Lenovo’s newest LOQ gaming PC, the Tower 17IRB8, encompasses a port that was a favourite amongst companies, the venerable VGA port. Sure, a gaming PC, launched in March 2023, has a connector that was launched in 1987 when a decision of 640 x 480 pixels was thought-about bleeding edge. 

As a legacy port, Video Graphics Array continues to be in style with companies and organizations of all sizes for numerous causes, largely to do with the adage, if it ain’t broke, don’t attempt to repair it. There’s no dependable knowledge out there however there are nonetheless 1000’s of working CRT or LCD screens and enterprise projectors which have a VGA connector (and nonetheless a 4:three side ratio), as much as a decision of 2048×1536 pixels.

That stated, whether or not Lenovo is aiming for that exact viewers stays to be seen. We don’t consider that’s the case; it’s possible that it’s only a matter of utilizing what’s out there, a motherboard destined for enterprise PC, a perception additional strengthened by the truth that the Tower 17IRB8 helps Home windows 11 Professional, can home two full dimension onerous disk drives (bear in mind these), has 4 USB 2.zero ports (yet one more expertise from the final millennia) and what seems to be like customary audio capabilities (a single audio connector).

Lenovo additionally bundled two software program functions prosumers and SMB will discover useful: Vantage and Sensible Storage; the primary one is a driver updater mixed with a system utilities and a fundamental web safety software program whereas the second is a backup software program to your smartphone or pill, one which mimics cloud storage however makes use of your PC to avoid wasting knowledge (it’s possible you’ll maybe use it for internet hosting a web site however we haven’t tried that). 

A boring workstation disguised as a gaming PC 

Trying extra carefully at Lenovo’s portfolio, one can see that the Tower 17IRB8 is fairly just like the Intel-based SMB-friendly IdeaCentre 5i, albeit greater and heavier; the IdeaCentre 5i is also referred to as the 14IRB8 – 14 standing for 14 liters. Each settle for 13th era Core i7 processors however pair them with DDR4 reminiscence (not DDR5), each use HDMI 1.4b (which solely helps 4K at 30Hz) alongside VGA.

It completely is smart for Lenovo to purchase motherboards with as many options as doable and use them in as many fashions as doable. That’s what economies of scale is all about and additional highlights the chilly, harsh actuality of a depressed international computing market. Enterprise and client audiences are overlapping greater than ever earlier than: it’s solely after gross sales help, the guarantee and bundled working system that usually separate the 2.

Count on much more fashions to launch with that cut up persona syndrome.