The ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 runs Windows 10 Pro on an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX proccessor with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU graphics, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. It measures 19.5mm by 354.6mm by 252mm (0.78in. x 13.96in. x 9.92in.) and weighs 1.99kg.

Images: Lenovo

Lenovo's second-generation update to its ThinkBook 16p was announced at CES last January, although it's taken some time to go on sale in both the UK and US. In fact, following Black Friday, Lenovo's UK website reverted to listing the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 as 'coming soon' while it waits for new stock, although it's still available from a number of Lenovo's third-party distributors.  

It's certainly worth looking out for, as the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 is an attractive 16-inch laptop whose combination of AMD Ryzen 9 processor and discrete GeForce RTX graphics holds out the promise of workstation-class performance at a competitive price. 

Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 2

4/ 5 Very good

pros and cons

Pros

• Strong CPU and GPU performance
• Competitive price
• 16:10 screen aspect ratio
• MIL-STD-810H impact resistance
• Decent battery life

Cons

• Only 2.5K (2560 x 1600) screen resolution
• Lacks Ethernet, HDMI and DisplayPort connectors
• Few upgrade options

$1,490.3 at Lenovo

Design & features 

This is not the sleekest 16-inch laptop, measuring 19.9mm (0.78in.) thick along the rear edge. However, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 only weighs 2kg (4.4lbs), which is pretty good for a laptop of this size -- especially as the smart, dark grey aluminium case meets the US military standard MIL-STD-810H for impact and shock resistance. Just bear in mind that the chunky power adapter adds another 0.7kg (1.5lbs) to the total weight when you're travelling. 

SEE: Chromebook sales weaken but MacBook sales hit new record

The ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 isn't convertible, but, like a number of Lenovo laptops, it does allow you to push the screen right back through 180 degrees to lie completely flat on your desk. However, I remain unconvinced that this is useful for anything other than resting the laptop on your knees while you're lying down. 

The full-size backlit keyboard includes a separate number pad as well as several useful special Fn keys.

Image: Lenovo

The spill-resistant keyboard feels firm and comfortable when typing, and Lenovo pays good attention to detail too, with a number of special Function keys for muting the microphone during video calls, handling VoIP calls, or even contacting Lenovo's web-based technical support. Lenovo also includes an app called Vantage that provides a number of useful diagnostic and productivity features, such as the ability to adjust noise-cancellation settings for video calls, calibrate the screen, and also to balance performance, fan speed and battery life for different locations and applications. 

Lenovo's Vantage app lets you select from different performance modes, as well as update drivers, run diagnostics and more.

Image: Cliff Joseph / ZDNet

The ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 does make some compromises in order to keep the price down, most notably with the 16-inch IPS display. To be fair, the image quality looks very good to the naked eye, with bold colours and a welcome anti-glare coating. Narrow bezels give the display a 93% screen-to-body ratio, while its 16:10 aspect ratio ensures that you have plenty of room to work with on-screen. However, the panel's 2.5K (2560 x 1600 pixels, 188.7ppi) resolution and 400 nits brightness are fairly modest for a laptop that boasts high-end graphics performance. The display only supports the sRGB and Rec.709 colour standards, which will be fine for web design and graphics, and simple video editing, but creative users who may also require support for the professional-level Adobe RGB and/or DCI-P3 standards. 

Many of those users will want to use an external display when working at home or in the office but, oddly, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 includes neither HDMI nor DisplayPort connectors. It does have two USB-C ports that support DisplayPort for video output, but you'll need an adapter unless you have a new monitor that also uses USB-C.  

Right side: 2x USB-C, Kensington lock slot. Left side: Headphone/mic jack, SD card slot. Rear: 2x USB-A, power in.

Images: Lenovo

Other connectivity options include two USB-A (3.2) ports (mounted on the laptop's rear edge), a 3.5mm audio in/out jack, and an SD card reader, as well as Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax). However, there's no Ethernet for a wired network, while the 720p webcam is a little disappointing -- although it does have a sliding privacy shutter and IR support for Windows Hello face authentication.

Price & options 

Many of Lenovo's products offer a 'build your own' option that allows you to choose the exact specification and components that you require. Sadly, that's not the case with the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2, and although Lenovo's website states that there are three models available with Ryzen 5, 7 and 9 processors, there's just a single model currently available in both the UK and US.

Customers in the UK get the top-of-the-range Ryzen 9 model, which we review here. This costs