Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra Review (i9-12900/RTX A2000)

The Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra is a extremely compact workstation that mixes the portability of enormous workstation laptops with Desktop-level efficiency. The target market is professionals working within the area, capturing or creating knowledge on-site, or working in a cellular studio the place it’s doable to drive probably giant screens however the place engineers are nonetheless anticipated to journey with the pc.

Specifications Overview

Our particular evaluation unit got here with the next configuration: twelfth gen Intel Core i9-12900 (8P + 8E cores), NVIDIA RTX A2000 GPU, 1x 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4×4, 32GB SO-DIMM DDR5-4000 RAM. At current, it prices $2833 at B&H Photo, and you may browse different configurations at Lenovo.com.

In its configurator, Lenovo has many CPU choices, going all the way in which right down to the twelfth Gen Intel Core i3, and GPUs going all the way in which as much as the NVIDIA RTX A5000 cellular GPU, so there’s a configuration for everybody, and costs begin at $1200 for the bottom configurations.

Since it’s a workstation, it’s doable to put in as much as 128GB of RAM (ECC or not, quick access), and the SODIMM slots are fairly accessible. Storage-wise, it’s doable to put in two M.2 SSD drives (2x 4TB max, RAID 0/1 doable) and one 2.5″ SATA drive (1TB) for a complete of three storage units.

There are a few PCIe enlargement slots, in case you wish to add extra playing cards (test in the event that they match): one PCIe 4.0 x 16 and one PCIe 3.0 x 4.

Industrial design

The compact nature of the ThinkStation P360 Ultra and its efficiency “per Lbs” or “per Volume” is the primary attraction right here. As we talked about within the introduction, the best buyer is likely to be touring with this laptop, and it’s nice as a result of it may simply slot in a backpack or a small pelican case.

The laptop has handed 10 MIL-STD-810H navy transport checks, which most desktops are by no means subjected to. I’ve had conditions the place heavy desktop parts like CPU heatsinks acquired broken throughout transport as a result of they don’t seem to be designed for transportation shocks after meeting.

That stated, we’ve additionally heard about many potential customers who like the concept of constructing a neat workplace and would use this laptop to interchange a strong laptop computer because it has higher upgradability and might drive extra shows.

The ThinkStation P360 Ultra is likely to be extra inexpensive than a workstation laptop computer with the same function set and pace (just like the ThinkPad P15). If you’re going to make use of a laptop computer as a set workstation, this could possibly be a compelling argument.

As an ultra-compact desktop laptop, the P360 Ultra incorporates a large benefit over explicit laptops concerning cooling. As such, it may use highly effective parts such because the 125W TDP Intel Core i9-12900 CPU.

But like its laptop computer counterparts, it does use many cellular parts, reminiscent of laptop computer DDR5 RAM, GPU chips, and so forth. A full-on desktop would come on high in sheer efficiency and cooling however can be much less moveable. Even SFF PCs are noticeably greater, however they will use off-the-shelf GPUs and parts, which isn’t at all times the case for this laptop.

It’s doable to open the pc and entry the internals with none instruments, because of an ingenious lever that unlocks the outer shell from the primary chassis. More particulars on this official video that reveals it properly:

Ports

One vital benefit of a desktop laptop is the variety of ports, and the ThinkStation P360 Ultra doesn’t disappoint right here. My solely criticism is the dearth of HDMI ports. In the entrance, you could have the next ports:

And within the rear:

There’s additionally built-in WIFI entry, and the pc comes with an antenna that you simply screw into the again. I might have most well-liked a built-in antenna within the chassis, however it’s okay. The wired choice is there if you need most networking efficiency and decrease latency.

Large PSU

It’s truthful to say that the exterior PSU is without doubt one of the explanation why the ThinkStation P360 Ultra is so compact in comparison with a mid-size tower with an built-in PSU. The 300W PSU is fairly giant and heavy. Its measurement is much like high-wattage gaming laptops, so there’s nothing new right here, and you could carry it wherever you go.

