Despite the question mark on its display resolution and connectivity, ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 offers powerful performance at a competitive price.

Cliff has been involved in many computer and technology fields, including PC Magazine and MacUser, and has more than 20 years of experience in the field of technical journalism.

ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 runs Windows 10 Pro on an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and is equipped with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 notebook GPU graphics card, 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. It measures 19.5 mm x 354.6 mm x 252 mm (0.78 inches x 13.96 inches x 9.92 inches) and weighs 1.99 kg.

Lenovo's second-generation update to its ThinkBook 16p was announced at CES in January last year, although it will take some time for it to be available in the United Kingdom and the United States. In fact, after Black Friday, Lenovo’s UK website resumes listing the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 as "coming soon" while waiting for the new inventory, although it is still available from Lenovo’s many third-party distributors.  

This is of course worth paying attention to, because ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 is an attractive 16-inch notebook that combines AMD Ryzen 9 processor and independent GeForce RTX graphics card to provide workstation-level performance at a competitive price Promise of. 

This is not the most fashionable 16-inch laptop, with a rear edge thickness of 19.9 mm (0.78 inches). However, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 weighs only 2 kg (4.4 lbs), which is quite good for a laptop of this size-especially the smart dark gray aluminum case that meets the US military standard MIL-STD-810H Shock and shock resistance. Remember, when you travel, the bulky power adapter will add another 0.7 kg (1.5 lb) to the total weight. 

See also: Chromebook sales are weak, but MacBook sales hit a new record

The ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 is not convertible, but like many Lenovo notebooks, it does allow you to push the screen back 180 degrees to lay it completely flat on the desktop. However, I still don't believe this is useful for anything other than putting the laptop on your lap when you lie down. 

The full-size backlit keyboard includes a separate numeric keyboard and several useful special Fn keys.

The splash-proof keyboard feels stable and comfortable when typing. Lenovo also pays attention to details. There are many special function keys that can mute the microphone during video calls, handle VoIP calls, and even contact Lenovo's network technical support. Lenovo also includes an application called Vantage, which provides many useful diagnostic and productivity features, such as the ability to adjust noise reduction settings for video calls, calibrate the screen, and balance the performance of different locations, fan speed, and battery life. application. 

Lenovo's Vantage application allows you to choose from different performance modes, update drivers, run diagnostics, and more.

ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 did make some compromises to lower the price, especially the 16-inch IPS display. To be fair, the image quality looks very good to the naked eye, with bold colors and a popular anti-glare coating. The narrow bezel makes the display's screen-to-body ratio reach 93%, and its 16:10 aspect ratio ensures that you have enough space to operate on the screen. However, the panel's 2.5K (2560 x 1600 pixels, 188.7ppi) resolution and 400 nit brightness are quite moderate for laptops with high-end graphics performance. This monitor only supports sRGB and Rec.709 color standards, which is suitable for web design and graphics and simple video editing, but may also require creative users who support professional Adobe RGB and/or DCI-P3 standards. 

Many of these users want to use an external monitor when working at home or in the office, but the strange thing is that the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 has neither HDMI nor DisplayPort connectors. It does have two USB-C ports that support DisplayPort video output, but unless you have a new monitor that also uses USB-C, you will need an adapter.  

Right side: 2 USB-C, Kensington lock slots. On the left: headphone/microphone jack, SD card slot. Back: 2x USB-A, power input.

Other connection options include two USB-A (3.2) ports (installed on the back edge of the laptop), a 3.5 mm audio input/output jack and an SD card reader, and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax). However, the wired network does not have Ethernet, and the 720p webcam is a bit disappointing-although it does have a sliding privacy shutter and IR support for Windows Hello facial authentication.

Many Lenovo products offer a "build your own" option, allowing you to choose the exact specifications and components you need. Unfortunately, ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 is not the case. Although Lenovo's website says there are three models equipped with Ryzen 5, 7 and 9 processors, only one model is currently available in the United Kingdom and the United States.

British customers received the top Ryzen 9 model, which we review here. It is priced at £1,551.25 (excluding VAT; 1,861.49 including VAT), equipped with an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, operating at 3.3GHz (up to 4.6GHz when using Max Boost), 32GB of memory and 1TB solid state drive. The price includes a standalone Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 laptop GPU with 6GB of dedicated video memory, although AMD processors also provide their own integrated Radeon graphics card as an energy-saving option when needed.

However, this model is currently not available in the United States. The only option currently on sale is the 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, running at 3.3GHz (Max Boost up to 4.2GHz), and 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 laptop GPU. The standard price of this specification is US$2,129, but the current price is US$1,490.30.

The inclusion of GeForce RTX graphics cards in all three models is popular and certainly represents good value for money, but unfortunately there is no option to upgrade to a higher quality 4K monitor, which will truly allow creative users to take full advantage of ThinkBook 16p. Impressive graphics performance.

The AMD Ryzen 9 processor did not break any records, but it provides very stable performance. Geekbench 5 CPU scores 1,532 (single-core) and 8,389 (multi-core), slightly ahead of competitors' mobile workstations, such as Dell's 8-core Intel Core i9-10885H-based Precision 5750.  

But what really stands out is the GeForce RTX 3060 notebook GPU, which reached 89fps in the Unigine Valley graphics test and 80fps in the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme. These scores make it one of the fastest 3D performances we have seen in recent months-at least in Windows laptops. Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro reached 121fps in the Wild Life Extreme test, thanks to Apple's new M1 Max SoC, which has no less than 10 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores. However, MacBook Pro is much more expensive than ThinkBook 16p Gen 2, at £2,749.17 (excl. VAT; £3,299 incl. VAT) or US$3,499, so Lenovo’s products definitely provide an impression for laptops in this price range Profound performance.

Thanks to the integrated Radeon Graphics, the battery life is also considerable, lasting 8 hours and 10 minutes when streaming full-screen video from the network. When you are on the go, you can easily complete a whole day's work with ThinkBook 16p Gen 2, and you can choose to switch back to the independent Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card when you return to the office.

ThinkBook 16p Gen2 has room for improvement, especially its relatively modest 2.5K IPS display, which cannot meet the requirements of high-end graphics and video work. Even Apple now admits that professional laptops require HDMI connections to connect to external displays. However, if you are happy to use an external monitor in the office, ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 can provide workstation-level performance, an attractive lightweight design and a competitive price.

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