Lenovo ThinkSmart Core G2 + IP Controller conference system Teams, Core Ultra 5

G2 marks the second generation of the ThinkSmart Core. The kit contains the permanent meeting room computer that runs Teams Rooms and a touch panel on the table from which people join meetings. MTR in the name stands for the Microsoft Teams Rooms version. No camera, video bar or displays are included; those are chosen separately to suit the size of the room.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core processor paired with integrated Intel Arc graphics. Compared with the first-generation Core, which uses a four-core Intel Core i5-1145G7E, that is several times as many cores. In a meeting room this means headroom for video processing, showing several displays and the camera feed at once, and for software updates that grow more demanding over the years.

The 16 GB of DDR5 memory at 5600 MHz comes as two 8 GB SO-DIMM modules. Two modules run in dual-channel mode, giving the processor and integrated graphics more memory bandwidth. Unlike the soldered DDR4 in the first-generation Core, the modules can be replaced if needed; the maximum supported capacity is listed in the Lenovo hardware maintenance manual.

The computer ships with Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, the edition of Windows for dedicated devices that do one specific job, in this case a Teams Rooms meeting room. The system and app sit on a 256 GB SSD that boots quickly and has room for updates. As a result the room computer behaves like an appliance rather than an ordinary office PC that people might use for something else.

The Lenovo IP Controller has a 10.1-inch multi-touch display: starting a meeting, adding participants and muting are done with a finger, with no keyboard or mouse. The IP in its name points to a controller connected over the network. The computer supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, a newer version than the Bluetooth 5.0 of the first generation.

Companies that use Microsoft Teams and are fitting out new meeting rooms or replacing a first-generation ThinkSmart Core; IT departments for whom Windows 11 IoT Enterprise and replaceable memory matter; and organisations that choose the camera or video bar separately and want a computer with performance headroom for the years ahead.