Lenovo ThinkPad P52 - Mobile WorkStation

ThinkPad laptops have always been famous for their boxy design and a keyboard system that outperforms competitors, a trait most evident in high-end workstations. The Lenovo ThinkPad P52, released in early 2018, carries these advantages along with several notable upgrades.

The Most Powerful Workstation

The Lenovo ThinkPad P52 utilizes high-performance 8th Generation Intel Coffee Lake CPUs, helping users perform heavy CPU-intensive tasks such as rendering 3D frames or running demanding simulation programs. Notably, the machine is available with an optional Xeon E-2176M CPU, ensuring durability when running heavy applications for extended periods.

Additionally, the device is equipped with Quadro Pascal graphics, enabling smooth processing of powerful 3D graphics tasks or running AI testing programs. With three options-Quadro P1000, Quadro P2000, and Quadro P3200-users can choose a graphics card that best fits their needs.

Display - A Complete Transformation

The Lenovo ThinkPad P52 is equipped with a Full HD display featuring a standard IPS panel. The screen has average brightness at 300 nits; however, the color gamut is excellent, with 90% sRGB and 55% AdobeRGB. With this display, users can perform graphic design and image editing tasks with high precision.

Furthermore, the machine offers 4K and 4K TOUCH display options, featuring 400 nits of brightness and high color coverage with 100% AdobeRGB; however, Lenovo has omitted the Pantone color calibration found in previous generations for the 4K option.

Lenovo ThinkPad P52 Design

At first glance, the Lenovo ThinkPad P52 does not differ much from the P50. The entire chassis is reinforced with a magnesium aluminum alloy, providing durability and sturdiness during use. The lid is robust and features a smooth carbon fiber finish, though the "Lenovo" logo has been completely removed, leaving only the familiar "ThinkPad" text in the right corner.

The display bezels remain thick to ensure stability for the panel. The ThinkShutter slider is neatly located in the center of the camera, making it convenient to cover the webcam. The hinges are designed on both sides, providing stability without obstructing the two side ventilation slots. All LED lights on the power button, as well as the LED indicators on the CapsLock and NumLock keys, have been changed to white. The port layout has also been slightly modified.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Overall, there is not much difference between the Lenovo ThinkPad P52 keyboard and the previous generation. However, upon closer inspection, the character set has been slightly modified and is smaller than its predecessor. The key travel is deep at 1.7mm, and the keycaps are more concave, making them more ergonomic for typing.

The touchpad has been made wider and integrates Windows Precision Drivers. The surface is made of a smooth, matte plastic, which, while not as premium as glass surfaces, provides a smooth feel. The gesture system is highly responsive.

The machine retains the familiar Trackpoint system of the ThinkPad line. The Trackpoint remains highly sensitive, and the supporting hard keys have been moved closer and offer a quiet, soft click. The mouse scroll button is no longer stylized with blue dots but has been replaced with black raised dots for a more unified look.

Connectivity System

Unlike previous generations, the connectivity system of the ThinkPad P52 is evenly distributed on both sides rather than being concentrated at the rear. The machine is equipped with 3 USB Type A 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 2 USB Type C 3.1 Gen 2 ports supporting Thunderbolt 3, 1 HDMI 2.0 port, 1 mini DisplayPort, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, an RJ-45 network port, and 1 SD card slot. Lenovo has removed the outdated Express Card slot to maximize internal circuit space and to rearrange the ports more efficiently.

Upgradeability

As a traditional workstation, the ThinkPad P52 offers incredible hardware upgradeability. The machine features 4 DDR4 RAM slots, supporting up to 128GB, or up to 64GB of ECC RAM. Additionally, the machine has 2 SSD slots supporting the NVMe standard, and 1 space for a 2.5-inch hard drive right next to them. This upgrade capability has existed in previous versions; however, on the P52, the storage upgrade system has been rearranged to be more compact and aesthetic, occupying less space than the previous version.

Is the Lenovo ThinkPad P52 a Worthy Workstation?

Although it is not as thin and light as its sibling, the ThinkPad P1, nor does it have the unconventional design lines of the HP Zbook 15 G5, the P52 remains a Mobile Workstation with powerful performance, excellent upgradeability, and a rich array of ports to serve users. The only downside for users might be the weight of the machine.