Lenovo's new pro laptops include one built for VR
The lineup also includes Lenovo's lightest-ever mobile workstation.
Lenovo knows that it's not enough to build laptops that support virtual reality -- you need laptops that can create virtual reality, too. To that end, it's releasing a trio of pro workstations headlined by one that's primed for VR production. The 17-inch ThinkPad P71 is certified as VR-ready by HTC, NVIDIA and Oculus, and has the power to back it up: you'll find both a mobile Xeon E3 processor and up to Quadro P5000 workstation graphics. Support for up to 64GB of RAM and four storage devices (across both conventional and solid-state drives) helps, too. You can also expect Thunderbolt 3 ports to plug in your displays and docks, while there's an optional 4K display for crisper non-VR visuals.
The other two rigs are designed more for portability than raw power. The 15-inch ThinkPad P51s (below) is definitely the star of the bunch -- it's Lenovo's lightest and thinnest mobile workstation to date, coming in at a relatively modest 4.3 pounds and an Ultrabook-worthy 0.79 inches thick. It won't be as powerful as the P71, but you're still looking at 7th-generation Core processors, up to 32GB of RAM, an optional 4K display and Quadro M520M video. A more conventional ThinkPad P51 is on tap if you're willing to get a bulkier 15-inch machine in return for faster processors (including the P71's Xeon chip), faster optional graphics (the Quadro M2200M) and up to 64GB of memory.
Lenovo ships the P51s in March, and it'll be the most affordable of the batch with a starting $1,049 price. The P51 and P71, meanwhile, are both more expensive and relative latecomers: they'll arrive in April with respective starting prices of $1,399 and $1,849.
