Mobile workstations are a challenging aspect of the laptop market to evaluate. They strive to pack as much power as possible into a portable package for those who need to run high-end applications, ranging from professional video editing to computer-aided design. While they may employ the same CPU or graphics components as high-end gaming machines, workstations are strictly for business, and different rules apply to testing them and their components.
In my role overseeing IT, we primarily purchase standard enterprise laptops. However, we support users who require more advanced applications, and for them, a mobile workstation is often a sensible solution.
Over the past month or so, I’ve been testing three portable workstations: the Dell Pro Max 14 Premium, the HP ZBook X G1i 16, and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3. As the names suggest, the Dell is a 14-inch model, while the other two are 16-inchers. All of them have variations of the Intel Core Ultra 200 series (“Arrow Lake”) processors and Nvidia RTX Pro “Blackwell” graphics.
The latter is important because almost all of the vertical-market applications support Nvidia graphics. (Support for AMD graphics is increasing; last fall, I looked at the AMD-based HP ZBook 14 Ultra G1a, which is a good alternative if your applications support AMD.) I was curious to see the differences among the machines; here’s what I found.
Three Very Different Looks
(Credit: Michael J. Miller)
Dell Pro Max 14 Premium
The three machines I have in hand differ noticeably in appearance. The Dell Pro Max 14 Premium appears to be a standard 14-inch notebook. Measuring 0.74 by 12.2 by 8.4 inches and weighing 3.7 pounds (4.7 pounds with the charger), it’s about the same size as a typical laptop. It’s hefty, but still lighter than traditional 16-inch mobile workstations. It bears a strong resemblance to the Dell Pro 14 Premium, with its dark gray aluminum and magnesium chassis. It has Dell’s typical flat keyboard and a large haptic touchpad. My unit featured a 2,800-by-1,800-pixel Tandem OLED touch display, similar to the one I saw on the Dell Pro 14 Premium, which is among the best notebook displays I’ve encountered. I continue to find touch screens a very nice option.
(Credit: Michael J. Miller)
On the downside, this Dell model has no legacy ports. Expect only two USB-C/Thunderbolt 5 (80Gbps/120Gbps) ports on the left-hand side, and two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps) on the right-hand side, along with a headset port, a cable-lockdown slot, and, surprisingly, a microSD reader. Given that the similarly sized Dell Pro Premium 14 and the ZBook Ultra G1a both have HDMI and USB Type-A ports, this was disappointing. (Note that Dell also offers a 16-inch version of the Pro Max, and it does have an HDMI port.)
The Pro Max 14 Premium also came with an 8-megapixel webcam with IR, which worked well, though I was disappointed not to see a physical webcam cover (again, something Dell was able to fit on the Dell Pro 14 Premium notebook). It has dual array microphones and stereo speakers.
HP ZBook X G1i 16
The ZBook X G1i 16 is a modern 16-inch mobile workstation that remains relatively slim and lightweight. Measuring 0.9 by 14.2 by 9.9 inches and weighing 4.7 pounds (5.7 pounds with the charger), it’s notably bigger and heavier than its 14-inch brethren, though you would expect that. It resembles HP’s current EliteBook X line, with an aluminum chassis and a metallic, darker-silver color.
(Credit: Michael J. Miller)
The model I tested had a 16-inch, 2,560-by-1,600-pixel IPS display, which was quite good, although not as high as the higher-resolution OLED displays I saw on the Dell Pro Max or the ThinkPad P16.
(Credit: Michael J. Miller)
One thing I really appreciated was a full complement of ports, including some legacy ones. The left side of the machine has a power connector, two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, USB Type-A, HDMI, and a headphone/mic jack; the right side has a locking slot, RJ-45 Ethernet ports, another USB-A, a SIM slot (my unit had wireless WAN), and a full-size SD card reader. It’s a great selection.
