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| The ThinkPad P16s i Gen 5 viewed from above. |
Almost two months have passed since Lenovo first pulled the curtain back on the ThinkPad P16s Gen 5, the successor to the popular Gen 4 model (which, by the way, you can still find on Amazon if you’re looking for a deal). Back in March, during the Nvidia GTC 2026 conference in San Jose, the buzz was all about the future. Lenovo promised a May launch for Intel Panther Lake versions and hinted that AMD "Gorgon Point" options would follow in June.
Well, May is here, and the first wave has officially landed. But if you’ve been holding out for Team Red, you’re going to need a little more patience.
The Intel Models Are Here: Meet the ThinkPad P16s i Gen 5
As of this week, Lenovo has quietly launched the ThinkPad P16s i Gen 5 across several global markets. The "i" in the name tells you everything you need to know: this is the Intel-powered sibling, and it’s packing some serious heat.
Forget last-gen chips. Lenovo is offering a choice between four new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors (codenamed Panther Lake):
- Core Ultra 7 356H
- Core Ultra 7 366H vPro
- Core Ultra 9 386H vPro
- Core Ultra X9 388H vPro
These aren't your average thin-and-light CPUs. We’re talking serious horsepower for engineers, data scientists, and creative pros who need to crunch complex CAD models or render 4K video on the go.
A Display That’s Easy on the Eyes (And the Battery)
One of the standout upgrades this year is the screen. While the base model comes with a standard 16-inch WUXGA IPS panel, the configuration that will turn heads is the optional 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED display.
This isn’t just any OLED. Lenovo has packed it with a 30-120 Hz variable refresh rate (VRR), which means it can intelligently ramp down to save battery when you’re reading documents and speed up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling or video editing. With 500 nits of peak brightness and HDR 600 True Black certification, it’s the kind of screen that makes glossy magazine photos look dull in comparison.
Under the Hood: Blackwell Graphics and LPCAMM2 Magic
The real story, however, is what’s inside the chassis. Lenovo is offering Nvidia’s new RTX Pro Blackwell discrete GPUs. You can configure the laptop with either:
- RTX Pro 500 Blackwell (6 GB GDDR7)
- RTX Pro 1000 Blackwell (8 GB GDDR7)
For a "slim" workstation, having access to the Blackwell architecture is a massive leap forward for tasks like AI inference, real-time ray tracing, and heavy simulation work.
But the nerdiest (and smartest) decision Lenovo made here involves the RAM. Instead of soldering the memory to the board, they’ve embraced LPCAMM2. This new standard is smaller and faster than traditional SO-DIMM sticks, but crucially, it remains user-upgradeable. You can spec it with up to 96 GB of LPCAMM2 RAM running at 8533MT/s. That’s incredible for future-proofing.
Storage is equally future-proof, with support for 2 TB PCIe Gen 5 SSDs (though lower-tier configs ship with Gen 4 drives to keep costs sane).
The Catch: No AMD (Yet), and No US Pricing
So, what’s the catch? First, the AMD models featuring Ryzen AI 400 "Gorgon Point" chips are still missing in action. Lenovo has confirmed they are coming, but the silence is deafening. If you wanted that specific AMD flavor, you’re waiting until at least late June.
Secondly, Lenovo has not yet confirmed North American pricing. We know the situation across the pond:
- Eurozone: Starts between €2,219 and €2,730 depending on the member state.
- UK: Retails for £2,200 (for the Core Ultra 7 356H, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage).
- Australia: Starts at AUD 4,249.
Given the current exchange rates, US buyers should probably expect a starting price north of $2,000 when it eventually lands stateside.
Connectivity and Battery: The Full Suite
For road warriors, the P16s i Gen 5 doesn’t disappoint. You get Wi-Fi 7 (backwards compatible, of course) and an optional Snapdragon X61 5G modem for always-connected internet.
Battery life is a choose-your-own-adventure story. The default is a 60Wh unit, but you can upgrade to a 90Wh battery for those long-haul flights. Lenovo even throws in a Smart Card Reader option for enterprise security buffs.
The Verdict: Should You Buy?
If you are a professional who needs an Intel-powered Copilot+ PC with ISV certifications for SolidWorks or AutoCAD right now, the ThinkPad P16s i Gen 5 is arguably the most versatile 16-inch workstation on the market. The move to LPCAMM2 and Blackwell graphics fixes the two biggest complaints about the previous generation (soldered RAM and aging GPU options).
However, if your heart was set on the upcoming AMD Gorgon Point variant (which, as we reported in March, might offer better thermal efficiency), you might want to hold your horses for another few weeks.
You can check the official product pages here:
PS: If you're wondering why RAM prices feel so volatile right now, check out this analysis on why memory costs are skyrocketing. It might explain why locking in a system with upgradeable LPCAMM2 is actually a very smart financial move.
