Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review: Gen 9 goes to 16:10 

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Nearly ten years outdated, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has grown taller. Lenovo’s flagship ThinkPad continues to be the identical smooth, sturdy company ultrabook it’s possible you’ll recall, however the producer has ditched the 16:9 show ratio in favor of a 16:10 show that gives extra room from high to backside. The taller show offers you extra room to work and requires you to scroll much less by means of prolonged paperwork and lengthy internet pages. 

Lenovo additionally tweaked the show hinge, expanded the touchpad, improved the positioning of the laptop computer’s audio system, and built-in the fingerprint reader into the facility button. Inside, the laptop computer obtained the anticipated Intel replace to the chipmaker’s 11th-gen Tiger Lake chips. With its roomier show and different enhancements, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon stays a best choice for enterprise execs, even when its webcam is behind the occasions.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 specs

Nailing down the pricing for Lenovo’s laptops is a problem as a result of the corporate lists inflated costs on its web site which can be normally then discounted by substantial and fluctuating quantities. The baseline X1 Carbon Gen 9, for instance, encompasses a record value of $2,459 however is at present discounted to $999.99. It has an 11th-gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The producer additionally lists a handful of preconfigured ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 fashions, however our check configuration just isn’t amongst them. Using the customizable mannequin on Lenovo’s web site, we outfitted our check system for $1,799.60. Here are its specs:
 
[Further reading: Our picks for best PC laptops]

• CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i7-1185G7
• Memory: 16GB
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 1920×1200 IPS contact
• Webcam: 720p with bodily digital camera shutter
• Connectivity: Right facet: 2 x Thunderbolt 4, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.0. Left facet:  USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 57 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.38 x 8.72 x 0.59 inches
• Measured weight: 2.54 kilos (laptop computer), 0.65 kilos (AC adapter)
• OS: Windows 10 Pro

Our check system options the top-end CPU supplied. There are 4 CPU choices, two Intel Core i5 Tiger Lake chips, and two Core i7 Tiger Lake chips — with and with out Intel’s vPro. Our evaluation unit is packing the usual 16GB reminiscence allotment, however you may double it to 32GB of RAM. There are three solid-state drives obtainable: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. We obtained the 512GB center youngster. We additionally bought the baseline, non-touch, Full HD show, however there are two touchscreen choices — one with Lenovo’s Privacy Guard know-how and one with out — and a non-touch 4K choice. Both 4G LTE and 5G cell broadband are improve choices; neither was included on our check system. You can configure the X1 Carbon Gen 9 with Windows 11, however our check system is working Windows 10 Pro.

Display will get taller

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 doesn’t stray from the usual ThinkPad script. The matte black chassis will look acquainted to anybody who’s been in an workplace with Lenovo’s enterprise machines. Made from aluminum, carbon fiber, and magnesium, the chassis feels rock stable with little to no flex. Lenovo coats the surfaces with a rubberized paint that gives a clean but grippy really feel but additionally makes the laptop computer a magnet for fingerprints and smudges.

Matt Elliott / IDG

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon has toughness baked in to assist it maintain up within the area. It has handed a sequence of MIL-SPEC checks in opposition to environmental hazards and extremes. But it’s not a cumbersome tank of a system. Just the alternative. It weighs a svelte 2.54 kilos. That’s a hair greater than the two.4-pound X1 Carbon Gen 8 model, however the added ounce or so of carrying weight is definitely price it for the roomier 14-inch 16:10 show. Plus, its 2.5-pound weight is mild amongst premium ultrabooks. For instance, the 14-inch HP Envy 14 weighs 3.3 kilos and the 13.3-inch HP DragonFly Max is smaller however is barely heavier at 2.59 kilos.

The largest change from the X1 Carbon Gen 8 to Gen 9 is a transfer from a 14-inch show with a large 16:9 facet ratio to a 14-inch show with a taller 16:10 facet ratio. It might appear to be a trivial change, nevertheless it quantities to an infinite distinction when working. A 16:9 show is smart for an entertainment-minded laptop computer as a result of the huge show is an efficient match for watching films, nevertheless it feels cramped if you end up multitasking and juggling a handful of home windows. The taller 16:10 show additionally means you have to scroll much less by means of lengthy paperwork, spreadsheets, and internet pages. For getting work carried out, a 16:10 show is the best way to go.

