Big RAM laptops are abundant as Lenovo does its Skylake refresh

We've long cried out for laptops with lots of RAM so that they can handle workloads as varied as hosting development virtual machines or running Chrome, and with Skylake it looks as if they are arriving in abundance. The updated thin and light X1 range bumps RAM up to 16GB, and in the rest of the business laptop range, there are now plenty of options that go even further than that.

When we reviewed it earlier this year, we felt the T450s was a solid corporate workhorse. Although a little larger than the X1s, it took more memory (up to 12GB) and sported much easier end-user servicing. Its Skylake successor will be available from February with prices starting at $1,059, and it provides more of the same: an Ultrabook built for business. It's still a fairly thin 3lb laptop but now takes up to 24GB RAM, with optional discrete Nvidia GeForce 930M graphics, up to 512GB PCIe SSD, and a 2560×1440 screen.

At 0.74 inches, it's slightly thicker than the X1 range, but this extra width provides for a full-size Ethernet port, full-size HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, and an optional smartcard reader. Lenovo says that servicing has also been improved: there are 5 captive screws that provide quick access to storage, memory, WWAN and Wi-Fi, and the batteries. Though this means that the machine has shed the VGA port that was included on the T450s, the options and accessibility mean that it packages a lot of power into a small system, without giving up serviceability.

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The T460s has two bigger brothers: the T460 and T560. Substantially the same, except for their sizes—the T460 is a 14-inch device, topping out at 1920×1080 and starting at 3.8lbs, the T560 is a 15-inch device topping out at 2560×1440 and starting at 5lbs—these Skylake systems take up to 32GB RAM and offer optional discrete Nvidia 940MX graphics. Both will be available from February, starting at $909 for the T460 and $969 for the T560.

The T460 has a third variant, the T460p. This is one of the first machines to use Intel's new quad-core H series processors, doubling the number of cores when compared to the U series parts used in the T460s, T460, and T560. That processor can be paired with up to 32GB of RAM and up to a 2560×1440 screen. The T460p is a little thicker, at 0.96 inches, and heavier, at 4lb, using that extra thickness to handle the hotter processor, a huge 72Wh battery, and an optical drive. Prices start at $1,249 when the system becomes available in February.

Elsewhere across the line, the ThinkPad X250 is succeeded by the Skylake X260: 2.9lbs, 0.79 inches thick, up to 1920×1080 12.5-inch screen, up to 16GB RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD, from $929. Similarly, the value-oriented ThinkPad L450 (14-inch) and L540 (15-inch) now have corresponding L460 and L560 models. The former oddly appears to have an option for discrete AMD Radeon R5 graphics and up to 32GB RAM; the latter seems to top out at only 16GB with no discrete GPU option. They'll start at $749 and $779, respectively, in February.

For those after something particularly thin, light, and affordable, the ThinkPad 13 is just 2.3lbs and 0.38-inches thick. It too can take up to 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. It'll be available starting at $449 in April with Windows and $399 in June with Chrome OS.

Lenovo is also producing business-oriented versions of some of its existing Skylake systems. The MIIX 700, Lenovo's Surface Pro-like kickstand tablet, and the Yoga 900 are both getting a business branding. The only thing that seems to be different in these versions is that they use vPro-capable processors and include a TPM for secure booting and cryptography.