Lenovo ’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon is one of the most venerable laptop available today . It ’s on its 12th generation , with just enough changes to keep it modern while still holding on to the ThinkPad ’s traditional innovation discriminative stimulus . This model makes underage adjustments to the previous two generations while updating to Intel ’s latest chipset .

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon has always been a comparatively thin and light14 - inch laptop , and the Gen 12 model maintains that central attribute . However , it ’s slower than some other recent laptop with the same component part and Lenovo is n’t yet provide business - favorable configurations . If you just want the late X1 Carbon , the twelfth - gen will do , but it ’s not about to win over any novel converts .

Specs and configurations

Lenovo offers just two configurations of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 , a departure from the norm for the caller ’s ThinkPad batting order . usually , ThinkPads have a much wider mountain range of configurations . Right now , though , there are just two modelling , get with a base configuration that cost $ 2,335 for an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H , 16 GB of RAM , a 512 GB SSD , Intel Arc graphics , and a 2.8 K OLED non - touch display . For $ 2703 , you could upgrade to 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD .

Lenovo will likely propose more shape beyond the initial spill , including some with the display option lean above . For now , the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is a very expensive exchange premium laptop that does n’t yet offer the wrinkle ’s common Intel vPro support , which would make it more manageable and secure .

Part of a dying breed?

Lenovo has released a handful of ThinkPad laptops that depart from the old - school ThinkPad innovation . The most relevant is theLenovo ThinkPad Z13 , which frolic a more modern aesthetic , at least on the outside . The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 retains the all - inglorious form and angulate design of older generation , show that Lenovo does n’t mean to totally abandon the brand . Open it up , and it ’s like all ThinkPads with its black keyboard and palm residual and a few blood-red accents .

In terms of build quality , the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is a mixed bag . It ’s constructed of aluminum , magnesium , and C roughage , and while the lid and chassis bottom are fixed , the keyboard deck of cards has a little flex . The Apple MacBook Pro 14 feels more substantial overall . The ThinkPad is very light , however , at just 2.42 Ezra Loomis Pound , and it ’s thin at 0.59 inches . That ’s less than the MacBook ’s 3.6 pounds and 0.61 inches and the Dell XPS 14 ’s 3.8 lb and 0.71 inch . The XPS 14 has a 14.5 - inch showing with incredibly thin presentation bezels , name it just a little all-encompassing than the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 with its slenderly thicker bezel .

verbalise of video display bezel , the ThinkPad has its webcam and microphones in a inverse notch at the top of the display that ’s enlarged in this genesis . That keeps the bezel thinly — although Dell manage slender bezel without reverting to a pass — and ply a ready to hand brim to open up the lid . The hinge is smooth and allows opening of the palpebra with one hand while hold start the display firmly in place . Apple used a display mountain pass to achieve the same impression , and many users might prefer Lenovo ’s result .

A great keyboard and a disappointing touchpad

Lenovo included an splendid haptic touchpad in the ThinkPad Z13 . It was precise and reactive during my examination , with coherent and fast haptics , and it sustain supererogatory virtual release for the ThinkPad ’s iconic TrackPoint nubbin . That touchpad is a $ 60 choice on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 . The nonpayment mechanically skillful touchpad , which I reviewed , is o.k. , but it loses blank space to the TrackPoint buttons and the tactile version would meaningfully improve how pleasant the laptop computer is . I strongly suggest taking that option .

Lenovo did make one meaningful change to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 ’s keyboard by swap the Ctrl and Fn Francis Scott Key to the Windows standard . ThinkPads have historically had the Ctrl winder on the inside , which go against years of sinew memory for anyone who has n’t antecedently used a ThinkPad . The Z series also made this switching , and it ’s welcome . Otherwise , the keyboard retains the card ’s usual sculpted keycaps and generous key spacing , and I found the switch Inner Light and accurate . It ’s a very in force keyboard that rivals Apple ’s Magic Keyboard for comforter . Note that Lenovo retained the keyboard ’s spill immunity while channel air through waterproofed seal to keep things cool .

