S
% Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 review: nice, but not enough Digital Trends Skip to main content Trending: Wordle Today October 24 Dell XPS 15 vs. Razer Blade 15 Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars iPhone 14 Plus Review Halo Rise vs.
visibility
833 views
thumb_up
41 likes
D
Nest Hub 2nd Gen HP Envy x360 13 (2022) Review Best Chromebook Printers Home ComputingReviews Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 review nice but not enough
By Mark Coppock October 16, 2022 Share Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 review: nice, but not enough MSRP $2,359.00 Score Details "For a laptop of this price, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 still lacks the standout features it needs." Pros Strong productivity performance Good productivity display Solid 1080p gaming Comfortable keyboard Cons Inferior build quality Touchpad is small Expensive When you have an incredibly wide lineup of laptops, like Lenovo, you need to segment them somehow.
thumb_up
15 likes
E
The ThinkBook, for example, is aimed narrowly at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), looking to offer the kind of aesthetics and prices that consumers look for with some of the enhanced security and services that businesses demand. Presumably, that’s differentiated from the ThinkPad line that’s all-business in its looks and features.
thumb_up
47 likes
N
Contents SpecsA fresh design that sort of worksFaster at fun than it is at workWrapping upNot a bad laptop but not special either Indeed, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 is an interesting member of the lineup, being a 16-inch machine with high-end components and a smattering of features that SMB buyers will appreciate. It’s a strong performer, if not class-leading, but its build quality is suspect, and it’s quite expensive.
thumb_up
7 likes
V
That makes it hard to stand out from the rest of the lineup.
AMD Ryzen 7 6800HX Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 RAM 16GB LPDDR5
32GB LPDDR5 Display 16.0-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS 165Hz Storage 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD Touch No Ports 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
1 x USB-C 4.0
2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
1 x HDMI 2.1
1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x SD card reader Wireless Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 Webcam 1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello Operating system Windows 11 Battery 71 watt-hour Price $2.359+ The ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 starts at $2,359 for an AMD Ryzen 5 6600H CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU.
Specs
Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 Dimensions 13.96 inches x 9.92 inches x 0.73 inches Weight 4.38 pounds Processor AMD Ryzen 5 6600HXAMD Ryzen 7 6800HX Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 RAM 16GB LPDDR5
32GB LPDDR5 Display 16.0-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS 165Hz Storage 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD Touch No Ports 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
1 x USB-C 4.0
2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
1 x HDMI 2.1
1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x SD card reader Wireless Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 Webcam 1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello Operating system Windows 11 Battery 71 watt-hour Price $2.359+ The ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 starts at $2,359 for an AMD Ryzen 5 6600H CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU.
thumb_up
33 likes
A
Increase to a Ryzen 7 5800H, and you’ll spend $2,619. My review unit with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD hasn’t been released or priced yet, but will likely approach $3,000.
thumb_up
43 likes
N
That makes this a surprisingly expensive 16-inch laptop. Yes, it has nice components, but it’s more expensive than other premium machines like the Dell XPS 15 and XPS 17.
thumb_up
45 likes
K
A fresh design that sort of works
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends The ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 enjoys what’s become an identifiable ThinkBook aesthetic, particularly on the is two-toned lid that has a bold ThinkBook logo. That differentiates it from the rest of Lenovo’s lineup and gives the laptop a bit of panache.
thumb_up
6 likes
A
Otherwise, the look is a typical business laptop with a dark grey colorway and a standard Lenovo chassis. The lid does connect at a spot that’s set in about half an inch from the rear, which is different, and the keyboard is darker as well.
thumb_up
8 likes
S
The result is a laptop that looks good and stands out just enough, without being unnecessarily glitzy for a business professional. It’s also an all-metal build, although it’s not as solid as the Dell XPS 15 or MacBook Pro 16.
thumb_up
24 likes
W
The lid feels bendable, and there’s some noticeable flex in the keyboard deck. At a price of well over $2,000, it’s hard to overlook the lack of rigidity.
thumb_up
43 likes
T
The hinge opens with one hand, but there’s a bit of wobble during hardcore typing sessions. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with the ThinkBook 16p’s build quality, and that’s a knock against the machine’s suitability for its target user.
