click Save changes.
    Windows Control Panel with fast startup disabled
  • Restart your PC and press F1 on your keyboard immediately when you see the Lenovo logo in order to access the UEFI BIOS settings.
  • Go to the Config section, then choose Power, and finally Disable built-in battery. Confirm your changes and the laptop will turn off.

Once this is all done, unplug the charger from the laptop and let it rest for a few minutes before getting started.

Replacing the battery in the ThinkPad T14 Gen 3

Once you have done all the preparation steps, replacing the battery is actually a very straightforward process. Here's how to do it:

  • Lay the laptop with the lid facing down and the hinge facing away from you. If your model has a SIM card tray, start by removing it.
  • Use the Philips screwdriver to remove the seven screws holding the base cover in place. Lift the base cover from the top to remove it.
    Illustration shwoing how to remove the base cover on ThinkPad T14
  • The battery is at the bottom of the laptop. Remove the six screws holding the battery down. You should be able to lift the battery from its compartment.
    Illustration showing how to remove the internal battery of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3
  • Take your new battery and re-insert in the same position as the original one.
  • Use the six screws to hold the battery in place again. Be careful not to overtighten the screws, as it can damage the motherboard.
  • Put the base cover back in place and tighten the seven screws to hold it together. Again, be careful not to overtighten.

And that's about it for what you need to know about replacing the battery on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3. The biggest challenge right now is finding the right battery because the laptop is very new and repair parts haven't become very widely available yet. The repair process itself is fairly simple as long as you follow the precautions. Once you've finished the whole process, you'll want to go back into your BIOS settings to re-enable the battery, otherwise you can't use the laptop unless it's plugged into an outlet.

If you haven't yet, you can buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 using the link below. At writing time, only the Intel model is available to buy, and the AMD model is planned to be available in June. Both models have the lates hardware from each respective company, and they could be some of the best laptops you can buy this year, especially if you just want a reliable laptop for work. You can always check out the best ThinkPads you can buy today if you'd like to check out some other options.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 is a business laptop powered by Intel 12th-gen or AMD Ryzen 6000 processors. It has a 16:10 display, lots of ports, and it nails all the basics for businesses.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 is a business laptop powered by Intel 12th-gen or AMD Ryzen 6000 processors. It has a 16:10 display, lots of ports, and it nails all the basics for businesses.