Lenovo ThinkPad P51 – One of the best Laptops for Engineering, AutoCAD & Design – Coffee Break Ep#3

Hey Everybody,

Brandon here, back again with another video and Episode #3 of Coffee Break!

Since the Coffee Break Series is still (relatively) new and it’s still gaining popularity, I like to start these post of with a quick recap of what the Coffee Break series is: Today’s post and video are part of a newish series I’m doing on the Blog and Channel called Coffee Break! In each Episode (post) I’ll be highlighting and showcasing a product, gadget, etc.. from the perspective of a designer/engineer and how new technology can help us be more productive and better in our day to day work and life. If you haven’t seen Episode #1 or Episode #2 yet, be sure to check them out and catch up:)

Coffee Break Backstory:

I wanted to find a way to organize tech content/reviews on the blog as well as branch out in a way that I hope will be helpful and interesting for you, my awesome readers! I’ve already reached out to a handful of companies/brands in our industry and have received great responses and a ton of products to review and showcase that are a perfect fit for us as designers, engineers, and creatives. I really hope you enjoy this episode (#3) of Coffee Break (Each episode will either be a blog post or a video/combination of the two). Let me know what you think as well as what other products you’d like to see in the comments!:)

Now let’s start today’s episode (#3), in it, I showcase and highlight one of my favourites, and quite possibly the best Workstation Laptop available in 2018 for CAD and design! The Lenovo ThinkPad P51..(Quick disclaimer: I was sent this product on loan, for review and testing purposes and have since sent it back, I was not paid, or influenced in any way. All thoughts and impressions are my own ? )

If you’re like me and I know many of you are, it can be a pretty tough decision to make the move from a desktop workstation to a new portable laptop workstation, at my last company, we made the switch a few years ago from full modelling towers to workstation laptops and while I was skeptical at first, it didn’t take long for me to fully embrace the change.  Even though I don’t think you can get quite as much “horsepower” for your dollar when you switch to a laptop, I think the added benefits of compact size, portability and being able to work in different environments and teams on the fly far outweigh the cost differences.

Check out my Coffee Break video EP3 (above) for some highlights and the unboxing but be sure to continue below for my thoughts and more detailed info.

So with that said and my love of portable workstations known, I was excited to be able to take the new Lenovo Thinkstation P51 for a test drive recently. Lenovo was kind enough to send me over a review unit with some great specs to unbox and work with for the Blog. On initial viewing the P51 has a great look and feel to it, the matte finish is a nice touch and helps to cut down on any smudges/fingerprints that many new laptops seem to be a magnet for!

The build feels sturdy and durable while not feeling like it weighs a ton and could easily be taken on the go to a client meeting or to travel with it to a job site, as many previous Thinkpad users would agree, this line of laptops has a reputation for being reliable and able to take some bumps along the way.

I also really enjoyed the display on the P51, it was easy to see in bright conditions and I didn’t have any issues with glare in my use. The Colors seemed vibrant and looked great when viewing Youtube and Netflix and the included  X-Rite® PANTONE® color calibration built into the hand rest area is a really cool feature as well.


When it comes to using the P51 for day to day AutoCAD, Civil 3d Surfacing, 3d Modeling and general design work with some photo/video editing thrown in as well, I didn’t run into any issues with my unit and based on the available specs I think most users will be pleasantly happy with the balance of portability and power available.
Check out the Lenovo Thinkpad P51 page here for complete specs and options
And on Amazon here: Lenovo P51 Laptop http://amzn.to/2GCubqH (for around: $2000)
Some Highlights of available specs:
Up to Intel’s i7 7820 processor @3.9ghz
Up to a 4K IPS display
Nvidia Quadro M2200 4GB GDDR5 for Graphic
Up to 64 GB DDR4 Ram
And up to 1TB SSD

Inputs/Outputs:

  • 4 USB 3.0, 1 Always-on
  • HDMI 1.4
  • Mini DP 1.2
  • Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3
  • RJ 45 Gigabit Ethernet
  • Docking connector
  • 4-in-1 card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC)
  • ExpressCard / 34 mm
  • Headphone/mic combo jack

 

With these specs and Lenovo’s history of durable and tried and true reliability, the Thinkpad P51 should be on any designers short list for a workstation laptop this year 2018.

That’s all for today’s episode of Coffee Break, I hope you enjoyed it and liked seeing a great option for your next CAD workstation.

Check out the Lenovo Thinkpad P51 page here for complete specs and options
And on Amazon here: Lenovo P51 Laptop http://amzn.to/2GCubqH (for around: $2000)

Let me know what you think in the comments below as well as any other products you’d like to see in the future!

And don’t forget to check out Episode #1 and Episode #2 to catch up.

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Brandon is a Civil Designer, Aspiring Blogger/Creator, Husband, Father to two Amazing Kids and Tech Aficionado from a small town in Canada. He has been obsessed with design and technology since he can remember and working as a Civil Designer for nearly as long. Brandon’s blog and Youtube channel, CADIntentions.com has been his outlet and excuse for keeping up with new tech and trends in the CAD design world for the last 10 years growing to more than 60,000 subscribers and over 15,000,000 views, while also being the source of many great friendships and unique opportunities. If you would like to Sponsor CAD Intentions or Work together in some way, Please visit my About Page and send me an email: http://cadintentions.com/about-me/