Combo Lenovo workstation and monitor

Lenovo ThinkVision P40w-20

The ThinkVision P40w-20 is the most advanced screen model from Lenovo that you can buy at the moment. It possesses an extremely “terrible” configuration including a resolution of 5120 x 2160 pixels (WUHD) with a 21: 9 ratio ideal for multitasking needs, 40 inches in size, 2500R curvature, and 10-bit IPS panels with 1 billion colors so that the viewing angle and display quality are not distorted. Although designed for the main work needs, the ThinkVision P40w-20 is still equipped with a 75 Hz refresh rate, slightly higher than the common 60 Hz level and enough for you to feel smoother when scrolling, and displaying content on the desktop.

The ThinkVision P40w-20 features a squarish, ergonomic design with a versatile stand that can be tilted, rotated, and raised, has compact routing slots, and is VESA mount compatible if you need it wall mount or monitor-arm mounting. The screen bezels are very thin for an airy viewing experience, and the 2500R curvature that envelops the field of view gives me a feeling of being almost immersed in the displayed content.

But configuration is only one part. What makes the ThinkVision P40w-20 special compared to other office monitors are the utilities that Lenovo has integrated inside. First, the ThinkVision P40w-20 is the world’s first Thunderbolt 4 display to support Intel Active Management Technology for Intel vPro customers, a solution that enables business users to remotely deploy and maintain connected devices connect.

Next, are exclusive Lenovo technologies including eKVM which allows you to instantly access 2 PC sources on one screen and switch between them without having to install special drivers; and True Split display both PCs simultaneously, or you can choose either PC to share with a video meeting, while you’re still working with the other half of the screen. I think this feature will be very suitable for those who have both a desktop computer and a laptop that need to multitask for different tasks.

The connectivity of the ThinkVision P40w-20 is also one of the very respectable aspects. In addition to two multi-purpose Thunderbolt 4 ports (the second port you can use to daisy-chain additional monitors, further expanding the display area), the ThinkVision P40w-20 is also equipped with a series of USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. (both Type-A and Type-C), full HDMI connection protocol, DisplayPort, Power Delivery charging, Ethernet network port, etc., just listing them all is enough.

Professional monitors can’t help but mention color standards. The ThinkVision P40w-20 covers 99% of the sRGB color space and 98% of the DCI-P3 color space, with instant switching between color gamut modes via ThinkColor software. Right from the factory, the ThinkVision P40w-20 has been color-balanced by the manufacturer with Delta E<2, so you can have absolute peace of mind when using the monitor for tasks like photo and video editing.

Lenovo ThinkStation P620

Since its launch in 2008, Lenovo’s ThinkStation workstation line has always been trusted by consumers, thanks in part to the fact that they span every segment, from the popular small form-factor to the popular small-form-factor dual-socket high-end tower workstations. 2021 marks a special milestone for ThinkStation, when Lenovo first used AMD Threadripper Pro chip instead of Intel’s Xeon for the P620, creating a new 600-series line in the high-end single-socket segment.

There are many reasons leading to Lenovo’s decision to choose the AMD Threadripper chip, but the most important one will be performed. AMD, after rising to dominate the mainstream CPU market with the Ryzen product line, is determined to attack the fertile server and workstation market with Epyc and Threadripper. AMD’s products have huge cores/threads, powerful clocks, and performance that even surpasses Intel’s Xeon Dual CPUs at much more attractive prices. Support for the PCIe 4.0 protocol with twice the bandwidth of the old standard PCIe 3.0 is also one of the great advantages of AMD Threadripper Pro with the rest.

In terms of design, the first impression is that the ThinkStation P620 is very compact considering the powerful hardware inside it. With dimensions of 440 x 165 x 460mm, respectively, the ThinkStation P620 is even smaller than a mid-tower set of computers. In front of the case is a handle for you to easily move the machine when needed and you should take advantage of it because depending on the configuration, the ThinkStation P620 can weigh up to 25 kg. The case has a minimalist appearance, the average person looking at it may not think that the ThinkStation P620 is so powerful.

Accessing the components inside the case is a simple operation, as the left side of the case has a lever to open and lift the cover without the need for any tools (however, the machine sent to us is already empty. It is locked so it cannot be opened). Since the sides and top and bottom of the case are completely sealed, the front vents and 80mm fan at the back of the case will be fully responsible for the airflow inside, like a tunnel. That’s why I think the ThinkStation P620 should have more dust filters, because, after a short time of use, there’s already a lot of dust inside.

The number of ports of the ThinkVision P40w-20 still does not satisfy you? Up front, the ThinkStation P620 is equipped with two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, all of which are 3.2 Gen 2 standard, while the rear has up to six more USB-A ports, including four more USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and four more USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. 2 USB 2.0 ports. In addition, there are other connection ports such as PS/2 for older peripherals, audio, and 10 Gbps Ethernet. With wireless connectivity, the integrated chip Intel AC 9260 includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Perhaps, the only regret is that due to using an AMD chipset, the ThinkStation P620 does not support Thunderbolt.

