Lenovo Thinkpad W700 Mobile Workstation

The Lenovo W700 we tested was configured as a "mid-range" variant, which "only" included a dual-core CPU, a DVD writer and traditional platter-based hard drives. The configuration listed below currently sells through Lenovo's website for $4,463. If you configure it with a quad-core CPU, a Blu-Ray burner, and solid state hard drives you can easily push the system to (and beyond) the $6,500 mark. A cost friendly system, this is not, but Lenovo is not targeting the cost conscious market with this model - they are going all out and targeting it at the high-end graphics workstation market, buyers who don't think much of spending $5,000+ on a system to work on. At its lowest level, you can get a W700 for a price-tag of about $2,500, but you'll be taking serious cuts in terms of performance and multimedia abilities. Here are the specifications of the W700 which we'll be testing on today, along with how Lenovo is describing this system for potential buyers.

"Lenovo ThinkPad notebooks are renowned for their innovation, and the ThinkPad W700 mobile workstation does not disappoint, offering all of the latest technology features that can fit into a mobile PC system - with game-changing performance and capabilities. Photographers, designers and mobile pros, meet your dream machine. Whatever your endeavor, the W700 helps you unleash your creativity and succeed through the innovative use of technology." - Lenovo

Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.8 GHz) Processor 1066 MHz FSB Speed, 6 MB L2 Cache 4 GB of DDR2-1066 Memory (Dual Channel) Intel 945-series / ICH9R Chipset Nvidia QuadroFX 3700M Graphics Processor 17.0" Widescreen Display (1920 x 1200) Pantone Hardware Color Calibration Unit DisplayPort, Dual-Link DVI, VGA Output Ports Hitachi 7K200 160 GB Hard Disks in RAID-0 8x Slim Serial ATA DVD-ReWritable Drive 802.11 A/B/G Wireless Networking w/ Draft-N Gigabit Ethernet, 56k Modem, Bluetooth 2.0 High Definition Audio with Stereo Speakers 1.3 MP Camera and ThinkLight LED Lighting SD/SDHC and Compact Flash Card Readers ExpressPort 34 Expansion Slot 5 x USB 2.0 Ports, 1 x Mini-1394 Port Integrated Wacom Tablet with Digitizer Pen TPM Security with Biometric Finger Scanner 16.1 x 12.2 x 1.6" (W x D x H) 8.3 Pounds (w/ Battery Pack Attached) 9-Cell Lithium Ion Battery, 170W A/C Adapter Windows Vista Ultimate Edition x64 with SP1

Thinkpad W700 View in Device Manager

Our Lenovo Thinkpad W700 system packs in a lot of goodies, including several Lenovo firsts. Technologies such as the integrated Wacom tablet, hardware color calibration unit, and ThinkLight LED lighting systems are Lenovo exclusive at this time. The high-end QuadroFX 3700M graphics processor and high-resolution screen with DisplayPort and Dual-Link DVI outputs are quite rare in the notebook market today. Of course, when you're dealing with a notebook of this caliber and at this price point, potential buyers will expect everything and the kitchen sink to be included. We're off to a good start - let's see this thing in the flesh.