Matt Elliott / IDG

The 14-inch show encompasses a 1920×1280 decision and boasts a crisp picture. The panel is rated for 400 nits of brightness and my measurements confirmed this determine. The brightness is offset some by an excessively blue forged that cools its general impression. I a lot favor the hotter screens of the HP Elite Dragonfly Max and HP Pavilion Aero I checked out earlier this 12 months. The X1 Carbon’s distinction was wonderful, with brilliant white and deep blacks, however its colours tended towards the blue finish of the spectrum.

There’s additionally a brand new show hinge. It’s one lengthy bar that runs practically the width of the laptop computer. The hinge offers clean motion whereas maintaining a agency maintain on the show’s place. The new design additionally permits for venting on the again fringe of the laptop computer, which helps with cooling effectivity.

Matt Elliott / IDG

The show will not be geared towards leisure pursuits, however the audio system can deal with enjoyable and video games. The laptop computer options two upward-firing audio system on both facet of the keyboard and two woofers on the underside panel. They produce a few of the greatest laptop computer audio I’ve heard, with loud, dynamic sound with some bass response. You might not want such sound throughout the workday, however the X1 Carbon Gen 9 will probably be of nice utility after work for watching Netflix and even listening to music — gasp! — with out headphones. I can’t keep in mind the final time I might say that a couple of laptop computer I’ve examined.

Matt Elliott / IDG

As spectacular because the audio system are, the webcam is decidedly mediocre. At a time when 1080p cameras have gotten extra widespread, it’s disappointing to see Lenovo keep on with a normal 720 cam on its flagship laptop computer. If Zoom conferences are an enormous a part of your workday, then a 1080p digital camera could make you a lot clearer to colleagues and shoppers. The X1 Carbon’s 720p cam produces a well-balanced picture with correct colours, nevertheless it’s grainy. A 1080p improve should be on the want record for the X1 Carbon Gen 10 if not already at the very least an improve choice for the Gen 9. Even a 1440p webcam isn’t an excessive amount of to ask for — that’s what you get with HP’s Elite Dragonfly Max. The X1 Carbon’s solely digital camera improve is a 720p digital camera with IR, which lets you use facial recognition for logins. In the plus column for the X1 Carbon’s webam is the presence of a bodily privateness cowl. 

The X1 Carbon Gen 9 just isn’t with out biometrics. A fingerprint reader comes commonplace. It was beforehand positioned subsequent to the touchpad and has been relocated on the Gen 9 and built-in into the facility button above the keyboard. 

Same nice ThinkPad keyboard

The primary fixed throughout all ThinkPads is the wonderful keyboard and such excellence exhibits up right here. The keys really feel snappy and are quiet when mashed and supply simply the correct amount of journey. There are not any annoyingly shortened keys to interrupt your typing movement, however like all ThinkPads, the Function and Control keys are flip-flopped, which can take a little bit of getting used to. Two-level backlighting is on board, as is the pink pointing stick in the course of the keyboard. 

Matt Elliott / IDG

The pointing stick survives and makes it to a different technology of ThinkPad, most likely as a result of there could be riots within the streets by the ThinkPad devoted if Lenovo ditched this legacy enter machine. The devoted mouse buttons for the pointing stick sit between the spacebar and touchpad, and they’re much less intrusive than previous efforts. Instead of being raised with daring pink striping, they sit flusher with extra refined pink stripes on their entrance edges.

Lenovo states that the X1 Carbon Gen 9’s touchpad is wider than the Gen 8’s and I need to consider them. It doesn’t seem like greater than the typical touchpad, nevertheless it’s roomy sufficient that I didn’t really feel cramped with swiping and pinching and two-finger scrolling.