Internal configuration, review machine including AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3975WX CPU (32 cores / 64 threads), 128GB RAM, 256GB SSD M.2, 1TB HDD, Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphics card 16GB, set 1000W 80 Plus Platinum power source to operate all of the above, and pre-installed Windows 10 Pro 64 bit.

The above configuration is only at the “normal average” level of the ThinkStation P620. You can upgrade to the maximum configuration with 64 core/128 thread Threadripper Pro 3995WX CPU, 2TB ECC RAM, 2 Nvidia Quadro GV100s graphics cards, 2 M.2 SSD slots, and 4 HDD trays, of course, the cost is also high will vary based on the component you select.

For every task you can think of, the ThinkStation P620 handles it quickly. Even jobs like video editor are not an obstacle to this monster. The target group that ThinkStation P620 targets are people in the field of research and intensive data mining such as scientists, architects, geophysicists, … or research and development of artificial intelligence applications, and virtual reality. To make it easier for you to imagine, the desktop that I often use to evaluate, if normally running the Cinebench R23 benchmark takes nearly 2 minutes, in time to make a cup of coffee, the ThinkStation P620 only takes about 10 seconds.

Experimenting with familiar benchmark applications, the ThinkStation P620 delivers very impressive results. However, you also need to note that benchmark numbers with configurations like this will be for reference only, most of the applications that we use every day will usually not be able to take full advantage of the processing power of the Threadripper Pro 3975WX chip.

In addition to rendering, calculating Pi is also a fun and intuitive way to gauge the performance of a machine. I use y-cruncher software and choose 2 calculation levels: 250 million digits and 2.5 billion digits (after the comma). As a result, with the Threadripper Pro 3975WX and 128GB of RAM, the ThinkStation P620 calculated 250 million digits in 5.2 seconds, and 2.5 billion digits in 54.98 seconds.

Going a little deeper into GPUs, one of the best software to measure their performance in 3D Mark. The Fire Strike Ultra (4K DX11), Time Spy Extreme (4K DX12) and Port Royal (Ray Tracing) tests give us a look at the GPU’s performance and estimate their capabilities in some popular games. The ThinkStation P620’s Quadro RTX 5000 scored 6,687 in the Fire Strike Ultra test, 5,708 points in the Time Spy Extreme test, and 6,711 points in the Port Royal test. According to 3D Mark’s estimates, this graphics card can play Battlefield V well at 2K resolution, setting Ultra graphics with an FPS of 100 or more.

After hours of scientific research, and tired artificial intelligence, you want to be entertained by playing games? Through the official benchmark applications of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, Street Fighter V, and Monster Hunter Online, at 4K resolution (3820 x 2160 pixels) and the highest graphics settings, the ThinkStation P620 all performed quite well with The average FPS ranges from 40-60. If you accept to reduce the graphics quality or lower the resolution, surely the gaming experience will be even smoother.

In terms of temperature and noise level, with such a compact size and powerful configuration, it is not surprising that the ThinkStation P620 generates a lot of heat when running at full capacity. We recorded the maximum CPU temperature at about 94 degrees Celsius, and the GPU at 84.5 degrees Celsius, but it should also be noted that you do not always use the full capacity of the machine-like when stress testing, and because of ThinkStation handles tasks very quickly, this temperature level will not be able to cause discomfort in daily use. The machine also emits very little noise when at rest, the noise level only increases when I perform heavy video rendering tasks.

Lenovo ThinkStation P620 30E000DQUS Workstation – 1 x AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO Dodeca-core (12 Core) 3945WX 4 GHz – 32 GB DDR4 SDRAM RAM – 1 TB SSD – Tower: Buy it now

Lenovo ThinkStation P620 30E0008QUS Workstation – 1 x AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO Hexadeca-core (16 Core) 3955WX 3.90 GHz – 32 GB DDR4 SDRAM RAM – 1 TB SSD – Tower – Windows 10 Pro 64-bitNVIDIA Quadro: Buy it now

Lenovo ThinkStation P620 30E000DGUS Workstation – 1 x AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO Dodeca-core (12 Core) 3945WX 4 GHz – 64 GB DDR4 SDRAM RAM – 1 TB SSD – Tower – Graphite Black: Buy it now

Summary

An ultimate screen for multitasking with a huge display area, and a workstation that can quickly handle all the tasks you put on it, the ThinkVision P40w-20 and ThinkStation P620 are like “a pair from heaven”  for you to comprehensively upgrade your work productivity. Both have no points to criticize considering the value they bring, or at best, I think the ThinkStation P620 should have an extra dust filter. The initial outlay may sound big, but the users these two Lenovo products are aimed at certainly won’t matter financially.