Workstation laptops have historically been dominated by Intel processors and to this day most large workstation laptops use Intel chips. Over the past few years, AMD has slowly but surely begun to reduce Intel’s monopoly.
Case in point: Lenovo’s ThinkPad P series workstation laptops. Lenovo has started offering its compact 14-inch model ThinkPad P14s with Ryzen-CPU in 2020. Last year Lenovo expanded the lineup to include the larger ThinkPad P16 (available for $1,300 on Amazon) as well as the thicker budget workstation ThinkPad P15v Gen 3. While the P14 and P16 featured low-power U-series processors, the ThinkPad P15v was AMD’s first H-class processor workstation.
So it makes sense that Lenovo is updating this portfolio with the latest Ryzen Pro processors: ThinkPad P14s Gen 4 and ThinkPad P16s Gen 2 will launch with AMD Ryzen 7040U processors, while the new ThinkPad P16v AMD, the successor to the P15v, will be released with Ryzen 7040HS and the optional dedicated Nvidia RTX 2000 Ada.
The P14 and P16 favor mobility and reduced weight. These ultrabook type workstations do not have the option of a dedicated GPU when equipped with Ryzen processors. Instead, they rely on integrated Radeon 700M graphics. New this year are 2.8K (P14s) and 4K (P16s) OLED options, 5-megapixel webcams, and RAM is upgraded to LPDDR5X. The maximum RAM capacity offered is now 64 GB instead of 32 GB, but the RAM on these two models is soldered. In addition, both models now have a USB4 port, which the predecessors P14s G3 AMD and P16s G1 AMD did not offer.
The thicker and heavier ThinkPad P16v offers a more powerful dual-fan cooling system, enabling more powerful HS processors and dedicated Nvidia RTX GPUs. It has two SO-DIMM slots for up to 64 GB of DDR4 memory. The ThinkPad P16v won’t come with an OLED display, but it does have a 4K IPS option with up to 800 cd/m² of brightness, one of the brightest displays offered on any ThinkPad laptop to date. . Unlike smaller models, it can accommodate up to two M.2 2280 SSDs at the same time, even offering RAID 0/1. And the ThinkPad P16v offers an SD card slot and a big 90WH battery. Unlike the smaller models, it no longer has an RJ45 port. The P16v also relies on a proprietary Lenovo Slim tip charger, while the P14 and P16 use USB C PD charging.
Lenovo ThinkPad AMD 2023 Workstation: Availability
The new Lenovo ThinkPad workstation with AMD processors is expected to be released in September 2023.
I was an avid reader of Notebookcheck’s laptop reviews even in school. After writing reviews as a hobby, I then joined Notebookcheck in 2016 and have been working on device reviews and news articles ever since. My personal interest lies more in laptops than smartphones, with business laptops being the most interesting category for me. Technology should make our lives and work easier and good laptops are an essential tool for that to happen. This is why laptop reviews are not only my job, but also my passion.