thumb_up
8 likes
R
The ThinkBook 16p has reasonably small bezels, with only a larger lower chin making it about an inch deeper than the XPS 15 (which has a slightly smaller display). The ThinkPad X1 Extreme is almost the same size and identically thick at 0.78 inches, versus the XPS 15’s 0.73 inches. The ThinkBook 16p weighs 4.4 pounds, which makes it slightly heavier than the ThinkPad X1 Extreme and slightly lighter than the 4.62-pound XPS 15.
thumb_up
14 likes
C
It’s a large laptop for sure, but you get a 16-inch screen in exchange. Mark Coppock/Digital Trends In terms of other creature comforts, the ThinkBook 16p has plenty to attract.
thumb_up
49 likes
A
The keyboard is light and snappy, with less travel than the ThinkPad’s keyboard but also more comfortable switches overall. The XPS 15 has a slightly better keyboard, but many users probably wouldn’t notice it. The touchpad is smaller than it could be given the available space, but it works well with a smooth, responsive surface and reasonably quiet button clicks.
thumb_up
6 likes
C
There’s no touch display option, which I prefer to see on a premium laptop. The webcam is 1080p and provides a quality image that will please business users who need videoconferencing to get their work done.
thumb_up
26 likes
T
An infrared camera provides Windows 11 Hello passwordless login support, and there’s a fingerprint reader embedded in the offset power button for those who prefer that method for logging in. Lenovo has included Glance software with user presence detection that can put the laptop to sleep when the user steps away and provides digital wellness functionality, although it was disabled on my review unit.
thumb_up
30 likes
J
Lenovo’s ThinkShutter privacy screen is there to close off the webcam. In the most pertinent nod to business users, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 also incorporates Microsoft’s Secure BIOS.
thumb_up
20 likes
T
Finally, connectivity is strong, albeit with a port configuration that you don’t often see outside of larger gaming machines. You don’t get Thunderbolt 4 thanks to the AMD chipset, but everything else is there including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and a full-size SD card reader.
thumb_up
11 likes
Z
Some of the ports are arranged along the back, which we don’t typically see, and it’s convenient once you get used to it. There’s a proprietary power connector matched with a massive 230-watt power brick, necessary to keep the high-end components running.
Faster at fun than it is at work
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends Just because you’re a businessperson doesn’t mean you don’t want to play some games.
thumb_up
25 likes
R
The ThinkBook 16p, with its Ryzen CPU and RTX 3060 GPU, is more adept at play than at work. I’ll start with its productivity and creative performance, because of course, that’s what you’re paying for, but I’ll be sure to cover gaming as well. The ThinkBook’s thermal design was fine, with limited throttling but quite a bit of fan noise when the CPU and GPU spun up.
thumb_up
12 likes
A
Lenovo’s thermal utility didn’t make a huge difference in any of our usual benchmarks, but I’ve reported those scores where appropriate. My review unit packed in an eight-core/16-thread 45-watt AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU.
thumb_up
10 likes
A
That’s top-of-the-line until AMD’s 7000 series comes out, and it’s a fast CPU for sure. Even so, it fell behind our comparison group in Geekbench 5, including machines running Intel’s 45-watt 12th-gen CPUs.
thumb_up
14 likes
J
As usual, AMD’s single-core scores lagged the most. The ThinkBook 16 was fast in Cinebench R23 multi-core, though, and it did well in our Handbrake test that encodes a 420MB video as H.265.
thumb_up
5 likes
G
The ThinkBook 16p was a solid performer, but it didn’t quite keep up with some newer Intel-based laptops. In the Pugetbench Premiere Pro benchmark that runs in a live version of Adobe’s Premiere Pro, the ThinkBook 16p was behind laptops like the HP Envy 16 that utilized the RTX 3060 CPU.
thumb_up
22 likes
O
This benchmark benefits from some Intel optimizations in Adobe apps that may or may not apply to a given workflow. Overall, the ThinkBook 16p meets the performance needs of the most demanding professionals no matter the business size, and it can meet the needs of creators as well.
