| Technetbook Rating | |
|---|---|
| Rating Score | 7.5 |
| Stars | ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ |
Pros
- High Performance in a Small Form Factor: Packs powerful components (65W CPU option, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU) into a compact size.
- Dedicated NPU for AI: Optional Kinara Ara-2 NPU offers significant AI processing power.
- Good Upgradeability: Features accessible RAM slots, M.2 storage bays, and a replaceable GPU.
- Solid Build Quality: Durable all-metal chassis with eco-friendly materials.
- Good Port Selection: Offers a variety of high-speed USB ports, display outputs, and optional flex I/O.
- Built-in Power Supply: Has an internal 350W power supply.
- Portable Design: Enables use in various locations.
- Strong Benchmarks: Performs well in SPECviewperf 2020, Luxmark, and Cinebench tests.
- Wireless Connectivity: Includes modern Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
- Professional Certifications: Includes ENERGY STAR® 8.0, EPEAT® Gold*, ERP LOT 3, RoHS, TÜV Low Noise, and TCO 9.0 certifications.
Cons
- Higher Price: Premium mini-PC with a higher initial cost, especially with the optional NPU.
- Not Top Performer in Some Tests: It did not out preform in the Geekbench CPU tests and in y-cruncher. Blackmagic Raw Speed test GPU performance was also lower than expected.
- Flex I/O Limitation: 35W CPU models have only one Flex I/O port.
- Some Benchmarks Were Not Completed: Several benchmark tests were not performed.
- No Linux QMK/VIA Compatibility: Lacks the customizability of QMK or VIA support for keyboard enthusiasts.
- Potential Overheat: The compact size and powerful components might result in thermal issues.
Summary
The Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra is a potent mini-PC particularly well suited for users with AI, content creation, and other demanding task requirements and a need for portability. Potential buyers should consider if their use case justifies its higher price point and the potential limitations based on the pros and cons listed.
Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra Review
The Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra is a small-form-factor desktop designed for high-performance tasks, including AI applications. Lenovo markets it as a "creator in a backpack" due to its portability, dedicated NPU, and NVIDIA 4060 GPU. Based on 14th-generation Intel "Raptor Lake" Core processors, it offers a blend of power and compactness.
Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra Specifications
| Processor | 14th Gen Intel Core processors, 35W or 65W |
|---|---|
| NPU | Optional Kinara Ara-2 (M.2 form factor) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 |
| Memory | Up to 64GB DDR5 (2x SODIMM) |
| Storage | 2x M.2 PCIe drives |
| Power Supply | 350W |
| Front Ports | USB-C® (USB 20Gbps), 2 x USB-A (USB 10Gbps, 1 always on), Headphone/mic combo |
| Rear Ports | 2 x USB-A (USB 10Gbps), 2 x USB-A (USB 5Gbps), 2x HDMI® 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, Ethernet (RJ45) Optional Flex I/O Ports |
| Wireless | WiFi 6E* AX211 802.11AX (2 x 2), Bluetooth® 5.3 |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 107mm x 195mm x 196mm / 4.21” x 7.67” x 7.67” |
| Weight | Starting at 3.25kg / 7.16lbs |
| Material | 85% post-consumer content (PCC), hydro & recycled aluminum |
| Certifications/Registries | ENERGY STAR® 8.0, EPEAT® Gold*, ERP LOT 3, RoHS, TÜV Low Noise, TCO 9.0 |
| ThinkShield Security | BIOS-based Smart USB Protection, BIOS-based I/O port disablement, dTPM 2.0, Kensington Security Slot™, Optional: Intel vPro® Enterprise |
Design and Build Quality
The ThinkCentre Neo Ultra is remarkably compact, with a volume of just 3.6 liters. Its modern design is suitable for both home and office environments. It boasts a high build quality, featuring a durable all-metal chassis and eco-friendly materials, including 85% post-consumer content.
Front ports include a 3.5mm audio jack, two 10Gbps USB Type-A ports (one always on), and a 20Gbps USB Type-C port. Rear ports include multiple DisplayPort 1.4 outputs, an HDMI 2.1 output, two 5Gbps USB Type-A ports, and an Ethernet jack. Flex I/O slots provide additional customization options. It also has integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Upgradeability
Accessing the internal components is straightforward, requiring the removal of the bottom panel. The system includes two SODIMM RAM slots and two M.2 2280 drive bays, all easily upgradeable. The GPU is a replaceable board, not a soldered component, enhancing its maintainability.
