The definition of “affordable” in the laptop market has always been subjective, but for years a broad industry consensus held that anything above the $1,000 or €1,000 threshold fell outside that category. That baseline is now being rewritten as component costs climb sharply in the wake of memory and solid-state drive price surges that began in late 2025. In this new landscape, even machines priced above the old ceiling can, depending on their configuration, be considered relatively budget-conscious.
Shifting price brackets in a volatile market
The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL exemplifies this transformation. ThinkBook devices have traditionally been positioned as entry-level business notebooks, usually built around plastic chassis and standard display panels rather than premium metal designs or high-resolution screens. Prior generations typically sold well below the €1,000 mark, but the 2026 reality tells a different story. The review configuration, powered by a Core Ultra 5 processor, a WUXGA panel, a 512 GB SSD, and 32 GB of RAM, currently retails for approximately €1,150 in Germany.
That figure is not out of reach for many customers, yet it no longer feels like an indisputable bargain. A comparison with the direct predecessor underscores how rapidly the pricing floor has moved upward.
A 25 percent leap year-over-year
The previous-generation machine, sold as the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G8 IAL, remains available through various resellers. When matched in a comparable specification—Core Ultra 5, WUXGA LCD, 512 GB SSD, and 32 GB of RAM—that model originally launched at €868. By the time the current ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL arrived, its opening price had already climbed to €1,080, reflecting an increase of roughly 25 percent. Since then, tags have drifted higher still, and the trajectory suggests further rises in the months ahead.
Despite these pressures, the ThinkBook line retains its standing as one of the more accessible ways to procure a laptop with 32 GB of memory. The rapid inflation of component costs, however, raises a broader question for consumers: at what exact price does a budget-class laptop stop deserving the label “affordable”?