As is standard on 16-inch devices, the ZBook has a numeric keypad on the right-hand side of the keyboard. The touchpad supports multi-gesture touch. It features a 5MP IR webcam that appears to be of good quality and includes a physical webcam cover. As usual with HP’s business laptops, it comes with HP’s Poly Camera Pro app, which offers additional features beyond those found in Windows Studio Effects, which is included with all current laptops in this class. Other features are similar to those in HP’s EliteBook series of enterprise laptops, including HP’s Wolf Security suite.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3
Then there’s the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3. This is a beast of a machine, notably thicker and heavier. It measures 14.3 by 9.9 inches by approximately 1.25 inches thick; Lenovo’s website states it is 0.62 to 0.83 inches thick, but it’s clearly larger. My unit weighed 5.7 pounds (6.8 with the included charger), almost a pound more than the HP ZBook X G1i 16, and two pounds heavier than the Dell Pro Max 14 Premium. It’s lighter than previous generations, but it’s still not as easy to carry as the less powerful alternatives, likely because it requires space for higher-end processors, as well as the additional power and cooling they necessitate.
(Credit: Michael J. Miller)
The unit I tested featured a 16-inch, 3,200-by-2,000-pixel Tandem OLED display, one of the best business-laptop panels I’ve ever seen. It really was a great-looking display.
(Credit: Michael J. Miller)
The P16 resembles a ThinkPad, featuring a traditional black matte color, a keyboard with a TrackPoint pointing stick, good keyboard travel, and a numeric keypad on the right-hand side. It has a touchpad, though it is smaller than those on the other mobile workstations I’ve tested.
The P16 offers a bevy of ports, though their placement is unusual. The left side features only a USB-A port, a USB-C port (used for charging), and a full-size SD card reader. The right side has a cable-lock slot, another USB-A port, and a headphone jack. On the back, which is mostly occupied by vents, there are two additional USB-C ports (which can also be used for charging), an HDMI output, and an RJ-45 Ethernet jack.
The 5MP IR webcam captured an OK-looking image, and it includes a physical webcam cover. It has two speakers and two far-field microphones. Other options include an additional SSD; however, the one I tested had only one 1TB drive and a wireless WAN. It comes with the usual assortment of Lenovo software, including its AI Now software, which features an AI assistant that provides information about your machine, as well as local and cloud chatbots.
One Big Difference: The Processors
All the machines I tested were built around Intel Core Ultra 200 series (“Arrow Lake”) processors, made on TSMC’s N3B process, which includes Intel’s Arc Pro 140T integrated graphics. More importantly, they all packed Nvidia RTX Pro Blackwell graphics, which is what most workstation applications use to deliver high-end graphics performance. But within that, there were some big differences among the machines I tested. (That said, all the vendors offer a range of configurations.)
The Dell Pro Max 14 I tested had an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, with six performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and two low-power cores for a total of 16 cores (and threads; this generation does not support multi-threading). The HP ZBook 16 I tested had an Intel Core Ultra 7 265H processor, with the same core configuration. The biggest difference is that the 265H’s performance cores have a base speed of 2.2GHz with a maximum turbo speed of 5.3GHz; the chip overall has a base power requirement of 28 watts. The 285H, in contrast, has performance cores with a base speed of 2.9GHz, with a maximum turbo of 5.4GHz; the chip has a base power requirement of 45 watts. Both came with Nvidia RTX Pro 2000 Blackwell.
The ThinkPad was different, with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. While still part of the Arrow Lake family, this chip has eight performance cores and 16 efficient cores, with a base frequency of 2.7GHz and a maximum turbo of 5.4GHz, drawing on a base power of 55 watts. (In short: More cores, more power.) But the graphics difference might be even more important. The P16 unit I tested had muscular RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell graphics. The 5000 series has 10,496 CUDA cores and 24GB of graphics memory, compared with the 2000 series and its 3,338 CUDA cores and 8GB of graphics memory. Not surprisingly, it consumes a lot more power, as well.
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These differences were quite apparent in testing. Even though the P16 I tested had only 32GB of memory instead of the 64GB on the other units, the performance difference was stunning.
Benchmarking the Workstations: Breaking It Down
As you would expect, all the machines are significantly faster than traditional laptops. However, while they perform better on standard office applications, I really noticed the difference in graphics performance. In very demanding applications, I could see by just looking at the screen, as the tests progressed, how much faster they are.
