Lenovo P53: At First Glance
The Lenovo P53 has to be one of the most powerful mobile workstations I have ever come across. This laptop does not only offer power, but it also offers durability and reliability.
That’s not all; the laptop offers multiple configuration options ranging from the CPU to the graphics card. However, as most of us know, laptops of such caliber are mostly expensive, and the Lenovo P53 isn’t an exception.
To be more specific, during the time I published this review article in June 2022, the Lenovo P53 had a starting price of $2,050.93 on Amazon. Although expensive, does this Lenovo laptop deliver enough performance worthy of its price tag?
An answer to that question and more are what’s in store for you in the subsequent sections below. Hence, kindly continue reading.
Lenovo P53: Design, Display, Ports, and Connectivity
Starting off, the Lenovo P53 comes with a bold appearance, even though it isn’t particularly attractive. The laptop offers a magnesium alloy chassis in an ebony-black color with a matte finish.
Impressively, this laptop is very durable and is able to withstand a reasonable level of rough handling. In actual fact, the laptop passed various MIL-STD 810G tests.
For clarity, MIL-STD 810G is a series of tests and procedures that evaluate the level of durability of US military-grade weapons. Hence, having passed about twelve of these tests, the Lenovo P53 will be able to handle various harsh conditions.
Some of these harsh conditions include extreme temperature, vibrations, mechanical shocks, and shortfalls.
That aside, to give the Lenovo P53 a bit of elegance, Lenovo included a “ThinkPad” inscription on the top left corner of the lid. Moreover, this lid is attached to the laptop’s base by two hinges.
These hinges are flexible and allow the lid to be opened up to 180 degrees. Also, the hinges are pretty sturdy, preventing the lid from wobbling too much when nudged.
Upon opening the Lenovo P53’s lid, you will be presented with a 15.6-inch display. Impressively, Lenovo offers two display resolution options which are FHD (1920 x 1080) and 4K UHD (3840 x 2160).
However, for the sake of this review, we will focus on the Lenovo P53 with the FHD resolution. With this resolution option, the laptop’s display should be able to deliver a clear, colorful, and sharp picture quality.
Regardless, the display’s picture quality cannot be as good as that of a display with 4K UHD resolution. The reason is that 4K UHD resolution has about two times the number of pixels that FHD resolution has.
Nevertheless, with the FHD resolution, the Lenovo P53’s display offers a maximum brightness of 500 nits. Hence, the display should be bright enough to fight off-screen glares when the laptop is used outdoors or in well-lit areas.
Speaking of screen glares, the laptop’s display features a matte coating on its surface. This matte coating prevents screen glares and reflections when the display is exposed to direct sunlight.
That’s not all; the matte coating also makes the content on the display look sharper and clearer. It also reduces eye strain when you stare at the display for a long period of time.
That aside, the Lenovo P53’s display is made with an IPS panel that allows it to offer wide viewing angles. Consequently, you can watch the display from extreme angles or off-center without losing color accuracy and picture quality.
Moving on, medium-sized bezels surround this laptop’s display. However, unlike the body of the laptop, these bezels are made of plastic and feature a matte-black finish.
Moreover, the bottom bezel features a “Lenovo” inscription imprinted on the left edge. Meanwhile, the top bezel has a webcam at the center alongside a Thinkshutter.
The Thinkshutter is a visual webcam cover that blocks the camera lens when not in use so as to prevent spying. Performance-wise, the webcam is ideal for video conference calls via Skype or Zoom.
However, I don’t advise relying on the webcam for taking selfies or groupies. This is because images that the webcam produces tend to come out blurry or grainy.
Moving down to the deck, as expected, you will find the Lenovo P53’s keyboard. Impressively, this keyboard features a dedicated numeric pad and well-spaced keys with good tactile feedback.
Also, the keys are pretty responsive and offer an adequate amount of key travel. As a result, typing on the Lenovo P53 should be a fun and pleasurable experience.
