Price:
Starting At $2,085.99
These days, it seems a lot of performance-oriented laptops are targeted at creatives or gamers. Not so with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 11), which targets everyday business professionals with no-compromise performance and excellent battery life.
Launched in early 2023, the speedy onboard 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U processor supports the full performance of the 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512 GB NVMEe SSD with TCG Opal Encryption 2. In short, secure multitasking is no issue for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 11).
When it comes to business laptop design, the X1 Carbon (Gen 11) is more of the same from Lenovo, which is not a bad thing. Having some of the newest tech packed into a familiar body, complete with an iconic red TrackPoint pointing stick, helps create a smoother upgrade transition for both IT departments and end users.
With an intelligent selection of ports, quality screen, and other goodies, this premium laptop might entice some non-business users even if its keyboard is not best-in-class.
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First Impressions: Business as Usual
- Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U, 1700 MHz, 10 Core(s), 12 Total Threads
- RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5, 6400 MHz
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
- Hard Drive: 512GB NVMe M.2 2280 SSD with TCG Opal Encryption 2
Consistent with most of the company’s other business-centric laptops, the X1 Carbon (Gen 11) has an understated design that’s quite beautiful in its simplicity. Its all-black carbon fiber and magnesium body has a slight sheen, with a subdued Lenovo logo and ThinkPad X1 branding on the backside of the display with a light-up red dot in the “i” in “ThinkPad” above the “X1.” Nothing in the design draws undue attention to itself, making it a nice contrast to some of the flashier laptop designs out there.
In the box, you get the laptop and a 65W USB-C AC adapter. The laptop itself is impressively thin and light at just 0.6 in (15.24 mm) deep and 2.47 lbs (1.12 kg), making it a breeze to carry around.
The built-in webcam supports Windows Hello’s facial recognition, and a fingerprint sensor supports its Fingerprint Recognition, providing a choice of hassle-free and secure login options. The combination Power Button and Fingerprint Sensor just to the upper right of the keyboard is a little thin and narrow, but I never once had issues logging in using it.
Lenovo Commercial Vantage software is included on the Windows 11 Pro build and helps IT administrators and end users deploy and configure the laptop, as well as provide product info and warranty information. It’s a useful app and the only non-stock software included.
Physical Features and Ports: It’s All There
- Dimensions: 0.6 x 12.4 x 8.8 in (15.24 x 314.96 x 223.52 mm)
- Weight: 2.47 lbs (1.12 kg)
- Ports: 2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0), HDMI 2.0b (4K support), headphone/microphone combo jack, USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
- Fingerprint Reader
- Kensington Nano Security Slot
With its sleeker styling and thinner frame than previous models of business laptops, it seems the X1 Carbon (Gen 11) had to trade off some of the better qualities of past Lenovo keyboards. For instance, the keyboard keys are flatter and have less bounce than the older ThinkPad T14 (Gen 2) I use on a regular basis. Of course, the ThinkPad T14 (Gen 2) also has a larger frame and more generous spacing that better accommodates a nicer keyboard experience. The X1 Carbon (Gen 11) still has a decent portable typing experience with reasonably-spaced keys, but I was really hoping for more from Lenovo in that regard. The optional keyboard backlight also does what it’s supposed to, but does leak a bit too much light depending on your viewing angle.
By default, function keys are active. As with other default functions, you can adjust these actions using the Lenovo Commercial Vantage app. To access the keyboard shortcuts above the function keys, you need to press and hold the FN key on the bottom left of the keyboard and the desired function. You can mute/unmute the speakers, decrease/increase volume, enable/disable the built-in microphones, darken/brighten the display, manage external displays, enable/disable airplane mode, turn the built-in webcam on or off, show Windows notifications, answer a call, and reject a call. There’s also a final top row key, a star above F12, which is considered a user-defined key. Finally, you can also use the FN key to set the keyboard backlight to various brightness levels or off with the space bar or activate the Windows Snipping Tool in conjunction with the PrtSc key.
Per usual for Lenovo laptops, the trackpad is a good size at around 5in (127mm) diagonal, is well-positioned below the keyboard, smooth, and highly responsive. Besides the touchpad itself acting as a button, there are three generously-sized buttons above it. These buttons are particularly useful when using the included red rubber TrackPoint point stick that’s roughly in the middle of the keyboard. It’s not everyone’s first choice for pointing device, but the TrackPoint has been in use in select laptops since 1992 for a reason and its fans will have no complaints here.
On the left side of the laptop are two Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4a mode and Power Delivery 3.0), one USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (USB-A), and a full-size HDMI port with 4K support. On the right side of the laptop is a Kensington Nano Security Slot, 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo audio jack, and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (USB-A, Always On for power output). It’s an impressive array of connection types that provides maximum versatility to receive or supply power, as well as drive various types of high-resolution external displays.
