Hands-on: Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 Workstation

If you need to go beyond the capabilities of standard laptops, including 3D modeling, high-end video editing, large-scale data analysis, and complex scientific simulations, you might be in the market for a workstation. 

I got a chance to check out the $2,399 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 workstation laptop, which is designed to cater to the needs of engineers, architects, and creative professionals who require a blend of power and portability to manage demanding workloads on the go.

The biggest difference is probably the jump from a consumer/gaming graphics card to a professional one. In this case, it's the NVIDIA RTX A1000. Designed for professional applications, it delivers high-end performance for graphics-intensive tasks, including rendering, AI applications, and real-time ray tracing. The RTX A1000 also has a focus on stability and driver support for professional software. You'll want to use NVIDIA's Studio drivers here, instead of the consumer Game Ready drivers (as explained in our NVIDIA driver explainer). 

Something else that sets pro-level laptops apart is the anti-glare coating on the 16-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) IPS display. Consumer laptop screens are often glossy, which gives games and movies extra pop, but for professional work, you might want a more matte finish for both color accuracy and better performance in brightly lit offices. In person, this display does an especially good job of balancing brightness and color with avoiding screen glare. 

 

Photo: Jacob Bobo 

The system itself is built like a tank. Like many professional laptops, it's Mil-Spec certified, which means it's passed various tests for things like dust and moisture resistance. It's about four pounds, which isn't too heavy for a 16-inch laptop and the matte black design -- slim for a workstation laptop -- won't look out of place in a coffee shop or airport lounge. 

Not everyone is in the market for a workstation, but for those who are, paying attention to the special features and pro-level components in a system like the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 can really pay off and be a worthwhile long-term investment.

See the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 at Micro Center.

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Micro Center Editor-in-Chief Dan Ackerman is a veteran tech reporter and has served as Editor-in-Chief of Gizmodo and Editorial Director at CNET. He's been testing and reviewing laptops and other consumer tech for almost 20 years and is the author of The Tetris Effect, a Cold War history of the world's most influential video game. Contact Dan at dackerman@microcenter.com.