When I ran normal business applications, these machines all scored well, with the Dell and HP machines easily beating traditional laptops, and the Lenovo ThinkPad another 5% or 10% better.
The differences also stood out on the toughest tests that I tried on all laptops. A typical executive laptop with a high-end Core Ultra 200V series (“Lunar Lake”) processor takes over 1.5 hours to transcode a large video file in HandBrake, but the Dell Pro Max and the ZBook were able to do this in 47 or 48 minutes, and the ThinkPad P16 took only 38 minutes, the best I’ve seen on an Intel-based machine. All were notably better than the 55 and 57 minutes I saw on the HP ZBook Studio 16 G10 and the ThinkPad P1 Gen 6, respectively, both based on Intel’s earlier “Raptor Lake” processors with RTX 4000 series graphics. Note that the AMD-based ZBook Ultra G1a is still the fastest I’ve seen at this test, at 34 minutes.
I observed some nice but not particularly compelling improvements while running a complex MATLAB model. On the best conventional notebook, this takes about 19 minutes, and on most it takes about 24 minutes. However, the Dell Pro finished it in 17 minutes, while the other two took 14 minutes, which is by far the fastest I’ve ever seen. An Excel spreadsheet with a big data table took 34 minutes on the Dell and 32 minutes on the other two. That’s compared with 36 to 40 minutes on the best conventional Intel machines. (AMD-based machines are notably slower at this.)
These results are very good, but I’m not sure that by themselves they make it worth upgrading. Of course, I saw bigger differences when playing games, but that’s not the focus of these machines.
Instead, it comes down to more demanding business applications from computer-aided design (CAD) to 3D modeling and simulations. That’s what I’m looking for when buying a mobile workstation. All three machines I tested handily beat Lunar Lake-based laptops running the same programs in SPECworkstation 4.0. The ZBook scored 8% to 14% faster than the Dell, with the exception being in the benchmark’s Productivity and Development category, where I observed a significantly larger increment. My guess is that the larger machine allows for better cooling, and thus better performance over a sustained period.
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And then came the ThinkPad P1. Here, the Intel HX-class processor and Nvidia RTX 5000 graphics really came into play. It was up to 45% faster than the ZBook X with an H-series processor and RTX Pro 2000 graphics. In some applications, the difference was stunning.
In AI benchmarks, as you’d expect, all the mobile workstations handily beat conventional laptops. All three achieved quite good scores when I tested them with LM Studio, Spatial Diffusion, and the Procyon AI inferencing and image generation tests. In general, the Dell Pro Max Premium and the ZBook X were similar, with the ZBook slightly faster on tests with LM Studio. Again, the ThinkPad P16 was much faster still. Compared with the ZBook X, the P16 was 70% faster using 16-bit floating-point and twice as fast using 32-bit on Procyon’s AI inferencing test. On LM Studio, it was almost twice as fast. And on Stable Diffusion image generation, the P16 could produce more than 2.5 times the images per second as the ZBook X.
If raw performance is your main criteria, the difference here is striking.
Battery Life and Fan Noise: A Story of Compromises
Of course, there are trade-offs with mobile workstations compared with conventional laptops, and one of those is battery life. In the Modern Office scenario in UL’s PCMark 10, the Dell Pro Max 14 Premium lasted a bit more than 10 hours with its 72-watt-hour battery. The ZBook X 16 lasted 13 hours with an 83-watt-hour (83Whr) battery. The ThinkPad P16 was the most power-hungry model, lasting just over 9 hours, despite its larger (99.9Whr) battery. For some perspective: Most executive laptops running Intel’s Lunar Lake Core Ultra 200V family or AMD “Strix Point” processors last more than 20 hours on this test, with the best topping 30 hours. So you’re giving up some mobility and off-plug endurance in exchange for the extra power.
It’s notable that the chargers for these three machines are very different. The Dell Pro Max features a 130-watt USB-C charger, whereas the ThinkPad P16 boasts a notably larger 180-watt USB-C charger. I was a bit surprised that HP chose to include an older-style power connector rather than a modern USB-C on its 150-watt charger.
One other thing stood out. When I ran the more intensive applications, all three had fans you could definitely hear. On the ThinkPad P16, the fan noise was particularly loud, likely because of the stepped-up nature of its parts.
