Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Series

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 20BGCTO1WW

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Lenovo ThinkPad W540 20BG001BGE

The Lenovo ThinkPad W540 is a work computer powered by an Intel Core i7 and Nvidia's professional Quadro K 2100M graphics. It comes with a 15.5 inch display with a resolution of 2880 x 1620 pixel, which did not disappoint with its vivid colors and crisp details, and a color sensor. The display also features viewing from all angles without losing quality.

The laptop is encased in a dark grey exterior that is made of carbon fiber-plastic material that does not leave greasy fingerprints. The sleek design leaves much to be desired in terms of connectivity. The smooth front part of the laptop is kept clean of ports, while the left side of the case is crowded enough to have to worry about not having enough room. The laptop has 4 USB ports, a card reader, an analog VGA port and a modern Thunderbolt port.

The keyboard is standard and user friendly. The keyboard backlight can be adjusted to two levels of brightness. Like most Lenovo Thinkpads, there is a trackpoint included, which operates smoothly and is a welcomed addition for veteran ThinkPad users.

The W540 is quiet when idle. The noise level only increases when heavier workloads are applied. The 9 cell battery ensures a long battery life. Up to 7 hours on web surfing and up to 4 and a half hours of video watching are possible. 

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Average Score: 84.71% - good

Reviews

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Mobile Workstation Review: Two steps forward...?
Source: PC Perspective Archive.org version
In spite of its fairly-palatable price point of $1,499, the W540 is ultimately a few steps forward, a few steps backward. There’s still plenty to like, from a solid build that’s lighter than expected to a fantastic keyboard and sharp 3K screen. The performance is also perfectly suited for its intended audience; it handled everything we threw at it with relative ease across the spectrum of CPU, GPU, and storage benchmarks. It’s essentially a business-grade gaming PC in many respects, and its focus on power over portability accentuates that philosophy.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/09/2015

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Mobile Workstation Review: Two steps forward...?
Source: PC Perspective Archive.org version
In spite of its fairly-palatable price point of $1,499, the W540 is ultimately a few steps forward, a few steps backward. There’s still plenty to like, from a solid build that’s lighter than expected to a fantastic keyboard and sharp 3K screen. The performance is also perfectly suited for its intended audience; it handled everything we threw at it with relative ease across the spectrum of CPU, GPU, and storage benchmarks. It’s essentially a business-grade gaming PC in many respects, and its focus on power over portability accentuates that philosophy.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/09/2015

85% The most powerful business laptop we've tested
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
Looking at the machine’s hardware capability, its performance blows past all business laptops we’ve tested till December 2014. What’s particularly surprising and noteworthy is the laptop’s better-than-average loud and clear speakers for a pleasant audio experience.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/30/2015
Rating: Total score: 85%

85% The most powerful business laptop we've tested
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
Looking at the machine’s hardware capability, its performance blows past all business laptops we’ve tested till December 2014. What’s particularly surprising and noteworthy is the laptop’s better-than-average loud and clear speakers for a pleasant audio experience.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/30/2015
Rating: Total score: 85%

90% Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
Lenovo's ThinkPad W540 is an excellent laptop that most buyers should not consider—and that's what Lenovo intended. The ThinkPad W540 isn't for everyone, but graphics pros, architects, engineers, and others in the market for a portable workstation will be thrilled with its performance and features.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/23/2015
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
Lenovo's ThinkPad W540 is an excellent laptop that most buyers should not consider—and that's what Lenovo intended. The ThinkPad W540 isn't for everyone, but graphics pros, architects, engineers, and others in the market for a portable workstation will be thrilled with its performance and features.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/23/2015
Rating: Total score: 90%

Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: Hot Hardware Archive.org version
You're going to want to cancel your gym membership once you've spent a few weeks lugging the Lenovo Thinkpad W520 around. However, you're getting a lot of performance for your sacrifice. While this laptop might be overkill for a person who just needs a general Windows device to carry around and surf the Web on, this is a great laptop for those looking for a real mobile workstation.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/16/2015

Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: Hot Hardware Archive.org version
You're going to want to cancel your gym membership once you've spent a few weeks lugging the Lenovo Thinkpad W520 around. However, you're getting a lot of performance for your sacrifice. While this laptop might be overkill for a person who just needs a general Windows device to carry around and surf the Web on, this is a great laptop for those looking for a real mobile workstation.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/16/2015

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Review – Old-School Pride
Source: Slashgear Archive.org version
The machine has the hardware needed for tasks ranging from video work to animation, graphic design, and other activities beyond typing data sheets and compiling reports. The battery life is quite commendable given the specs, able to put out a few hours of run time even when demanding use is taking place, and even longer when one is simply browsing or reading. Despite all it has to offer, the machine is still light in comparison to competing models, ensuring you won't strain your shoulder lugging it around. For these reasons the W540 is definitely a laptop to consider if you're in the market for a business machine.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/30/2014

80% Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad W540 has both beauty in its self-color-calibrating screen and brawn in its top-notch benchmark performance. Its battery life and performance exceed the expectations of most mobile workstation users, and aside from a quirky trackpad, the system looks and feels like a traditional Lenovo ThinkPad laptop. All of those traits, plus a slightly less-expensive price tag, are enough to help the ThinkPad W540 leapfrog over the HP ZBook 14 as our Editors' Choice for mobile workstations.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/30/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%

Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Review – Old-School Pride
Source: Slashgear Archive.org version
The machine has the hardware needed for tasks ranging from video work to animation, graphic design, and other activities beyond typing data sheets and compiling reports. The battery life is quite commendable given the specs, able to put out a few hours of run time even when demanding use is taking place, and even longer when one is simply browsing or reading. Despite all it has to offer, the machine is still light in comparison to competing models, ensuring you won't strain your shoulder lugging it around. For these reasons the W540 is definitely a laptop to consider if you're in the market for a business machine.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/30/2014

80% Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad W540 has both beauty in its self-color-calibrating screen and brawn in its top-notch benchmark performance. Its battery life and performance exceed the expectations of most mobile workstation users, and aside from a quirky trackpad, the system looks and feels like a traditional Lenovo ThinkPad laptop. All of those traits, plus a slightly less-expensive price tag, are enough to help the ThinkPad W540 leapfrog over the HP ZBook 14 as our Editors' Choice for mobile workstations.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/30/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%

79% Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Mobile Workstation Review
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
Lenovo’s ThinkPad W540 is a worthwhile addition to the mobile workstation market. We appreciated its good construction, the excellent picture quality of its optional 3K IPS display, powerful performance for professional applications, strong battery life, and good keyboard feel. The W540 is the first notebook we’ve tested with a built-in display calibrator, a notable advantage over competitors. Lastly it’s a good value at around $2,000, as configured; it’s a lot of performance for the money.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/28/2014
Rating: Total score: 79%

79% Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Mobile Workstation Review
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
Lenovo’s ThinkPad W540 is a worthwhile addition to the mobile workstation market. We appreciated its good construction, the excellent picture quality of its optional 3K IPS display, powerful performance for professional applications, strong battery life, and good keyboard feel. The W540 is the first notebook we’ve tested with a built-in display calibrator, a notable advantage over competitors. Lastly it’s a good value at around $2,000, as configured; it’s a lot of performance for the money.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/28/2014
Rating: Total score: 79%

80% A top-notch 3K workstation with a top-shelf price tag
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
At $2,573 (about £1,606, AU$2,946) the Lenovo ThinkPad W540 is a costly business investment whether you're buying just one or multiple units for your employees. For this reason there are a lot of other machines to consider, especially if your line of work does not require a 2880 x 1620 display. There are also direct competitors such as the MacBook Pro 15 that offer a slightly higher fidelity Retina display for less money. The Dell Precision M4800 also offers up the same configuration with an even higher-resolution 3200 x 1800 display, all for a smaller equipment bill. If it were not for the enormous price tag we would wholeheartedly recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad W540, just be sure to check out the competition before you decide to foot the big bill.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/07/2014
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 70% performance: 100% features: 60% workmanship: 70%

