Lenovo announces new business workstations in its ThinkPad series, riding the AI marketing wave. With the higher-end ThinkPad P1, Lenovo is also switching to a new type of RAM.
Lenovo announces four new workstations within the ThinkStation P1 series. As with every personal computer ad, the marketing term “AI PC” is waved around eagerly, no matter how little it actually means. The ThinkPad P16v i Gen 2, P16s i Gen 3, and P14s i Gen 5 are “AI ready” according to the manufacturer, while the top model ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 is billed as a full AI PC. This announcement comes just days after the launch of the new ThinkCentre desktop computers.
Lenovo backs up this claim by having an Intel Core Ultra processor with an integrated NPU. It's the NVIDIA RTX 3000 Ada GPU that should mainly make the difference. The NPU handles light AI-driven tasks, so the GPU can focus on the heavier work. So the ThinkPad P1 should be able to handle a variety of tasks with ease, from 3D modeling to AI inference.
Memory scoop
AI marketing aside, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7's most distinctive feature may be its memory. For the first time, Lenovo dares to abandon the familiar DDR5 standard and switch to CAMM2 memory. The working memory is no longer soldered to the motherboard, but is placed in a replaceable module.
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The advantage of CAMMM2 is that it takes up less space on the motherboard and consumes less power, up to sixty percent less according to Lenovo. One drawback is that current CAMMM2 modules are limited to 64GB. Thus, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 offers less RAM than other models in the series, which are still based on classic DDR5 memory (max. 96GB). The workstation makes up for this with up to 8TB of storage.
The ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 also features a liquid metal thermal design for improved cooling performance. The 16-inch display features a 16:10 aspect ratio in various configurations, from FHD+ IPS (60 Hz, 400 nits) to QHD+ IPS (165 Hz, 500 nits) and a UHD+ OLED option (60 Hz, 400 nits). This is the only WiFi 7 compatible laptop.
ThinkPad P16v, P16s and P14s
The ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 is flanked by the P16v i Gen 2, P16s i Gen 3, and P14s i Gen 5. Popular features include an Intel Core Ultra processor, Nvidia Ada GPU, and Wifi 6E compatibility.
P16v is a step higher on the ladder. This model also has a 16-inch display, which is configurable up to UHD+ IIPS, 60Hz, and 800 nits. It differs from the P16s with a larger battery (90 Wh) and more storage space (up to 4TB). The P16s and P14s are almost identical under the hood, but the P16s has a 16-inch display versus the 14-inch on the P14s.
Prices and availability
The four new models will launch in the US this spring, with the following suggested retail prices for base configurations:
- ThinkPad P1 7th generation: $2,619
- ThinkPad P16v i Gen 2: $2,279
- ThinkPad P16s i Gen 3: $1,859
- ThinkPad P14s i Gen 5: $1,829.
We asked Lenovo about pricing and availability in Benelux and Europe. We will update this article as soon as we receive a response.
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