Lenovo Boosts Workstation, Desktop Performance

Lenovo ThinkStation E30

Lenovo has unveiled a workstation and a professional desktop equipped with performance-enhancing technology, including Intel's second-generation Core processors and support for USB 3.0 and SATA 3 for faster data transfers.

The ThinkStation E30 workstation and the ThinkCentre M81 desktop, introduced Monday, are designed for creative, engineering, and financial professionals. Both have Lenovo's Enhanced Experience 2.0, which provides faster start up and shut down time through optimized system files, processes, and hardware settings.

The ThinkStation E30, the predecessor of the E20, is an entry-level workstation that is available with a choice of Intel's latest Core processors. The system also is available with a four-core Intel Xeon chip.

"The ThinkStation E30 workstation builds on our strong workstation platform, combining new rapid processing for data-crunching with more vivid and intense graphics capabilities," Tao Gu, executive director and general manager for Lenovo's Workstation Business Unit, said in a statement.

The E30 is available with a hard drive, plus an 80 GB or 160 GB solid-state drive for faster opening, rendering, and saving/closing files. Options include Nvidia Quadro or NVS graphics for handling 2-D and 3-D content. The workstation features up to 16 GB of 1333 MHz system memory with error correcting code to prevent failures.

The ThinkCentre M81 desktop comes either as a tower or mini-desktop. The system includes a choice of Intel Core processors and a solid-state drive up to 160 GB. Graphics options are either embedded Intel HD Graphics or Advanced Micro Devices' discrete Radeon card.

Both systems come with a SATA 3 computer bus interface for faster data transfers from a hard drive or solid-state drive. The computers include USB 3.0 connectors for quicker communications between the systems and peripherals. Lenovo claims SATA 3 is twice as fast as SATA 2 and USB 3.0 is 10 times faster than USB 2.0.

When compared to the E20, the ThinkStation E30 has a boot time and shut-down time 57% and 38% faster, respectively, as a result of the Enhanced Experienced 2.0 feature, Lenovo says. The system is available with an optional Blu-ray player and is certified for running professional software from several vendors, including AutoCad, SolidEdge, Adobe, and SolidWorks.

The ThinkCentre M81 is tuned for energy efficiency. The system uses 56% less energy than previous models and includes a new Power Manager utility for managing energy settings on desktop fleets. It uses 42% recycled materials in its construction.

The ThinkStation E30 is scheduled to be available in May at a starting price of $629. The ThinkCentre M81 is set for availability in April, starting at $599.