Lenovo's mobile workstation ThinkPad P16v Gen 3 cuts cost at the wrong places

Mobile workstations should offer reliable performance and professional graphics cards with special driver certifications usually result in pretty high prices. This means even more affordable models like the ThinkPad P16v Gen 3 can quickly become quite expensive. Manufacturers still try to save money, and this is also the case for the P16v. 

In the case of our review unit, which costs around €2,800, this means you only get a plastic chassis. The base unit feels a bit cheap and the stability in the center of the base unit is not particularly good, either. We are also not happy with the hinges. The maximum opening angle is 180 degrees, but there is noticeably bouncing. Lenovo also cuts the cost for the keyboard, because the typing experience is only average. Other devices like the ThinkPad P1, for example, show that Lenovo can still produce good keyboards.

there is not much we can criticize about the display, though, because Lenovo uses a bright IPS screen with full sRGB color gamut be default. The biggest drawback is the refresh rate of 60 Hz, and we would have liked to see a better option. Lenovo offers an OLED screen, but it is limited to 60 Hz as well. This is a bit surprising, considering the excellent choice of OLED screens Lenovo uses for its consumer laptops.

All in all, the P16v Gen 3 is still a good mobile workstation thanks to its good features and the stable performance, but the cost reductions do not feel right considering a price of almost €3,000 and the overall package could be better. Please see our comprehensive review of the ThinkPad P16v Gen 3 for more information.