Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Review: New and Improved
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 in the test: A great laptop made even better
RRP $ 1,865.00
"The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, now in its ninth generation, is still one of the best high-end business laptops."
advantages
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Elegant look and feel
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Solid productivity performance
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Incredibly long battery life
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Excellent keyboard
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Long list of business-friendly features
disadvantage
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Expensive
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A bit flexible
When a laptop reaches the ninth generation, you expect it to be refined. This applies in particular to Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 series, which is one of the best business laptops with entries. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the flagship of the series, and the ninth generation promises to keep that refinement while making some significant design changes – including a switch to a 16:10 display aspect ratio.
I tested a configuration of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 for $ 1,865, with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU 11th HD + display (1920 x 1200). The spec improvement, 16:10 screen, and great battery life are all welcome changes that make the ThinkPad X1 Carbon one of the best business laptops you can buy.
design
Aside from the resizing necessary to accommodate the taller display, Lenovo hasn't changed much in the design of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It's still made from a carbon fiber top and a magnesium alloy in the rest of the case, which makes it lightweight while also giving it a certain amount of lid flex and a keyboard deck curve. It's durability isn't that much in doubt, but it doesn't feel as rock solid as aluminum alloy laptops like the Dell XPS 13 and HP Specter x360 14. Lenovo has the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen. Tested as usual 9 to a variety of military-spec tests, so there's reason to be confident in the laptop's long-term viability. The same soft-touch texture makes the ThinkPad comfortable to hold and type, which I always enjoy.
In fact, I should point out that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 feels great in the hand. It's light at 2.49 pounds and thin at 0.59 inches. The XPS 13 comes in at 2.64 pounds and 0.58 inches, but it's a 13-inch laptop of course, so it feels a bit denser. Closer to the ThinkPad, the Specter x360 14 is 0.67 inches thick and weighs 2.95 pounds. However, there is something beyond these technical specifications that makes the ThinkPad X1 Carbon so comfortable to wear – it's a well-executed combination of weight, thinness, and a soft feel. Put simply, the laptop exudes quality. One small complaint is that the top and bottom display bezels are bigger than they could be, which adds slightly to the overall size of the laptop. It's not a huge problem, but some other modern laptops benefit from smaller bezels all around.
Lenovo updated the hinge on the latest model, creating a single hinge design that integrates the wireless antennas inside. I really liked the hinge, which allows the lid to be opened with one hand and at the same time prevents the display from wobbling when typing. It competes with the XPS 13's sleek hinge, one of the best in a couple of generations.
The aesthetics of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 remain the same, with the usual ThinkPad black-on-black design with some red accents in the LED above the “i” in the ThinkPad logo, the “X” in the X1 logo, the red TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard and on the lower edges of the TrackPoint buttons. It's an iconic look and feel that ThinkPad enthusiasts should be familiar with, and one that offers everyone else a sleek, yet conservative aesthetic. The XPS 13 and Specter x360 14 offer more complex and colorful designs, while the Dell Latitude 7420 has another conservative look that business users might like.
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Connectivity is strong for a laptop this thin. On the left side there are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 (one of which is for charging the laptop), a USB-A 3.2 port and a full-size HDMI 2.0 port. On the right side there is another USB-A 3.2 port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Unfortunately there is no SD card reader. When you configure the optional 4G / 5G WWAN connection, you have a nano SIM card slot. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth provide wireless connectivity 5.2.
perfomance
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 can be configured with different CPUs of the 11th generation of the U-series, from the Core i5-1135G7 to the Core i7-1185G7, optionally with Intel vPro. My test unit was equipped with the Core i7-1165G7, which is a competent processor that usually offers excellent productivity performance. You can use Windows 10's power slider to enable Lenovo's standard and performance modes, but I didn't see much of a difference in our benchmarks. In fact, the performance mode caused some slower results, possibly because the laptop's thermals couldn't keep up. The only noticeably improved score was Geekbench 5's single-core score, which came in at 1,556 versus 1,327 in standard mode.
Compared to a comparison group of identically configured laptops, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 was fast. It led the field or was near the top in all of our benchmarks. For example, it got the fastest score in our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420MB video as H.265, and took second place in Cinebench R23. It also did well in the PCMark 10 Complete test, where it had the second highest major score in this group and was one of the faster laptops we tested in the essentials, productivity, and content creation areas of the test.
