The brand new Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 (aka ThinkBook Plus G3 IAP) is pitched by Lenovo as an “epic multitasker.” It options two built-in shows and an e-Pen, making it some of the revolutionary laptops of 2022. This design could possibly be a boon to somebody that travels rather a lot however largely work at a desk, in a resort (no exterior monitor), or at a consumer’s facility.
Specs Highlights
Our particular unit configuration got here with an Intel i5-12500H (16 cores), 16GB of LPDDR5-4800 RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. As such, it is among the extra reasonably priced SKUs, beginning at $1,927 on the official Lenovo website.
The upper CPU choice could be the Intel Core i7-12700H (20 cores), and each choices enable as much as 32GB of RAM. The reminiscence is soldered to the motherboard, so that you’ll should determine at order time. When unsure, I like to recommend prioritizing the RAM over the CPU improve, particularly in the event you’re not doing one thing that saturates the CPU. 16GB is okay, however not all that a lot.
The utmost order-time SSD capability is 1TB (), and just one single M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 slot exists. I’ve not opened the again cowl, however Lenovo normally tries to make the SSD as accessible as doable in case you need to exchange it later.
Industrial Design
The ultrawide type issue of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 opens new potentialities. This time, Lenovo brings two wonderful productiveness options: the ultrawide 17.3” main show and a secondary 8” show to the keyboard’s proper. We’ll get again to each shows intimately shortly, however for now, let’s check out the remainder of the chassis design.
This laptop computer has a unibody-type design which appears to be made from CNC aluminum. It, due to this fact, feels extraordinarily inflexible when closed or open. The show has little or no flex, and I just like the design’s general “Premium” really feel.
The laptop computer can be barely rugged and is licensed to endure a battery of MIL-STD-810H navy transport endurance assessments that almost all laptops don’t even try. On that observe, the keyboard can be spill-resistant, which coffee-goers would significantly recognize.
The underside cowl is detachable for simple servicing and incorporates a meshed space for chilly air consumption. The new air comes out from the again by way of giant exhausts, and the general cooling seems to be fairly environment friendly, which leads to the pc being low noise. More often than not, the followers are completely quiet.
The Energy button is above the F7 key and doubles as a fingerprint reader. The built-in ePen is neatly tucked at the back of the laptop computer the place it prices. This successfully means the pen is at all times charged and prepared. You may get an non-obligatory Lenovo Pen which is larger and extra ergonomic in the event you sketch rather a lot, however the built-in pen is comfy sufficient for informal use.
Lastly, I discover the 4.4 Lbs weight wonderful for a twin 17.3” + 8” shows laptop computer. Thus far, it’s one of the best “productiveness per weight” setup I’ve seen, and that’s an enormous deal for a lot of customers.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard is harking back to what Lenovo makes use of in its high-end shopper laptops. It seems to be and feels just like the Lenovo Slim 7i Professional X, which we not too long ago reviewed. When you’re seen older fashions, such because the Lenovo Yoga 9i, it’s comparable.
Typing feels nice, and I just like the agency key tactile suggestions. Honest warning: that is fairly completely different from the ThinkPad keyboards, which usually have a barely deeper key journey and softer key floor (paint). I take advantage of each extensively, and maybe, the ThinkBook’s keyboard is nearer to what chances are you’ll discover in non-Lenovo high-end laptops. The ThinkPad keyboard stays a singular expertise.
Ports
Regardless of its giant measurement, the variety of ports will not be as spectacular as anticipated. There are two USB-C (TB4 and USB 3.2 Gen 2), two USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 3.2 Gen 2), one full HDMI, and the normal 3.5mm audio port. A lot of the ports are tucked at the back of the laptop computer, which is a superb location.
The relative thinness of the decrease a part of the chassis in all probability explains the unremarkable variety of ports. The beveled Left/Proper sides are too skinny for full-size ports. It seems to be beautiful, however I might counsel that Lenovo have a non-beveled space with a minimum of a multi-card reader (Ethernet could be good too).
Sound
The dual-speaker system of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 delivers good sound for watching motion pictures and in addition for video-conferencing. Nevertheless, it’s not on the degree of Lenovo’s finest laptop computer sound system outfitted with a sound bar or up-firing quad audio system.
As a substitute, the 2 audio system are bottom-firing, and a few sound power is misplaced. The Dolby Atmos software program does a superb job with spatial audio, however general, the sound might have had extra physique and energy with a dearer speaker setup.
Nonetheless, the laptop computer is pleasant when watching motion pictures on a desk or your lap, particularly since its show reclines to nearly 180 levels.
Show
The shows are definitely the highlights of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3, beginning with the first 17.3” one. It incorporates a 3K (3072×1440) decision: a wonderful steadiness between pixel density and battery life. The 99% DCI-P3 coloration gamut makes it very appropriate for color-sensitive inventive work.
For most individuals, 4K is overkill on a laptop computer, and in the event you want 4K, it is best to know exactly why and settle for the battery life tradeoffs that include that alternative. The 3K choice seems to be noticeably higher than a 1080p-equivalent show for everybody else. You possibly can see the advantages, and also you’re not paying an excessive amount of for it (in cash or autonomy).
