Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 review: Say goodbye to the beloved TrackPoint

Price When Reviewed

$1,519

Best Prices Today: Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition had PC World’s editors scratching their heads upon its reveal at CES 2025. It’s a ThinkPad, however it ditches lots of the options which can be typical of the ThinkPad model. There’s no iconic pink TrackPoint, no bodily buttons on the touchpad, and the general feel and look is extra typical of Lenovo’s current Yoga Pro laptops. 

These modifications will make the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition controversial amongst long-time ThinkPad followers but in addition make it extra approachable for the common laptop computer shopper.

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Specs and options

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is constructed with a deal with portability over efficiency. I obtained a laptop computer with an eight-core Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB stable state drive. 

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x-8533
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc Graphics 130V
• NPU: Intel AI Boost peak 40 TOPs
• Display: 14-inch 2880×1800 120Hz OLED with VRR and HDR
• Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
• Webcam: 1440p 30fps digicam with IR 3D digicam for Windows Hello, digital privateness shutter
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C (40Gbps information, DisplayPort, Power Delivery), 1x HDMI 2.1 (as much as 4K 60Hz), 1x 3.5mm combo headphone/microphone jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition, fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 55 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.28 x 8.35 x 0.51 inches
• Weight: 2.74 kilos
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• Price: $1,519 retail from Lenovo

The ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is all in on future-proof connectivity. It has two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4. However, it lacks USB-A ports and doesn’t have a bodily Ethernet port. It does have a 3.5mm audio port, although.

Lenovo lists the mannequin I reviewed at $1,519. The entry-level mannequin downgrades to 256GB of storage and a 1200p OLED show, which lowers the worth to $1,239. Upgrades, in the meantime, embrace as much as an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V processor, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. Checking all of the bins boosts the worth as much as $2,349. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Design and construct high quality

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is perhaps a ThinkPad, however it appears to be like much more like Lenovo’s current Yoga Pro and Slim Pro laptops. The chassis is constructed from a grayish-blue aluminum that feels stable and premium in-hand. It additionally has rounded corners, beveled edges, and a wavy texture throughout the underside panel that makes the laptop computer simpler to carry.

All of that is heresy for ThinkPad super-fans, who usually desire the boxier, all-black designs of yore. But… I prefer it. Lots.

This didn’t shock me. PC World has favorably reviewed Lenovo’s premium shopper laptops such because the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i, which we gave an Editor’s Choice award. Indeed, the Yoga Pro 9i is so good it usually left me questioning why anybody would need to purchase a ThinkPad as an alternative. The Yoga Pro 9i is usually extra enticing, slimmer, and supplies a a lot bigger touchpad. It’s inexpensive than a competitively geared up ThinkPad as nicely.

It appears Lenovo observed this, too, as a result of the ThinkPad X9 14 looks like a Yoga Pro with the ThinkPad identify on it. And, because of this, the ThinkPad X9 14 supplies one thing ThinkPads usually fail to ship: a way of luxurious. 

The ThinkPad X9 14 additionally places an emphasis on portability. It measures simply .51 inches thick (excluding the rubber ft on the underside of the laptop computer) and weighs a mere 2.74 kilos. Neither quantity is uncommon in 2025, as many 14-inch rivals are comparable in measurement and weight, however it nonetheless makes for a remarkably gentle laptop computer that’s straightforward to select up, pack, and carry. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

While the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition makes many modifications to the ThinkPad method, the removing of the traditional TrackPoint—a pink nub discovered in the course of most ThinkPad keyboards—might be probably the most jarring change.

I’m a fan of the TrackPoint, as nicely, and I gained’t sugarcoat it. If you desire a TrackPoint, nicely, this ain’t it, chief. There’s nothing concerning the ThinkPad X9 14 that may persuade TrackPoint loyalists to make the swap to a touchpad.

