Lenovo ThinkPad W540

The Lenovo ThinkPad W540 ($ 2,171.99, as tested) is a mobile workstation for high-end graphics arts users. This laptop has a fast solid-state drive (SSD), the Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia Quadro K2100M separate graphics. It also has something unique: a self-calibrating screen 3k, which is essential for artists who need to make sure that the color images that they see on their screen is accurate. The screen and the underlying technology is enough to leapfrog the ThinkPad W540 top spot as our Editors Choice 'for mobile workstation.

Design and Features
The design of this W540 to the usual ThinkPad. It is a dark gray-shelled laptop, measuring 10 by 15 by 1.1 inches (HWD) and weighing 5.67 pounds. Because it has so much space to work in, the system sports a backlit keyboard with full numeric keypad, a TrackPoint pointing stick, and a floating piece trackpad like we've seen in the current ThinkPads, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s. Trackpad is great, that almost makes up for the fact that they feel different from traditional Lenovo trackpad with separate buttons of the mouse. It has some problems with palm rejection and take some starts accustomed to if you use ThinkPads for a decade or more. The keyboard is solid, with gently scalloped keys that helps typing feel. A biometric fingerprint reader on palm rest lets you log in to the network resources of your company in a single swipe (if your IT department has been setup, of course).

The In-Plane swtiching (IP) screen is the centerpiece. It measures 15.6 inches and has WQHD (2880-by-1620) resolution, which qualifies as 3k. Display resolution is identical to that of MSI GS60 3k Ghost Pro. That is technically less than + touch screen QHD resolution 3200-by-1800 on Dell Precision M3800, but the Lenovo workstation shows its mettle in other ways. The screen of the rate of 300 nits, which means that you can work in a sunlit room and still do not worry looking at the project you're working on.

That brings us to the unique features of the W540's: It has an integrated X-Rite Pantone color calibrator. The color calibrator uses a camera built in the palm rest to view and adjust the color balance of the screen of the system. This is a big plus if you need constant calibration to your project, because you do not need to carry an external calibrator around you like Datacolor Spyder4 PRO. We recommend calibrating the right of the screen when you take it out of the box, and can prompt the X-Rite utility to periodically re-calibrate the screen. This may not seem important to the average person, but the color accuracy is important for repeatable graphics, such as branding of the company, or if your work is outdoors or in a publication to print is displayed.

Calibrating the screen is easy. You just launch the utility from the Start menu, close the lid (which allows rotation of the screen by testing its ambient light without affecting the results), and wait for the beeps to finish. An icon on the cover lights up when it is complete. The calibration process takes only a few seconds to run, and once you're done you'll know that the screen will display the exact color using the standard Pantone.

The W540 is no option on the touch-screen, but it does have an anti-glare coating on the surface of the display. The subsequent matte finish on the screen tends to make it appear dull picture, but the color calibrator compensates for it. Screen as beautiful or nicer than the one on Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch Retina Display (2014), although the Mac has glossy screen, and it compares well to the brilliant display of current Editors Choice 'for mobile workstation, the HP zBook 14.

You will need a screwdriver to get the W540, including popping the ULTRABAY DVD drive for other things, such as extra hard drive or battery. That dramatically since ULTRABAY drive other ThinkPad laptop easily pop out with a simple flick of a switch. Internal access is easier with HP zBook 14, because it has less tool back panel.

Under the large access door you will find three free DIMM slots to increase the common memory 8GB (up to 32GB maximum). There is also a 2.5-inch, 256GB solid-state boot drive, which is kind of a small capacity you work with large data sets or 4K video. You can always add more storage by adding an internal SSD M.2, replacing the 2.5-inch SSD with larger capacity SSD or hard drive, replacing the DVD drive with ULTRABAY hard drive, or -plug an external Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 drive. That is much more flexible option than any laptop we've seen before.

Thunderbolt is built on, a rarity on the Windows laptop. The latter we see that with the Thunderbolt port is the HP zBook 15, which we consider high-quality competitors, due to its configuration, pricing, and the HP DreamColor display. The W540 also has an Ethernet port, an ExpressCard reader, a headset jack, an SD card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and a VGA port. There is a docking port on the bottom for connecting to a docking station, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11ac wireless connection. A SIM card slot under the 99.9-watt removable battery connects to the 7355-plus Sierra Wireless 4G LTE Gobi 5000 WWAN card. You must provide your own SIM card (with data plan it) separately. The system has a three year warranty, including pick-up and return service.