The M.2-format Kinara NPU, with its 40 TOPS rating, is positioned on the side of the unit and includes a dedicated cooling fan. This provides significantly more AI processing power than standard CPU-integrated NPUs.
On-the-Go Performance
Testing its portability, the ThinkCentre Neo Ultra was paired with a Bluetti Handfree 2 Backpack Power Station. The compact form factor enabled operation outside traditional office settings, such as in the bed of a pickup truck.
Power consumption was under 300W during testing. The system's 350W PSU fits within its compact chassis, eliminating the need for an external PSU.
Performance Benchmarks
Our review unit featured an Intel Core i7-14700 CPU (65W), a 512GB SSD, 32GB of RAM, and a GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. Other configurations are also available directly from Lenovo. We compared the ThinkCentre to a Dell OptiPlex 7020 Micro Plus.
SPECworkstation 3
| Category | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra |
|---|---|
| Media and Entertainment | N/A |
| Product Development | 3.25 |
| Life Sciences | 3.98 |
| Financial Services | 4.91 |
| Energy | 4.07 |
| General Operations | 3.05 |
| GPU Compute | 0.33 |
SPECviewperf 2020
| Viewset | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra | Dell OptiPlex 7020 Micro Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 3dsmax-07 | 65.81 | 7.07 |
| Catia-06 | 34.98 | 5.94 |
| Creo-03 | 84.69 | 10.05 |
| Energy-03 | 15.49 | N/A |
| Maya-06 | 193.6 | 18.3 |
| Medical-03 | 10.49 | 0.99 |
| Snx-04 | 30.94 | 6.59 |
| Solidworks-05 | 113.56 | 6.21 |
Luxmark
| Benchmark | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra | Dell OptiPlex 7020 Micro Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Hallbench | 12,649 | 1,359 |
| food | 5,156 | 629 |
OctaneBench
| Benchmark | Kernel | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Interior | Info channels | 12.8 |
| Direct lighting | 36.2 | |
| Path tracing | 44.3 | |
| Idea | Info channels | 7.5 |
| Direct lighting | 29.5 | |
| Path tracing | 35.7 | |
| ATV | Info channels | 17.9 |
| Direct lighting | 38.5 | |
| Path tracing | 48.5 | |
| Box | Info channels | 10.4 |
| Direct lighting | 35.6 | |
| Path tracing | 39.4 |
Blackmagic RAW Speed Test
| Benchmark | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra | Dell OptiPlex 7020 Micro Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 8K CPU | 68 | 90 |
| 8K CUDA | 75 | 19 |
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
UL Procyon AI Inference
| Benchmark | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra |
|---|---|
| MobileNet V3 | 0.57 |
| ResNet 50 | 1.70 |
| Inception V4 | 4.54 |
| DeepLab V3 | 6.20 |
| YOLO V3 | 7.51 |
| Real-ESRGAN | 247.61 |
| Overall Score | 821 |
y-cruncher
| Benchmark | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra | Dell OptiPlex 7020 Micro Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 billion digits | 31.131 | 28.739 |
| 2.5 billion digits | 93.452 | N/A |
| 5 billion digits | 213.803 | N/A |
Geekbench 6
| Benchmark | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra | Dell OptiPlex 7020 Micro Plus |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Single-Core | 2,804 | 2,858 |
| CPU Multi-Core | 14,399 | 17,116 |
| GPU | 102,362 | 8,317 |
Cinebench R24
| Benchmark | Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra | Dell OptiPlex 7020 Micro Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Core | 1,340 | 1,007 |
| Single-Core | 123 | 120 |
| GPU | 10,244 | N/A |
The Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra is an impressive mini-PC that delivers strong performance, particularly in content creation and AI tasks, thanks to its 65W CPU, dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GPU, and optional Kinara Ara-2 NPU. Its compact design, upgradeability, and maintainability earn our recommendation for a high-performance mini-PC.