I found that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 lives up to these benchmark results in real use. It was a fast laptop during my tests no matter what I threw at it – if my duties were productivity oriented. As with all laptops using Intel's U-series CPUs, you won't get the best performance in demanding creativity applications where AMD's latest Ryzen CPUs shine. Most people won't buy the ThinkPad for this type of job, however, and so it fulfills the needs of the target audience and more.
| Geekbench 5 (single / multiple) | Handbrake (seconds) | Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) | PCMark 10 | 3DMark time spy | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (Core i7-1165G7) | 1327/5201 | 170 | 1469/4945 | 5147 | 1776 |
| Frame laptop (Core i7-1165G7) |
1432/4725 | 176 | 1444/5373 | 5054 | 1641 |
| Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1165G7) | 1540/5432 | 201 | 1399/4585 | 3859 | 1589 |
| HP Specter x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7) | 1214/4117 | 236 | 1389/3941 | 4728 | 1457 |
| Samsung Galaxy Pro 360 (Core i7-1165G7) |
1554/5603 | N / A | 1308/4062 | 5159 | 1800 |
| Razer Book 13 (Core i7-1165G7) | 1548/5374 | 210 | 1508/4519 | 4878 | 1776 |
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 scores well in the 3DMark Time Spy test and is faster than most Intel Iris Xe laptops. That meant a few extra frames per second (fps) in Fortnite, the game we test integrated graphics with. The ThinkPad hit 28 fps at 1080p and high graphics, more than the 25 fps average for the class, and managed 20 fps with Epic Graphics turned on. These aren't good results, of course, showing that, like other laptops with Intel Iris Xe graphics, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is best for older games or newer games with lower resolutions and reduced graphic details.
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According to my colorimeter, Lenovo has chosen a good display that does not achieve very great things.
The shift to larger displays with 16:10 and 3: 2 aspect ratios versus the old school 16: 9 continues, with most premium laptops adopting one or the other ratio. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has a 14-inch 16:10 display that comes in a variety of configurations, including touch and non-touch low power Full HD + (1920 x 1200), a full HD + privacy panel and a UHD + (3840 x.). 2400) screen with High Dynamic Range (HDR) support. My test device uses the entry-level non-touch Full HD + panel, which has the advantage of the best battery life. I find the resolution just sharp enough on a 14-inch panel, although I prefer UHD displays.
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
According to my colorimeter, Lenovo has chosen a good display that does not achieve very great things. It just passed our 300 nit brightness threshold at 306 nits, which means it's bright enough for anything but direct sunlight. The colors were quite wide at 76% AdobeRGB and 96% sRGB. That is slightly higher than the premium average for the former and average for the latter. The color accuracy was excellent with a DeltaE of 0.99 (less than 1.0 is imperceptible to the human eye).
These results are mixed when compared to some other premium laptops. For example, the Dell XPS 13 Full HD + display delivers an excellent brightness of 458 nits and achieves 75% of AdobeRGB and 98% of sRGB with a color accuracy of 1.36. The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga achieved 431 cd / m², but only 71% of AdobeRGB and 96% of sRGB with a color accuracy of 1.62. The contrast ratio of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 was 970: 1, just below our preferred 1,000: 1. The XPS 13 managed a significantly higher 1,350: 1, while the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga was slightly higher with 1,010: 1.
My subjective analysis was consistent with these objective results. I found the display bright and colorful without being oversaturated, and the contrast was high enough that black text popped out on a white background. This is a great display for productive use, but it won't meet the needs of creative professionals who need wider colors. The larger aspect ratio is welcome, but I missed the touch support.
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Audio is provided by two speakers to the left and right of the keyboard, along with two downward facing woofers that are designed to add bass and expand the dynamic range of the sound. The support of Dolby Atmos promises improved spatial effects. I found the sound to be more than loud enough with no distortion at maximum volume. Mids and highs were crisp and clear, and there was only a hint of bass. The audio wasn't up to the standard of the Apple MacBook, but it was better than many other premium laptops I've tested. It's good enough to enjoy Netflix with a friend, although I would still be using headphones for music.
Keyboard and touchpad
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has the typical ThinkPad keyboard with molded keys, excellent spacing and large travel. I usually find the ThinkPad's switch mechanisms a little stiff for my taste as they require too much pressure to press a button and lead to fatigue over time. This one was softer and more comfortable – I don't know if that's a change to the mechanism or just how this particular keyboard turned out. I would love if this was something new that we will see on other ThinkPads because I like this keyboard a lot better. It's close to the keyboard on my favorite Windows 10 laptops, the HP Specter line, and that is kudos.
