Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 (Intel) upgrades
Released 2025 · on sale · supported until Nov. 15, 2031
Specs are for the Intel variant (type 21SR) per Lenovo PSREF; the requested 21TQ/21TR are AMD-variant designations and were not verified here - check your exact MTM on PSREF. CPU is soldered (BGA mobile parts: Raptor Lake U/H, Meteor Lake, Arrow Lake, Lunar Lake) - no CPU socket or upgrade path. Upgrade options vary significantly by CPU platform: Lunar Lake configs have soldered 16/32GB LPDDR5X-8533 (not upgradable) and a single M.2 2280 slot. No 2.5"/SATA bay and no card reader listed in the sources.
Upgrade guide → What fits, step by step, and official documents.
- 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (non-Lunar Lake configs): 2 × DDR5 SO-DIMM · up to 64 GB total · 5600 MT/s
- 1x M.2 2242 + 1x M.2 2280 NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x4): 2 × SSD M.2 2242 / M.2 2280 (NVMe) · up to 1.024 TB
2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (non-Lunar Lake configs) 2 × DDR5 SO-DIMM · up to 64 GB total · 5600 MT/s
2 slots only on Raptor Lake U/H, Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake configs. Raptor Lake U runs DDR5-5600 modules at 5200. 64GB (2x32GB) is 'special bid only' per Lenovo; retail configs top out lower. Lunar Lake configs have NO slots (16/32GB soldered) - check your CPU platform before buying RAM.
| $/GB | Price | Capacity | Product | Condition | Store | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12.81 | $204.95 | 16 GB | Crucial 16GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM DDR5-4800 CL40 SO-DIMM | New | eBay US +2 | View deal |
| $13.97 | $446.99 | 2 × 16 GB | Crucial 32GB Kit (2 × 16GB) DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM DDR5-5600 CL46 SO-DIMM | New | eBay US +2 | View deal |
| $15.62 | $249.99 | 16 GB | Crucial 16GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM DDR5-4800 CL40 SO-DIMM | Used | eBay US +2 | View deal |
1x M.2 2242 + 1x M.2 2280 NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x4) 2 × SSD M.2 2242 / M.2 2280 (NVMe) · up to 1.024 TB
2 slots only on Raptor Lake/Meteor Lake/Arrow Lake configs: one 2242 (ships populated, factory Opal 2.0) and one 2280 (left empty for user self-expansion). Both PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe. Lunar Lake configs have only ONE 2280 slot. 1TB per slot is Lenovo-validated; larger third-party drives may work but are unverified. Match drive length to slot - 2242 vs 2280 confusion is the common mistake.
| $/TB | Price | Capacity | Product | Condition | Store | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $124.99 | $124.99 | 1 TB | Kingston NV3 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen4 | Used | eBay US +2 | View deal |
| $133.98 | $133.98 | 1 TB | Crucial P3 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe (Gen3) M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen3 | Used | eBay US +1 | View deal |
| $148.00 | $148.00 | 1 TB | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen3 | Used | eBay US +2 | View deal |
| $150.00 | $150.00 | 1 TB | Samsung 990 PRO 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen4 | Used | eBay US +1 | View deal |
| $159.99 | $159.99 | 1 TB | Kingston NV3 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen4 | New | eBay US +2 | View deal |
| $198.00 | $198.00 | 1 TB | Crucial P3 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe (Gen3) M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen3 | New | eBay US +2 | View deal |
| $200.00 | $200.00 | 1 TB | Samsung 990 PRO 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen4 | New | eBay US +2 | View deal |
| $230.00 | $230.00 | 1 TB | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD · NVMe Gen3 | New | eBay US +2 | View deal |