We have previously reviewed two of Lenovo’s ThinkPad series laptops and highly recommended both of them. These included the ThinkPad X12 Detachable and the ThinkPad P14S Gen 2. We were recently sent the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. Staying true to its brand, the X1 highly impressed us.
Packaging, Accessories and Aesthetics
The X1 came carefully packaged between a pair of Styrofoam holders. It also comes with an instruction manual and a 65W adapter. The X1 is an immensely lightweight and slim laptop. It weighs a total of 2.49lbs and measures 314.5mm x 221.6mm with a thickness of 14.9mm.
On the top cover, the X1 features the standard ThinkPad logo along with the model’s name. The typical Lenovo plate is stamped on the bottom right of the lid. The underside of the X1 hosts two above-average sized vents for thermal cooling. The right side hosts a 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port while the left side sports an HDMI 2.0 port, another USB-A port and a pair of USB 4 Type-C ports with Thunderbolt delivery.
Upon lifting the lid, you’ll see a fairly large screen with trimmed bezels and a large, well-sized keyboard. There are speaker grilles on each side of the keyboard, and the model’s name etched on the bottom-left. The top-right sports a power button with an integrated fingerprint scanner and there is a webcam with a privacy shutter on the top bezel of the display.
Display
The X1 features a 14-inch WUXGA display with a resolution of 1920×1080. For general business and professional content, WUXGA is a better fit. Compared to full HD, WUXGA projection delivers notable advantages. The display also integrates IPS and anti-glare technology. It hits a maximum brightness of 400 nits which is considered a fairly impressive score.
I found X1’s display to be one of the sharpest displays I have come across. It features an insane level of precision and accuracy. The finest of details are shown with extreme precision. However, I believe the color palette of the X1 could have been a little more diverse.
I played quite a few graphic-intensive games on this laptop and, while I won’t say that I didn’t enjoy the experience, I wouldn’t recommend the X1 for its graphics. The games ran without stutter or lag. However, the graphics had room for improvement. With an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics card, it makes sense for the display to not be as efficient as the ones with a dedicated one.
Performance
The X1 comes in various configurations. I received the one with an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor with vPro. Sporting the Windows 10 Pro 64, it offers a memory of 16GB and a storage of 512GB SSD. I worked, played and streamed on the X1 for a total of 17 hours. I cannot think of a battery spec more impressive than this. Considering my work was intensive, lasting 17 hours is a huge deal.
The X1 didn’t give me a single stutter throughout its performance. It supported my multiple tabs, and ran without a single hiccup. I did a little graphic designing on the laptop to see how it well it supports the heavy Adobe software. I was thoroughly impressed.
The memory configurations go up to 1TB. Considering all the models have SSDs installed, you don’t need to worry about speed at all. The RAMs go up to 32GB which is, of course, the most ideal option if you have some moolah to spare.
Miscellaneous
The X1 hosts a number of security features. We have already mentioned the fingerprint reader and the webcam privacy shutter. There is also a Kensington lock slot and a human-presence detection sensor with IR camera. In terms of audio, I found the X1 to be average. It hosts the Dolby Atmos speaker system. The pair of speaker grilles on the sides do a good job of producing treble, and the mids are decent too. However, don’t expect very high volume.
The X1 hosts a 720p HD camera. While the pictures, of course, weren’t as sharp as you’d expect from a laptop camera, they came out quite clear and focused. You can rely on the X1’s camera for your video-conferencing related needs.
Conclusion
All in all, the X1 is a great device to invest in. It may come off as a little pricey to some people. The configuration I received costs a little above $3000 (it’s on a 50% sale right now). But I found some areas of the laptop worth it. If you’re a hardcore gamer and are looking for a solid device that will handle heavy games, you might want to look elsewhere. Also, watch out for sales because Lenovo is quite generous with that.
Is It Hardcore?
Yes.
The X1 is an overall great option to invest in. It is fast, lightweight and features excellent battery.