This display screen is giant sufficient to have a 2-split horizontal setup that genuinely works for productiveness duties reminiscent of doing analysis or engaged on a doc whereas having your emails on one facet. The combos are infinite, but it surely’s like having a minimum of two utterly useful side-by-side home windows.
The secondary 8” display screen seems like an actual second Home windows monitor. You possibly can set it up identical to some other “exterior” monitor, making it appropriate with all Home windows apps. What you do with it’s as much as you, however since it’s Pen-compatible (the massive show will not be), that’s the place you’d take notes, for instance.
I like to make use of that second monitor for apps like Calculator, Notepad, YouTube, Visible Studio Code output, Cat apps, and extra! I guess my accountant would set up a digital NumPad on this laptop.
The one restrict is the comparatively small measurement of the fonts, however you may change the PPI scale within the Home windows settings. To me, it’s a wonderful show for issues that will not require my focus however that I’d verify typically.
I discover it way more versatile to most customers than some Inventive laptops’ elongated secondary show above the Keyboard. Whereas these are nice for video-editing timelines, Lenovo’s portrait mode show is genuinely useful, extra typically, to extra folks.
In terms of exterior shows, this laptop will be linked to three exterior screens by way of HDMI, USB-C, and Thunderbolt.
- HDMI as much as 3840×2160@60Hz
- USB-C as much as 5120×3200@60Hz
- Thunderbolt as much as 5120×3200@60Hz
Webcam
The 2 Megapixel digicam has a large angle and could be appropriate for a video name with a few folks within the body, sitting subsequent to one another. Relying in your video name software program, you would possibly be capable to body the picture additional.
The digicam is noticeably higher than your typical 0.7 Megapixel digicam however stays properly beneath most midrange smartphone selfie cameras. That’s how issues are within the laptop computer world.
There’s additionally an infrared sensor to unlock the laptop computer utilizing a face detection algorithm securely, and I like setting that up along with the fingerprint reader. There’s additionally a bodily privateness shutter, which is at all times good to have.
Efficiency
Working key benchmarks reminiscent of Geekbench, Cinebench R23, 3DMark, and GFXBench, Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 (17” Intel) reveals itself as a wonderful productiveness laptop computer because it options excellent CPU efficiency as demonstrated by Geekbench and Cinebench.
The comparability with the Lenovo Slim 7i Professional X exhibits what to anticipate if you choose the i7-12700H CPU as an alternative of our i5 mannequin.
From a graphics perspective, the efficiency is respectable, however the lack of a discrete GPU choice retains this laptop from being a gaming machine or a system optimized for GPU-accelerated workloads reminiscent of heavy video processing.
It’s a pity since this type issue could be unbelievable for video enhancing, however Lenovo does have 17” laptops with discrete graphics choices. Within the meantime, this degree of efficiency is greater than sufficient for any workplace work, gentle inventive duties, and improvement.
On the SSD entrance, we famous that the learn speeds are similar to different high-end Lenovo laptops just like the X1 Carbon Gen 10, however the write speeds have been barely slower. Most customers gained’t discover, but it surely’s good to know in the event you’re doing one thing that requires intense disk writes.
Battery Life
The 69Wh capability of the battery is nice, however we’ve seen laptops this measurement with 99Wh batteries. That stated, I think the capability has been tuned to maintain the laptop computer’s weight to 4.41 Lbs, which can be an important issue.
This technique will not be optimized for extra-long battery endurance because of the show measurement and the very fact you now have two of them. However this battery ought to get you ~5-6hrs of workplace work, relying on the display screen brightness.
and will, in principle, final for ~7-8 hours of native video playback (150 NITs brightness) you probably have beforehand downloaded motion pictures.
When it’s essential to replenish the battery, it does use Lenovo’s quick charging, and it seems to be just like the 100W PSU (USB-C) helps the laptop computer cost quicker than the X1 Carbon’s 65W charger. Charging pace will be much more essential than the battery capability you probably have easy accessibility to energy shops. The cellphone market has confirmed that, and the identical logic applies to laptops.
Conclusion
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 options a wonderful chassis design and dual-display setup, and that’s its most important energy and the primary purpose folks need to get one. Google Search knowledge, it’s evident that persons are not even evaluating it with some other 15.6” competitor as a result of there’s nothing prefer it.
The query is: is it quick sufficient to your job, and is the consolation price it? Hopefully, we’ve given you adequate efficiency knowledge, and most productiveness customers will doubtless be glad by the efficiency degree.
This laptop computer will enhance your day by day life if you’re a cell employee who tends to work at a desk with out easy accessibility to an exterior monitor. The first show alone could be similar to having two 13.3” shows facet by facet, and the additional 8” monitor can brighten your day in the event you always should be on Slack or need a digital numeric pad.
If I needed to do prolonged journey with a single laptop, that’s the one I might go for. The 4.41 Lbs weight makes it gentle sufficient that weight will not be a problem, and the productiveness increase is just too good to go. Lastly, the licensed MIL-STD sturdiness and the spill-resistant keyboard improve survivability throughout journey.
Filed in . Learn extra about Laptop computer Evaluations, Lenovo and Lenovo opinions.