thumb_up
10 likes
J
You’ll get better performance out of Intel’s latest 45-watt 12th-gen CPUs, at least in most of our benchmarks, and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 continues to dominate. Geekbench
(single / multi) Handbrake
(seconds) Cinebench R23
(single / multi) Pugetbench
Premiere Pro Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3
(Ryzen 9 6900HX) Bal: 1,486 / 9,041
Perf: 1,487 / 9,206 Bal: 91
Perf: 81 Bal: 1,549 / 12,736
Perf: 1,457 / 13,342 Bal: 624
Perf: N/A Asus Slim 7 Pro X
(Ryzen 9 6900HS) Bal: 1,493 / 8,941
Perf: 1,493 / 9,288 Bal: 99
Perf: 86 Bal: 1,552 / 12,139
Perf: 1,548 / 13,164 Bal: 548
Perf: N/A HP Envy 16
(Core i9-12900H) Bal: 1,839 / 11,187
Perf: 1,811 / 11,387 Bal: 83
Perf: 84 Bal: 1,919 / 12,538
Perf: 1922 / 12,525 Bal: 814
Perf: 932 MSI Creator Z16P
(Core i9-12900H) Bal: 1,769 / 14,034
Perf: 1,835 / 14,051 Bal: 71
Perf: 69 Bal: 1,844 / 15,047
Perf: 1,837 / 16,084 Bal: 717
Perf: 1,042 Dell XPS 15 9520
(Core i7-12700H) Bal: 1,470 / 9,952
Perf: 1,714 / 11,053 Bal: 100
Perf: 77 Bal: 1,509 / 11,578
Perf: 1,806 / 13,313 Bal: 760
Perf: 729 Apple MacBook Pro 16
(Apple M1 Pro) Bal: 1,773 / 12,605
Perf: N/A Bal: 95
Perf: N/A Bal: 1,531 / 12,343
Perf: N/A Bal: 977
Perf: N/A The ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 ships with Nvidia Studio drivers, meaning it’s optimized for performance and reliability in certain demanding applications (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite) as opposed to gaming.
(single / multi) Handbrake
(seconds) Cinebench R23
(single / multi) Pugetbench
Premiere Pro Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3
(Ryzen 9 6900HX) Bal: 1,486 / 9,041
Perf: 1,487 / 9,206 Bal: 91
Perf: 81 Bal: 1,549 / 12,736
Perf: 1,457 / 13,342 Bal: 624
Perf: N/A Asus Slim 7 Pro X
(Ryzen 9 6900HS) Bal: 1,493 / 8,941
Perf: 1,493 / 9,288 Bal: 99
Perf: 86 Bal: 1,552 / 12,139
Perf: 1,548 / 13,164 Bal: 548
Perf: N/A HP Envy 16
(Core i9-12900H) Bal: 1,839 / 11,187
Perf: 1,811 / 11,387 Bal: 83
Perf: 84 Bal: 1,919 / 12,538
Perf: 1922 / 12,525 Bal: 814
Perf: 932 MSI Creator Z16P
(Core i9-12900H) Bal: 1,769 / 14,034
Perf: 1,835 / 14,051 Bal: 71
Perf: 69 Bal: 1,844 / 15,047
Perf: 1,837 / 16,084 Bal: 717
Perf: 1,042 Dell XPS 15 9520
(Core i7-12700H) Bal: 1,470 / 9,952
Perf: 1,714 / 11,053 Bal: 100
Perf: 77 Bal: 1,509 / 11,578
Perf: 1,806 / 13,313 Bal: 760
Perf: 729 Apple MacBook Pro 16
(Apple M1 Pro) Bal: 1,773 / 12,605
Perf: N/A Bal: 95
Perf: N/A Bal: 1,531 / 12,343
Perf: N/A Bal: 977
Perf: N/A The ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 ships with Nvidia Studio drivers, meaning it’s optimized for performance and reliability in certain demanding applications (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite) as opposed to gaming.
thumb_up
38 likes
B
Even so, the laptop performed well in all our benchmarks and was faster than some other creator-focused laptops we’ve reviewed. It was particularly fast in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and it tied for first in Cyberpunk 2077.
