Key Takeaways
1. The ThinkPad P1 16 Gen 8 maintains the same design as Gen 7 but features upgraded internal components and a smaller 140 W USB-C AC adapter.
2. CPU and GPU performance in the Gen 8 model is noticeably faster than the Gen 7, despite the reduced power rating of the adapter.
3. The Gen 8 model’s performance indicates that the Gen 7 did not fully utilize its higher 170 W power limit.
4. The larger 170 W adapter in the Gen 7 allows for faster charging under heavy loads compared to the Gen 8’s 140 W adapter.
5. The universal USB-C AC adapter in the Gen 8 is preferred for portability over the bulkier proprietary adapters of older models.
The ThinkPad P1 16 Gen 8 is a mobile workstation designed for ultrathin portability while providing Core Ultra H performance and discrete Nvidia graphics options. It has the same external design and size as last year’s ThinkPad P1 16 Gen 7, but with upgraded internal components and a newer, smaller USB-C AC adapter. This new adapter is particularly noteworthy as it has a lower rating of 140 W compared to the 170 W of the previous model. Fortunately, the performance of the device does not seem to be affected by the reduced power rating.
Performance Comparison
In our assessment of the 2025 ThinkPad P1 16 Gen 8, we discovered that both CPU and GPU performances were notably quicker than those of the 2024 Gen 7 version, even with the smaller AC adapter in play, as demonstrated by the benchmarks shown below. It’s important to note that power usage remains roughly the same when handling demanding tasks, suggesting that last year’s Gen 7 model didn’t fully utilize the higher 170 W power limit for optimal performance.
Charging Capabilities
However, there is a significant benefit to the larger 170 W adapter. The ThinkPad P1 16 Gen 7 can charge more quickly when operating under heavy loads, since the larger adapter has extra power available for charging. In contrast, the newer Gen 8 model consumes between 120 W to 140 W when under stress, which is nearly the entire capacity of the 140 W USB-C AC adapter. Therefore, if the CPU is heavily utilized for long periods, charging would become very slow. Yet, for most travel and practical uses, we prefer the universal USB-C AC adapter over the bulkier proprietary ones that were previously standard on older ThinkPad models.