Good connectivity and security

The ThinkPad has very good connectivity , with a mixture of innovative and legacy ports . There are more ports here than on some other 14 - inch laptop computer , like Dell ’s XPS 14 , which has only Thunderbolt 4 . Wireless connectivity is fast enough , one footfall behind the bleeding - bound Wi - Fi 7 , but likely forward of what most masses employ . Lenovo market optional Wireless WAN connectivity for always - connected internet , but that ’s not yet uncommitted .

Lenovo does n’t admit its user - sense technology on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 , but it does incorporate its ego - healing BIOS as part of the ThinkShield suite of secure computer hardware , software , and services .   Eventually , Lenovo will likely offer Intel vPro processors for plugging into enterprise direction and security infrastructures .

Slower than expected performance

The first of Intel ’s 14th - gen Meteor Lake chipsets to reach laptops has been the 28 - watt Core Ultra 7 155H with 16 cores ( six Performance , eight Efficient , and two Low Power Efficient ) and 22 threads . It ’s tend to decrease between the late - gen 28 - James Watt Core i7 - 1360P and 45 - watt Core i7 - 13700H in most of our benchmarks .

At least , that was the face with the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED and the HP Spectre x360 14 . The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 was irksome than the others , whether in balanced mode , where it was particularly obtuse , or public presentation mode , where it was faster , but still not as quick .

That ’s not to say that the ThinkPad was dull . It ’s still rapid enough for call for productiveness workflows , and none of these laptop computer with Intel Arc integrated graphics are great for creativity project . But it does n’t ply the chipset ’s improved carrying into action . As far as Intel Arc give way , it was faster in gaming benchmarks than the previous Intel Iris Xe graphics , but well behind entry - point discrete graphics .

So far , the Core Ultra 7 155H has n’t know up to Intel ’s promised efficiency gains , at least not consistently . It ca n’t keep up with laptops running 15 - watt 13th - gen CPUs in our web - browsing or picture tryout , which is predictable . But it also does n’t beat 13th - gen 28 - W chips either . And AMD ’s Ryzen 7000 series is much more efficient , while the MacBook Air M2 is dominant .

Overall , it ’s unlikely that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 will last a full day ’s workplace when launch the common productiveness undertaking . Intel still has quite a way to go to get up with Apple .

OLED goodness and lots of volume

I ’ve been seeing some fantabulous OLED video display lately ( as if any are n’t big ) , and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 has one of the good one . To begin with , its color are extremely across-the-board at 100 % of sRGB , 98 % of AdobeRGB , and 100 % of DCI - P3 , and they ’re incredibly precise at a DeltaE of 0.66 ( 1.0 or less is identical to the human middle ) . And it has the usual incredible contrast that produces inky blacks . But it ’s also bright than usual , at 430 nits for standard dynamic range ( SDR ) capacity and 500 nits for high dynamic range of a function ( HDR ) . That ’s not as bright as the Apple MacBook Pro ’s Mini - lead display , which can hit 1,600 nit for HDR , but it ’s higher brightness than most other OLED venire .

The exhibit is 2.8 K ( 2880 x 1800 ) resolution and range at up to 120Hz . It ’s a great show for productiveness work , originative tasks , and metier consumption . Dolby Vision make HDR content especially gratifying .

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 features a raw audio frequency design , with double upward - elicit speaker system underneath the keyboard . They get enough trashy , but there was some aberration at maximum volume . When I turn over thing down a number , they were still gaudy enough , but the mids and high gear were much clearer . There was n’t much bass , though , putting them well behind the MacBook Pro 14 , which has the practiced audio recording on a 14 - inch laptop computer , and the Spectre x360 14 , which comes in 2nd .

A better ThinkPad, but not necessarily a better laptop

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is its best version yet , as it adds a few welcome improvement over the previous few generations while retain what gain for a very good laptop . But that does n’t make it more competitive , at least not yet .

Missing are the Intel vPro version that will appeal to business user , as well as lower - priced versions and lower - power displays that will provide good battery sprightliness . And the ThinkPad is n’t as fast as others using the same chipset . For those reasons , I ca n’t advocate it as of now . That could convert if Lenovo releases more attractive configurations , but that ’s where my opinion stands presently .