However, as with the laptop computer’s design, I feel providing a ThinkPad with out the TrackPoint is a smart transfer. I’ve owned a sequence of ThinkPads through the years and as soon as drastically most popular the TrackPoint. Today, issues are totally different. The responsiveness and measurement of contemporary touchpads have improved, and multi-touch gestures are extra helpful than they as soon as had been. 

Speaking of which, the ThinkPad X9 14’s touchpad is stable. It measures about 5 inches broad and about 3 inches deep. That’s a superb measurement for a 14-inch laptop computer and supplies house for utilizing Windows’ multi-touch gestures, however it’s not any bigger than most rivals. 

The touchpad makes use of haptic suggestions to simulate the texture of a bodily click on when a left or right-click motion is executed, and it really works nice. So a lot in order that I desire haptic suggestions to an actual, bodily contact motion on trendy laptops. 

What concerning the keyboard? It’s nice. The keyboard supplies good key journey and has a spacious structure. Most keys are near full measurement and people which can be shrunk, just like the Backspace and Tab keys, are nonetheless massive sufficient that I didn’t have to regulate my muscle reminiscence. A keyboard backlight comes normal and is efficient at making the keys readable in dim settings.

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

The entry-level Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is bought with a 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED non-touch display, however the mannequin I examined (and most configurations bought on-line) had a 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen. The upgraded show additionally boosts the refresh charge from 60Hz to 120Hz.

It’s a wonderful show. 2880×1800 decision on a 14-inch panel works out to about 243 pixels per inch, which is superb for a laptop computer show and supplies a razor-sharp look. Color efficiency and distinction are wonderful, too, and mix to ship a deep, immersive picture. While a handful of laptops, like the Dell XPS 14, supply a good sharper 3200×2000 OLED panel, the ThinkPad X9 14’s show is in any other case pretty much as good because it will get. 

As talked about, the 2880×1800 panel has a most refresh charge of 120Hz. It additionally helps VRR and might deal with variable refresh charges between 30 and 120Hz. That makes it attainable to make use of Windows’ dynamic refresh charge function, which may decrease the refresh charge to enhance battery life (although this was off by default on the machine I examined).

The ThinkPad X9 14’s audio system are respectable however not a spotlight. They ship good quantity with some low-end in bass heavy content material. However, the audio system can turn out to be boomy and harsh as the quantity is elevated previous 50 % of most.

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Every Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition has a 1440p webcam (be aware: Lenovo advertises it as 1080p, however it could in actual fact document as much as 1440p at 30 frames per second). The webcam delivers a pointy, crisp picture and offers nicely with combined lighting. The microphone array can also be crisp and does an ideal job of lowering background noise. Most aggressive laptops additionally do nicely right here, however the ThinkPad X9 14 is a stable alternative if you happen to spend lots of time on video calls. 

Biometric login is supported by each Windows Hello facial recognition by way of the webcam and fingerprint recognition by way of a sensor on the ability button, which is situated on the keyboard. Both show straightforward to make use of however, as is typical, I discovered facial recognition faster and extra dependable than the fingerprint sensor. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition makes many modifications to the traditional ThinkPad method, and that features connectivity. It makes no try to supply a variety of ports and as an alternative focuses on the most recent, best requirements.

A pair of Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, every with 40Gbps of information, DisplayPort and Power Delivery, present the majority of the bodily connectivity. Two ports isn’t loads, however the ports are extraordinarily versatile and work nicely with a dock if extra connectivity is required. 

Also, the Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports are positioned on reverse sides of the laptop computer (one on the left, one on the appropriate), so there’s all the time a port shut at hand irrespective of the place your different units are situated in your desk. 

Additional video connectivity comes from the HDMI 2.1 port, which helps 4K at as much as 60Hz. The HDMI port is helpful for connecting to televisions or projectors. A 3.5mm combo audio jack on the laptop computer’s proper flank rounds out the connectivity. 

