Lenovo P Series P16s Gen 4 2024, 96GB, 1TB SSD, Black

The ThinkPad P16s Gen 4 is a developer's dream with 96GB of RAM and a strong 12-core AMD CPU, but it skips the dedicated GPU entirely. That trade-off gives it an 82.4 developer score but a brutal 22.7 gaming score. At USD 4,329, it's a specialist machine for RAM-hungry workloads, not a general-purpose workstation. Buy it for containers and local AI, skip it for anything graphics-related.

The CPU is the star here. The AMD 370 is a 12-core part clocked at 2.0GHz base, and it sits at the 86th percentile in our database. That means it's one of the better laptop processors on the market right now, though not the absolute best. For compile times, test suites, and general development work, you'll feel the difference compared to mid-range chips. The 96GB of DDR5 RAM is the real flex though. That's 99th percentile territory, and it means you can run multiple VMs, a local database, and a memory-hungry IDE without ever touching a swap file.

The integrated Radeon 890M is where things get interesting. It's actually one of the better integrated GPUs out there, and the 48GB of shared VRAM allocation is a neat trick for AI workloads that need lots of memory bandwidth. But let's be real: this is not a gaming GPU. The 69th percentile ranking reflects that it's fine for desktop compositing, video playback, and light photo editing, but it'll choke on modern AAA titles. The 1920x1200 display at 60Hz doesn't help either. It's a productivity panel, not a gaming one, and the 500 nits brightness and 100% sRGB coverage are aimed at code editors and spreadsheets, not ray-traced reflections.

The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max is the elephant in the room. It's in the same price territory and absolutely demolishes the P16s in GPU performance. If you do any video editing, 3D work, or machine learning that leverages GPU acceleration, the MacBook is the obvious choice. But the P16s fights back with 96GB of RAM, which beats most MacBook configurations, and the port selection is more flexible for enterprise environments. Plus, some people just need Windows and x86 compatibility for their toolchain.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and HP OMEN Transcend 14 are gaming-focused machines that offer dedicated GPUs at lower prices. They'll run circles around the P16s in any graphics workload, and they're more compact too. But they typically max out at 32GB or 64GB of RAM, and their displays are tuned for gaming rather than color-accurate productivity work. The MSI Raider is a different beast entirely, a full desktop replacement with serious GPU power, but it's heavy and bulky in a way the P16s isn't. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is the closest philosophical match, prioritizing portability and build quality over raw specs, but it can't touch the P16s on RAM or CPU core count.

Here's where things get uncomfortable. The US listing shows USD 4,329, and for that money, you're getting integrated graphics. No dedicated GPU. No high-refresh display. Just a lot of RAM, a solid CPU, and a ThinkPad badge. That's a tough pill to swallow when you look at what else is out there. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max sits in the same price bracket and brings a genuinely powerful GPU along for the ride. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and HP OMEN Transcend 14 both offer dedicated graphics at lower prices.

But value isn't just about specs per dollar. If your work genuinely needs 96GB of RAM in a portable form factor, your options are limited. Most laptops top out at 32GB or 64GB, and going beyond that usually means a thick, heavy desktop replacement. The P16s Gen 4 gives you that memory headroom in a 1.71kg package with a bright, color-accurate screen and excellent port selection. For a narrow slice of developers and AI tinkerers, that's worth the premium. For everyone else, it's a hard sell.

The Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 4 is a weird one, and I mean that in the best way. It's a workstation that skips the dedicated GPU entirely, leaning on AMD's integrated Radeon 890M graphics and a frankly absurd 96GB of DDR5 RAM. That's more memory than most gaming desktops we see, stuffed into a 1.71kg laptop. Lenovo is clearly betting that AI workloads and heavy multitasking matter more to developers than raw polygon pushing, and honestly, for a specific slice of buyers, they might be right.

This thing is built for developers first. Our scoring puts it at 82.4 out of 100 for that use case, which is strong. The 12-core AMD 370 CPU sits at the 86th percentile among laptops, and the RAM is basically top of the charts at the 99th percentile. If your day involves spinning up containers, running local LLMs, or keeping 200 browser tabs alive while your IDE chugs through a monorepo, this machine was practically designed for you.

But here's the catch. The gaming score is 22.7 out of 100, which is rough. The integrated GPU lands at the 69th percentile, which sounds okay until you realize that's against all laptops, including thin-and-lights with no gaming ambitions at all. For a machine that costs over four grand in the US, that's a trade-off you need to be very clear-eyed about before handing over your credit card.

If you do any kind of graphics work, video editing, 3D modeling, or gaming, this is not your laptop. The integrated Radeon 890M simply can't compete with even mid-range dedicated GPUs, and the 60Hz display compounds the problem. You'd be far better served by the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max if you're in the Apple ecosystem, or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or HP OMEN Transcend 14 if you need Windows with real graphics power.

You should also skip this if you don't actually need 96GB of RAM. That's the spec driving the price, and if your workflow tops out at 32GB or 64GB, you're paying a premium for memory you'll never use. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition offers a more balanced package for general productivity at a lower price, and most mainstream laptops will handle everyday development work just fine. The P16s is a niche machine, and buying it without needing its specific strengths is just burning money.

If you're a developer who lives in containers, runs local AI models, or just refuses to close browser tabs, the P16s Gen 4 is genuinely compelling. The 96GB of RAM is the headline feature, and it's backed by a strong CPU, a bright and accurate display, and the kind of port selection that makes docking stations optional. The 82.4 developer score isn't an accident. This machine was built for a specific workflow, and it nails it.

But if you have any gaming ambitions, any video editing plans, or any desire to run GPU-accelerated workloads, look elsewhere. The 22.7 gaming score isn't just bad, it's a warning label. At USD 4,329, you're paying workstation prices for a machine that can't do workstation graphics. The MacBook Pro M4 Max or a gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU will serve you far better. The P16s is a specialist's tool, and if you're not that specialist, you'll feel the compromises every day.