Lenovo ’s ThinkPad lineup has undergone a transformation in the last several age , with the company introducing newer versions that do n’t adapt to the honest-to-god - shoal ThinkPad aesthetic and design . TheThinkPad Z13is an example of a laptop computer that drops most of the older cues and take on a more mod look .
But that does n’t mean Lenovo has all forsake the old - school day ThinkPad . It ’s still around , with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 closely resemble laptops from a X ago . It ’s a very nicely designed laptop computer build around Intel Lunar Lake , and has some melioration worth sticking around for . While it may no longer be one of the absolutebest laptops , it ’s still one of the honest ThinkPads yet . Fans of the lineup should take a close feel .
Specs and configuration
There are only two shape of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 , which is middling unusual for the lineup . More configuration might get in at some full point , but for now , the basis manakin is $ 2,519 for an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V , 32 GB of RAM , a 2 TB SSD , and a 14.0 - column inch 2.8 super C OLED display . For $ 2,719 , you get a 2 TB SSD . That ’s my reexamination social unit .
Those are expensive price . you could get several other likewise configured laptop computer for closer to $ 1,500 , such as theHP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14and theAcer Swift 14 AI . You really need to be a ThinkPad rooter to spend $ 1,000 more .
Design
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 bears a singular resemblance to the first generation , while at the same time calculate like a laptop made at the tail remainder of 2024 . That ’s a remarkable achievement , and anyone who ’s been a ThinkPad fan for twelvemonth will sure as shooting appreciate it . It ’s the same black - on - black aesthetic , crimson LED “ i ” in the logo on the eyelid , and red TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard . It ’s directly recognizable . The ThinkPad Z13 might be more modern , and theMacBook Air 15more elegant , but the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a great - looking laptop computer in its own way .
It ’s also solidly built from C fiber in the lid and magnesium in the chassis . The eyelid is a little whippy , something that ’s share with some other well - ramp up laptops like the MacBook Air 15 , but the rest of the machine find robust . It ’s built to converge MIL - STD 810H certification , as with many Lenovo laptops , and that ’s a will to its durability and dependability .
It ’s also remarkably light at just 2.17 Syrian pound . Many of thebest 14 - inch laptopsare well over 2.5 pounds , even including 13 - in laptops like the MacBook Air and the ThinkPad Z13 . You ’ll immediately notice the remainder when picking the ThinkPad X1 Carbon up off your desk . It ’s also loose to convey around , with thin bezel and an overall spareness that makes it a very portable 14 - column inch laptop . There ’s just nothing to complain about with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 ’s design , and a lot to like .
Keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard is the old - school ThinkPad standard , with large graven keycaps and a bunch of key spacing . The switches are bass , and I ’ve used version that were a bit too stiff for my taste . That ’s not the case here . There ’s deal of travel , and yet the switched remain light and snappy enough for retentive - terminus comfortableness . I found the keyboard incredibly comfy while I was typing this recap , and I would be o.k. with it over my common favorite , the Apple Magic Keyboard . Most people will roll in the hay this keyboard .
The touchpad is n’t quite as good . To begin with , while the TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard is great for people who wish using it , it requires a set of buttons that take space away from the touchpad . In add-on , the touchpad is mechanical , and while it has placid , sure-footed button clicks , a tactual touchpad would be a lot honest at these prices .
Lenovo sometimes has a haptic selection , but I do n’t see it in any of the cloth . The MacBook Air 15 has a much large and much unspoilt Force Touch tactile touchpad , and some other 14 - in machine do as well . HP ’s haptic touchpad on theOmniBook Ultra Flip 14is one representative .
Connectivity and webcam
Connectivity is a good combination of bequest and modern port . The only real ill is that one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports is used for charge . Wireless connectivity is also near , with the late banner . There ’s an optional Nano SIM for cellular connectivity .