Wireless connectivity can also be forward-looking. The laptop computer helps Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, that are the most recent model of every respective normal. I anticipate the laptop computer’s wi-fi connectivity will stay related for over a decade, because the progress of wi-fi requirements has slowed lately. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Performance

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition I reviewed had an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor. This is the least succesful chip accessible on this laptop computer (4 various Intel chips can be found as upgrades). It has simply eight processor cores, solely 4 of that are efficiency cores, and comes paired with Intel Arc 130V. The laptop computer I reviewed additionally had 16GB of RAM and 512GB of PCIe stable state storage. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Our first benchmark, PCMark 10, takes a holistic method and checks a laptop computer throughout a number of simulated real-world workloads, from net conferencing to picture modifying and way more. The ThinkPad X9 14 falls a bit behind on this take a look at with a rating of 6,272. That’s fairly a bit lower than laptops which have extra highly effective Intel Core processors or AMD’s Ryzen AI 9. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Intel’s Core Ultra 5 226V turns into a little bit of a ship anchor in Cinebench R23, a closely multi-threaded and short-duration take a look at. The CPU’s restricted core depend (4 efficiency, 4 environment friendly cores, for a complete of eight) is a drawback on this benchmark. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake, an extended period multi-threaded benchmark that encodes a film from MP4 to MKV, doesn’t change the story. The ThinkPad X19 14 nonetheless lags the pack. However, the margin by which it lags is decrease right here than in Cinebench R23.

IDG / Matthew Smith

What about 3D efficiency? The ThinkPad X9 14 is once more at a drawback, because the Intel Core Ultra 5 226 depends on Intel Arc 130V graphics. This model of Intel Arc built-in graphics has simply seven Xe cores, down from eight with Intel Arc 140V, and the clock velocity is decrease as nicely. It’s maybe no shock, then, to see the ThinkPad X9 14 lag behind the pack.

Overall, the ThinkPad X9 14’s efficiency doesn’t impress. Of course, some concession must be made for the actual fact Lenovo despatched an entry-level configuration and I anticipate that upgraded fashions with extra succesful Intel Chips just like the Intel Core Ultra 7 268V would carry out higher.

Those upgrades aren’t free, nevertheless, and that is an space the place the ThinkPad X9 14 feels uncompetitive. At any given worth, Lenovo offers an alternative model of Yoga Pro that has a greater processor, extra storage, and extra RAM. Asus’ Zenbook 14 and Samsung’s Galaxy Book5 Pro additionally present an identical prosumer look-and-feel alongside higher efficiency for the worth.

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Battery life

You would possibly anticipate the thin-and-light Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition to supply good battery life however, as is commonly the case with skinny laptops, battery capability turns into a difficulty. The ThinkPad X9 14 has a 55-watt-hour battery, whereas most comparable laptops have a 65 to 75-watt-hour battery.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Mediocre battery life is the end result. The ThinkPad X9 14 lasted roughly 11 hours and 45 minutes in our normal battery take a look at, which loops a 4K video file of the brief movie Tears of Steel. That’s not unhealthy however because the graph reveals, it’s attainable to seek out higher battery life in aggressive laptops. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14: Conclusion

The ThinkPad X9 14 supplies an ideal keyboard and touchpad alongside a premium feel and look that’s extra like Lenovo’s wonderful Yoga Pro laptops. While the modifications gained’t tempt long-time ThinkPad followers, they make the laptop computer extra aggressive with prosumer laptops, which regularly ship higher design than laptops targeted on productiveness and enterprise.

Where the ThinkPad X9 14 lags, nevertheless, is bang-for-the-buck. Though it’s as enticing as prosumer friends, you’ll nonetheless discover that your cash doesn’t go as far when shopping for a ThinkPad as it will if you happen to bought a prosumer laptop computer. 

Even so, the ThinkPad X9 14 is more likely to discover an viewers amongst enterprise and enterprise consumers who’d desire a sleeker, extra luxurious various to a typical 14-inch enterprise thin-and-light.