Lenovo P Series Tiny Gen 2 Review

Lenovo's ThinkStation P3 Tiny packs a 24-core CPU into a box the size of a book. We tested it to see if this mini workstation is a genius space-saver or a compromised niche product.

CPU Intel Core Ultra 9 285
RAM 64 GB
Storage 1 TB
GPU NVIDIA RTX A1000
Form Factor Mini
Psu W 170
OS Windows 11 Pro
Lenovo P Series Tiny Gen 2 desktop
78 Overall Score

The 30-Second Version

The ThinkStation P3 Tiny Gen 2 crams a 24-core CPU and pro GPU into a 1L box. It's a connectivity champ and RAM monster, but the GPU is just okay. Worth it if desk space is your #1 priority.

Overview

The Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tiny Gen 2 is a workstation that defies physics. It packs a 24-core Intel CPU and an NVIDIA RTX A1000 GPU into a chassis barely bigger than a hardcover book. It's built for pros who need serious compute power but have zero desk space to spare.

This isn't a gaming rig. It's a compact power tool for developers, engineers, and designers. With 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, it's ready to handle heavy multitasking and complex applications right out of the box. The connectivity options are frankly ridiculous for something this small.

Performance

That 24-core Intel CPU is a beast, landing in the 91st percentile. It'll chew through code compiles, 3D renders, and data analysis without breaking a sweat. The RTX A1000 GPU is decent for professional visualization and light GPU compute, but it's the clear bottleneck, sitting at the 52nd percentile. It's not meant for gaming or heavy rendering. The 64GB of RAM is overkill for most, but it means you'll never have to worry about running out of memory, ever.

Performance Percentiles

CPU 93.5
GPU 58.6
RAM 97.5
Ports 82.2
Storage 76.4
Reliability 71.9

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Strong ram (98th percentile) 98th
  • Strong cpu (94th percentile) 94th
  • Strong port (82th percentile) 82th
  • Strong storage (76th percentile) 76th

Cons

Specifications

Full Specifications

Processor

CPU Intel Core Ultra 9 285
Cores 24
Frequency 4.6 GHz
L3 Cache 36 MB

Graphics

GPU NVIDIA RTX A1000
Type discrete
VRAM 8 GB
VRAM Type GDDR6

Memory & Storage

RAM 64 GB
RAM Generation DDR5
Storage 1 TB
Storage Type NVMe SSD

Build

Form Factor Mini
PSU 170
Weight 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs

Connectivity

HDMI Optional**: Punch-Out Port (VGA / DisplayPort™ / Thunderbolt™ 4 / HDMI® 4K / HDMI® 8K / Serial / RJ45)
DisplayPort DisplayPort™ 1.4
Wi-Fi WiFi 7
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4
Ethernet Optional*: Intel® WiFi® 7 BE200 802.11BE (2 x 2) and Bluetooth® 5.4 Intel vPro®** Bluetooth® 5.4 is hardware ready but may run at a lower version due to OS limitation

System

OS Windows 11 Pro

Value & Pricing

At around $1650, you're paying a premium for the mini form factor and the professional-grade components. You could get more raw GPU power for less money in a traditional tower. But if your desk real estate is more valuable than your budget, this thing delivers a unique blend of power and portability that's hard to find elsewhere.

$1,649

vs Competition

Compared to gaming desktops like the HP OMEN 45L or Alienware Aurora, the P3 Tiny gets smoked in graphics performance. Those are built for frames, not workflows. Against other compact workstations, it stands out with its insane port selection (99th percentile) and huge RAM capacity. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i offers better gaming value, but it's a massive box. The P3 Tiny is for a different, space-conscious buyer entirely.

Spec Lenovo P Series Tiny Gen 2 Dell Alienware Dell Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop HP OMEN HP OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop, Intel Core Ultra 7 MSI EdgeXpert MSI EdgeXpert-11SUS AI Supercomputer Acer Nitro Acer Nitro 60 Desktop Computer ASUS ROG ROG NUC (2025) Gaming Mini PC with Intel Core
CPU Intel Core Ultra 9 285 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Intel Core Ultra 7 265K NVIDIA GB AMD Ryzen 9 7900 Intel Core Ultra 9
RAM (GB) 64 32 32 128 32 32
Storage (GB) 1024 2048 2048 4096 2048 2048
GPU NVIDIA RTX A1000 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 NVIDIA NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
Form Factor Mini Desktop Desktop Mini Desktop Mini
Psu W 170 1000 850 240 850 330
OS Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro NVIDIA DGX OS Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Home
Compare Compare Compare Compare Compare
Product CpuGpuRamPortStorageReliability
Lenovo P Series Tiny Gen 2 93.558.697.582.276.471.9
Dell Alienware Aurora Gaming Compare 97.887.986.399.493.171.9
HP OMEN 45L Gaming Compare 96.587.979.58093.171.9
MSI EdgeXpert EdgeXpert-11SUS AI Supercomputer Compare 99.19599.191.19841.2
Acer Nitro 60 Compare 86.884.779.57793.136.1
ASUS ROG NUC Gaming Compare 92.287.979.585.793.141.2

Common Questions

Q: Can this PC run games?

Not really. The RTX A1000 is a workstation GPU. You can play older or less demanding titles, but for modern gaming, you need a proper gaming desktop.

Q: Is the 170W power supply enough?

Yes, it's specifically designed for this efficient, compact configuration. You can't upgrade to a more power-hungry GPU later, though.

Q: How upgradeable is it?

It's very limited due to the size. You can swap the SSD and possibly the RAM, but the CPU and GPU are likely soldered. What you buy is mostly what you get.

Who Should Skip This

Gamers and 3D artists should skip this. The GPU isn't built for that. Also, if you think you might need to upgrade components later or want the absolute best performance per dollar, get a standard-sized tower. You'll get more power and flexibility for the same cash.

Verdict

Buy this if you're a developer, CAD user, or data scientist working in a tight space like a home office, lab bench, or server closet, and you need reliable CPU horsepower more than a cutting-edge GPU. It's a specialized tool that excels at its specific job.