WQUXGA-ThinkPad. 16:10, two fans, a bigger battery and a 4K UHD+ screen - Lenovo has made a lot of changes to the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. While doing so, Lenovo unfortunately also made alterations to the ThinkPad keyboard that are not necessarily positive. Find out why in our comprehensive review!  Back in the year 2012 when Lenovo released the ThinkPad X1 Carbon for the first time, it was not certain that there would be an X1 Carbon Gen 9 nine years later. Since May 2012, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the flagship model of the ThinkPad series. Lenovo has mostly opted for an evolutionary approach, apart from the X1 Carbon Gen 2 with its experimental keyboard. The last really impactful update happened in 2017 with the X1 Carbon Gen 5 and the move to a smaller footprint. The 2019 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 introduced a better speaker system, but otherwise, this design was just a small update. With this in mind, the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is one of the biggest updates of the series. Lenovo makes many changes, in the inside and on the outside. These alterations go hand in hand with the update to Intel Tiger Lake. Today's review unit contains a Intel Core i7-1165G7, 32 GB RAM, a 1 TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD and a 4K-UHD+/WQUXGA LCD. Processor Intel Core i7-1165G7 4 x 2.8 - 4.7 GHz, 36 W PL2 / Short Burst, 28 W PL1 / Sustained, Tiger Lake-UP3 Memory 32 GB , LPDDR4X-4266, on-board, Quad-Channel Display 14.00 inch 16:10, 3840 x 2400 pixel 323 PPI, MNE007A1-2, IPS LED, glossy: yes, HDR Mainboard Intel Tiger Lake-UP3 PCH-LP Connections 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 4.0 40 Gbps, 2 Thunderbolt, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5mm Audio, 1 Fingerprint Reader Networking Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1 Size height x width x depth (in mm): 14.9 x 315 x 221.6 ( = 0.59 x 12.4 x 8.72 in) Battery 57 Wh Lithium-Polymer Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit Camera Webcam: 720p w/IR & ThinkShutter Additional features Speakers: 2x 2 W, 2x 0.8 W, Dolby Atmos, Keyboard: 6 row Chiclet w/1.5mm travel, Keyboard Light: yes, 65 W USB C Charger, Lenovo Commercial Vantage, 36 Months Warranty Weight 1.156 kg ( = 40.78 oz / 2.55 pounds), Power Supply: 332 g ( = 11.71 oz / 0.73 pounds) Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications. Some basic ThinkPad design attributes of the X1 Carbon remain untouched - the black chassis color, the wedge-shaped base and of course, the red ThinkPad TrackPoint. With the lid closed, a difference to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is apparent: The lid has a barely visible hump. This is due to the change to 16:10 screens. There is not enough room for the LCD controller beneath the screen, so it is placed behind the panel. Apart from this subtle difference, most changes happen in the palmrest area: The two upward-firing speakers are moved to the side of the keyboard, while the power button is now placed above the keyboard. Also, the new hinge design is reminiscent of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme. New is the X1 logo on the palmrest - a bit too on the nose for us, though it is certainly a matter of taste. Despite the print on the bottom that says "Carbon + Magnesium Chassis", the bottom plate is made out of aluminum, with a carbon screen cover and a magnesium palmrest. The materials are hidden from the user though, as the entirety of the X1 Carbon is covered under a rubberized layer of black paint. In terms of stability, the material-mix is excellent. The LCD panel is shielded from pressure well by the carbon fiber cover, and the keyboard cover can barely be depressed in the middle by exerting a lot of pressure. Overall, the base is pretty stiff, while the thin LCD cover is naturally more flexible. The X1 Carbon Gen 9 exhibits no build quality issues and the black coating feels very nice to the touch - though it still is susceptible to fat stains. The wide one-bar hinge allows for an opening angle of more than 180 degrees. The screen can be opened with one finger and the hinges hold the screen securely without any wiggling. Unusual for an X1 Carbon: The ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2021 is actually heavier than the preceding model. The difference is small, but so far, the new X1 Carbon was usually lighter than the older model. Maybe this has something to do with the release of the ThinkPad X1 Nano, which is even lighter. Compared with the competitors, the X1 Carbon is still noticeably lighter. With the change to 16:10 screens, the width of the chassis is reduced. On the other hand, the X1 Carbon G9 is slightly longer. The much smaller screen bezel beneath the screen does look much more modern. Dell Latitude 7410 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G6-20Y0S00200 Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE DIN A4 321.4 mm / 12.7 inch 208.7 mm / 8.22 inch 19.3 mm / 0.76 inch 1.4 kg3.19 lbs323.5 mm / 12.7 inch 217.1 mm / 8.55 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.1 kg2.39 lbs319.3 mm / 12.6 inch 202.7 mm / 7.98 inch 16.5 mm / 0.65 inch 1.4 kg3 lbs315 mm / 12.4 inch 221.6 mm / 8.72 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.2 kg2.55 lbs314.4 mm / 12.4 inch 223 mm / 8.78 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 1.4 kg3.1 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 15.6 mm / 0.614 inch 1.4 