The Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 is a mobile workstation made for creatives, engineers, and those working in the science field who require high-quality hardware. And this laptop most certainly delivers powerful and consistent performance. In addition, the model is highly customizable. So, let’s see what else the Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 mobile workstation has to offer.
Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 Configurations
The Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 base model starts at $1,709. And the most expensive Intel Core i9-11950H NVIDIA RTX A5000 configuration (reviewed below) will cost you a whopping $5,382. Still, the model line is considered cost-effective for the specs. It has four RAM slots and can take up to 128GB DDR4 memory. Storage support is up to three drives; all ports are M. 2 SSD (M. 2 2280 SSD) and take up to 2TB in total.
Design and Display
Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 is a rough and heavy machine, especially for a 15.6-inch model. It is made of plastic, but Lenovo reinforced it with fingerglass for a much more rigid feel and added durability. The model measures 1.24×14.7×9.9 inches and weighs 6.32 pounds, quite heavy in its class.
ThinkPad’s IPS displays are impressive, with ample brightness, good contrast, and well-saturated colors. Except for the 300-nit FHD version, all other configurations support Dolby Vision. The other screen options include:
- 500-nit, 1080p IPS panel
- 600-nit 4K IPS (3840×2160), and
- 500-nit OLED (3840×2160) touchscreen
In addition, the bezels around the screen are thick, making enough room for the face recognition webcam on the top.
Keyboard
The Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 keyboard is comfortable with 1.8m vertical travel, delivering nice tactile feedback. There’s also a traditional ThinkPad TrackPoint mini-joystick with three buttons south of the space bar, which joins the smooth touchpad cursor control.
The ThinkPad P15 is equipped with a two-level backlighting, a numeric keypad at the right, and top-row function keys, including shortcuts for starting and ending video calls. It also has a fingerprint reader on the palmrest, allowing users to bypass typing passwords with Windows Hello.
Ports and Connectivity
The Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 has a good port selection as expected from a workstation. On the left side, you have an HDMI video output, USB 3.2 Type-A port, an audio jack, and an optional nano-SIM slot if you configure your cellular network for connectivity on the go. You’ll also find another USB-A 3.2 port, an SD card reader, an optional SmartCard slot, and a Kensington lock on the right side. Lastly, there are three USB-C ports—two with Thunderbolt 4 capability—and an Ethernet port joining the power connector in the rear.
The line supports Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, Bluetooth, and optional 4G LTE.
Lenovo ThinkPad 15 Gen 2 Performance
As mentioned above, the model we are reviewing has an Intel Core i9-11950H processor paired with a costly NVIDIA Quadro RTX A5000 Max-Q graphics. The standard issue comes with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD drive, which is ungradable.
This configuration is built for professional CAD, 3dsMax, or CGI rendering, but it is not the best choice for gamers. Lenovo definitely has better laptop options for gaming out there. Yet, the RTX A5000 GPU is pretty capable of a casual game here and there; just don’t expect it to run the latest esports. In other words, the Lenovo ThinkPad 15 Gen 2 is a work laptop, through and through.
Final Thoughts
The Lenovo ThinkPad 15 Gen 2 business laptop is designed for complex engineering tasks such as CAD, 3D rendering, and data analysis. It delivers reliable performance, and while it is somewhat heavy, the computer is still pretty portable. And sure, gaming enthusiasts might be a little disappointed with the model, but on the other hand, they can find plenty of more affordable models that are better suited for playing video games. Finally, for those who want to sell a used Lenovo laptop, we at Gadget Salvation would be happy to take it off your hands. Simply visit our homepage and see how much your Lenovo is worth today!