In the middle of the keyboard is the usual ThinkPad TrackPoint knob, and it works as usual. If you like this type of cursor control, you will love this one. The disadvantage of the TrackPoint is that it requires an additional set of buttons that takes up space from the touchpad. Lenovo increased the width of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9's touchpad by 10%, but it's still smaller than it could be. However, it's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, so it's smooth and precise.
Security and privacy
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is a business class notebook that also appeals to private users. Hence, it includes several features that make it attractive to businesses looking to improve the security, privacy, and manageability of their laptop fleets.
First, there is support for Intel's vPro, a CPU feature that provides additional security and management features, including Intel Hardware Shield and advanced remote management. Next up, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 includes Lenovo's ThinkShield suite of security features, including the ThinkShutter webcam privacy switch, the match-on-chip fingerprint reader for passwordless login under Windows 10 Hello, and a self-healing BIOS that can help prevent system failure in the event of attack or corruption.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 also supports the Human Presence Detection (HPD) function from Lenovo. This uses an optional infrared camera (which is also used for Windows 10 Hello support via face recognition) and pulse radar to detect when a user is in front of the laptop or is away. In the latter case, the laptop will be put to sleep and when the user returns they will wake up and log in. My test device didn't come with HPD, but I've used it on other ThinkPads and it worked reliably and quickly.
Overall, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 continues Lenovo's excellent support for business users. Neither of these features detracts from the consumer appeal of the laptop, but they do make the laptop a much more enticing option for larger businesses.
Battery life
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
The tested display is not only Full HD +, which promises a better battery life, but also an energy-saving display. Combined with the jump in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 from 51 watt hours of battery capacity to 57 watt hours, I was given the hope that Lenovo will finally produce a ThinkPad with a good battery life. Our experience with previous ThinkPads has not been the best in this area.
Lenovo took advantage of the extra battery capacity and the power-saving display to achieve excellent battery life.
My expectations were exceeded. In our web browsing test, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 lasted just over 11.5 hours, a strong figure that beats the 10 hours, which we consider to be very good. The Dell XPS 13 Full HD + only lasted 8.5 hours, while the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga lasted just over 9.5 hours. In our video test, which repeats a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the ThinkPad achieved a phenomenal 20.5 hours, one of the best values we have ever recorded, compared to the XPS 13 with 12 hours and the X1 Titanium Yoga with 15.75 hours.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 also scores exceptionally well in the PCMark 10 Applications battery benchmark with 17.25 hours. That is the second longest result in our database after the additional half an hour of the LG Gram 16. The ThinkPad also does well in the PCMark 10 gaming battery benchmark with 4.75 hours. That's again the second longest score we've only seen behind the LG Gram 16, which lasted just 11 minutes longer.
Obviously, Lenovo took advantage of the extra battery capacity and the power-saving display to achieve excellent battery life. Finally, we can report that a ThinkPad not only lasts for a whole working day, but also well into the evening. Depending on your workload, you may even have some energy left for the next day. This is a refreshing result that we hope will carry over to the rest of the ThinkPad lineup.
Our opinion
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is the best version of this laptop yet. As always, it exudes quality and is a pleasure thanks to its soft-touch feel and a great keyboard. But thanks to the 16:10 aspect ratio display, solid productivity performance, and the best battery life we've seen in a ThinkPad, Lenovo has made some significant improvements to this year's model as well.
It's expensive, but you get your money's worth. It's great for business, but don't miss it if you're a consumer. It's a great laptop for everyone.
Are there alternatives?
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is a great alternative if you're not the biggest fan of the typical ThinkPad aesthetic. The battery life isn't that good, but the build quality is better and has its own charm.
If you want a detachable tablet, Lenovo's ThinkPad X12 Detachable is a solid choice. It's not that fast or that it's durable, but it's the best detachable tablet you can buy.
Finally, if you don't need the business features and want a slightly smaller laptop, the Dell XPS 13 is always a good option. It's still the best laptop you can buy overall, and it has the same performance and the option of a great 16:10 OLED display.
How long it will take?
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is well built enough to last for years as its military certification tests promise. It is up-to-date in its components and should keep up with the performance demands of everyone for just as long. The one-year warranty is disappointing for an expensive business-class notebook.
Should you buy it?
Yes. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is an excellent laptop that both home and business users will love.
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