kg3.03 lbs292.8 mm / 11.5 inch 207.7 mm / 8.18 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 946 g2.09 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs Lenovo only makes small changes to the port selection. This is not a bad thing in the year 2021, as USB A ports and HDMI are kept around. New are the Thunderbolt 4 instead of the Thunderbolt 3 ports. Also, the mechanical side-docking port/miniEthernet port is removed. Lenovo still refuses to put a SD card reader into the X1 Carbon. Lenovo still uses the Intel Wireless AX201 in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2021. This is a very powerful 2x2-AX solution, but not the state of the art anymore - that would be the Intel Wireless AX210. Buyers can get state of the art when it comes to WWAN, as both 5G and 4G cards are available. Our review sample contains neither. 1036108611361186123612861336138614361486Tooltip Advertising Despite advances in wireless networking, Ethernet is still the top choice for gamers and power users. The Killer 2.5G Ethernet to USB-C Adapter enables seamless Ethernet connectivity with full 2.5 Gbps throughput. It also brings the best of Killer technologies including the much acclaimed Killer Prioritization Engine, GameFast, Extreme Mode, and Intelligence Engine that ensure your favorite game or app gets the bandwidth and priority it deserves. For laptops already equipped with a Killer wireless card, Killer DoubleShot Pro offers bandwidth doubling and fine-grained control over network packets passing through each connection. In our testing, the Killer 2.5G Ethernet Adapter lived up to the advertised speeds consistently throughout testing. You can read more about performance comparison with other USB Ethernet Adapters in our article. The Killer 2.5G Ethernet to USB-C adapter can be purchased on Amazon for US$ 49.99 7.5 ∆E 10 ∆E 12.8 ∆E 9.7 ∆E 23.7 ∆E 16.9 ∆E 7.6 ∆E 11.3 ∆E 13.6 ∆E 9.3 ∆E 15.5 ∆E 23.8 ∆E 7.6 ∆E 6.8 ∆E 18.8 ∆E 13.2 ∆E 20.8 ∆E 22.3 ∆E 2.3 ∆E 12.2 ∆E 15.9 ∆E 14.1 ∆E 10.4 ∆E 7.8 ∆E ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW: 13.08 ∆E min: 2.33 - max: 23.77 ∆E A smartcard reader would be a welcome addition to a business laptop like the X1 Carbon Gen 9. Other than that, it does offer pretty much all the security features you would want - an Infrared camera, fingerprint reader (integrated into the power button), Human Presence Detection, a Kensington Lock and a ThinkShutter. Optional is the ePrivacy screen, which is not present in out review device. Apart from the 65 W charger, there are no additional accessories included in the box. The chassis of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is easy to open. The bottom cover is held in place by five captive Phillips head screws, as well as a few clips at the back and sides of the chassis. They are easily released, as is the base plate. There is not much to do on the inside. Only the SSD is upgradable, Wi-Fi and RAM are soldered down, WWAN is not prepared. The battery is replaceable and users can clean the fans. The USB C ports are soldered on the motherboard, which has to be changed in case of mechanical damage. The keyboard is also not easily exchangeable. The LCD panel can only be replaced as one unit with the hinges and the LCD cover, too. Ex-factory, the X1 Carbon can either have 12 or 36 months carry-in warranty - in this case, it has 36 months (12 months for the battery). Warranty upgrades like a 5 year warranty, on-site service, a longer battery warranty or accidental damage protection cost extra. KeyboardOne of the most important attributes of every ThinkPad laptop is the keyboard. The one in this Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is made by Chicony and it is a good keyboard: The slightly concave backlit Chiclet keys offer an enjoyable typing feel. However, the keyboard is worse compared with the X1 Carbon Gen 8. Typing feel is a bit lighter. The key travel is the same (1.5 mm), but the key caps are visibly less tall. Lenovo also touched up the keyboard width, the whole keyboard measured roughly 27.5 cm horizontally instead of 29 cm. Overall, the keyboard quality is still on a high level, but no ThinkPad X1 Carbon has had a worse keyboard thus far. Lenovo uses the opportunity of the redesign to make the touchpad wider. With 11 x 5.5 cm, the width is increased by one centimeter. This is the only change - the touchpad still has a smooth, high-quality glass surface with an integrated click mechanism. The mechanism produces dampened clicks that feel great. There is also nothing to criticize when it comes to the touchpad driver, as the cursor control is very precise and it recognizes multitouch gestures perfectly. The first alternative to the touchpad is the red TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard. For this model, it is made by ELAN. Together with the flat, short-travel mouse keys above the touchpad, the mouse can be controlled precisely without having to take off the hands from the keyboard. The X1 Carbon Gen 9 did not exhibit any TrackPoint drift, a problem that the predecessor had. Everything is new in 2021 when it comes to the LCDs of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. Due to the change to 14 inch 16:10 screens, all panels are novel. The options closely mirror what was available with the predecessor ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8:
The screen only reaches the advertised 500 cd/m² as peak brightness. On average, the screen is 488 cd/m² bright. This means that brightness is slightly lower compared with the X1 Carbon Gen 8 UHD LCD. However, the newer 16:10 model has a huge advantage: It does not use PWM to regulate brightness. Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)ℹ To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether. Screen flickering / PWM not detected In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18627 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. 504 cd/m²517 cd/m²518 cd/m²467 cd/m²497 cd/m²483 cd/m²449 cd/m²470 cd/m²486 cd/m² Distribution of brightness MNE007A1-2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2 Maximum: 518 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 487.9 cd/m² Minimum: 12 cd/m² Brightness Distribution: 87 % Center on Battery: 497 cd/m² Contrast: 1420:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²) ΔE Color 1.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 0.9 ΔE Greyscale 1.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3 99.78% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D) 79.37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D) 89.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D) 99.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D) 95.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D) Gamma: 2.16 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW MNE007A1-2, IPS LED, 3840x2400, 14.00Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20U9003BGE NV140QUM-N53, , 3840x2160, 14.00Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 BOE NE140FHM-N61, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00Dell Latitude 7410 AU Optronics B140ZAN, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U BOE08A3, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30Display -7% -20% -15% -20% Display P3 Coverage 95.2 82.4 -13% 68.9 -28% 71.8 -25% 66.1 -31% sRGB Coverage 99.8 99.4 0% 91.6 -8% 99.3 -1% 95.5 -4% AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage 89.2 82.7 -7% 67.1 -25% 72.4 -19% 68.1 -24% Response Times 19% -21% 20% -11% 6% Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * 46 (23, 23) 47.2 (20.4, 26.8) -3% 64.8 (30.8, 34) -41% 39.2 (20.4, 18.8) 15% 52.4 (26.8, 25.6) -14% 48 (18.8, 29.2) -4% Response Time Black / White * 30 (15, 15) 17.6 (6.8, 10.8) 41% 30.4 (10.8, 19.6) -1% 22.4 (12.4, 10) 25% 32 (17.2, 14.8) -7% 25.2 (8.4, 16.8) 16% PWM Frequency 200 (99) 2404 (50) 122000 (49) Screen -99% -110% -100% -74% -4% Brightness middle 497 574 15% 422 -15% 388.6 -22% 406.7 -18% 510 3% Brightness 488 540 11% 395 -19% 365 -25% 382 -22% 491 1% Brightness Distribution 87 86 -1% 90 3% 82 -6% 88 1% 94 8% Black Level * 0.35 0.36 -3% 0.27 23% 0.35 -0% 0.28 20% 0.29 17% Contrast 1420 1594 12% 1563 10% 1110 -22% 1453 2% 1759 24% Colorchecker dE 2000 * 1.2 4.7 -292% 4.7 -292% 4.04 -237% 3.74 -212% 1.3 -8% Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * 2.1 8.8 -319% 10 -376% 9.2 -338% 5.92 -182% 3 -43% Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * 0.9 1.4 -56% 2 -122% 1.25 -39% 2.18 -142% Greyscale dE 2000 * 1.3 7.2 -454% 6.4 -392% 6.4 -392% 4.3 -231% 2 -54% Gamma 2.16 102% 2.04 108% 2.12 104% 2.3 96% 2.19 100% 2.23 99% CCT 6690 97% 6886 94% 7106 91% 6957 93% 6781 96% 6933 94% Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) 79.37 73.8 -7% 59.5 -25% 66.4 -16% 61.6 -22% 88.3 11% Color Space (Percent of sRGB) 99.78 99.4 0% 91.5 -8% 99.4 0% 95.1 -5% 100 0% Total Average (Program / Settings) -29% /-67% -50% /-82% -32% /-69% -35% /-56% 1% /-2% * ... smaller is better Lenovo promises an excellent picture quality for the WQUXGA screen. It can fulfill those promises mostly, though the contrast of 1420:1 (measured with CalMan and X-Rite i1Pro 2) is just average for a good IPS panel. The black level is not particularly low (0.35). Apart from that, the picture quality is great. Ex-factory, the panel is already calibrated well and it is suited nicely for photo editing. Lenovo says the panel covers 100 % DCI-P3 - according to CalMan (2D gamut), the panel can display 97.3 % of the wide gamut. The glossy screen surface does not render the panel completely unusable outdoors, thanks to the brightness of 500 cd/m². That is bright enough to make the content visible through the reflections. The caveat: This is only true in the shadow, sunlight is too much for the screen. Display Response Timesℹ Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times. ↔ Response Time Black to White30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15 ms rise ↘ 15 ms fallThe screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.8 ms). ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise ↘ 23 ms fallThe screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 75 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (34.3 ms). Typical for IPS screens, the viewing angle stability of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 does not disappoint. Four different Intel Tiger Lake chips are used in the Lenovo laptop X1 Carbon G9: Core i5-1135G7, i5-1145G7, i7-1165G7 und i7-1185G7. AMD CPUs are not available, same goes for dedicated GPUs - buyers have to be happy with the Intel solution. There is a big improvement when it comes to the memory: Lenovo produces the X1 Carbon with LPDDR4X for the first time. At the same time, Lenovo increases the amount of RAM offered to 32 GB - memory is soldered, so buyers have to choose carefully if they want 8, 16 or 32 GB. A single M.2 2280 SSD takes the job of the mass-storage. The Intel Core i7-1165G7 is an UP3 processor of the Tiger Lake series with four cores and eight