Matt Elliott / IDG

Matt Elliott / IDG

A pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports are the highlights of the X1 Carbon Gen 9’s connectivity. You additionally get a pair of USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, which implies you gained’t want to hold a USB dongle. The largest omission is an Ethernet jack, which implies you have to to hold round an Ethernet adapter if you wish to connect with a wired community. The laptop computer helps WiFi 6, the most recent wi-fi networking commonplace.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 efficiency

Our ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 options the quad-core Core i7-1185G7 from Intel’s 11th-gen Tiger Lake household of processors. It additionally provides 16GB of RAM and built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics. There’s no choice for a GPU improve, making the X1 Carbon a greater match for busy execs than inventive professionals. We in contrast it in opposition to HP’s premium Elite Dragonfly Max, which packs the identical Core i7-1185G7 CPU. We additionally included the Razer Book 13 and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310, each of which use a Core i7-1165G7 chip. We additionally in contrast it to the Core i7-1160G& chip contained in the 13-inch ThinkPad X1 Nano. Each of those Core i7 components is a quad-core processor with eight processing threads. Rounding out the charts is the HP Pavilion Aero 13 and its AMD’s eight-core Ryzen 7 5800U CPU. All of those laptops have built-in graphics.

Matt Elliott / IDG

Our first benchmark is PCMark 10, which measures efficiency on on a regular basis computing work together with workplace productiveness duties, internet shopping, and video chats. The X1 Carbon completed first among the many Intel-based programs right here however properly behind the tempo set by the AMD-based HP Pavilion Aero. Still, a rating above 5,000 signifies that the X1 Carbon is properly geared up to run Office and different productiveness apps and in a position to handle a wide range of multitasking eventualities.

Matt Elliott / IDG

The X1 Carbon additionally completed behind the HP Pavilion Aero and forward of the opposite Intel machines on our HandBrake check, which includes encoding a big 30GB video file. It can carry out some media enhancing, however extra processing cores and threads would make faster work of such a job.

Matt Elliott / IDG

Matt Elliott / IDG

If our HandBrake check is a marathon, then Cinebench is a dash. This check renders a fancy 2D scene over a short time frame. Again, the X1 Carbon proved itself succesful, however extra cores and threads shorten the time spent rendering.

Matt Elliott / IDG

Don’t let its first place displaying on our 3DMark check idiot you. None of those laptops, all of which depend on built-in graphics, posted a rating indicating a lot in the best way of 3D graphics capability. Although Intel’s Iris Xe built-in graphics is surprisingly good, as our checks have proven, we’ve got but to achieve the period the place an built-in GPU will be a focus for players.

Matt Elliott / IDG

To check a laptop computer’s battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Windows 10’s Movies & TV app, with the laptop computer set to Airplane mode and earbuds plugged in. We set the display brightness at a comparatively brilliant 250 nits to 260 nits, which is an efficient brightness for watching a film in an workplace with the lights on. The X1 Carbon’s 4-cell, 57 Whr battery lasted practically 13 hours on our battery-drain check, which is aggressive and can get you thru the longest of workdays. That stated, it’s nonetheless roughly 1.5 hours lower than the runtime we noticed from the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.

The show top is ideal for getting work carried out

Lenovo made some vital adjustments to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 whereas additionally realizing when and the place to go away the great bits alone. The new 16:10 show offers you extra room to work with and barely provides any further weight. The new show hinge is clean and regular and permits for rear cooling vents that maintain the laptop computer quiet and funky. And the brand new audio system produce shockingly good laptop computer audio. With these adjustments, you continue to get the ThinkPad keyboard that continues to be the usual in opposition to which all Windows laptops are measured. And the X1 Carbon’s smooth but rugged case makes it eminently moveable whereas additionally with the ability to face up to the abuses heaped upon it throughout day by day enterprise journey. Really, our solely gripe is the marginally cool show and mediocre webcam. In this period of Zoom conferences, Lenovo must improve it to a 1080p or 1440p decision or at the very least supply a decision increased than 720p as an improve choice.