Low Spec Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 (X1E2)

Thinking about purchasing the top-of-the-line ThinkPad laptop Lenovo has to offer? The good news is you don't have to spend outrageous prices ($2,000 - $3000) that Lenovo charges to access a great laptop. I got a low spec ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 (X1E2) two months ago and have been daily used ever since. And it turns out, as opposed to popular belief, it is still capable of putting out sufficient performance that is more than enough for 99% of the users.

How low of a spec you may ask?
Intel i5 9300H 2.4GHz 4.1GHz
NVIDIA GTX 1650 Max-Q
8 GB RAM (Upgraded to 16 GB)
256 GB Pci-e SSD (Upgraded to 1256 GB)
1080p 500 nits display

Now, before any of you lose your mind. The RAM and storage are both upgradable, so immediately upon receiving the laptop, I put in an additional 8 GB of RAM that increases the capacity to 16 GB. Then an additional 1 TB of Samsung Pci-e M.2 SSD was put in in the empty slot. With some peace in mind, let's talk about the elephant in the room - the processor.

There are several reasons I chose not to upgrade the base CPU. (1) The types of software I typically run on my computers. The intensive tasks I use my computer for are dealing with medium-sized Excel files and light gaming, which are not CPU intensive. For the foreseeable future, I am not going to do any rendering, modeling, or intensive tasks. (2) Temperature. X1E2 is extremely compact at 0.72 inches tall. If the machine has an i7 or i9 processor, which has more core counts at 6 and 8 cores, this means higher temperatures, leading to the fans turning on more frequently. In my time of use, the fans rarely turn on because the i5 runs cool. (3) Battery life. In my typical usage of 40% brightness, the i5 in the X1E2 can easily last 8 to 9 hours which is perfect for a full day, there is no way an i7 or i9 can come close to that.

Here are some data to prove my point:
On a typical day, with five applications and a dozen browser tabs open. The CPU utilization never passes 15% and RAM utilization hovers around 40%. And the temperature hovers between 40C and 50C.
On a heavier load, such as running an AA game, CPU and RAM utilization go up to 70%, and the temperature is in the mid-70sC.

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I admit, for a AAA title such as GTA V, the i5 is in trouble. So you have to significantly turn down CPU-intensive settings, which is the "Population density" in this case. Then the FPS will be steady at 60 without any stuttering.

Lenovo Yoga A940 - $1000 Cheaper Microsoft Surface Studio Competitor

Microsoft Surface Studio finally gets its first competitor on this very niche market targeting animated or graphic design studios. Unveiled in CES 2019, Lenovo is delivering their all-in-one PC alternative at a much lower price and offers more useful features. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Precision Dial

A fully customizable nob which can be located on either side of the display that has a button at the end, and two different size dials. The specific functions of all the controls can be different based on application, which is especially useful for content creators. 

2. Tilting Screen

The 27-inch touch screen display is available in QHD or 4K resolutions and has the ability to tilt to 25-degree crafting mode. So creators alike can get up close and personal with their work. 

3. Included Peripherals 

Other than the Precision Dial, included peripherals are a keyboard, mouse, a station to wirelessly charge your phone and the Active Pen. You can cleverly store away all the accessories under the display to clear up room for the screen to lower down. 

Other notable features about the Y940 are the desktop-class Intel Core i7-8700 processor and the AMD Radeon RX560 graphics. The minor details also include the five speakers for the immersive audio and video with Lenovo generous amount of I/O ports. All of this for the starting price of $2350, which isn't cheap by any means, but if your line of work requires creativity in art, the Y940 would seem like a bargain.