An AIO is an “all-in-one” — namely, a monitor with a mini-PC slung on its back, usually built from laptop parts. It’s got everything you need to compute except mouse and keyboard (and Lenovo sent those, too, along with the unit and power cord). I’ve owned and enjoyed numerous AIOs over the years. Thus, I was intrigued to learn more about what Lenovo might offer me in that line. They sent me the ThinkCentre M90a Gen 5 in December, but I’m only now writing about this strange but lovable Lenovo AIO .

Digging Into a Strange But Lovable Lenovo AlO

Let me tell you more about this beast: it combines numerous odd or even anachronistic features with a capable CPU, lots of ports, and a surprisingly vibrant and good-looking screen. Here’s a list of what was present on the review unit Lenovo sent me:

CPU: Core i7-14700 (8 P cores, 12 E cores, 28 threads total)
RAM: 2x DDR5-5600 16 GB (32 GB total)
Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 770
Disk: 1x 1 TB SK Hynix HFS001TEJ9X164N NVMe SSD Gen4
Display: 23.8″ color calibrated touch display (1920×1080 HD)
Networking: Intel AX211 Wi-Fi 6E and RJ-45 for GbE
Ports: 3x 10 Gbps USB-A, 3x 5 Gbps USB-A, 1x 10 Gbps USB-C
Camera: 5 MP RGBIR (Windows Hello ready) [accessory]
OS: Windows 11 Pro 24H2
Mouse & Keyboard included (very basic house brand)

As configured, this unit goes for US$2,133.00 at the Lenovo Store. Prices go up and down there, and at resellers, so use this as a guidepost rather than a “must-pay” number. If you shop around you may find a better price.

Strange (Anachronistic) vs. Lovable

What makes the M90s strange — IMO anyway — is its inclusion of an optical (DVD only, not Blu-ray) drive, no add-in GPU support, and only USB 3.2 5 and 10 Gbps ports (no USB4 or TB4 ports at all). The unit refused to recognize a USB4 NVMe enclosure when I plugged it in (across all ports). That’s strange, and a bit frustrating, on a business-oriented (says Lenovo) AIO. The unit does support a second SSD slot (M.2 2080 module replaces the DVD drive). One could also insert a SATA SSD into the currently unoccupied hard disk slot inside the case.

What makes this unit lovable is its bitchin’ fast performance (the i7-14700 is wicked fast) and its eminently viewable display. I plugged an Acer 38″ monitor into DisplayPort on the back and easily drove the built-in 23.8″ (1920×1080) and the external 38″ (3840×2160) for an enormous desktop. Great fun!

There are plenty of ports available (albeit slower ones) and I was able to accommodate SSDs (mSATA and NVMe) and various hard disks in their respective enclosures. The internal SSD topped out at ~5 GiB read and 4+GiB write speeds (via CrystalDiskMark 8.0.6 x64 version). Because of port speed limits, 500 Mbps is about as fast as external media will run (on par with a SATA SSD, in fact).

Intended and Possible Uses for M90a Gen 5

Personally, I see this kind of PC as an ideal choice for a dorm room PC, or for office workers in typical productivity jobs (not developers or creatives, but most everybody else). It offers good value for the money if you let Lenovo emplace the parts. That value jumps if you buy minimally configured units and upgrade them yourself (e.g. RAM and storage, including a 2nd internal SSD and a SATA SSD in the HD slot). It’s a pretty solid workhorse if somewhat long in the tooth…

Now that I’ve had — and used — the hybrid ThinkBook Plus 5G (TB5G) for 8 weeks or so, I’m ready to close out my eval and send it back to Lenovo. That said, my final thoughts are: the ThinkBook Plus 5G Android connection is what makes (or breaks) a buying decision. Those with Android phones they’d like to integrate will find that link-up much more convivial and useful than those with iPhone devices. Alas, I’m a member of the latter club, so I’m coming down on the “won’t buy” side of the equation. I like the PC, but not enough to buy this particular dream.

The ThinkBook Plus 5G Android Connection Is Vital

As is often true for hybrid devices, I also found the TB5G configuration somewhat brittle. I ran into initial difficulties upgrading the device from 23H2 (as shipped) to 24H2 (once WU started offering that version). It did succeed on a later try, so MS obviously took steps to accommodate its hybrid storage. It creates a shared “exchange zone” between the Android tablet/display and the Wintel Core Ultra 7 155H-based keyboard deck. Obviously, it also requires special handling during Windows install and upgrade.

This also went by the wayside when, as an experiment, I let Snappy SDIO loose on the device’s drivers with a doomed across-the-board upgrade. That experiment goes in the “major fail” column, as it left the PC without working cursor, keyboard or touch display upon completion. That fail was severe enough, in fact, that I had to use the “reboot three times” method to get into WinRE and reset the PC from the cloud to restore it to working condition. After that, in fact, it took an upgrade to “Hybrid Center” to bring the Hybrid Folder (A:) back to the desktop…

A Large But Likable Beast

Overall, the unit behaved well, and did what I asked it to do during the eval process. It’s heavier than most ThinkPads, though, and I found it harder to lug than most other Lenovos I’ve tried out in the past 4-5 years (3.9lbs/1.77kg: 2.14lbs/0.97kg base; 1.73lbs/.80kb tablet-display). If I have the price right (my 32 GB, 1 TB SSD, 155H configuration appears to cost around US$2K) it’s a bit pricey, but offers good performance and interesting capabilities.

In the end, it comes down to whether or not you’ve bought into Android or iPhone telephony. It integrated well with my aging Motorola Razr Android phone. With my iPhone 12, not much differentiated it from other Windows laptops. That’s why I’m making the Android call on “who’s most interested” where this device is concerned.

For my money, the lack of Copilot+ PC capability outweighs the “ooh” factor in a laptop with a detachable, independently usable display. I’m ordinarily a sucker for such devices — and have owned models from Dell, Fujitsu, Microsoft, and Lenovo in this category. But lacking the right NPU configuration, this device doesn’t make that grade. Back it goes…