Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2) review: Outdated looks hide high-end workstation performance and features

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Central

Lenovo's ThinkPad P15 saw a refresh to the second generation earlier this year, which mainly focused on modernizing internal hardware. These mobile workstations are intended for power users who need utmost performance on the get, and they include plenty of ISV certifications, NVIDIA Quadro graphics, and Intel Xeon processor options for specialized work. I've been putting the P15 (Gen 2) through its paces for the last calendar week to see where it excels and whether it's worth the money.

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen ii)

Bottom line: The ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2) is big in every manner. It volition appeal to professionals who need plenty of overhead performance and space inside for hardware upgrades, but information technology fails in a few ways to keep up with the modern workstation market.

Pros

Tons of performance overhead
Durable build with MIL-STD 810G certification
Comfy keyboard, loud audio
Space inside for heavy upgrades
ISV certifications for major software

Cons

Chunky design looks outdated
Thick display bezel
Expensive
Fans run loud, some throttling nether load
720p camera

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2): Price, availability, and specs

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Fundamental

Lenovo supplied Windows Central with a review unit of measurement of the ThinkPad P15 (Gen ii). It has inside an 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11950H vPro processor (CPU), 32GB of dual-channel DDR4-3200 RAM, 1TB Grand.2 PCIe 4.0 solid-state drive (SSD), and an NVIDIA Quadro RTX A5000 graphics card (GPU). There are iv total SODIMM slots for RAM, with support for up to 128GB. There are ECC and non-ECC RAM options for those who need information technology. Storage is enough fast thanks to the PCIe 4.0 standard, and there are iii total Yard.2 slots inside for futurity upgrades.

Compared to the beginning-gen P15, Gen 2 models include Thunderbolt 4, 11th Gen Intel CPUs, updated NVIDIA RTX and Quadro RTX options, and a new 4K OLED display option.

My specific review model as configured costs about $vii,102 at Lenovo, simply is heavily discounted down to about $4,120 with a temporary (but frequent) eCoupon. These laptops don't come cheap. As a baseline, models with an i5-11500H CPU, 8GB of single-channel RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe four.0 SSD, NVIDIA T1200 GPU, and bones FHD display without Dolby Vision costs almost $1,600.

Lenovo's official site is where yous'll find the about configuration options, though you can also find specific models at major online retailers similar Amazon and Newegg.

Post-obit are the exact specs every bit found in my review unit.

Category	Spec
OS	Windows ten Pro
Processor	11th Gen Intel Core i9-11950H vPro viii cores, 16 threads Upward to 5.0GHz
RAM	32GB DDR4-3200 Dual-channel Not-ECC Upgradeable Four SODIMM slots available
Graphics	NVIDIA Quadro RTX A5000 16GB GDDR6 VRAM
Storage	1TB Thou.2 PCIe 40 NVMe SSD Upgradeable Three M.two slots available
Display	fifteen.six inches 1920x1080 (FHD) xvi:9 attribute ratio IPS, anti-glare Dolby Vision
Ports	Two Thunderbolt iv Two USB-A iii.ii (Gen 1) USB-C 3.ii (Gen 2) HDMI ii.i Ethernet SD carte reader 3.5mm audio Nano-SIM
Connectivity	Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 vPro Bluetooth 5.ii
Camera	Front end-facing 720p IR camera Shutter
Sound	Dual stereo speakers Dolby Atmos
Keyboard	Backlit Spill-resistant 1.8mm fundamental travel
Touchpad	Precision TrackPoint
Security	dTPM 2.0 Kensington lock slot Smart Carte du jour reader (optional) Fingerprint reader IR camera Webcam shutter
Bombardment	94Wh
Dimensions	14.24 10 ix.67 x 0.96-1.24 inches (375.4mm x 252.3mm x 24.5-31.45mm)
Weight	6.32 pounds (two.87kg)
Color	Black
Fabric	Top: PPS/fifty% GF Bottom: PA/50% GF

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2): What I like

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Central

The ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2) hasn't inverse much physically compared to the outset generation. It'due south still a recognizable ThinkPad with black finish that smudges hands, and it's still using a plastic hybrid material for the chassis. The good news here is that it feels incredibly solid, up to the usual standard nosotros expect from Lenovo's business lineup. It has undergone MIL-STD 810G immovability testing to ensure it can withstand fairly extreme environments, and I might be more worried near the floor than the laptop if information technology was dropped.