For those wondering, key travel is the distance between a key at rest to full depression. In addition to its adequate key travel and good tactile feedback, this laptop’s keyboard is also backlit.
Thus, typing in dark areas shouldn’t be a problem. As with most ThinkPad laptops, the Lenovo P53 features a red TrackPoint located at the center of its keyboard.
If you don’t know, this TrackPoint is more like an alternative to the touchpad – it is used for cursor control. Speaking of the touchpad, the Lenovo P53 comes with a precision touchpad at the bottom of its keyboard.
This touchpad is quite spacious and features two dedicated click buttons. Also, the surface of the touchpad is somewhat smooth, allowing for seamless finger gliding.
Appreciably, this touchpad supports Windows 10 multi-touch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. That aside, looking to the right side of the laptop’s touchpad, you will come across a fingerprint sensor.
This sensor is for biometric verification and aids in easy login into Windows via Windows Hello.
Port-wise, the Lenovo P53 is excellent. Honestly, almost all the ports you will ever need can be found on this laptop.
Starting with the laptop’s left side, there is an HDMI 2.0 port, 2 USB Type-A 3.1 ports, and a 4-in-1 media card reader. Likewise, the right side of this laptop features a headphone/mic combo jack, a USB Type-C port, a sim card tray, and a Kensington lock slot.
That’s not all; on the rear, the Lenovo P53 features an Ethernet port, a charging port, and another USB Type-C port that also serves as the Thunderbolt port. In terms of wireless connectivity, this Lenovo laptop has Bluetooth 5.1 and an integrated 802.11ax 2 x 2 Wi-Fi.
Moving on, the Lenovo P53’s dimension and weight depend on its hardware configuration. However, the minimum dimension and weight of the laptop are 377.4 x 252.3 x 24.5 – 29.4 mm (W x D x H) and 2500 g.
Meanwhile, the maximum dimension and weight are 377.4 x 252.3 x 25.8 – 30.7 mm (W x D x H) and 2900 g. Comparatively, the Levono P53 is heavier and chunkier than the Dell Latitude 5590.
Specifically, the Dell Latitude 5590 weighs and measures 1800 g and 376 x 250.7 x 20.6 mm (W x D x H), respectively.
All things considered, I will rate the Lenovo P53 a nine out of ten in this design review section.
Lenovo P53: Processor (CPU) Performance
The Lenovo P53 offers two processor options. Thus, you can purchase the laptop with either an Intel Core i9-9880H processor or an Intel Xeon E-2276M processor.
The former is an 8-core processor with a 12 MB cache memory. Meanwhile, the latter is a 6-core processor that features a cache memory of 16 MB.
For processing speed, the Intel Core i9-9880H processor has a base frequency of 2.30 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.80 GHz. The Intel Xeon E-2276M processor, on the other hand, has a 2.80 GHz base frequency and 4.70 GHz maximum frequency.
Performance-wise, considering the specs of these processors, they should be able to handle most computing tasks. Hence, with either processor option, the Lenovo P53 will be able to execute demanding workloads like video editing.
However, this review is based on the Lenovo P53 with an Intel Core i9-9880H processor. Thus, to know how well this laptop can perform with this Intel Core processor, we will discuss its result on a Cinebench R15 test.
For clarity, Cinebench R15 is a benchmark test that evaluates the processing abilities of a computer’s processor. This is achieved by utilizing the processor’s cores.
As a result, this test involves two distinct approaches which are the single-core test and the multi-core test. For your information, the single-core test utilizes just one of a computer’s processor cores to evaluate its processing abilities.
On the other hand, the multi-core test utilizes all the available processor cores to evaluate its performance. Moreover, a high score in the Cinebench R15 test implies good processor performance.
With that in mind, based on the test results obtained, the Lenovo P53 recorded 192 points in the single-core test. Likewise, on the multi-core test, the laptop recorded 1508 points.
