For age , the ThinkPad card was easy to spot . Every ThinkPad featured the same iconic design , from the red - on - black color strategy to the keyboard design to the TrackPoint nubbin . Then , Lenovo introduced theThinkPad Zseries that altered the design a minute , and now there ’s a novel model that remove the lineup even further forth from tradition .
The ThinkPad X9 - 14 is a brand - new designing that looks — and feel — even less like the ThinkPad of yesterday . That ’s not a bad thing , because the Modern laptop has a lot going for it — although it does n’t quite make it onto our list of thebest business laptops . But it ’s a sure sign that Lenovo is n’t holding onto the past .
Specs and configuration
The ThinkPad X9 - 14 is a business laptop that most probably will be purchased by ship’s company on contract that will have customized pricing . But , if you were to go to the Lenovo entanglement computer memory and purchase the laptop computer yourself , you ’ll pay up $ 1,239 for the bast contour with an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V chipset , 16 GB of RAM , a 256 GB SSD , and 14.0 - in FHD+ informatics exhibit . I reviewed the laptop with a 14.0 - inch 2.8 K OLED panel ( $ 100 ) and a 512 GB SSD ( $ 100 ) . you’re able to elevate up to a Core Ultra 7 268V chipset with vPro for $ 360 , which also ups the RAM to 32 GB . upgrade to a 2 TB SSD costs $ 240 . The most expensive constellation runs $ 2,289 .
Those are all expensive Leontyne Price , but not unusually so for byplay - focused laptop computer . Some premium laptops with standardised configurations cost around the same or more , such as those from HP and Dell . Even some consumer premium laptop computer cost the same . So , the bottom crease is you ’re not paying a huge premium for those business organisation - centric features .
Design
The first affair you ’ll notice when you handle the ThinkPad X9 - 14 is that it ’s incredibly thin — at least outside of what Lenovo calls the “ Engine Hub ” that house the decisive components and the thermic system to keep them coolheaded . The laptop is the thinnest ever at 0.26 inches in that front part , even slight than theApple MacBook Air 13at 0.44 inches . But , it bloats up to 0.68 inches at the hub . So , it ’s both extremely tenuous and just very tenuous at the same time . It ’s reasonably easy at 2.8 Ezra Loomis Pound , but not the lightest 14 - column inch laptop you ’ll find . Ultimately , I ’d rate the design as just a minuscule bit of a gimmick .
The laptop computer feels very robust , as do all ThinkPads . It ’s subject to a innkeeper of MIL - STD 810H test , mean it ’s guarantee to last . That ’s thanks to an all - aluminium construction that finger quite upstanding . It ’s as salutary as any other like laptop in this regard , and well than most . That ’s crucial for a laptop computer that ’s aimed at business user , who are as potential as any exploiter to be trip extensively with a laptop computer in towage .
esthetically , the ThinkPad X9 - 14 does n’t front much like a ThinkPad of old . It ’s all - black and boast the iconic red dots over the “ i ” on the lid and the palm rest logos , but the law of similarity ends there . ThinkPad ’s have historically lark more crimson throughout the design , even the ThinkPad Z13 that eschewed the all - smuggled aesthetic . The ThinkPad X9 - 14 cuts a svelte figure thanks to the sparse front portion of the chassis , but the Engine Hub kind of sticks out a little more than I like . It ’s a good looking laptop computer , but nothing that really place upright out to me .
As a laptop propose at business users , the ThinkPad X9 - 14 has several characteristic aim at better protection and manageableness . you’re able to get Intel vPro capabilities that endure endeavour management solution , along with enhanced security and access code to a high point of support .
It ’s also a member of Lenovo ’s Aura Edition laptop computer , with a variety of extra functionality . They admit extra concealment guard and alerts , timers for additional misdirection - free work , collaboration features , health , and great power mode to optimise performance . Those are n’t unequalled to the Thinkpad X9 - 14 , but they ’re uncommitted to any users who require them .
Keyboard and touchpad
ThinkPad keyboard were once indistinguishable . They had extremely sculpted keycaps , tight space with seven layer of keys , and recondite switching that take a bit of strength to depress . Really , they were n’t my favorite , because I choose more key spatial arrangement and lighter , more precise switches . That ’s on the nose why Apple ’s Magic Keyboard is my favourite , and the ThinkPad X9 - 14 ’s adaptation is very like . The switches are a small deeper , but they ’re still dashing with a saltation in the bottoming action . And there the layout is more traditional ( i.e. , non - ThinkPad ) and spacious , with Ctrl and Alt keys that are n’t annoyingly reversed from the usual . I ’d rate it very high on my list in damage of comfortable farseeing - condition typewriting , and an improvement over the old - school ThinkPad keyboard .
likewise , the touchpad is larger than common for ThinkPads . First , there ’s no red TrackPoint nubbin in the eye of the keyboard and therefore some of the touchpad quad is n’t taken for an redundant set of buttons . That ’s vast departure , dropping on of the most iconic ThinkPad features . I suspect , though , that not too many user will be upset at the omission . The touchpad itself is an excellent tactual version that ’s almost as honest as Apple ’s Force Touch rendering . Apple ’s has the advantage of a Force Click feature film where click a little “ grueling ” invokes surplus functionality . But , the ThinkPad touchpad arguably has more customization options .