There's a ton of room for ports along the sides and back, and the layout is the same equally the previous generation. The Air conditioning adapter plug, dual Thunderbolt 4 (an upgrade from TB3), Ethernet, and a USB-C 3.2 port live along the back to assistance with cable management. The left side has HDMI 2.i, USB-A iii.2, iii.5mm audio, and a Nano-SIM slot that'due south but bachelor on models configured with 4G LTE. The right side has some other USB-A 3.2, SD card reader, and a Kensington lock slot. Information technology'southward nice to meet the reader accept a card fully to be flush with the laptop's border, reducing risk of damage.

For connectivity, you have Intel Wi-Fi 6E every bit standard, with Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless accessories. There's as well a 2.5GbE port for Ethernet. And if you do demand to stay connected outside of Wi-Fi or Ethernet range, optional 4G LTE is bachelor via a Quectel EM160R WWAN bill of fare with eSIM capabilities.

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Cardinal

The ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2)'south excellent keyboard is capped off past top-firing stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning.

Typing is equally skillful as e'er thanks to the reliable ThinkPad keyboard. The cupped keys have deep one.8mm travel, they're spaced well, and a 3-phase backlight helps with working after hours. You get a full number pad hither, likewise as defended navigation and advice keys. Non having to use the Fn cardinal to access Domicile, Cease, Insert, and the rest of the nav keys is ideal on a laptop with productivity in mind.

Above the keyboard is a grille covering dual stereo speakers. They get pleasantly loud, sound is unmuffled thanks to the positioning, and Dolby Atmos tuning is present for a further heave to audio quality. The webcam above the display is flanked by dual far-field microphones for easy conferencing. All models come with a webcam shutter, and you can choose whether you lot desire only a 720p camera or a hybrid setup with IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition. The 720p camera gets the job washed, but at this price it should exist bumped upwardly to 1080p.

The other half of the Windows Hello pairing is a fingerprint reader built into the right-hand palmrest. This being a ThinkPad, you can besides take advantage of a dTPM 2.0 chip, Kensington lock slot, and numerous BIOS security measures.

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Central

The ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2) is all almost delivering a ton of operation in a (relatively) mobile package, but for professionals in specialized fields at that place are also certifications from Independent Software Vendors (ISV). This means the most popular design and development software is guaranteed to work with the P15; a full list of ISV certifications tin can exist found at Lenovo's website.

There is a lot of space inside this laptop for upgrades, including four SODIMM RAM slots and iii Grand.ii SSD slots. Two of the RAM slots and two 1000.2 SSD slots are easily accessible through a small hatch on the lesser of the laptop, making for piece of cake upgrades. Y'all can go ECC and non-ECC retentivity from the manufactory, and the SSDs come with Opal2 security. If you are looking to upgrade the laptop yourself, note that the Wi-Fi card, third and fourth SODIMM RAM slots, and 3rd K.2 SSD slot are accessible only by removing the keyboard.

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Fundamental

Considering you can go similar performance in a much thinner laptop, the P15 (Gen ii) seems to be firmly aimed at those who want to be able to upgrade a system to exist truly strong. The cooling system is chunky with dual fans and a plethora of oestrus pipes, just the laptop nevertheless runs hot and throttles upwardly to twenty% under full load. Those two fans are also quite loud when spun up, hitting between l and 60 decibels at full tilt. This isn't a laptop you'll want to actually utilize in your lap either, as the bottom panel gets toasty.

All things considered, my review unit of measurement put upwards huge performance numbers in criterion testing. The Core i9 didn't shell the Core i7 in the ThinkPad X1 Farthermost (Gen four) for Cinebench R23 nor did it vanquish the Core i7 in the Dell XPS 17 (9710) in Geekbench 5. Interestingly, these laptops are both significantly thinner than the P15 (Gen two).

Storage speeds are excellent thanks to the PCIe iv.0 standard, and the 94Wh battery managed a surprising eight hours and 42 minutes in PCMark 10's Mod Function rundown test. Of form, running the system near total load is going to sap that upshot significantly, especially if yous have a model with UHD or OLED display. If you foresee a heavy workload, you lot all-time pack the AC adapter with you when yous leave for the function.

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2): What I don't like

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Cardinal

1 of the main issues nigh people are likely going to take with the ThinkPad P15 is its size. This laptop looks similar information technology'southward directly out of the early on 2022s, with a chassis measuring one.24 inches at its thickest signal and weighing more than six pounds. It's a mobile workstation, but not ane that you'll really want to slip into a backpack on a daily basis. The myriad upgrade options are a good reason for something this size, but no uncertainty only for a select group of people.

