- Soon Kai Hong
Which ThinkPad Is For You?
Updated: Mar 25, 2022
Take a look anywhere and you would probably see a familiar laptop with a really iconic design. The ThinkPad series from Lenovo is, undisputedly, instantly recognisable and for a good reason.
If you aren’t in the loop, you might be surprised that there are actually quite a number of different types of ThinkPads nowadays. Without any prior knowledge, you might be confused as to which is which and their differences.
Now, we won’t be able to cover everything in one article, but we’ll focus on two main series which we feel most of you would be interested in. But we’ll throw in a couple of other mentions as well, some of which are powered by the Intel® Core™ i7 processor.
As of writing, there’s an Online IT show campaign going on over at Lenovo with pretty sweet deals and perhaps you might want to check that out if you are interested. You can hop over to https://www.lenovo.com/sg to find out more about this 3.3 Mega Sale!
The Common Factor
Let’s start off with what all the ThinkPads have in common: what you can really expect from a ThinkPad, no matter which model you may be interested in. To date, all ThinkPad products undergo a rigorous testing process that includes a total of 12 methods and 20 procedures under the Military Standard 810G certification.
These include Mechanical Shock, Vibration, Shipboard Vibration, Humidity, Sand & Dust, Fungus, Altitude, Solar Radiation, Explore Atmosphere, Low Temperature, High Temperature and Extreme Temperature.
Now, Lenovo does state in fine print that under no circumstances does this guarantee performance under these conditions in the real world. But we reckon it would definitely give anybody peace of mind knowing that the laptop they’re using is durable.
The other thing that all ThinkPads have in common is kind of a blast from the past. Along with the trackpad which pretty much all laptops have nowadays, ThinkPads still include a Track Point, which is that small little red nub that you can find in between the G, H and B keys. Basically place your finger on it and apply some directional pressure, and that would move the mouse cursor. Situated right below where your thumb would naturally rest on would be the dedicated left, right and middle buttons. For those of you who love the Track Point, well, ThinkPads are still the only laptops that offer them to this day.
Of course, there are many more features that you would definitely appreciate across the lineup, such as the spill-resistant keyboard, the privacy shutter for the webcam and more. But in essence, you can expect solid build quality and a great user experience with a ThinkPad.
X1 Series - For The Extreme In You
Let’s talk about the differences and we can start with the X1 Series. If you’re someone who requires the utmost in performance with both the CPU and the GPU, the X1 Extreme is definitely the one you would want to take a look at. At the moment, the X1 Extreme Gen 4 is the latest and it’ll sport up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i9 vPro, and can be fitted with up to a GeForce RTX 3080.
Needless to say, if you were to spec this out to the nines, this is one powerful laptop that can handle just about anything you throw at it. Heavy graphics work, gaming, all of that. That Core i9, should you choose to go with it, will easily handle all of it. Not to mention that there’s also a 16-inch 4K IPS touch display with great colour coverage and accuracy, along with pretty much all day battery life with that 90 watt hour battery. The best part is that you still get plenty of ports and the whole laptop weighs in at a respectable 1.8 kilograms (starting from 1.814kg) or just about 4 pounds (3.99lbs).
P Series - Professionally Crafted
But what if you’re someone who needs that graphics horsepower, but you’re more into architecture or design? Take a look at the P14s Gen 2 from the P Series which Lenovo claims is their most portable mobile workstation.
Now, it's powered by an Intel® Core™ i7 processor for great CPU performance but where it differs from the X1 Extreme is that it can be fitted with a T500 GPU instead. Unlike GeForce which is more focused towards gaming, the T500 is aimed at delivering performance for professional use such as 3D modeling, animation and such. In fact, the laptop is ISV certified for a number of applications such as Solidworks, Creo, MicroStation and much more. Combine that graphics capability with the great performance from that Core i7 and you’ll be plowing through your workflow with ease.
The Most Iconic
Last but not least, we have arguably the most popular and most recognisable ThinkPad by far. If you require the lightest laptop out there, but still provide the durability and rigidity that a ThinkPad provides, take a look at the X1 Carbon.
With the latest X1 Carbon Gen 9, you can expect up to a 11th Gen Intel Core i7 with Intel Iris Xe, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage.
But what’s amazing is how light the laptop is. The X1 Carbon comes in at just roughly 1.13 kilograms or about 2 and a half pounds (2.49lbs). Slip it in a bag and you might not even realise it’s in there. Despite the thinness, you can also still expect a good amount of ports with Thunderbolt, standard USB 3.2 and even a HDMI port. Visuals are fantastic as well with up to a 4K IPS panel with 100% DCI-P3 colour coverage and support for HDR400.
In essence, the X1 Carbon is possibly the ultimate ThinkPad ultrabook and it really does show. Great visuals, fantastic user experience, incredibly lightweight, superb battery life, you name it. This is everything you would want in an ultrabook and more.
Of course, it’s going to be a little pricey, no doubt. Needless to say, it’s definitely worth it.
Perhaps The Perfect Opportunity
No matter which generation of ThinkPad or any Lenovo laptop for that matter, there is a high chance that you can snag a sweet deal over at lenovo.com/sg or call 800-601-1493 to find out more about Lenovo’s 3.3 deals!
Until 13 March, you can save up to 49% off storewide with Lenovo laptops starting from just S$439. Sign up as a LenovoPro member to enjoy even more exclusive deals with daily flash deals to boot.
And for those of you who’ve read up to this point, use promo code TECH33 to enjoy up to an additional 10% off your purchase. Pretty sweet, isn’t it?
Wait, There’s More?
Certainly. Lenovo is not stopping here with just their daily everyday laptops like the IdeaPad and Yoga or their durable yet lightweight ThinkPad series.
If you’re a gamer, this is for you.
The Legion 5i Pro Gen 7 is their latest laptop to continue the Legion legacy featuring up to 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processors and up to RTX 3070 Ti for graphics, not to mention FHD or QHD panels to choose from with high refresh rates to boot and plenty of RAM and SSD storage capability.
If you want the latest of the latest and you're a huge gamer, the latest Legion 5i Pro Gen 7 will be offered in a bundle with a Gamer Pack worth up to S$318.