threads (hyperthreading). The CPU has a typical power consumption of 12 to 28 W, with clock rates of 2.8 to 4.7 GHz. Our CPU comparison list can be used for benchmark comparisons. Lenovo has renovated the cooling system, with two small fans instead of one big fan. Lenovo allows the CPU to consume up to 36 W for short bursts, with 28 W as the power limit for sustained load. The CPU performs much better compared with the X1 Carbon Gen 8. Even the HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 with the six-core i7-10810U is slower. The ThinkPad T14s is faster in terms of multicore performance, the X1 Carbon wins in terms of the single core benchmark. The MacBook Pro 13 M1 shows in the modern Cinebench R23 that it is faster, especially when all cores are taxed. When the device is used on battery power, CPU performance is roughly 30 % worse. 493.8563.8633.8703.8773.8843.8913.8983.81053.81123.81193.81263.81333.8Tooltip Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64BitAverage of class Subnotebook (91.8 - 276, n=62, last 2 years) 224 Points +3% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 217 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (115 - 230, n=78) 212 Points -2% Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 208 Points -4% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 183 Points -16% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 183 Points -16% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 181 Points -17% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 177 Points -18% Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64BitAverage of class Subnotebook (514 - 2497, n=71, last 2 years) 1489 Points +68% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 1346 (1300.6min - 1345.67max) Points +52% Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 1070 (1060min - 1070max) Points +21% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 884 (823.11min - 884.45max) Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (553 - 1027, n=86) 846 Points -4% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 775 (755.03min - 775.16max) Points -12% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 731 Points -17% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 548 (512.63min - 548.19max) Points -38% Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)Average of class Subnotebook (216 - 738, n=65, last 2 years) 575 Points +2% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 566 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (442 - 589, n=81) 552 Points -2% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 468 Points -17% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 441 Points -22% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 424 Points -25% Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 406 Points -28% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 349 Points -38% Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)Average of class Subnotebook (810 - 5912, n=65, last 2 years) 3356 Points +65% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 3050 Points +50% Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 2109 Points +4% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 2033 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1060 - 2657, n=81) 1967 Points -3% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 1821 Points -10% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 1428 Points -30% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 1271 Points -37% Cinebench R23 / Single CoreAverage of class Subnotebook (598 - 1934, n=65, last 2 years) 1525 Points +3% Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 1513 Points +2% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 1478 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1110 - 1539, n=59) 1425 Points -4% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 1155 Points -22% Cinebench R23 / Multi CoreAverage of class Subnotebook (2485 - 15102, n=65, last 2 years) 8694 Points +53% Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 7811 Points +38% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 5671 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (2525 - 6862, n=64) 5110 Points -10% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 4754 (4702.18min - 4754.06max) Points -16% Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPUDell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 812 Seconds * -35% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 769 Seconds * -28% Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (468 - 1138, n=80) 618 Seconds * -3% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 601 Seconds * HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 571 Seconds * +5% Average of class Subnotebook (213 - 1600, n=65, last 2 years) 440 Seconds * +27% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 367 Seconds * +39% 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (4478 - 5507, n=80) 5182 MIPS +2% Average of class Subnotebook (2197 - 6328, n=59, last 2 years) 5132 MIPS +1% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 5069 MIPS Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 4625 MIPS -9% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 4521 MIPS -11% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 4498 MIPS -11% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 4467 MIPS -12% 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 39649 MIPS +68% Average of class Subnotebook (15347 - 64696, n=59, last 