I found the Lenovo ThinkPad to rule them all - and its modular RAM changes everything

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 8)

ZDNET's key takeaways

• The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen-8 is available now for $4,169 for the tandem OLED display and 32GB of RAM.
• It's a complete package powerstation, with cutting-edge hardware, a brilliant display, upgradeable RAM, and durable build.
• It's prohibitively expensive, has variable battery life, and can run on the hot side during intensive workloads

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Lenovo's ThinkPad P series consists of some of its most powerful machines: portable workstations designed for pro users in engineering, design, and media creation. The eighth-generation ThinkPad  P1 is the lineup's latest flagship model, with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H CPU and a classic ThinkPad form. 

It pairs its hardware with impressive portability: just 4.06 pounds and 0.39 inches thick -- much lighter than its horsepower would suggest, for a cutting-edge device in a reliable package with LPCAMM2 memory for further future-proofing and a full suite of connectivity.

Also: Lenovo showed me its new ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and this year's upgrades caught me off guard

The crisp, 16-inch tandem OLED display, haptic trackpad, and 5MP webcam combine to make the P1 a pro user's complete package, but it's predictably pricey, tends to run warm, and has variable battery life. Still, it's up there as one of the most powerful 16-inch laptops of the year, favoring tried-and-true design over design gimmicks.

As a pro device, the P1 is a complete package from an enterprise perspective with a very nice 5MP webcam, fingerprint sensor, Kensington lock slot, and a wide range of ports for maximum compatibility. Additionally, the upgradeable and repairable LPCAMM2 memory provides a sustainable, long-term computing solution for a broad range of teams. 

Regarding connectivity, you've got an HDMI port, two USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left side of the device. On the right, a Kensington nano security slot, always-on USB-A port, SD Express 7.0 card reader, and Thunderbolt 4 USB-C slot. Support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 rounds out the package. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Physically, the P1 is a quintessential ThinkPad, with its all-black chassis, minimalist design, and comfortable keyboard. Instead of a full-sized board, it has a spacious, six-row set of keys that feel sensitive and lightweight, with nice key travel. 

Paired with the responsive haptic trackpad, the whole package delivers a premium user experience with the practical functionality of the ThinkPad. It's the opposite of flashy, fad-driven design (which Lenovo is happy to reserve for other devices). 

Still, for over four grand, you have to really appreciate the ThinkPad aesthetic, as there's really nothing new here in terms of its external design. In fact, it's almost indistinguishable from a much cheaper E-series ThinkPad, but that's the point. 

Also: Finally, a 16-inch Windows laptop that I'd actually bring for work (even though it's for gamers)

The eighth-generation ThinkPad P1 is Lenovo's slimmest workstation-class laptop, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H -- Intel's high-performance line of CPUs with 16 cores and up to 5.1GHz of processing speed. It also features an Nvidia RTX Pro Blackwell generation GPU, 32GB of LPCAMM2 RAM, and a standard 1TB of storage, with support for up to 8TB of additional storage. 

It offers up to 64GB of LPCAMM2 dual-channel-capable memory, a modular, upgradeable form of laptop RAM that future-proofs the machine for expansions and repairs down the line. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

LPCAMM2, or "Low-Power Compression-Attached Memory Module," is essentially the same as standard LPDDR RAM, but on a compact board that offers better thermals, the ability to upgrade and remove as needed, and a smaller overall footprint.

Lenovo's inclusion of this memory in a thin-and-light powerhouse like the ThinkPad P1 proves that you can have repairable configurations in mainstream, flagship devices without sacrificing power or design. For the end-user, it's a win for device longevity. 

Also: Buying your next Windows laptop? This Lenovo with a tandem OLED display is my top pick

All this hardware is paired with a gorgeous 3.2K tandem OLED touchscreen. With a peak brightness of 1500 nits for HDR content and 600 nits otherwise, it features 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy and a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, making it a fantastic option for creative tasks like graphic design, animation, or video editing.

The matte screen contrasts with the glossy tandem OLED on the Yoga Pro 9i, another high-end 16-inch laptop from Lenovo's Intel Core Ultra "Arrow Lake" lineup, and I would say it looks overall better, especially with the black 

For these tasks, Nvidia's RTX Pro Blackwell-generation GPU offers advanced ray tracing, Tensor, and CUDA cores for strong graphics performance, along with local AI workloads.   

Lower-tier display configurations include an 800-nit WQUXGA (3840x2400) IPS with 100% DCI-P3, or a WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS with 100% sRGB, both at 60Hz. Even the lowest-tier display here still looks good, with enough brightness at 16 inches for a premium user experience.

Also: Upgrading your Windows laptop? This Dell checks all the right boxes for me

Regarding thermals, it should come as no surprise that the P1's high-end hardware has the potential to get pretty toasty. The thin aluminum chassis does a satisfactory job of dissipating heat out the back, but during heavier workloads it can run noticeably warm.

This means the fans tend to kick on even under normal browsing conditions, not just when pushing it to its limits. This is also true of gaming. The P1 can handle most games just fine (and they look fantastic on this display), but this is not a gaming laptop, as the thin chassis is skewed more toward portability. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The ThinkPad P1 Gen 8 is a complete package workstation with top-tier performance and upgradeable RAM, but its enterprise focus makes it prohibitively expensive for most consumers. For the price, I wouldn't blame you if the MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro Max chip looks just as attractive. 

Still, if you dig the ThinkPad, the P1 is a flagship model that balances power and portability to a satisfying degree. If you're an IT professional looking to outfit a team of artists, designers, or engineers, it doesn't get much more reliable or powerful than this.