Limited expansion and upgrade options make it unsuitable for the workstation role and challenging to enhance.
The starting price for these computers is around 1500, but thats without a discrete graphics card installed.
If this delivered a true workstation then some of the cost might be considered worthwhile.
Currently, the P2 is exclusive to Europe, but US customers can find a similar P3 is available.
Calling that specification a ‘Workstation’ is like referring to a homemade bottle rocket as an ICBM.
That costs 2,296, including UK VAT, which seems plausible for Workstation technology.
However, some of Lenovo’s upgrade prices are breathtaking.
The RTX 4060 8GB video card, for example, increases the cost of the machine by 570.
Increasing the memory from the default 32GB module by adding another 32GB module costs 220 from Lenovo.
It’s precisely the same SK Hynix module that costs about half that online.
This price gouging isn’t uniquely a Lenovo issue, but it’s that hardware we’re assessing today.
It became a visual shorthand for optimal build quality, survivability and performance almost overnight.
The look isn’t unpleasant with its hexagonal face plate.
These machines typically come with dual LAN ports and the best specification USB.
The best USB on offer is USB 3.2 Gen 2.
There is no Thunderbolt or USB 4.0 here, and incredibly, the single LAN port is only gigabit.
No 2.5GbE, no 5GbE and no 10GbE options.
I liked that the cooling system and the rear fan had been integrated into a single heat relaying module.
Solving the LAN port problem might leave you with almost no PCIe slot options.
There are two M.2 slots, one of which is used by the system by default.
Both are PCIe 4.0 x4 standard.
While using this desktop tower, my team and I discovered that the Precision 3680 is energy-efficient and quiet.
This machine was nearly silent even when churning through benchmarks or rendering video.
One thing that I love about having a mighty tower is that I do not need a docking station.
For the last few months, this computer has been the powerhouse I know to be consistent.
That’s the beauty of a desktop workstation and the power behind a beast like this.
Those limitations effectively exclude video editing, generating AI datasets and CAD by definition.
Should you buy a Lenovo ThinkStation P2?
That limits how useful this might be to someone editing 4K video or processing AI datasets.
This case doesn’t have room for an RTX 4090, as they are all longer than 300mm.
Want to power-up productivity on the go we reviewed thebest mobile workstations.