2 years) 38147 MIPS +61% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 25244 MIPS +7% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 23657 MIPS Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (15347 - 27405, n=80) 22935 MIPS -3% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 18187 MIPS -23% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 17095 MIPS -28% Geekbench 5.5 / Single-CoreApple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 1740 Points +14% Average of class Subnotebook (672 - 1975, n=64, last 2 years) 1581 Points +3% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 1529 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1302 - 1595, n=77) 1524 Points 0% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 1237 Points -19% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 1224 Points -20% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 1211 Points -21% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 1149 Points -25% Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-CoreAverage of class Subnotebook (2972 - 12304, n=64, last 2 years) 7723 Points +34% Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) Apple M1 7590 Points +31% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 6444 Points +12% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 5773 Points HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 5553 Points -4% Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (3078 - 5926, n=77) 5155 Points -11% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 4122 Points -29% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 3731 Points -35% HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k PresetAverage of class Subnotebook (1.5 - 18.6, n=56, last 2 years) 10.2 fps +66% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 9.55 fps +55% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 6.45 fps +5% Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1.39 - 8.47, n=80) 6.3 fps +2% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 6.15 fps Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 4.85 fps -21% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 4.55 fps -26% LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDFHP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 60.6 s * -38% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 60 s * -37% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 57 s * -30% Average of class Subnotebook (40.1 - 120.5, n=58, last 2 years) 54.6 s * -25% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 51.7 s * -18% Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (21.5 - 88.1, n=78) 49.2 s * -12% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 43.8 s * R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall meanLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U 0.679 sec * -13% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel Core i7-10810U 0.667 sec * -11% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U 0.657 sec * -10% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 0.616 sec * -3% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Core i7-1165G7 0.599 sec * Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (0.552 - 1.002, n=80) 0.594 sec * +1% Average of class Subnotebook (0.4397 - 1.236, n=58, last 2 years) 0.553 sec * +8% * ... smaller is better Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit 884 Points Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit 102 fps Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit 97.8 % Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit 217 Points Help The good results in the PCMark 10 match our experiences in everyday use. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9 is a fast Lenovo PC. PCMark 10 ScoreAverage of class Subnotebook (3699 - 7187, n=57, last 2 years) 5509 Points +9% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR 5038 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4531 - 5454, n=50) 4959 Points -2% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 4527 Points -10% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U UHD Graphics 620, i7-10810U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 4459 Points -11% Dell Latitude 7410 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G 4348 Points -14% EssentialsLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR 10127 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (8997 - 11505, n=50) 10014 Points -1% Average of class Subnotebook (7331 - 11156, n=57, last 2 years) 9971 Points -2% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U UHD Graphics 620, i7-10810U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 9544 Points -6% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 9524 Points -6% Dell Latitude 7410 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G 9376 Points -7% ProductivityLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 7676 Points +12% Dell Latitude 7410 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G 7540 Points +10% Average of class Subnotebook (5040 - 10168, n=57, last 2 years) 7442 Points +9% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U UHD Graphics 620, i7-10810U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 7172 Points +5% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR 6856 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5570 - 7136, n=50) 6711 Points -2% Digital Content CreationAverage of class Subnotebook (3303 - 9264, n=57, last 2 years) 6175 Points +24% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR 4998 Points Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4083 - 5550, n=50) 4937 Points -1% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U UHD Graphics 620, i7-10810U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 3517 Points -30% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ 3446 Points -31% Dell Latitude 7410 UHD Graphics 620, i7-10610U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G 3156 Points -37% PCMark 10 Score 5038 points Help The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is the first laptop of the ThinkPad series that we can test with an NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. The Samsung PM9A1 used here has a capacity of 1 TB and it is especially fast when it comes to sequential read operations - great when copying huge amounts of data. CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 7098 MB/s CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 4524 MB/s CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 478.4 MB/s CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 513 MB/s CDM 5 Read Seq: 3233 MB/s CDM 5 Write Seq: 2700 MB/s CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 80.5 MB/s CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 171.3 MB/s With the Intel Iris Xe Graphics, the GPU performance of the Lenovo X1 Carbon G9 increases substantially. The new LPDDR4X memory helps, as the iGPU without its own RAM profits from the faster system memory. Unfortunately, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has the same problem we observed with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6: When GPU and CPU are used at the same time, GPU performance occasionally drops down a lot. In games, the FPS counter often hits 5 FPS for a few seconds, before returning to normal. For such applications, the X1 Carbon 2021 is useless with the 1.24 UEFI firmware. Different from the CPU, we did not detect any GPU performance degradation on battery power. 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPUAverage of class Subnotebook (2979 - 16904, n=56, last 2 years) 7117 Points +8% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7 6591 Points Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (2867 - 7471, n=189) 6345 Points -4% Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 5399 Points -18% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U 1978 Points -70% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10810U 1959 Points -70% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10610U 1951 Points -70% 3DMark1920x1080 Fire Strike GraphicsAverage of class Subnotebook (2119 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years) 5250 Points +9% Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (2286 - 6143, n=201) 4892 Points +1% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7 4830 Points Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Radeon RX Vega 7, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U 3593 Points -26% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10810U 1444 Points -70% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U 1366 Points -72% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10610U 1338 Points -72% 2560x1440 Time Spy GraphicsAverage of class Subnotebook (766 - 4773, n=57, last 2 years) 1711 Points +15% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7 1493 Points Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (707 - 1871, n=198) 1491 Points 0% HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10810U 441 Points -70% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U 432 Points -71% Dell Latitude 7410 Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10610U 413 Points -72% 3DMark 11 Performance 7054 points3DMark Fire Strike Score 4246 points3DMark Time Spy Score 1638 points Help While idling, the fans of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 stay turned off permanently. Under load, they reach a maximum of 34.3 dB(a). The cooling system runs a little bit louder when compared with the predecessor, but not by much. We did not detect any coil-whine here. Noise Level Idle 23.6 / 23.6 / 23.6 dB(A) Load 33.5 / 34.3 dB(A) 30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud min: dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2021.321.921.921.32520.2212120.23120.521.821.820.5401918.818.8195018.717.617.618.76316.416.716.716.48015.216.116.115.210015.315.415.415.312516.119.619.616.116016.616.316.316.62001713.413.41725018.911.411.418.931522.210.110.122.240024.911.811.824.950025.411.411.425.463025.810.710.725.880024.79.59.524.7100022.510.810.822.5125019.3101019.3160021.810.510.521.8200021.111.211.221.1250021.9121221.9315023.212.112.123.2400022.612.312.322.6500022.412.212.222.4630020.712.212.220.7800019.911.911.919.91000019.8121219.81250015.711.911.915.71600015.211.411.415.2SPL34.323.723.734.3N2.10.50.52.1median 21.1median 11.9median 11.9median 21.1Delta30.80.8329.230.930.428.627.6272729.127.729.629.43128.330.63131.427.12727.528.723.624.92426.424.824.424.125.224.123.923.626.423.523.523.223.223.521.722.722.623.122.122.522.822.321.921.422.522.121.72121.421.721.320.420.421.320.720.121.120.720.61921.120.920.218.719.920.719.918.320.221.620.117.72122.820.517.222.323.320.516.722.523.420.616.323.223.520.516.123.423.620.316.123.421.218.216.221.117.916.816.117.816.416.51616.31616.21615.915.91615.915.715.415.915.715.533.931.929.533.51.91.61.31.9median 21.7median 20.5median 17.7median 21.12.41.721.