The laptop's size could be better excused if the display didn't also look as dated. Bezel is extremely thick, and the screen is still using a xvi:ix aspect ratio despite many ThinkPads moving upward to a taller 16:x aspect ratio. In that location's plenty of room in the lid for a larger display; if the P15 gets a tertiary generation, this is a necessary upgrade.

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Central

At that place are 4 15.6-inch brandish options for the P15 (Gen 2), starting with a basic FHD resolution, 300 nits brightness, and 100% sRGB color. I have the adjacent step up in the review unit, an FHD display with near 530 maximum nits as tested, Dolby Vision, and 100% sRGB color as tested. AdobeRGB striking just 77% and DCI-P3 hit merely 79% reproduction. With the anti-glare finish and the 500+ nits brightness, you should be able to work outdoors without much upshot.

You tin can also go a manifestly UHD screen with 600 nits effulgence and 100% AdobeRGB or an OLED UHD touch screen with HDR 500, 100% DCI-P3 color, and anti-reflective finish. Both UHD models take Dolby Vision and X-Rite Pantone color calibration. With these options, anyone who'south working with specialized software that requires accurate color outside the sRGB range will need to spend more on i of the UHD displays.

While the keyboard is first-class, the touchpad just looks undersized. The physical TrackPoint buttons take up some of the vertical space, but at that place's plenty of room not being utilized for a much wider touchpad.

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2): Competition

HP ZBook Studio G8. Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

Lenovo'due south ThinkPad P1 (Gen 4) mobile workstation besides received a contempo refresh, and anyone looking for similar security features, specialized performance, and ISV certifications will definitely want to requite it some consideration. It'south much thinner and lighter, it has an FHD camera, there are tons of ports, yous get NVIDIA Quadro and Intel Xeon hardware options, and it runs on a big 90Wh battery.

ECC RAM is available in the P1 (Gen 4), though there are merely two SODIMM RAM slots. PCIe four.0 storage is available, though in that location are just two M.ii slots for upgrades. The P1 also received the new 16:x display options, significantly reducing bezel size and providing more overall screen space. Prices are similar (read: expensive).

The HP ZBook Studio G8 is a loftier-end mobile workstation worth checking out. It's significantly thinner than the P1, it weighs less, and it has a ton of specialized functioning hardware available. The display is still using a 16:nine attribute ratio, but bezel is much thinner; in that location are FHD and UHD options available. If you'd like a laptop with a far more mod look and the power to keep up with your workload, the ZBook Studio G8 might only exist the i. Similar the P1, it doesn't come inexpensive.

Accept a await at our drove of the best Windows laptops for plenty more than options for all use cases.

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2): Should you buy?

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2 Review Source: Windows Central

Yous should buy this if …

Your workload necessitates ISV certifications from major software vendors
You demand a laptop that tin exist extensively upgraded for heavy workloads
You don't mind a laptop's size as long as it can keep up performance-wise

You shouldn't buy this if …

You often commute with your laptop
You hate the look of thick bezel on a modern PC
You lot're non prepared to spend thousands of dollars

The ThinkPad P15 (Gen ii) is a laptop fabricated for power users who value above all else extensive customization options, good battery life, and high-end performance for specialized work. It tin can keep upwardly with a heavy workload thank you to four SODIMM RAM slots, 3 M.2 SSD slots, NVIDIA RTX and Quadro RTX GPUs, and Intel Core or Xeon CPUs, plus it has a load of ISV certifications for working with specialized software.

Due to its size and price, this laptop isn't likely going to appeal to those outside of the workstation bubble. And fifty-fifty then, you tin get similar functioning and features from much thinner laptops with more impressive displays. Lenovo'southward ain ThinkPad P1 (Gen 4) is likely going to entreatment to a lot more people, and HP's ZBook Studio lineup is truly impressive. If the ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2) ran quieter and not quite as hot, the size statement would be easier to brand.

I would have liked this laptop a lot more if the screen didn't have massive bezels, the camera was 1080p, and it didn't run so hot or then loud despite the significant dual-fan cooling arrangement inside. Third-gen P15 models will demand more just a functioning refresh to stay relevant in the mobile workstation space.

Lenovo Thinkpad P15 Gen2

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2)

Lenovo's ThinkPad P15 (Gen 2) delivers on specialized performance and configuration options, but its feature set and overall design leaves a lot to be desired.

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