The Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Extremely is a extremely compact workstation that mixes the portability of enormous workstation laptops with Desktop-level efficiency. The audience is professionals working within the discipline, capturing or creating knowledge on-site, or working in a cell studio the place it’s potential 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 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 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 potential to put in as much as 128GB of RAM (ECC or not, easy accessibility), and the SODIMM slots are fairly accessible. Storage-wise, it’s potential to put in two M.2 SSD drives (2x 4TB max, RAID 0/1 potential) 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 further playing cards (verify 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 best buyer could be touring with this pc, and it’s nice as a result of it may possibly simply slot in a backpack or a small pelican case.

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

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

The ThinkStation P360 Extremely could be extra inexpensive than a workstation laptop computer with an analogous characteristic set and velocity (just like the ThinkPad P15). Should you’re going to make use of a laptop computer as a hard and fast workstation, this may very well be a compelling argument.

As an ultra-compact desktop pc, the P360 Extremely includes a huge benefit over explicit laptops relating to cooling. As such, it may 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, resembling laptop computer DDR5 RAM, GPU chips, and so on. A full-on desktop would come on prime in sheer efficiency and cooling however could 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 pc.

It’s potential to open the pc and entry the internals with none instruments, due to an ingenious lever that unlocks the outer shell from the primary chassis. Extra particulars on this official video that reveals it nicely:

Ports

One vital benefit of a desktop pc is the variety of ports, and the ThinkStation P360 Extremely doesn’t disappoint right here. My solely grievance is the shortage of HDMI ports. Within the entrance, you may 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, but it surely’s okay. The wired possibility is there if you need most networking efficiency and decrease latency.

Giant PSU

It’s honest to say that the exterior PSU is without doubt one of 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 measurement is much like high-wattage gaming laptops, so there’s nothing new right here, and you have to deliver it wherever you go.

That mentioned, there’s no query this way issue is way 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 Extremely 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. Nonetheless, the ThinkStation P360 Extremely is constructed for mobility use instances the place screens might be obtainable on-site.

Additionally observe that the TS P360 Extremely weight ranges from 3.96 lbs to 7.94 lbs relying on the chosen configuration, add-ons, and so on. This distinction could be seen within the official product data sheet and the detailed specifications.

Efficiency

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

We now have the twelfth gen Intel Core i9-12900 CPU possibility (max. is the i9-12900K), however our GPU (the cell RTX A2000) is way from the quickest one you may get on this pc (as much as RTX A5000), so hold that in thoughts as a result of it’s potential to tweak the worth/velocity ratio. The extra inexpensive NVIDIA T400 GPU can be obtainable.

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 nicely in benchmarks like Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5. The MSI GE76 Raider 12U comparability reveals what to anticipate in case you improve our i9-12900 to the i9-12900HK, as discovered within the MSI pc.

On the identical time, the TS P360 Extremely CPU efficiency “per Lbs” is even higher than laptops, due to its compact design, devoid of show and battery. You might be carrying critical CPU energy in your backpack or carry-on.

For graphics functions which are GPU-reliant functions, the PCMark 10 Inventive benchmark is fascinating to take a look at. They are typically a mixture of CPU and GPU workloads, principally CPU.

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

The ThinkStation can drive as much as 8 screens through 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 essential to do not forget that, in contrast to laptops, there is no such thing as a passthrough between discrete and built-in graphics models. Due to this fact, it is best to plan on having your major show linked to the discrete GPU through 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 you can pack as much as 9TB of storage throughout two M.2 and one 2.5″ drive.

Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Extremely provides an excellent answer with immense configuration flexibility for professionals and engineers who want a extremely cell workstation. Rich fans may additionally signify 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 pc design is extra engaging and almost 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-Collection or T-Collection graphics models, additionally include ISV-certified software program that may be a must-have for some workflows.

Enterprises will recognize the same old Lenovo safety features and administration instruments, which consumer-minded fans typically overlook. Issues like Premier Help, Unintentional Injury Safety, and Guarantee Extensions are potential sway components for IT departments.

Filed in Computers >Reviews. Learn extra about Desktop Pc, Intel, Lenovo, Lenovo reviews, NVIDIA, Social Hit and Workstations.