A Look at the Pricing (Plus, My Recommendation)
Workstations are much more expensive than typical laptops. On Dell’s website, a custom configuration like the one I tested, with a Core Ultra 9 285H, an OLED touch display, 64GB of memory, and a 2TB SSD, came in a bit over $6,000. A pre-built configuration with a Core Ultra 7 265H processor (one step down), 32GB of memory, a 1TB SSD, and a standard FHD+ display is $4,100.
On HP’s website, a custom model that matches my configuration, with the Core Ultra 7 265H, 64GB of memory, a 2TB SSD, and a high-resolution display, came in at over $5,600. A version that seems almost identical, but with a 1TB drive, was being offered for $2,000, a very competitive price. One with a Core Ultra 9 285H, 64GB of memory, and a 2TB hard drive is available for $2,739, while the least-expensive model, with a Core Ultra 5 235H, 16GB, and a 512GB SSD, is available for $1,369.
On Lenovo’s website, a custom model similar to my configuration, with the Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia RTX 5000 graphics, 32GB of memory, a 1TB SSD, and the high-res OLED display, came in just under $5,600. A model with an Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX processor, RTX 1000 graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a standard FHD+ display starts at $2,388.
All this sounds pricey, but remember that these machines typically sell to organizations that buy in bulk with discounts, so many people won’t pay list price. HP’s prices seem the most competitive, but the Dell Pro Max Premium is a great performer for its size.
Putting it all together, for most workstation users, I’d probably choose either the 16-inch version of the Dell Pro Max Premium (remember, I tested the 14-incher above) or the HP ZBook X G1 16, depending on the pricing I’d be able to negotiate at the time. Both are very solid modern machines. I’d generally choose a 16-inch version with a high-res display because most of the applications you’d want a workstation for really take advantage of that kind of screen. Plus, a 16-inch machine will generally allow more potential thermal headroom for high-end components inside than a 14-incher can.
On the other hand, if I needed the best performance possible in a mobile device, I’d go with the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 for its HX series processor and RTX 5000 Blackwell graphics. For high-end graphics and AI workloads, it was by far the fastest I’ve seen. For those who need the most demanding workloads, this is a great choice.
About Our Expert
Michael J. Miller
Former Editor in Chief
Experience
Michael J. Miller is chief information officer at Ziff Brothers Investments, a private investment firm. From 1991 to 2005, Miller was editor-in-chief of PC Magazine,responsible for the editorial direction, quality, and presentation of the world’s largest computer publication. No investment advice is offered in this column. All duties are disclaimed. Miller works separately for a private investment firm which may at any time invest in companies whose products are discussed, and no disclosure of securities transactions will be made.
Until late 2006, Miller was the Chief Content Officer for Ziff Davis Media, responsible for overseeing the editorial positions of Ziff Davis’s magazines, websites, and events. As Editorial Director for Ziff Davis Publishing since 1997, Miller took an active role in helping to identify new editorial needs in the marketplace and in shaping the editorial positioning of every Ziff Davis title. Under Miller’s supervision, PC Magazine grew to have the largest readership of any technology publication in the world. PC Magazine evolved from its successful PCMagNet service on CompuServe to become one of the earliest and most successful web sites.
As an accomplished journalist, well versed in product testing and evaluating and writing about software issues, and as an experienced public speaker, Miller has become a leading commentator on the computer industry. He has participated as a speaker and panelist in industry conferences, has appeared on numerous business television and radio programs discussing technology issues, and is frequently quoted in major newspapers. His areas of special expertise include the Internet and its applications, desktop productivity tools, and the use of PCs in business applications. Prior to joining PC Magazine, Miller was editor-in-chief of InfoWorld, which he joined as executive editor in 1985. At InfoWorld, he was responsible for development of the magazine’s comparative reviews and oversaw the establishment of the InfoWorld Test Center. Previously, he was the west coast bureau chief for Popular Computing, and senior editor for Building Design & Construction. Miller earned a BS in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York and an MS in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He has received several awards for his writing and editing, including being named to Medill’s Alumni Hall of Achievement
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