Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 8)
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen-8 is accessible now for $4,169 for the tandem OLED show and 32GB of RAM.
- It is a full package deal powerstation, with cutting-edge {hardware}, an excellent show, upgradeable RAM, and sturdy construct.
- It is prohibitively costly, has variable battery life, and might run heat throughout intensive workloads.
jan / 2026
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Lenovo’s ThinkPad P sequence consists of highly effective, moveable workstations designed for customers in engineering, design, and media creation. The eighth-generation ThinkPad P1 personifies the lineup as its newest flagship mannequin, with as much as an Intel Core Extremely 9 255H CPU, Nvidia RTX PRO 2000 GPU, and basic ThinkPad kind with some premium parts.
It pairs its {hardware} with spectacular portability: simply 4.06 kilos and 0.39 inches thick — a lot lighter than its horsepower would counsel, for a cutting-edge system in a dependable package deal with LPCAMM2 reminiscence for additional future-proofing and a full suite of connectivity.
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The crisp, 16-inch tandem OLED show, haptic trackpad, and 5MP webcam mix to make the P1 a professional person’s full package deal, incomes our Editor’s Alternative award. Whereas it is predictably expensive, can run heat, and has variable battery life, it is up there as some of the highly effective 16-inch laptops of the yr, favoring tried-and-true design over design gimmicks.
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As a professional system, the P1 is an entire package deal from an enterprise perspective with a really good 5MP webcam, fingerprint sensor, Kensington lock slot, and a variety of ports. Moreover, the upgradeable and repairable LPCAMM2 reminiscence supplies a sustainable long-term resolution for a broad vary of groups.
Concerning connectivity, you have acquired an HDMI port, two USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left facet of the system. On the fitting, a Kensington nano safety slot, always-on USB-A port, SD Categorical 7.0 card reader, and Thunderbolt 4 USB-C slot. Help for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 rounds out the package deal.
Bodily, the P1 is a quintessential ThinkPad, with its all-black chassis, minimalist design, and comfy keyboard. As a substitute of a full-sized board, it has a spacious, six-row set of keys that really feel delicate and light-weight, with good key journey. It is each refreshingly useful and understated.
Paired with the responsive haptic trackpad, the entire package deal delivers the person expertise you’d anticipate from a ThinkPad. It is the alternative of flashy, fad-driven design (which Lenovo is blissful to order for different units).
Nonetheless, for over 4 grand, you need to actually respect the ThinkPad aesthetic, as there’s actually nothing new right here when it comes to its exterior design. In truth, it is virtually indistinguishable from a less expensive E-series ThinkPad, however that is additionally sort of the purpose.
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The eighth-generation ThinkPad P1 is Lenovo’s slimmest workstation-class laptop computer, that includes an Intel Core Extremely 7 255H — Intel’s high-performance line of CPUs with 16 cores and as much as 5.1GHz of processing velocity. It additionally options an Nvidia RTX Professional Blackwell era GPU, 32GB of LPCAMM2 RAM, and a normal 1TB of storage, with help for as much as 8TB of extra storage.
What units it aside is the truth that it provides as much as 64GB of LPCAMM2 dual-channel-capable reminiscence, a modular, upgradeable type of laptop computer RAM that future-proofs the machine for expansions and repairs down the road.
LPCAMM2, or “Low-Energy Compression-Connected Reminiscence Module,” is actually the identical as commonplace LPDDR RAM, however on a compact board that gives higher thermals, the power to improve and take away as wanted, and a smaller general footprint.
Lenovo’s inclusion of this reminiscence in a thin-and-light powerhouse just like the ThinkPad P1 proves that you could have repairable configurations in mainstream, flagship units with out sacrificing energy or design. For the end-user, it is a win for system longevity.
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All this {hardware} is paired with a stunning 3.2K tandem OLED touchscreen. With a peak brightness of 1500 nits for HDR content material and 600 nits in any other case, it options 100% DCI-P3 shade accuracy and a variable refresh charge as much as 120Hz, making it a incredible possibility for inventive duties like graphic design, animation, or video enhancing.
The matte display contrasts with the shiny tandem OLED on the Yoga Professional 9i, one other high-end 16-inch laptop computer from Lenovo’s Intel Core Extremely “Arrow Lake” lineup, and I’d say it seems general higher, particularly with the skinny, black bezels.
For graphics-heavy duties like rendering, animation, and design, Nvidia’s RTX Professional Blackwell-generation GPU provides superior ray tracing, Tensor, and CUDA cores for sturdy efficiency, together with native AI workloads.
Decrease-tier show configurations embody an 800-nit WQUXGA (3840×2400) IPS with 100% DCI-P3, or a WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS with 100% sRGB, each at 60Hz. Even the lowest-tier show right here nonetheless seems good, with sufficient brightness at 16 inches for a premium person expertise.
Concerning thermals, it ought to come as no shock that the P1’s high-end {hardware} has the potential to get fairly toasty, however Lenovo’s liquid steel cooling places within the work, dissipating warmth out the again.
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This implies the followers can kick on even below regular searching circumstances, not simply when pushing it to its limits. That is additionally true of gaming. The P1 can deal with most video games simply high-quality (they usually look incredible on this show), however this isn’t explicitly a gaming laptop computer, as the skinny chassis is designed extra for portability.
Concerning battery life, it’s going to closely rely upon what you are doing and what sort of mode you are in, however skews general higher than you’d anticipate. The 90Wh cell simply handles typical productiveness work in balanced mode, yielding a full day’s value of battery on one cost (however not way more past that). Pushing it with demanding duties will get you anyplace from three to 5 hours.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The ThinkPad P1 Gen 8 is an entire package deal workstation with stable efficiency and upgradeable RAM, however its enterprise focus makes it an costly selection. For the worth, I would not blame you if the MacBook Professional with the M4 Professional Max chip seems simply as engaging.
Nonetheless, in the event you dig the ThinkPad, the P1 is a flagship mannequin that balances energy and portability to a satisfying diploma. When you’re an IT skilled trying to outfit a group of artists, designers, or engineers, it would not get way more dependable than this.
Why the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen-8 will get an Editors’ Alternative award
The 16-inch ThinkPad P1 (Gen 8) earns our Editor’s Alternative award for its profitable execution of kind and performance. Its comfy keyboard, haptic trackpad, and good show are a pleasure to work lengthy hours on, and its upgradeable RAM converse to incremental progress being made in end-user repairability, significantly in flagship fashions.
