OS: Windows 10 (Pro) | CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H, Xeon W-10855M vPro | GPU: Nvidia Quadro T1000 with Max-Q (4GB), Quadro T2000 with Max-Q (4GB) | RAM: 16GB, 64GB | Storage: 512GB, 1TB | Screen: 15.6in. IPS FHD (1920 x 1080), 500 nits; OLED 4K (3840 x 2160), 400 nits, touch screen | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1, 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) | Ports and slots: 2x USB-A 3.2, 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, SD Card Reader | Cameras: 720p camera with ThinkShutter; hybrid IR and 720p HD camera with ThinkShutter (option) | Audio: 2x far-field mics, 2x 2W stereo speakers (Dolby Atmos-certified), 3.5mm combo audio jack | Battery: 80Wh (15.9-17.1h), Rapid Charge (80% in 1h) | Dimensions: 18.4mm x 361.8mm x 245.7mm | Weight: 1.7kg | Price: $1,649 (Core i7-10750H), $2,849 (Xeon W-10855M)

Many people require more compute, graphics, memory and storage than even a power user/creator laptop provides. These demanding professionals include 3D designers, architects, engineers, scientists, video editors, VR developers and more, and what they need is a full-blown mobile workstation.

As well as Core i7/i9/Xeon or Ryzen 9 CPUs, Nvidia Quadro or Radeon Pro GPUs, at least 16GB of RAM (32GB or more preferable) and multiple terabytes of storage, workstation-class laptops need high-quality IPS or OLED screens with high resolution (4K preferable) and good colour space support (sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3). To signify that specific configurations are optimised for mission-critical apps, they also need certifications from ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) such as Adobe, Autodesk, Avid, and others.

The leading mobile workstation vendors are Dell, HP and Lenovo, but your search for a suitable solution may also encompass recent entrants from the gaming market such as Gigabyte, MSI and Razer. We’ve chosen a top-end model from a tier-1 vendor, in the shape of Lenovo’s “ultra-premium and luxury in a workstation” ThinkPad P1 Gen 3.

This 15.6-inch clamshell device is a typically black-clad, robust (MIL-STD 810G) ThinkPad with the usual excellent keyboard and signature red TrackPoint. In the US, an entry-level model with an Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, an FHD (1920 x 1080, 141.2ppi) 500 nits IPS screen and Nvidia Quadro T1000 graphics costs $1,649. That won’t cut the mission-critical mustard, though, so buyers may be drawn to the $2,849 model with a Xeon W-10855M processor, 64GB RAM, a 1TB PCIe SSD, a 4K (3840 x 2160, 282.4ppi) 400 nits OLED touch screen and Nvidia Quadro T2000 graphics.

Also:Lenovo ThinkPad P1

These are ‘clearance’ prices because the ThinkPad P1 line has now been refreshed with a Gen 4 model. This increases the screen size to 16 inches (but drops the OLED option), runs on 11th generation Core and Xeon processors and offers a wide range of Nvidia GPU options (T1200; RTX A2000, A3000, A4000, A5000; GeForce RTX 3070, 3080). The ThinkPad P1 Gen 4 currently starts at $1,859 for a Core i7 variant, rising to $4,929 for a configuration with a Core i9 processor.

If a 15.6-inch or 16-inch screen isn’t large enough for you, here are a couple of 17.3-inch mobile workstations to consider: