The Lenovo ThinkStation P900 Workstation Review: Design 101
by Ian Cutress on May 6, 2015 7:00 AM ESTOffice Performance
Video Conversion – Handbrake v0.9.9: link
Handbrake is a media conversion tool that was initially designed to help DVD ISOs and Video CDs into more common video formats. The principle today is still the same, primarily as an output for H.264 + AAC/MP3 audio within an MKV container. In our test we use the same videos as in the Xilisoft test, and results are given in frames per second.
The single thread frequency on a high core-count processor is usually lower than a similar TDP low-core count one, and as a result the low quality conversion performance is down on a good Haswell quad core. On the other hand, moving to double UHD sized frames allows the P900 to stretch its legs. Performance isn't exactly 3x the 5820K here based on core count, but it does take an extra chunk of performance.
Point Calculations – 3D Movement Algorithm Test: link
3DPM is a self-penned benchmark, taking basic 3D movement algorithms used in Brownian Motion simulations and testing them for speed. High floating point performance, MHz and IPC wins in the single thread version, whereas the multithread version has to handle the threads and loves more cores.
Similar results to HandBrake here, but the multi-threaded version of the benchmark is memory independent, allowing the 20 cores / 40 threads to stretch its legs.
Compression – WinRAR 5.0.1: link
Our WinRAR test from 2013 is updated to the latest version of WinRAR at the start of 2014. We compress a set of 2867 files across 320 folders totaling 1.52 GB in size – 95% of these files are small typical website files, and the rest (90% of the size) are small 30 second 720p videos.
Despite the semi-threaded nature of WinRAR, having 40 threads helps in compression here.
Image Manipulation – FastStone Image Viewer 4.9: link
Similarly to WinRAR, the FastStone test us updated for 2014 to the latest version. FastStone is the program I use to perform quick or bulk actions on images, such as resizing, adjusting for color and cropping. In our test we take a series of 170 images in various sizes and formats and convert them all into 640x480 .gif files, maintaining the aspect ratio. FastStone does not use multithreading for this test, and thus single threaded performance is often the winner.
FastStone relies on single thread performance, so we see it further down the charts.
Rendering – PovRay 3.7: link
The Persistence of Vision RayTracer, or PovRay, is a freeware package for as the name suggests, ray tracing. It is a pure renderer, rather than modeling software, but the latest beta version contains a handy benchmark for stressing all processing threads on a platform. We have been using this test in motherboard reviews to test memory stability at various CPU speeds to good effect – if it passes the test, the IMC in the CPU is stable for a given CPU speed. As a CPU test, it runs for approximately 2-3 minutes on high end platforms.
POV-Ray is also heavily multithreaded, allowing any big cores to push through.
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Mikemk - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
"these are the high TDP 160W models with 12 cores"Really? 12 cores?
mapesdhs - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
Indeed, it should say 10, which is ironic as it's correctly described in the spec list that follows.My biggest complaint with systems like these is the lack of any backup drive of some kind for the C-drive; IMO this should be standard on all pro systems by now. I've helped with so many pro users over the years who've had normal rust spinners fail, at least with those there's usually a chance to rescue data before a drive completely dies, but with SSDs, normally no chance.
IBM could at least include a simple MX100 or something for C-drive backup.
Ian.
mapesdhs - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
Also, which C-ray test are you using, with what parameters and how many threads? This matters a lot for comparing systems.mapesdhs - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
Oops, stuck the above in the wrong place, sorry... still no post editing/deletion/etc. yet??dave_the_nerd - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
IBM?MrSpadge - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
IBM can't do anything about this system, it's Lenovo since many years by now.Samus - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
It just goes to show how people still associate IBM with Lenovo's crap :\Let's face facts with facts...quality has declined since IBM turned over their PC division. Most Thinkpads are built to 'Ideapad' quality and engineering now, and in the case of the Thinkpad E, it IS an Ideapad. There isn't anything specifically "wrong" with Ideapads, but they don't live up to the Thinkpad reputation. None of the new Thinkpads do. Lenovo is also notorious for not standing behind their products, EOL'ing products quickly after a successor is released.
The last great Thinkpad's were the T4x/X40 series. Lenovo quickly ruined the T60 series with inadequate cooling for the discrete GPU's, leaving it up to the once-devoted Thinkpad community to create the utility TPfancontrol to fix the fan ramp-up issues. Issues persisted from there, with poor quality lithium cells and poor quality plastic ports ever since. Just Google T400/T500 USB ports cracking.
Long story short, on paper, the new Thinkstation P900 looks great on paper and initial review, but I'm sure issues will creep up that will not be adequately fixed. At least HP and Dell stand behind their products, especially their corporate-class products.
lophiomys - Wednesday, May 13, 2015 - link
FULL ACK to Samus regarding the poor quality of Lenovo Thinkpads and general lack of service by Lenovo. Still typing on a wonderful IBM Thinkpads T43p ...I like the design concept of the P900, but would only consider buying one at a - 50% rebate.
vision33r - Sunday, May 17, 2015 - link
Years ago, when Thinkpad turned over to Lenovo. I said it's gonna suck to my manager and he said it's a "Thinkpad" and he went ahead and purchased about 200 T60 thinkpads. Almost 1/2 of them went back and needed systemboard swaps. The drivers they issued were crap and resulted in lots of blue screens. Today, I don't work on laptops anymore and some poor support person was walking around swapping Thinkpad X1 Carbons. He said they are pretty flakey, a lot of them just crap out and they are brand spanking new. Hardware is great but reliability just not very good.PitneFor - Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - link
wut , backups should be done with backup software to some sort of redundant hard drive array . or plug a usb drive in if your that amateur