Lenovo unveils cheaper Apple Mac Studio workstation alternative — Yoga Portal mini PC is a carbon copy of the ThinkCenter Neo Ultra but has a much faster GPU
In January 2024, we named Lenovo’s ThinkCenter Neo Ultra the best Apple Mac Studio alternative on the market , but the company has now released an updated version with a better GPU.
The change on the inside concerns the Yoga Portal Mini PC, the Chinese version of the ThinkCenter Neo Ultra.
Spotted by Video cardz, While the international version of the mini PC comes with a Core i9-14900 processor and RTX graphics, the Yoga Portal features a Core i7-14700 CPU and a GeForce RTX 4070 GPU.
Big price difference
Lenovo previously stated that the ThinkCenter Neo Ultra is designed for SMBs that want to take advantage of the possibilities that AI promises, without having to make large investments in equipment. That also applies to the Chinese version.
While Chinese buyers are getting a device with a less powerful processor, they are getting superior graphics performance. The graphics card in the Yoga Portal is the full desktop version and uses a desktop socket. There is a potential downside, however. VideoCardz notes that “replacing the graphics card may be challenging or even impossible due to the custom cooling designed for this form factor.”
The Yoga Portal comes with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD (both upgradeable), as well as a dedicated M.2 slot for a standalone NPU card.
The dimensions of both versions are the same at 195x191x108mm and they both come with a generous array of ports. On the front, you’ll find two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and a headphone/mic combo jack. Around the back, you’ll find two USB-A ports (USB 10Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 2) and two additional USB-A ports (USB 5Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 1), alongside an HDMI 1.4 TMDS port, an HDMI 2.1a FRL port, and four DisplayPort 1.4a ports. There’s also one GbE RJ-45 port on the back for wired networking connectivity.
To ensure that the device remains cool even during intensive use, both versions of the mini PC feature a design with three thermal fans. These suck in cool air at the top and blow it out at the bottom.
The Yoga Portal costs RMB 17,999 in China, which converts to about $2,514. For comparison, a ThinkCenter Neo Ultra with similar specs costs $4,164.