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The Lenovo ThinkPad Lineups have regularly faired quite well in our reviews. In the real world, outside of testing studios, they also review very well. I’ve had my hands on the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 for the last few weeks. In that time, I’ve found myself grabbing it regularly, even among other laptops I am testing right now. I remember the P16 Gen 2 that I tested almost exactly a year ago.
The Gen 3 is somehow even lighter, has a better battery life, doesn’t seem to run as hot and can charge via USB-C. It’s almost as though Lenovo saw the very notes I made about the last one, and said, “understood” and fixed exactly that. The Gen 3 still has the incredible power, with now an even more powerful offering, it still has a great display, it has the beloved Lenovo keyboard, and everything else that we loved from the earlier models.
I will say, one negative is that Lenovo is going to have a hard time topping this in the future. But hey, that’s future Lenovo’s problem. For now, this laptop has climbed its way to a 5-star rating, offering something that really works in the real world for the business professional, those who need a high-performing Windows machine they can rely on to run their business, without having to compromise.
But, as we know with Lenovo since we see them in the real world all over the professional business space, there’s something to be said about compatibility in real-world applications. Lenovo thrives here – this is an easy recommendation for our best mobile workstation round-up. So, to have this powerful of a machine, in an industry that already trusts and relies on previous models, is pretty impressive. Hats off to Lenovo.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Price and availability
The P16 Gen 3 is available from a range of online retailers, as well as direct from the likes of Lenovo US and Lenovo UK.
A base P16 Gen 3 starts at around $2,400, currently priced out using Lenovo’s website. That gives you an Intel Core Ultra 5, Nvidia RTX Pro 1000 Blackwell GPU with 8GB, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, a WUXGA 1920×1200 non touch display at 60Hz, fingerprint reader, and a Wi-Fi 7 chip along with Bluetooth 5.4 as well.
For a base model 16-inch workstation, that’s pretty solid. Now, where it gets really impressive is when you climb up and add features.
My review model, for example, has an Intel Core Ultra 9, Nvidia RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell Generation with 24GB, 32GB RAM, a 3.2K (3200×2000) Tandem OLED with Touch, 1TB SSD, and the same Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips. This unit comes out to $6,998.95 and is a fully spec’d model.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Unboxing and First Impressions
This Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 came in standard Lenovo packaging, a basic brown box with some red badging, some nice packaging for the laptop and then the charger and documentation that I have literally never read more than the cover of, and I think that was even accidental. Nothing too crazy.
Right away, yes, this is a big machine, but it doesn’t feel like I expected it to. It didn’t feel as heavy as I expected, and when I looked into it, yes, it is actually a decent amount lighter than the Gen 2 model. The Gen 2 was 6.5 lbs, and the Gen 3 is 5.6lbs, almost a full pound lighter, while still keeping the 16-inch frame and the powerful internals, plus adding all of the things that I apparently wished into existence.
Of course, there is the matte dark grey frame with the red accents, the touchpoint in the middle of the keyboard I have gotten comfortable using over the years testing these laptops, and a great touchpad/trackpad. Another thing that is expected, but always good to see, is still present: the killer keyboard, the great ports, and the rugged build. That’s not even to mention the fingerprint reader, Windows Hello face recognition, and other features.
A huge thing I noticed right away was actually the ports, as a good tech reviewer does. First up, all of the ports are on the left and the right, as they should be, which is great. No ports on the back, which immediately signals to users “this should stay on a desktop.” For the Gen 3, all ports are on the right and left. Next up, there is no longer a proprietary charger. This version has a USB-C charging port.
Now, let’s not get too crazy and think that your little headphone or even smartphone charger will juice this thing up really at all. You’ll need a powerful brick if you aren’t planning on using the one from Lenovo. But regardless, the ability to use my Anker and UGREEN power stations, bricks, and portable chargers on the go has been excellent, greatly improving day-to-day usability.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Design & Build Quality
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is a classic Lenovo feel, with some great ports added. Most of the Lenovo laptops I have tested look like they could be brothers and sisters, in that they are very similar in style, materials, and design language.
The P16 Gen 3 is continuing that legacy with fantastic build quality, a strong hinge, and a design that prioritizes getting work done. Some laptops have shifted to focusing on portability, lightweight designs, or other features that are a bit more niche or not focused on the business worker, but the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 clearly focuses on removing as much friction as possible to getting work done.
This even extends to features like the ThinkShutter, privacy modes, the fingerprint reader, the self-healing BIOS, spectacular port offerings, a comfortable all-day keyboard, and more. All of these things are intentionally thought through by Lenovo to help ensure a smooth workday.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: In use
Specs
…as tested…
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 HX
Graphics: Nvidia RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell
Memory: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Display: 3.2K OLED, 16-inch
This laptop is impressively powerful. It’s great for all-day work, no matter what I am working on. I’ve grabbed it for a lot over the last bit of time that I’ve had it in for testing. It’s been wonderful to type on, test some other gear, run virtual meetings, project manage, and so on.
I’ve spent six to eight hours a day working on the P16 Gen 3, jumping in and out of my many roles throughout the day. I’ve even been able to do some heavier lifting, like large-scale database management, light engineering, video conversion, NAS management, and even consolidating other drives onto my NAS.
I’ve been able to knock out everything that’s come up without any issues or stutters. One of the projects I worked on in the last few weeks was a large camera system upgrade, and with this machine, I was able to stream dozens of 4K camera feeds simultaneously, all without breaking a sweat on the CPU or GPU.
Another project I have been working on is my newest obsession: human-in-the-loop coding with Replit. I’ve been able to run full preview windows of the apps and webpages I am working on across multiple displays while researching and agentic coding, using other agents too, such as Notion, Slack, Chrome, and more.
Even with my heavy workloads across several companies, I can run them all without having to close anything down in-between context switching. Usually, for lighter weight machine that I am testing and put my workflow on, I have to shut down some of the apps or understand that things will get throttled. But, for this one, I can keep everything open and running, helping for me to jump in and out of everything as needed.
Throughout hours of typing and living on the keyboard, my fingers are still just as comfortable. I can stay in the standard typing position, use the touchpoint to move the cursor around the screen, and even click really easily with the built-in buttons.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Final verdict
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is a laptop for those who need to be able to get real work done. The previous Gen 2 was my top pick in my guide to the best laptops for engineering students – and this upgrade now capably takes that crown.
It’s not for gamers, it’s not for those who want a budget laptop, nor is it for those who need a specific travel laptop or lightweight machine.
But, if you want a machine that can perform at workstation levels, have a good battery life, be portable enough to take with you anywhere, and also be great to use, look at, and type on, then this is worth considering.
The Lenovo P16 Gen 3 is built for those who do, those who get work done every day, and need a tool to help them get there faster.
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collin.probst@futurenet.com (Collin Probst)