thumb_up
28 likes
S
You’ll find gaming laptops that are faster, but for a non-gaming machine, the results were pretty impressive. Stick with 1080p gaming, and you’ll get 60+ frames per second (fps) in many modern titles with graphics turned up, and you won’t have to turn them down much to play at 1440p. Assassin’s Creed
Valhalla
(1080p/1200p
Ultra High) Cyberpunk
2077
(1080p/1200p
Ultra) Civilization VI
(1080p Ultra) Fortnite
(1080p/
1200p Epic) 3DMark
Time Spy Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3
(RTX 3060) 85 fps 51 fps 99 fps 75 fps Bal: 7,010
Perf: 7,636 HP Envy 16
(RTX 3060) 70 fps 40 fps 125 fps 45 fps Bal: 7,645
Perf: 8,040 Asus ZenBook Pro 16X
(RTX 3060) 24 fps 51 fps N/A 65 fps Bal: 7,047
Perf: 8,221 MSI Creator Z16P
(RTX 3080 Ti) 55 fps 30 fps 60 fps 60 fps Bal: 9,251
Perf: 10,054 MSI Creator Z16
(RTX 3060) 50 fps N/A 92 fps 56 fps Bal: 6,322
Perf: N/A Dell XPS 17 9720
(RTX 3060) 23 fps 45 fps 111 fps 77 fps Bal: 6,757
Perf: 6,958
Valhalla
(1080p/1200p
Ultra High) Cyberpunk
2077
(1080p/1200p
Ultra) Civilization VI
(1080p Ultra) Fortnite
(1080p/
1200p Epic) 3DMark
Time Spy Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3
(RTX 3060) 85 fps 51 fps 99 fps 75 fps Bal: 7,010
Perf: 7,636 HP Envy 16
(RTX 3060) 70 fps 40 fps 125 fps 45 fps Bal: 7,645
Perf: 8,040 Asus ZenBook Pro 16X
(RTX 3060) 24 fps 51 fps N/A 65 fps Bal: 7,047
Perf: 8,221 MSI Creator Z16P
(RTX 3080 Ti) 55 fps 30 fps 60 fps 60 fps Bal: 9,251
Perf: 10,054 MSI Creator Z16
(RTX 3060) 50 fps N/A 92 fps 56 fps Bal: 6,322
Perf: N/A Dell XPS 17 9720
(RTX 3060) 23 fps 45 fps 111 fps 77 fps Bal: 6,757
Perf: 6,958
Wrapping up
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends It’s strange to ding a laptop display that’s so bright at 525 nits and enjoys a contrast ratio of 1,160:1 — both are solid scores for a modern IPS display.
thumb_up
31 likes
S
An accuracy of DeltaE 1.21 is also strong. However, the ThinkBook 16p’s display could only muster 98% of sRGB and 75% of AdobeRGB.
thumb_up
0 likes
L
Those are fine scores for productivity tasks, but demanding creators want wider colors. Given that this is the laptop’s only available display, it limits this laptop’s appeal to that group. I’ll note that this is a 165Hz display, which provides for a smoother Windows 11 and gaming experience, although you’ll have to turn graphics down to hit those kinds of frame rates.
thumb_up
27 likes
I
The higher refresh rate is certainly a perk, though, and it elevates everything you do with the system. The speakers were loud but sounded a bit tinny due to a lack of bass, making them a step below those on some other larger machines. Battery life is decent, not that tremendous longevity should ever be expected from a laptop with a 16.0-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) display and power-hungry components.
thumb_up
23 likes
M
The ThinkBook 16p hit about 6.75 hours in our web browsing test and nine hours in our video test. Both scores are less than average compared to most laptops I’ve reviewed in 2022, although that’s solid enough for the class. If you want to take the laptop on the road, then you’ll want to carry that large and heavy power brick with you if you need a full workday’s longevity.
thumb_up
43 likes
E
Not a bad laptop but not special either
Some laptops are harder than others to categorize and rate. The ThinkBook 16p Gen 3 is such a machine.
thumb_up
9 likes
S
While Lenovo stresses its suitability for small and medium-sized businesses, I didn’t find much that makes the laptop truly stand out for this crowd. Things like webcam privacy features and user presence sensing exist on mainstream consumer laptops, as do attractive aesthetics and solid performance.
thumb_up
46 likes
A
The ThinkBook 16p even comes with a one-year warranty, which is industry standard and less than many true business machines offer. At the same time, while performance was solid and battery life was better than you’ll find in some other 16-inch laptops, build quality wasn’t up to par given the high starting price of $2,359. Spend this much money, and you can get a Dell XPS 15 that’s roughly as fast, built much better, and has a significantly better display.
thumb_up
8 likes
T
In evaluating the ThinkBook 16p as a suitable machine for SMB users, I end up being unconvinced this has any serious advantages. There really isn’t that much there that you won’t find on some other mainstream laptops aimed at consumers, and the build doesn’t live up to the price tag.