The display is also touch - enable , which I like . Overall , this is probably my favorite ThinkPad I ’ve survey in term of ensure things and entering information .
Webcam and connectivity
Connectivity is calorie-free for a 14 - inch machine . There are two USB - C embrasure with Thunderbolt 4 and an HDMI 2.1 connection , along with a 3.5 mm audio jack . That ’s one of the prices you pay for that extremist thin section . Each port is turn up at the Engine Hub . Wireless connectivity is fully up - to - appointment with Wi - Fi 7 .
Performance
There are several 8 - core/8 - thread Intel Lunar Lake ( Core Ultra Series 2 ) chipsets uncommitted with the ThinkPad X9 - 14 , from the Core Ultra 5 226V up to the Core Ultra 7 268V chipsets . All run at a base of 17 watts , with various clock speeds . Lunar Lake is primarily focused on efficiency , and its performance shine somewhere between the onetime 15 - watt U - serial publication and 28 - watt H - series Meteor Lake chipsets . you may also get version with Intel ’s vPro functionality .
As you’re able to see in our benchmark , there ’s not a immense dispute between Lunar Lake version in carrying into action in mainframe - intensive chore . It ’s substantially slower than the other Windows efficiency option , the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipsets , and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 and Apple M4 chipsets are a lot quicker .. The Core Ultra 5 226V also use the slower Intel Arc 130V integrated graphic , and that shows up in the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark .
The ThinkPad X9 - 14 is fast enough for productiveness work , but gamers and creators wo n’t be too excited .
Battery life
There ’s just a 55 watt - hour battery in the ThinkPad X9 - 14 , in all probability a result of the fabulously thin chassis in all but the locomotive engine hub . Frankly , that ’s not a great deal of assault and battery capacity for a 14 - inch laptop with a powerfulness - thirsty high - res OLED display . The Lunar Lake chipsets are efficient , but I was n’t await nifty battery life .
And , I did n’t get it . Compared to the other laptops in the comparability group using today ’s more efficient chipsets for Windows , let in also Qualcomm ’s Snapdragon X , the ThinkPad X9 - 14 was n’t even close . Some of those also have OLED show , although they also have large electric battery . Interestingly , theHP EliteBook X G1awith the AMD Ryzen AI 9 chipset also did n’t get the same kind of battery life as Intel ’s and Qualcomm ’s belated chipsets . As has been the subject for several years , Apple Silicon is overall the most effective .
The bottom furrow is that battery life is not a speciality here .
Display and audio
There are two display options with the ThinkPad X9 - 14 , both 14 - inch panel at a 16:10 aspect ratio . One is a 2.8 K ( 2880 x 1800 ) OLED venire operate at 60Hz , the other is an FHD+ ( 1920 x 1200 ) IPS control board with a variable 120Hz refresh rate . That ’s a sundry dish , with the sharp video display offering up promising people of colour and OLED ’s common inky blacks and the IPS board offering a smoother substance abuser user interface and better barrage life story .
I tested the OLED display , and my tintometer establish it a little different than most other OLED panels I ’ve test . It was very at 511 nit , shiny than most OLED displays and well above our older 300 - nit threshold . My colorimeter could n’t measure the contrast ratio , something I have n’t examine from an OLED display for a while , but Black person were perfect . Coloers were n’t quite as wide at 100 % sRGB , 93 % AdobeRGB ( most are 97 % or higher ) , and 100 % DCI - P3 , and accuracy was n’t nearly as dear as usual at a DeltaE of 1.62 . Almost every OLED board is below the cutoff for excellent display of 1.0 .
The showing is still great for every user , and its support for Dolby Vision bodes well for media pulmonary tuberculosis . The IPS dialog box is for anyone who does n’t like as much about colors and blackamoor and require better battery biography than I see in my examination .
A business laptop with more than just business appeal
There ’s a wad to like about the ThinkPad X9 - 14 , and not just for ThinkPad fans . In fact , anyone who came here looking for a traditional ThinkPad design will be disappoint . The ThinkPad X9 - 14 is much more like other thin - and - light laptops today than that iconic make , and that ’s not actually a bad thing .
While the sparse plan is a bit of a thingmajig , because you still take to contend with an Engine Hub that have it a more distinctive heaviness , it ’s still light-colored enough and well - built enough to be well portable . It ’s fast enough for productivity users and has a very honorable OLED exhibit option — although that has an outsize wallop on battery aliveness . Business users will wish it a lot , but consumers should consider it as well .
