The workstation line of machines from Lenovo have been extraordinarily profitable for the corporate. While ThinkStation may not have as a lot model identification because the extra recognizable ThinkPad, for the markets that require them Lenovo’s ThinkStation vary has been on the entrance of high-performance under-the-desk choices since 2008. Lenovo has centered on every thing from small kind issue entry ThinkStation techniques, all the best way as much as high-end twin socket P-series tower designs. The system we’re reviewing at the moment truly marks a serious milestone for the ThinkStation enterprise; the ThinkStation P620 is Lenovo’s first AMD workstation system, and it is available in to interchange the entire vary of Intel-based high-performance ThinkStations beforehand supplied.
ThinkStation Replaces Intel with AMD For Performance
As talked about, Lenovo began the ThinkStation line in 2008. At the time the primary two obtainable choices have been a mid-range tower system utilizing a Core 2 Quad processor, and a dual-socket tower constructed on twin Xeon E5000 processors for high-performance. Over the years, ThinkStation has expanded into the low finish Xeon E3/Xeon E markets, and launched small kind issue techniques round smaller 35 W processors, however nonetheless saved up with the premium tower and twin socket designs.
The final replace to those increased efficiency choices have been in 2017. At the time, single socket designs from the P520 have been extra mid-range, utilizing Intel’s Xeon W platform on the LGA2066 desktop socket with solely 4 reminiscence channels however with Pro-level options. The P720 and P920 tackled the high-performance utilizing the dual-processor Intel Xeon Scalable platform, giving six reminiscence channels per CPU, with the P920 providing the upper energy fashions with its higher cooling design. Since 2017, apart from transferring from Skylake to Cascade Lake, and providing newer graphics choices, the P520, P720 and P920, have remained static in Lenovo’s providing.
Every single providing within the Lenovo ThinkStation lineup has been Intel. Until now.
| Lenovo ThinkStation Offerings in Q1 2021 | ||||
| Entry | P340 | Small FF | Intel 10th Gen / Xeon | 65 W |
| Tiny | Intel 10th Gen / Xeon | 65 W | ||
| Tower | Intel 10th Gen / Xeon | 125 W | ||
| Mid Range | P520 | Compact Tower | Xeon W, LGA2066 | 140 W |
| Tower | Xeon W, LGA2066 | 140 W | ||
| High-End (Single Socket) |
P620 | Tower | AMD Threadripper Pro | 280 W |
| High-End (Dual Socket) |
P720 | Tower | 2 x Xeon-SP | 2 x 150 W |
| P920 | Tower | 2 x Xeon-SP | 2 x 205 W | |
The ThinkStation P620 is the primary AMD system that Lenovo has ever supplied with ThinkStation. Built on Threadripper Pro, it kinds a brand new 600-series within the line-up. From the specification sheet it actually gives efficiency above and past the P500 collection, and arguably above the P700 and P900 as effectively, however it’s nonetheless single socket, which is why it’s ‘600’ relatively than something increased.
Reasons why Lenovo has jumped on the AMD bandwagon for Threadripper Pro are doubtless quite a few, and a few of them are apparent – as we’ve showcased earlier than in evaluations of the Threadripper 3990X and EPYC 7742, AMD’s 64-core choices at 280 W imply a lot of efficiency, and the Pro aspect allows over customary Threadripper with 8x reminiscence assist, ECC reminiscence, double the PCIe lanes, and Pro-level administration capabilities. At a time when Intel’s providing on this area have considerably stagnated (no have to replace these product strains since 2007), AMD has one thing that Lenovo’s clients need.
On high of this, Lenovo secured the unique for AMD’s Threadripper Pro. Announced final August, and at retail from late September/early October, Lenovo seems to have secured a 6-month unique to be the one OEM to supply the system to clients. Lenovo and AMD have additionally doubtless partnered to co-design the…