Editors' Recommendations
Dell XPS 15 vs.
thumb_up
9 likes
O
Razer Blade 15: which to buy in 2022 The best budget laptops for 2022 The best hard drive enclosures for 2022 Best Apple deals and sales for October 2022 Thanks, I hate it: Someone installed macOS on a Steam Deck Is Microsoft’s new PC cleaner just an Edge ad in disguise? Best Dell XPS Deals: Up to $700 off top-rated laptops Best Apple iMac Deals: Get an Apple desktop for $571 Best gaming laptop deals for October 2022 AMD vs.
thumb_up
41 likes
E
Intel: which wins in 2022? Intel Raptor Lake CPUs: Everything we know about the 13th-gen processors AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs. Intel Core i9-13900K: a close battle AMD Ryzen 7000 vs.
thumb_up
22 likes
A
Intel Raptor Lake How to use Plex Media Server to watch all of your media Intel Core i9-13900K vs. Core i9-12900K: Is it worth the upgrade?
thumb_up
22 likes
H
Nvidia RTX 4070 renders show it’s not just a rebranded RTX 4080 12GB Big Tech’s vision for the metaverse is weak. Here’s what it needs Hurry!
thumb_up
24 likes
Similar Discussions
-
FM vs COL Dream11 Prediction Fantasy Cricket Tips Today s Playing 11 Player Stats and Pitch Report for Bukhatir League 50 Over 2022 Match 5
-
5 Surprising Health Benefits of Hot Yoga
-
What did Dexter Lumis do this week on WWE RAW?
-
Why Koby s capture in One Piece Chapter 1059 hints at the identity of another SWORD member
-
Is It a Migraine Attack or a Cluster Headache? Everyday Health
-
Is the Main Voice Actress in Bayonetta 3 Different? Details
-
Who Is Salley on Bachelor in Paradise ?
-
Concrete Calculator Cement Sa APK Download for Android APKfun com
-
Bounce reflector Ball APK Download for Android
-
Sfunge AR APK Download for Android
-
All Telenor Packages APK Download for Android
-
كيف تبدأ حياتك من الصفر APK Download for Android
-
FsRadioPanel APK Download for Android
-
Flood Zone Map APK Download for Android
-
Ce n est jamais arriv Meghan Markle serait une sacr e menteuse cette r v lation d une ex coll gue
-
C mo funciona el avanzado sistema de defensa a reo IRIS T el escudo antimisiles que Alemania envi a Ucrania y qu significa para la guerra BBC News Mundo
-
Animal shelters overwhelmed as inflation drives Americans to give up their pets Bocial Issues B Human Interest
-
FaZe Booya reveals BP50 Warzone build so good it s a bug in Season 5 Reloaded Dexerto
-
Jessica Nigri turns a trash can into art with hot garbage cosplay Dexerto
-
Disguised Toast explains why being a YouTuber is harder than Twitch streaming
-
Warzone pro HusKerrs reveals go to loadout from world record game
-
How iOS and Android s Cross Platform Games are Shaping the Future of Gaming Games Errors
-
Joe Gorga Says Drama with Teresa Giudice is Ruining His Life
-
30 Folks Online Recall Their First Ever Memories Whether Fond Or Not
-
Hey Pandas What Was The Most Terrifying Yet Exciting Moment Of Your Life? Closed
-
Hey Pandas What Was The Rudest Or Most Absurd Thing That A Teacher Or Educator Has Done Or Said To You?
-
30 Things That No One Should Romanticize According To This Online Thread
-
American Apparel tells execs No unwelcome sexual advances on staff
-
21 Days to Your First Dropshipping Sale Day 16 The Holy Grail of data Facebook Ads
-
Soft Healer Daytrotter Session Mar 31 2011 Free Streaming