That stated, there’s no query this manner issue is far more suited to transportation than different desktop workstation designs, because it simply suits right into a backpack. For instance, the MSI GE76 Raider 12U high-performance gaming laptop computer is about 25% smaller than the Thinkstation P360 Ultra in whole quantity however weighs 61% extra.

Laptops have an built-in show and a battery, so it’s not an apples-to-apples comparability. Still, the ThinkStation P360 Ultra is constructed for mobility use circumstances the place screens shall be out there on-site.

Also notice that the TS P360 Ultra weight ranges from 3.96 lbs to 7.94 lbs relying on the chosen configuration, add-ons, and so forth. This distinction may be seen within the official product data sheet and the detailed specifications.

Performance

Since efficiency/measurement or efficiency/weight is a robust promoting level, let’s run some key benchmarks to see the place this laptop computer is positioned.

We have the twelfth gen Intel Core i9-12900 CPU choice (max. is the i9-12900K), however our GPU (the cellular RTX A2000) is way from the quickest one you may get on this laptop (as much as RTX A5000), so hold that in thoughts as a result of it’s doable to tweak the value/pace ratio. The extra inexpensive NVIDIA T400 GPU can also be out there.

For reference, the RTX A2000 graphics efficiency is between the RTX 3050 and 3060, whereas the RTX A5000 is roughly equal to the RTX 3080. We’re referring to the cellular model of those chips since that’s what Lenovo makes use of within the ThinkStation P360 Ultra.

From a CPU perspective, our unit performs properly in benchmarks like Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5. The MSI GE76 Raider 12U comparability reveals what to anticipate should you improve our i9-12900 to the i9-12900HK, as discovered within the MSI laptop.

At the identical time, the TS P360 Ultra CPU efficiency “per Lbs” is even higher than laptops, because of its compact design, devoid of show and battery. You could possibly be carrying critical CPU energy in your backpack or carry-on.

For graphics purposes which are GPU-reliant purposes, the PCMark 10 Creative benchmark is attention-grabbing to take a look at. They are typically a mixture of CPU and GPU workloads, largely CPU.

For pure 3D efficiency, we will observe the cellular RTX A2000 performing under the RTX 3060 (Concept D5) and considerably slower than the RTX 3080 (MSI GE76). At the identical time, it possesses all of the options present in that technology of GPUs, together with the flexibility to run the newest AI workloads in at this time’s imaging and video purposes.

The ThinkStation can drive as much as 8 screens by way of 4 built-in mini-DP on the discrete GPU and three full-size DP ports plus the USB-C connector linked to the built-in graphics unit. It can also be vital to do not forget that, in contrast to laptops, there isn’t a passthrough between discrete and built-in graphics models. Therefore, it’s best to plan on having your main show related to the discrete GPU by way of mini-DP.

The ThinkStation P360 Ultra’s SSD efficiency is superb and on par with different workstations and Creative-oriented computer systems. The main distinction with high-end laptops is that you may pack as much as 9TB of storage throughout two M.2 and one 2.5″ drive.

Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra gives an excellent answer with immense configuration flexibility for professionals and engineers who want a extremely cellular workstation. Wealthy lovers may additionally symbolize a small market however see this as an enterprise product.

The desktop nature of the chassis offers it vital thermal cooling and extra enlargement choices than comparably moveable laptops. This laptop design is extra engaging and practically at all times extra performant and cost-efficient than competing SFF workstations such because the HP Z2 G9 Small Form Factor Workstation or the Dell Precision Compact Form Factor.

The workstation parts, such because the NVIDIA RTX A-Series or T-Series graphics models, additionally include ISV-certified software program that may be a must-have for some workflows.

Enterprises will respect the standard Lenovo safety features and administration instruments, which consumer-minded lovers usually overlook. Things like Premier Support, Accidental Damage Protection, and Warranty Extensions are potential sway elements for IT departments.

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