Comparatively, the Lenovo P53 has a better processing performance than the Dell Precision 7530, which uses an Intel Core i9-8950HK processor. To be more specific, the Dell Precision 7530 recorded 187 points and 1193 points in the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.
In summary, the Lenovo P53 offers two high-end processor options. Also, the laptop beats one of its close rivals on a benchmark test.
Due to these, I will rate the Lenovo P53 a nine out of ten in this processor review section.
Lenovo P53: Memory (RAM) Performance
I know you must be impressed with the Lenovo P53’s processor performance and features. Well, Lenovo will sweep you off your feet with the laptop’s memory features.
To start with, the Lenovo P53 comes with a whopping four memory slots and supports a maximum memory of 128 GB RAM. Honestly, this has to be one of the largest memory sizes a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop has ever supported.
Thus, even though the laptop offers a standard memory of 8 GB, you can upgrade the memory up to 128 GB. However, for the sake of this review, we will focus on the Lenovo P53 with 32 GB RAM.
With this amount of RAM, the Lenovo P53 should be able to carry out most computing workloads expected from a workstation laptop. In actual fact, multitasking on the laptop will be as easy and seamless as ABC.
To be practical, the laptop will be able to run up to 30 Chrome tabs, including two YouTube videos, simultaneously without lagging a bit. Moreover, switching between the Chrome tabs and videos should be problem-free for the laptop.
Having said that, we’ll now consider the laptop’s result on the PCMark 10 test to further verify its memory capabilities. If you’re curious, PCMark 10 is a cross-platform app-based benchmark test that evaluates a computer’s memory performance.
It does this by simulating various productivity workloads on the computer and produces a numerical value based on its performance. Moreover, the higher the value achieved on the test, the better the memory performance of the computer.
Hence, according to the test result, the Lenovo P53 recorded a whopping 5754 Points. In comparison, this laptop beat most of the laptops in its category.
For example, the ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip recorded 5250 points on the PCMark 10 test.
Hence, I have to rate the Lenovo P53 a nine out of ten in this memory review section.
Lenovo P53: Storage Options and Performance
Like the processor, the Lenovo P53 offers multiple storage options. Thus, you can buy this laptop with either a 2.5″ 7200 RPM SATA HDD, 2.5″ 5400 RPM SATA HDD, or M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD.
In terms of storage space, the two HDD storage options support up to 2 TB maximum storage capacity. Meanwhile, the SSD storage option supports a maximum storage capacity of 4 TB.
This is quite surprising because HDDs are known to offer a larger amount of storage space than SSDs. However, SSDs are quite expensive and way faster during operations than HDDs.
Nevertheless, with these storage options, you should find the one that matches your budget and demand. Besides, the Lenovo P53 comes with a 4-in-1 card reader (MMC / SD / SDHC / SDXC) for storage expansion.
That aside, this review focuses on the Lenovo P53 with 1 TB M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD. Hence, to find out how well this laptop can perform with this storage drive, let us discuss its CrystalDiskMark test result.
Briefly, CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark test that calculates the read speed as well as the write speed of a computer’s storage drive. For your information, read speed is the time it takes a storage drive to open files.
Write speed, on the other hand, is the time it takes the storage drive to save files. Moreover, on the CrystalDiskMark test, a high “MBps” value means fast read and write speed.
Having mentioned that, from the test results, the Lenovo P53 recorded 3539 MBps of read speed. Also, the laptop recorded 2936 MBps of write speed.
In comparison with one of its major competitors, the Dell Precision 7530 (which also uses SSD), the Lenovo P53 has a faster read and write speed. Specifically, this Dell laptop recorded a read and write speed of 3061 MBps and 1572 MBps, respectively.
As a result, I will rate the Lenovo P53 a nine out of ten in this storage review section.
Lenovo P53: Graphics Card Performance
In the aspect of the graphics card, the Lenovo P53 has two powerful graphics configuration options. These options are both dedicated graphics cards – NVIDIA Quadro T2000 and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q.