80% A top-notch 3K workstation with a top-shelf price tag
Source: Techradar Archive.org version
At $2,573 (about £1,606, AU$2,946) the Lenovo ThinkPad W540 is a costly business investment whether you're buying just one or multiple units for your employees. For this reason there are a lot of other machines to consider, especially if your line of work does not require a 2880 x 1620 display. There are also direct competitors such as the MacBook Pro 15 that offer a slightly higher fidelity Retina display for less money. The Dell Precision M4800 also offers up the same configuration with an even higher-resolution 3200 x 1800 display, all for a smaller equipment bill. If it were not for the enormous price tag we would wholeheartedly recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad W540, just be sure to check out the competition before you decide to foot the big bill.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/07/2014
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 70% performance: 100% features: 60% workmanship: 70%

80% Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
Demanding users who work in engineering, science or other professions that require tons of raw processing power can get similar performance levels from Dell, HP or Lenovo workstations, depending on which processor, graphics card and SSD they choose. However, the ThinkPad W540 stands out from this pricey crowd because of its durable design, industry-leading keyboard, bright screen and excellent low-light webcam.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/13/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% Lenovo ThinkPad W540
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
Demanding users who work in engineering, science or other professions that require tons of raw processing power can get similar performance levels from Dell, HP or Lenovo workstations, depending on which processor, graphics card and SSD they choose. However, the ThinkPad W540 stands out from this pricey crowd because of its durable design, industry-leading keyboard, bright screen and excellent low-light webcam.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/13/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%

99% Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Mobile Workstation Laptop Review
Source: Tweaktown Archive.org version
About the only complaint we have is the price. Yes, the W540 has a premium price tag attached to it, but if you want quality and performance, you have to pay for it. You do have some other choices; these amount to gaming laptops. These can cost a bundle also, generate far more heat, have extremely limited battery life, and weigh far more than the W540. It may be nitpicking a little bit here, but for the price of the W540, it would be nice if it came with the earbuds and perhaps the carrying case. The ThinkPad W540 mobile workstation is an excellent laptop that stands above the others in quality and performance.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/25/2014
Rating: Total score: 99% price: 98% performance: 100% features: 100% workmanship: 100%

99% Lenovo ThinkPad W540 Mobile Workstation Laptop Review
Source: Tweaktown Archive.org version
About the only complaint we have is the price. Yes, the W540 has a premium price tag attached to it, but if you want quality and performance, you have to pay for it. You do have some other choices; these amount to gaming laptops. These can cost a bundle also, generate far more heat, have extremely limited battery life, and weigh far more than the W540. It may be nitpicking a little bit here, but for the price of the W540, it would be nice if it came with the earbuds and perhaps the carrying case. The ThinkPad W540 mobile workstation is an excellent laptop that stands above the others in quality and performance.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/25/2014
Rating: Total score: 99% price: 98% performance: 100% features: 100% workmanship: 100%

Comment

Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.

In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.

In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

NVIDIA Quadro K1100M:

Workstation graphics card based on the GK107 Kepler architecture with 384 shaders and a 128-Bit wide memory bus.

NVIDIA Quadro K2100M:

Workstation graphics card based on the GK106 Kepler architecture with 576 shaders and a 128-Bit wide memory bus.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.  

4700MQ: Haswell-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.4 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4600 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.

4800MQ: Haswell-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.7 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.7 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4600 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

2.48 kg:

2.61 kg:

With this weight, a laptop is rather heavier than average. Devices in this range shine more with screen size and performance than with mobility.

84.44%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight