Lenovo ThinkStation PGX: AI Workstation Surprisingly Capable of Gaming

The Lenovo ThinkStation PGX, a compact workstation designed for AI development, has demonstrated an unexpected capability: playable gaming performance. Equipped with the Nvidia GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip and 128GB of unified memory, the PGX was tested with popular titles like Counter-Strike 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and DOOM: Eternal, achieving surprisingly decent frame rates at 1440p resolution.

Bridging the Gap: x86 Games on Arm Linux

The ThinkStation PGX runs Arm Linux, while most PC games are compiled for x86-64 processors. To overcome this incompatibility, the system utilizes FEX-Emu, a translation layer developed by Valve. FEX-Emu translates x86-64 CPU instructions into aarch64 (ARM64) at runtime using just-in-time compilation. This technology is central to Valve’s strategy for Arm-based gaming, particularly for the upcoming Steam Frame VR headset. [1]

An automated installation script, published on GitHub by an Nvidia employee, simplifies the setup process. The script installs FEX-Emu, its dependencies (including Wine integration and Vulkan drivers), and a complete x86-64 Ubuntu root filesystem. This root filesystem provides the necessary libraries for emulated programs to function correctly. The script also installs Steam and patches its startup script to automatically launch games through FEXBash, ensuring a seamless user experience. [1]

Crucially, FEX-Emu can intercept OpenGL and Vulkan calls from games and route them directly to the native aarch64 GPU drivers, bypassing software rendering and significantly improving performance. The installation script also downloads and integrates the x86-64 Nvidia driver package, enabling DLSS support through Proton. [1]

1440p Gaming Performance

Testing at 1440p with maximum settings revealed impressive results, considering the dual translation layers (FEX for CPU instructions and Proton for API translation). [1]

• Counter-Strike 2: Averaged 117 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Averaged around 50 FPS, remaining consistently playable despite being a graphically demanding title.
• DOOM: Eternal: Achieved between 140 and 170 FPS, showcasing excellent optimization.

Thermal Performance and Power Consumption

During testing, the GPU averaged 75.7°C with a peak of 77°C while running Cyberpunk 2077. The CPU ran hotter, averaging 87.4°C and peaking at 92.1°C, but remained within acceptable limits for an Arm SoC under sustained load. GPU power draw averaged 59.4W, and total system power peaked at just 65.3W – significantly lower than the 250W power limit of many dedicated desktop graphics cards. [1]

Counter-Strike 2 resulted in even lower temperatures, with the GPU averaging 61.8°C and power draw around 35.9W, and system power averaging 35.5W. Thermal throttling was minimal, with GPU clocks holding between 2.3 and 2.5 GHz. [1]

A Dedicated AI Machine First, But Promising for Arm Gaming

While the ThinkStation PGX demonstrates surprising gaming capabilities, it remains primarily an AI-focused workstation. At a price point near $4,000, a dedicated gaming PC would offer superior performance for the cost. [2] However, the PGX’s ability to run x86 Windows games through two layers of translation at 1440p with playable frame rates highlights the progress being made in Arm Linux gaming. [1]

The Lenovo ThinkStation PGX is powered by an Nvidia GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip and features 128 GB of unified memory. [2] It delivers up to 1 PetaFLOP or 1000 TOPS of performance, supporting models with up to 200 billion parameters, and can be scaled to 405 billion parameters by connecting two PGXs. [2]