As good as a mobile workstation gets
Lenovo’s ThinkPad P15 scored highly in our mobile workstation reviews, but in case you haven’t heard, 15.6-inch laptops are so last decade. The new ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 (starts at $1,639; an eye-popping $6,521.99 as tested) makes the fashionable move to a slightly larger 16-inch screen with a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, while making room for the latest CPU and GPU silicon as well as top-shelf expandability and connectivity. This is a heavy, and hellishly expensive, laptop, but it’s hard to imagine a more powerful professional notebook for 3D design, CGI rendering, data analysis, machine learning, or 4K video editing. The mighty P16 narrowly edges out the MSI CreatorPro X17 as our new Editors’ Choice pick among laptop workstations, though MSI’s is admittedly a better bargain at $1,600 less (in its tested configuration).Overkill for Almost Any Application
Loaded with independent software vendor (ISV) certifications for professional programs, the ThinkPad P16 starts at $1,639 on Lenovo.com for a model with a 12th Generation Core i5 processor, a pro-grade 4GB Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB NVMe solid-state drive, and a 1,920-by-1,200-pixel IPS display. The price streaks upward like a runaway rocket as you add options: Our review unit, model 21D6009LUS, is $6,521.99 at CDW (and anywhere from $5,779 to $8,646 at other resellers).
That sizable investment buys you Intel’s colossal Core i9-12950HX CPU (eight Performance cores, eight Efficient cores, 24 threads, vPro management tech), 64GB of memory, a 2TB SSD, and a 3,840-by-2,400-pixel Dolby Vision IPS non-touch display backed by Nvidia’s 16GB RTX A5500. The DisplayHDR 400 screen carries X-Rite Pantone factory color calibration.
The RAM and storage ceilings are 128GB and 8TB respectively, with error-correcting-code (ECC) memory available with some processors. An in-between (2,560-by-1,600) IPS screen is available, as is a 3,840-by-2,400-pixel OLED touch panel. Wi-Fi 6E and Windows 11 Pro are standard.
A shade lighter than ThinkPads’ usual matte black—Lenovo calls it Storm Gray—the P16 Gen 1 combines an aluminum (with a trace of magnesium) top and a plastic-and-glass-fiber bottom. It’s a bruiser at 1.2 by 14.3 by 10.5 inches (HWD) and 6.4 pounds. A less expandable rival 16-inch workstation, the HP ZBook Studio G9, is way thinner at 0.76 by 14 by 9.5 inches and 3.8 pounds. The P16’s screen bezels are medium-slim—Lenovo cites an 83.4% screen-to-body ratio—with a sliding webcam shutter in the top bezel. The laptop’s face recognition webcam, and a fingerprint reader in the power button, give you two ways to skip typing passwords with Windows Hello.
Except for lacking an Ethernet port, this ThinkPad is well connected. The left side holds two USB 3.2 ports—one always-on Type-A, one Type-C—along with an audio jack and a nano SIM slot for optional 4G LTE. SmartCard and SD card slots join another USB-A 3.2 port and a Kensington lock notch at right. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI monitor port, and the connector for the bulky AC adapter are around back.ThinkPad Elegance Meets Monster-Truck Muscle
Any complaints about the backlit keyboard? Well, our test unit’s F11 key oddly glows brighter than the others, and the Fn and Control keys are arguably in each other’s place at lower left. (You can swap them with the supplied Lenovo Vantage utility.) Otherwise, the P16’s keyboard lives up to ThinkPads’ stellar reputation, with an exemplary layout and a splendid typing feel.
A full-size numeric keypad is included, complete with parentheses keys as well as dedicated Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys—and shortcuts for placing and ending conference calls. Like most ThinkPads, the P16 has two pointing devices, with a TrackPoint mini joystick with three buttons (many ISV apps take advantage of the middle button) above a midsize touchpad with a comfortable click.