The webcam is 1080p , which is the newfangled touchstone . Some laptops have higher - res webcams , but this one ’s fine for most consumption . The Intel Lunar Lake chipset has a fast neuronal processing social unit ( NPU ) that runs at 45 tera operations per 2d ( TOPS ) and so exceeds Microsoft ’s 40 TOPS requirement for itsCopilot+ AI opening move .
There are n’t a lot of AI feature yet that can take advantage of the more effective on - machine NPU carrying into action , but when they undulate out , the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 will be quick . The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is an Aura Edition laptop computer , meaning if extend a variety of Intel - sole feature like Shield for neat security , quislingism for enhanced videoconferencing , AI - attend power configurations , and more .
Performance
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 uses Intel ’s Lunar Lake chipset , which is aimed at efficiency over sheer functioning . It ’s a 17 - watt lineup that supersede the previous - multiplication Meteor Lake 15 - James Watt Core Ultra S - series . All Lunar Lake chipsets are 8 - core/8 - thread parting running at various clock speeds , and they all apply the recent Intel Arc incorporated graphics . The ThinkPad X1 Carbon uses the Core Ultra 7 258V with Intel Arc 140v integrated graphics that fall somewhere between the previous genesis and submission - level discrete GPUs .
In our bench mark , the ThinkPad is fast enough for productivity users but comparatively irksome for its socio-economic class . Qualcomm ’s Snapdragon X chipsets are firm while also being designed for efficiency . Apple ’s M3 chipset , presently to be replaced by the faster M4 in the MacBook Air in early 2025 , comes in the middle . Of these chipsets , the M3 ’s GPU cores are the fastest . The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 ’s Intel Arc 140V functioning is the worst .
If you ’re a gamer or creator , you ’ll desire to look elsewhere . But productiveness users will find the ThinkPad X1 Carbon to be tight enough .
Battery life
As mentioned above , Intel ’s Lunar Lake chipsets are aimed at efficiency over execution . While they do well enough , they ’re slower than both the Qualcomm and Apple chipsets they ’re compete against . In most of our reviews so far , Lunar Lake laptop computer still have n’t been generally as effective overall as Apple ’s MacBook lineup , but they ’re still much longer - lasting than previous generation Windows laptops .
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 has a 57 W - hour battery , which is a little small for a 14 - in laptop , and it also has a hi - res OLED display running at 120Hz . It ’s not as hard a performing artist as some other Lunar Lake laptops with IPS presentation or larger batteries . It fall well behind many of its competitors , including the strongest performing artist , the MacBook Air M3 .
You ’ll get most of a full day ’s piece of work on a charge . But there are other , longer - lasting laptops available .
Display and audio
I ’d reviewed several laptops with IPS displays before unbox the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 , and I was immediately strike by the colors and inky black displayed by its 14 - in 2.8 1000 ( 2880 x 1800 ) OLED display . Those IPS displays were n’t bad , but OLED really is excellent technology .
My tintometer agreed . The display was very bright at 421 nits , and Black were near - perfect with an extremely high dividing line proportion of 29,400:1 . Colors were wide at 100 % of sRGB , 98 % of AdobeRGB , and 99 % of DCI - P3 , and they were incredibly exact at a DeltaE of 0.73 ( less than 1.0 is indistinguishable to the human oculus ) .
This laptops is n’t fast enough for creative work , but its video display is more than good enough . And it progress to for a swell streaming media platform , with great high dynamical range ( HDR ) video . Audio was just OK with speakers conceal beneath the keyboard . Volume was fine and mids and high gear were unmortgaged , but sea bass was lacking .
Is the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 worth it?
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is a very good laptop — and will be for just about anyone . It ’s incredibly thin , weak , and well - work up . Meanwhile , its performance is more than fast enough for call for productiveness substance abuser , and while its barrage fire life is n’t the best by contemporary standards , it ’s much longer than late multiplication of Windows laptops .
But it ’s also very expensive . That includes a spectacular OLED exhibit , but other , less expensive laptops offer the same . finally , the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 should be on anyone ’s list , but the price will mean that ultimately it ’s ThinkPad fan who will apprize it the most .