Performance and Battery Life: More Is Better
- Data Link Protocols: Bluetooth 5.1, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E), IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
- Battery Type: 4-cell Lithium-ion polymer (integrated)
- AC Adapter: 65W, USB-C
As would be expected from a device with this type of processor, RAM, and storage drive, the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) is a fast performer regardless of what you do. Apps like Microsoft Word load quickly and are as responsive as you would expect, while other, more intensive apps, like Adobe Photoshop, handled large files well on this system.
Using more objective performance measures when plugged in with power management set to “Best performance,” the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) availed itself well. In PCMark 10, it rated an overall score of 5518, ranking higher than 54% of all results and only marginally lower than some gaming desktops. The Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) scored particularly well in the App Start-up (10995) and Photo Editing (10238) scores, which were reflected in my own usage.
In 3DMark, using the DirectX 12 benchmark for gaming PCs, the overall score was only 1588, better than just 3% of all results. This is not surprising for a laptop without a dedicated graphics processor, but that score also doesn’t give the full picture since it measures performance at a resolution of 2560 x 1440, which far exceeds the laptop’s native 1920 x 1200. Gauging performance at a far more reasonable 1920 x 1080, nets an estimated frame rate of greater than 40 frames per second at ultra settings in Battlefield V and Apex Legends, and greater than 145 frames per second in Fortnite and GTA V. Even at the lower resolution, Red Dead Redemption 2 is estimated to run at less than 30 frames per second. While these results prove the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) is no gaming laptop, it’s clear the Intel Iris Xe Graphics in combination with the other components can easily handle less intensive games at a perfectly reasonable resolution.
In VRMark Orange Room, the laptop scored 2204, better than only 4% of all results. Unlike with games, with an expected frame rate of less than 50 frames per second, the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) would not be suitable for VR headset usage. Again, though, outside of performance tests that fall well outside this laptop’s intended market, there is little to complain about.
When I first connected to my eero Pro 6E Wi-Fi 6 network that’s on a gigabit connection, the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) correctly Identified the fastest connection and enabled WPA3 security. While not the speediest wireless device on my network, I consistently got around 420 Mbps download speeds with sub-30 ms pings.
Theoretically, the maximum battery life for the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) is about 22 hours. Actual battery life, as always, varies by usage and settings, but with typical on-and-off usage throughout the day, you should expect as many as 13 hours. Even though battery life is never quite what’s promised, getting even around 10 hours out of a laptop without giving it too much thought is still impressive, especially at these performance levels.
Display and Audio: Ready for More Than Business
- Display: 14-inch LED (1920 x 1200) IPS, 16:10 aspect ratio, 170° viewing angle, Anti-glare, Eyesafe technology, ICC template color calibration, On-cell touch technology
- Audio: Stereo speaker (2 tweeters, 2 woofers)
- Webcam: 1080p FHD IR Camera with Privacy Shutter
The 14″ IPS LED display is bright and rich in color with excellent viewing angles and minimal glare. Although I always prefer brighter screens, even set to 60% brightness, I still found the display comfortable enough to work with, even though I’m spoiled by how amazing it is at 100%. The touchscreen is also highly responsive with no perceptible lag and works well even when placing the display completely flat using the 180-degree hinge.
The default scaling of the 1920 x 1200 (16:10 aspect ratio) display is 150%, but for me, that caused apps and text to take up too much screen real estate. The quality of the display is such that I was able to change scaling to 125% and better maximize the native resolution while maintaining a comfortable viewing experience.
In terms of sound, you never expect much from a business laptop, although manufacturers are increasingly paying more attention to the feature. Beyond just video conferencing, the onboard sound coming out of the two speakers that flank the left and right of the keyboard is serviceable using default settings. Music from Spotify, for instance, had good stereo separation and was relatively clear, if a little hollow, until around 40% volume or so when it started to sound a little muddy. Good headphones or speakers using the audio out jack or Bluetooth are definitely recommended for those who want better sound.
The microphone array does a good job of picking up a voice at a reasonable distance and speaking volume while minimizing background noise. The audio is a bit flat but suitable for typical video conferencing.
The webcam has a reasonable 1920 x 1080 resolution and does a good job in video calls with solid lighting compensation. The physical privacy shutter is always a welcome feature when you’re not actively using the camera.
Should You Buy The Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) Laptop?
Despite featuring no real innovations, there’s quite a bit to like about the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11). Outside of the somewhat disappointing keyboard, nearly every feature is at or near best-in-class. It’s a highly focused, lightweight power machine with excellent battery life.
Of course, a premium laptop comes with a premium price. It’s not cheap at north of $2,000, but that price also includes three years of both Lenovo Premier Support and Lenovo Sealed Battery add-on coverage. That’s a lot of extra peace of mind.
Even if you’re not a business-first laptop user, and especially if you’re not looking for a gaming laptop, the Lenovo X1 Carbon (Gen 11) can meet many needs. It’s not a flashy-looking system by any stretch of the imagination, but it definitely sizzles where it counts with its overall performance.
Price:
Starting At $2,085.99
Here’s What We Like
- Light and thin
- Clean styling
- Good performance
- Nice selection of ports
- Great battery life
And What We Don’t
- Keyboard is subpar
- Speakers are mediocre