In terms of speed, the NVIDIA Quadro T2000 GPU runs at a base and a boost frequency of 1575 MHz and 1785 MHz, respectively. Meanwhile, the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q has a base frequency of 600 MHz and a boost frequency of 1350 MHz.
Moreover, as dedicated graphics cards, these graphics card options feature a dedicated VRAM. Specifically, the NVIDIA Quadro T2000 GPU has a dedicated VRAM of 4 GB.
The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q, on the other hand, has a dedicated VRAM of 16 GB GDDR6. Thus, with either graphics card option, the Lenovo P53 will be able to handle graphics-demanding workloads and play most high-end games.
However, with the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q graphics card, the laptop’s graphics performance will be way better. This is because this graphics card offers a larger amount of dedicated VRAM.
Thankfully, this review focuses on the Lenovo P53 with NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q GPU. With that in mind, let us consider the laptop’s performance in a gaming test.
Impressively, while playing F1 2019 in 4K resolution, the Lenovo P53 delivered a good frame rate of 52 fps (frame per second). Having said that, we will now talk about the laptop’s result on a 3DMark 11 test.
In brief, 3DMark 11 is a benchmark test that evaluates the 3D graphics rendering performance of a computer’s graphics card. Moreover, a high score on this test is preferable as it equates to good graphics performance.
Thus, based on the results obtained from the test, the Lenovo P53 recorded 24156 points. This score surpasses the category average of 17753 points.
However, compared to the Dell Precision 7550, which uses the same GPU, the Lenovo P53 falls short. Precisely, this Dell laptop recorded an impressive 26242 points on the 3DMark 11 test.
Thus, I will have to rate the Lenovo P53 an eight out of ten in this graphics card review section.
Lenovo P53: Battery Life and Performance
The Lenovo P53 is powered by a 90 WHr Li-Polymer battery. This battery is an integrated type, meaning it a built into the laptop and can’t be removed.
In terms of performance, Lenovo advertised that the laptop’s battery could last up to 13 hours. In order to verify if this claim made by Lenovo is true, I will be sharing the Lenovo P53’s battery rundown test result.
This test involves subjecting the laptop to continuous web browsing over a Wi-Fi connection while its brightness level is set to 50%. Therefore, when the test was over, the Lenovo P53 delivered a battery life of 8 hours and 55 minutes.
Although this battery life is good, it is about 4 hours less than what Lenovo advertised. Moreover, compared with the ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip, the Lenovo P53’s battery life is quite short.
Specifically, on the same battery rundown test, this ASUS laptop delivered a battery life of 11 hours and 45 minutes.
In conclusion, with 8 hours and 55 minutes of battery life, the Lenovo P53 should be able to last almost a full day. However, the laptop’s battery life is poor compared to that of its closest competitors.
Therefore, I will rate the Lenovo P53 a seven out of ten in this battery review section.
Frequently Asked Questions
As of the period I published this review article in June 2022, the Lenovo P53 had a starting price of $2,050.93.
The Lenovo P53 was released in 2019.
Yes, the Lenovo P53 comes with an HDMI port.
The Lenovo P53 features four RAM slots.
Yes, the Lenovo P53’s keyboard is backlit. Hence, typing in the dark shouldn’t be a problem.
Conclusion
The Lenovo P53 is packed with lots of amazing features and great-performing hardware specs. Furthermore, this laptop proves to be very sturdy and durable, having passed various MIL-STD 810G tests.
Moreover, the laptop offers numerous configuration options, including an optional touchscreen display. That’s not all; the Lenovo P53 comes with four memory slots and supports a whopping maximum memory of 128 GB RAM.
Also, the laptop offers two dedicated graphics card options. However, this laptop is a bit too expensive, featuring a starting price tag of over $2000.
Nevertheless, I believe the Lenovo P53 offers enough features and excellent performance that make it worth its expensive price tag.
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