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WWLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Unusual: The maximum chassis temperature of 51.5 degrees Celsius / 125 F was measured at the top of the deck. Laptops often run hotter at the bottom of the system. Luckily, the maximum temperature we measure here (45.3 degrees Celsius / 114 F) is not critically hot and the palmrest stays completely cool. How does Lenovo do it? In the stress test, we record the same behavior as in the game tests: The performance constantly breaks down. This firmware problem can only be resolved by Lenovo with a UEFI update. 51.5 °C 125 F45.7 °C 114 F30.2 °C 86 F 43 °C 109 F35.1 °C 95 F26.3 °C 79 F 28.1 °C 83 F24.6 °C 76 F24 °C 75 F Maximum: 51.5 °C = 125 F Average: 34.28 °C = 94 F 29.8 °C 86 F39.4 °C 103 F45.3 °C 114 F27.5 °C 82 F31.5 °C 89 F37.4 °C 99 F25.6 °C 78 F27.5 °C 82 F28.6 °C 83 F Maximum: 45.3 °C = 114 F Average: 32.5 °C = 91 F Power Supply (max.) 46.5 °C = 116 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke 62 Max+ (±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.28 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook. (-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 51.5 °C / 125 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook. (-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.3 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F (+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.6 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F. (+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.1 °C / 82.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch. (±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (+0.2 °C / 0.3 F). Lenovo still uses four speakers in the X1 Carbon G9 - two small 0.8 W ones are top firing, two larger 2 W ones are down firing. The sound quality is slightly improved in comparison to the predecessor. The speakers are loud and clear enough to fill a small room with sound. External sound devices can be connected via 3.5mm or Bluetooth. dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs F(Hz)02025.525.524.22525.125.119.73121.221.222.24031.531.5295038.938.936.963222219.78025.325.318.610036.636.624.912542.142.124.716046.846.819.2200575720.225060.960.921.131566.966.92640069.169.120.950065.565.521.163068.868.824.480074.374.325.51000727218.11250656513.5160068.768.712.5200070.270.213.4250068.768.713.1315064.864.813.1400067.367.312.4500066.766.712.3630064.564.512.3800061.561.512.11000061.961.9121250062.262.2121600060.260.211.4SPL80.480.430N50.150.11.2median 65median 65median 13.5Delta5.75.74.727.529.429.728.624.127.824.728.222.629.722.433.422.137.42242.720.546.120.547.920.150.220.953.419.85619.958.618.96218.863.817.368.617.168.116.868.916.267.815.563.615.462.915.262.715.154.11562.214.965.114.760.514.657.714.454.514.449.928.476.81.139.1median 16.8median 60.52.35.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WWLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices) Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW audio analysis(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.4 dB) Bass 100 - 315 Hz (±) | reduced bass - on average 14% lower than median (±) | linearity of bass is average (13.5% delta to prev. frequency) Mids 400 - 2000 Hz (+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median (±) | linearity of mids is average (7% delta to prev. frequency) Highs 2 - 16 kHz (+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median (+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency) Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz (+) | overall sound is linear (13.2% difference to median) Compared to same class » 15% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 81% worse » The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53% Compared to all devices tested » 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 88% worse » The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE audio analysis(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.8 dB) Bass 100 - 315 Hz (±) | reduced bass - on average 11.2% lower than median (±) | linearity of bass is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency) Mids 400 - 2000 Hz (±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median (+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency) Highs 2 - 16 kHz (+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median (±) | linearity of highs is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency) Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz (±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.7% difference to median) Compared to same class » 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 77% worse » The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53% Compared to all devices tested » 23% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 70% worse » The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134% Lenovo claims to have lowered the power consumption of the X1 Carbon Gen 9 4K LCD. Our energy measurements show that the 4K UHD+ screen still drives up power consumption a lot. Especially the minimal consumption while idling is too high. The 65 W charger delivers enough energy to the Lenovo laptop to keep the battery from draining, despite the peak consumption of 67.5 W - power consumption drops quickly under load, as the CPU does not operate on peak performance for long. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR, IPS LED, 3840x2400, 14.00Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00Dell Latitude 7410 i7-10610U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U i7-10810U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00Apple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) M1, M1 8-Core GPU, Apple SSD AP0256, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.30Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs Average of class Subnotebook Power Consumption 25% 23% 38% 42% 6% 7% Idle Minimum * 5 2.96 41% 3.7 26% 1.6 68% 1.67 67% 5.24 (2.2 - 46.5, n=181) -5% 4.98 (1.77 - 11.8, n=64, last 2 years) -0% Idle Average * 10.2 5.9 42% 6.2 39% 4.5 56% 6.7 34% 8.45 (3.8 - 63, n=181) 17% 8.47 (4.6 - 17.4, n=64, last 2 years) 17% Idle Maximum * 11 9.1 17% 7 36% 5.2 53% 7.4 33% 10.6 (5.8 - 68.9, n=181) 4% 10.4 (5.1 - 22.4, n=64, last 2 years) 5% Load Average * 51.7 42.1 19% 43.2 16% 41.7 19% 28 46% 44.7 (12.5 - 77.5, n=181) 14% 45.7 (19.1 - 85.7, n=64, last 2 years) 12% Load Maximum * 67.5 65.1 4% 68.6 -2% 70.8 -5% 47.5 30% 66.7 (30.1 - 118, n=181) 1% 66.1 (24.2 - 110.9, n=64, last 2 years) 2% * ... smaller is better With the X1 Carbon Gen 7, Lenovo lowered the capacity of the battery from 57 to 51 Wh - the X1 Carbon Gen 9 returns to a 57 Wh battery. In the reviewed model with its high-res WQUXGA LCD, the bigger battery does not help much. Battery life improves only slightly compared with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020 UHD. Battery Runtime WiFi Websurfing (Edge Chromium)7h 22minWiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge Chromium)5h 00minBig Buck Bunny H.264 1080p9h 19minLoad (maximum brightness)1h 34min Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 WhLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20U9003BGE i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, 51 WhLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, 51 WhDell Latitude 7410 i7-10610U, UHD Graphics 620, 68 WhHP EliteBook x360 1040 G7, i7-10810U i7-10810U, UHD Graphics 620, 78.6 WhApple MacBook Pro 13 Late 2020 M1 Entry (8 / 256 GB) M1, M1 8-Core GPU, 58.2 WhLenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE i7-1160G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 48.2 WhAverage of class Subnotebook Battery Runtime -12% 25% 67% 205% 142% 35% 30% H.264 559 450 -19% 770 38% 1152 106% 925 65% 735 (405 - 1153, n=28, last 2 years) 31% WiFi v1.3 442 422 -5% 604 37% 661 50% 1128 155% 1223 177% 596 35% 603 (303 - 1144, n=64, last 2 years) 36% Load 94 95 1% 172 83% 334 255% 98 4% 114.4 (61 - 239, n=49, last 2 years) 22% Pros
Cons- stability problem while playing games - glossy screen - not WWAN ready - keyboard is worse than before - bad webcam - no SD card reader - shorter battery life because of UHD+ LCD The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is supposed to be a big step forward. In many ways, it is just that, especially when it comes to the 16:10 screen format. On the other hand, the keyboard sadly takes a step backwards. This is too bad, as keyboards are usually the biggest strength of the ThinkPad series. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9 has a good keyboard, but a worse one than in the predecessor X1 Carbon Gen 8. Apart from that, there are luckily no other regressions. Instead, we see many small and big improvements. The 4K UHD+/WQUXGA LCD unfortunately still has a glossy surface, but it is not plagued by PWM anymore. The battery life still suffers from the high-res panel - which is why the Low Power FHD+/WUXGA display will probably serve most users better. A review of this variation is planned. Intel Tiger Lake helps the X1 Carbon to be more competitive in terms of performance. The firmware however has an annoying problem - GPU performance instability - which makes the X1 Carbon unsuitable for games. Of course, gaming is not really a priority for a business laptop like the X1 Carbon Gen 9. In terms of the touchpad/TrackPoint, the port selection and the lightweight, high quality chassis, Lenovo does not make any significant changes. In these areas, the ThinkPad laptop has its strengths. We do find it a bit sad that WWAN is not upgradable here. On the other hand, it is great that Lenovo finally offers 32 GB RAM in the X1 Carbon. Except for the slightly worse keyboard, Lenovo delivers a strong continuation of its ThinkPad flagship series with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 All in all, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 earns our recommendation as well as a "very good" verdict of 90 %. The WQUXGA variant is most suited for users who want the best screen quality and do not use their device in battery mode that often. The reviewed variation is a custom model only available through the Lenovo store. There, the X1 Carbon Gen 9 currently costs $2,646 in this configuration. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9-20XWCTO1WW- 05/07/2021 v7 Benjamin Herzig Pointing Device 95 / 20-75 → 100% Application Performance 92 / 91 → 100% Subnotebook - Weighted Average PricecompareI was an ardent reader of Notebookcheck’s laptop reviews even back in school. After writing reviews as a hobby, I then joined Notebookcheck in 2016 and have worked on device reviews and news articles ever since then. My personal interest lies more with laptops than smartphones, with business laptops being the most interesting category for me. Technology should make our lives and work easier and good laptops are an essential tool for that to happen. This is why laptop reviews are not just my work but are also my passion. |
