The Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Extremely 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 cell studio the place it’s attainable to drive probably giant screens however the place engineers are nonetheless anticipated to journey with the pc.
Specs Overview
Our particular overview 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’ll browse different configurations at Lenovo.com.
In its configurator, Lenovo has many CPU choices, going all the way in which all the way down to the twelfth Gen Intel Core i3, and GPUs going all the way in which as much as the NVIDIA RTX A5000 cell GPU, so there’s a configuration for everybody, and costs begin at $1200 for the bottom configurations.
Because it’s a workstation, it’s attainable 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 attainable to put in two M.2 SSD drives (2x 4TB max, RAID 0/1 attainable) and one 2.5″ SATA drive (1TB) for a complete of three storage gadgets.
There are a few PCIe growth 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 Extremely and its efficiency “per Lbs” or “per Quantity” is the primary attraction right here. As we talked about within the introduction, the perfect buyer is perhaps touring with this laptop, and it’s nice as a result of it could possibly simply slot in a backpack or a small pelican case.
The pc 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 obtained broken throughout delivery 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 thought of constructing a neat workplace and would use this laptop to interchange a robust laptop computer because it has higher upgradability and might drive extra shows.
The ThinkStation P360 Extremely is perhaps extra reasonably priced than a workstation laptop computer with the same characteristic set and velocity (just like the ThinkPad P15). When you’re going to make use of a laptop computer as a hard and fast workstation, this could possibly be a compelling argument.
As an ultra-compact desktop laptop, the P360 Extremely encompasses a large benefit over explicit laptops relating to cooling. As such, it could possibly use highly effective parts such because the 125W TDP Intel Core i9-12900 CPU.
However like its laptop computer counterparts, it does use many cell parts, akin to laptop computer DDR5 RAM, GPU chips, and so forth. A full-on desktop would come on prime in sheer efficiency and cooling however can be much less moveable. Even SFF PCs are noticeably larger, however they’ll use off-the-shelf GPUs and parts, which isn’t at all times the case for this laptop.
It’s attainable 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. Extra particulars on this official video that exhibits it effectively:
Ports
One important benefit of a desktop laptop is the variety of ports, and the ThinkStation P360 Extremely doesn’t disappoint right here. My solely criticism is the dearth of HDMI ports. Within the entrance, you have got the next ports:
| 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-A |
| 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Thunderbolt 4 Sort-C |
| 1x Audio Combo Jack |
And within the rear:
| 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-A |
| 3x DisplayPort (built-in GPU) |
| 4x mini-DisplayPort (discrete GPU) |
| 1x 2.5GbE |
| 1x 1GbE |
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, but it surely’s okay. The wired choice is there if you would like most networking efficiency and decrease latency.
Giant PSU
It’s honest to say that the exterior PSU is among the the reason why the ThinkStation P360 Extremely is so compact in comparison with a mid-size tower with an built-in PSU. The 300W PSU is fairly giant and heavy. Its dimension is much like high-wattage gaming laptops, so there’s nothing new right here, and you will need to carry it wherever you go.
That stated, there’s no query this kind issue is rather more suited to transportation than different desktop workstation designs, because it simply matches right into a backpack. For instance, the MSI GE76 Raider 12U high-performance gaming laptop computer is about 25% smaller than the Thinkstation P360 Extremely in complete quantity however weighs 61% extra.
Laptops have an built-in show and a battery, so it’s not an apples-to-apples comparability. Nonetheless, the ThinkStation P360 Extremely is constructed for mobility use circumstances the place screens might be out there on-site.
Additionally word that the TS P360 Extremely weight ranges from 3.96 lbs to 7.94 lbs relying on the chosen configuration, add-ons, and so forth. This distinction might be seen within the official product data sheet and the detailed specifications.
Efficiency
Since efficiency/dimension or efficiency/weight is a robust promoting level, let’s run some key benchmarks to see the place this laptop computer is positioned.
We’ve got the twelfth gen Intel Core i9-12900 CPU choice (max. is the i9-12900K), however our GPU (the cell RTX A2000) is much 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 attainable to tweak the value/velocity ratio. The extra reasonably priced NVIDIA T400 GPU can 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 cell model of those chips since that’s what Lenovo makes use of within the ThinkStation P360 Extremely.
From a CPU perspective, our unit performs effectively in benchmarks like Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5. The MSI GE76 Raider 12U comparability exhibits what to anticipate in the event you improve our i9-12900 to the i9-12900HK, as discovered within the MSI laptop.
On the similar time, the TS P360 Extremely CPU efficiency “per Lbs” is even higher than laptops, because of its compact design, devoid of show and battery. You can be carrying critical CPU energy in your backpack or carry-on.
For graphics purposes which might be GPU-reliant purposes, the PCMark 10 Inventive benchmark is attention-grabbing to take a look at. They are usually a mixture of CPU and GPU workloads, principally CPU.
For pure 3D efficiency, we are able to observe the cell RTX A2000 performing beneath the RTX 3060 (Idea D5) and considerably slower than the RTX 3080 (MSI GE76). On the similar time, it possesses all of the options present in that era of GPUs, together with the flexibility to run the newest AI workloads in immediately’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. Additionally it is necessary to keep in mind that, in contrast to laptops, there is no such thing as a passthrough between discrete and built-in graphics models. Subsequently, you must plan on having your major show linked to the discrete GPU by way of mini-DP.
The ThinkStation P360 Extremely’s SSD efficiency is great and on par with different workstations and Inventive-oriented computer systems. The first distinction with high-end laptops is that you would be able to pack as much as 9TB of storage throughout two M.2 and one 2.5″ drive.
Conclusion
The Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Extremely affords an awesome answer with immense configuration flexibility for professionals and engineers who want a extremely cell workstation. Rich fans may additionally characterize a small market however see this as an enterprise product.
The desktop nature of the chassis provides it important thermal cooling and extra growth choices than comparably moveable laptops. This laptop design is extra enticing and practically at all times extra performant and cost-efficient than competing SFF workstations such because the HP Z2 G9 Small Kind Issue Workstation or the Dell Precision Compact Kind Issue.
The workstation parts, such because the NVIDIA RTX A-Sequence or T-Sequence graphics models, additionally include ISV-certified software program that may be a must-have for some workflows.
Enterprises will recognize the same old Lenovo security measures and administration instruments, which consumer-minded fans usually overlook. Issues like Premier Help, Unintentional Harm Safety, and Guarantee Extensions are potential sway components for IT departments.
Filed in . Learn extra about Desktop Computer, Intel, Lenovo, Lenovo evaluations, NVIDIA and Workstations.