Lenovo ThinkPads Get Ivy Bridge, Fresh Faces

The Lenovo family of business PCs is getting a few fresh faces today, with new designs and Intel's new "Ivy Bridge" third-generation Core processors.

Designed for use in business and institutions ranging from a few people to many hundreds of employees, the new Lenovo laptops include ultraportables that last all day long to workstations with high-powered, engineering-grade, ISV-certified processing power. The new Lenovo ThinkPads are sleeker, more powerful, and longer lasting than ever before, and we're eagerly awaiting their arrival in the PCMag Labs. All of the laptops seen here will be available in early June.

ThinkPad T-Series
The ThinkPad T-Series is Lenovo's best-selling, mid-range business laptop line, and it's getting an update in the ThinkPad T430 and T530. Equipped with Intel's third-generation "Ivy Bridge" standard-volt processors, an optional backlit keyboard, and Dolby Advanced Audio, the new T-Series laptops are lighter than the previous iterations, and offer up to 30 hours of battery life between the 9-cell battery and a bottom slice battery extender. With new speedy features like RapidBoot, RapidConnect, and RapidResume, the T-Series will also offer faster performance. A new 720p HD webcam brings high-quality images with face-tracking software for your video conferencing needs.

For those wanting these same features without the weight, the T430s is the thin and light version of the T-series (the "s" stands for "slim"). Offering many of the same features but weighing less than 4 pounds, the ThinkPad T430s is equipped with standard-volt, third-generation Intel "Ivy Bridge" processors, and throws in a few extras for good measure, such as an optional RapidCharge battery (which recharges to 80 percent capacity within 30 minutes), and offering Thunderbolt connectivity in Core i7 configurations. The Lenovo ThinkPad T430 and T530 has a starting MSRP of $879, while the lighter ThinkPad T430s starts at $1,399.

ThinkPad L-Series
The ThinkPad L430 and L530 are on Lenovo's entry-level branch of the ThinkPad family, with many of the same features as the higher-end T-series, but with a thinner, lighter build and Intel's "Ivy Bridge" processors. The L-430 comes with a 14-inch, super-bright 300 nit HD+ panel, while the ThinkPad L530 bumps up the size to 15 inches. The audio is equally impressive thanks to Dolby Advanced Audio, and switchable discrete graphics offer superb visuals with up to 2GB of dedicated VRAM. These new L-series laptops offer up to 9.5 hours of battery life, and expanded connectivity for peripherals and displays with USB 3.0 ports and mini-DisplayPort. Priced to be Lenovo's entry-level laptops, configurations of the Lenovo ThinkPad L430 and L530 laptop start at $879.

ThinkPad X230 and X230t
The ThinkPad X230 is the newest tool for high-productivity on the go, being billed as "the Road Warrior's Dream." While that may bring a few Mel Gibson movies to mind, the X230 really is made with travellers in mind, with an ultraportable design weighing less than 3 pounds, Mil-Spec tested rugged construction, and a battery that claims 24 hours of useful life. The X230 is outfitted with high-definition everything—display, camera, microphone, and sound all get the HD moniker. The 12.5-inch display is bright (300 nits), and the IPS panel provides wide viewing angles.

And for an extra twist of capability, there's also the ThinkPad X230t, a convertible tablet, which adds a rotating touch screen on top of the features mentioned above, much like its predecessor, the . Like the standard X230, the X230t features a 12.5-inch display, a precision keyboard, Dolby Advanced Audio, an optional backlit keyboard, and USB 3.0 on all configurations. The Lenovo ThinkPad X230 laptop starts at $1,179, while the convertible ThinkPad X230T tablet will be $1,479.

ThinkPad W530
The ThinkPad W530 is Lenovo's latest workstation-class laptop, bringing high-powered processing and graphics along with ISV certification. The W530 offers quad-core processing with an Ivy Bridge boost, equipped with the latest Intel Core i7 processors (with TurboBoost+) and up to 32GB of memory. A full HD display offers 270 nits of brightness, wide-angle viewing, and a 95 percent color gamut for true-to-life graphics. A built-in Xrite Color Calibrator provides colorimetric accuracy, and Nvidia Quadro graphics are ISV-certified by CATIA, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Inventor, 3ds Max, Maya, Revit, Pro/E, Creo, and more. Plus, when used with Lenovo's new dock, it supports up to three additional screens, for a total of four simultaneous displays. The ThinkPad W530 mobile workstation models will start at approximately $1,529 for dual-core configurations.