Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 review - The stagnating, expensive business flagship
For many years, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon has been Lenovo's flagship business laptop. Its customers expect good input devices, a slim mobile design, up-to-date components, long battery life and, of course, a reliable everyday companion. In the meantime, we are now up to the 11th generation. So, we would like to find out whether these are fair demands put on the current ThinkPad X1 Carbon or if is it resting on the laurels of its previous success.
We are reviewing the 21HNS00000 variant with a Core i7-1365U, 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD as well as a low-power IPS display with Full HD resolution. It's possible to put together a similar configuration (no LTE) in Lenovo's online shop but for a relatively expensive price of around $2135.
Possible competitors compared
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
88.9 % | 06/2023 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 i7-1365U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 15.36 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
90.2 % | 12/2022 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U i7-1265U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 15.36 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
88.7 % | 12/2022 | HP EliteBook 840 G9 i7-1280P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.5 kg | 19 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
84.3 % | 08/2022 | Dynabook Portégé X40-K i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.5 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
89.6 % | 06/2023 | Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 i7-1360P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 15.6 mm | 14.20" | 3120x2080 | |
89 % | 04/2023 | Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 R7 7735HS, Radeon 680M | 1.5 kg | 15.6 mm | 14.50" | 2560x1600 |
Case & features
Lenovo has adopted the unchanged black case from last year's model. The combination of the lid's carbon fibre, and reinforced plastic as well as the base unit's magnesium aluminum alloy ensures an extremely stable case and the build quality is also impeccable. The smooth surfaces also feel great but have to be cleaned regularly as well-used areas start to look somewhat speckled, after a while - something we also experienced with the predecessor. We also compared the new G11 with our private G7 and the new model is a little thinner due to the 16:10 aspect ratio panel but also somewhat deeper. In terms of the base unit's thickness, there are no changes. At a little under 1.2 kg, the X1 Carbon G11 is still generally mobile and doesn't take up a lot of space in hand luggage.
When it comes to the ports, there is still a good selection including Thunderbolt 4, but, once again, an SD card reader is absent. Our review device is equipped with an LTE module including a Nano SIM slot which can even be optionally upgraded to a 5G module. The Wi-Fi module from Intel (AX211) corresponds to current standards and transfer rates in our Wi-Fi test were very good.
The webcam records images in Full HD resolution and the quality is decent under good lighting conditions. Additionally, functions such as soft focus, a virtual background or eye tracking are already built-in and can be found in the regular Windows camera app. However, it is questionable whether the 1080p camera and microphone's specs should be inscribed on the front of the lid.
Networking | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 |
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
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HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
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iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz |
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iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz |
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Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
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Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 |
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iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz |
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iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz |
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Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
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Input devices - X1 Carbon still with 1.5 mm key travel
Nothing has changed in the area of input devices. While Lenovo has already reduced some of the ThinkPad model's key travel to 1.35 mm, the X1 Carbon has 1.5 mm and, overall, we are dealing with a very good keyboard, even though quality-wise, it doesn't hit the same heights as earlier models. On top of that, there are no longer any advantages compared to the premium business laptops from, for example, HP. Likewise, the glass touchpad works very well and offers solid, high-quality click sounds. The Trackpoint's dedicated keys are of lower quality and click a little louder.
Display - A low-power IPS panel
The 1920 x 1080 pixel, matte IPS panel is the one we've been familiar with for a few years now. The low-power panel is the base display and there are also optional versions with touchscreens, the ePrivacy screen as well as an OLED panel. However, we cannot recommend the latter two options as the OLED display suffers from PWM flickering and the battery life suffers hugely. Regarding the ePrivacy model, the viewing angles are quite limited, even in normal operation.
Basically, the low-power display's specs are decent but, considering it's 2023, Lenovo has room for improvement in some areas. For example, an increase in brightness and refresh rate. The subjective image quality remains good and bright areas don't come across as grainy. With Lenovo, it's a bit of a display panel lottery and the AU Optronics panel in the current device drops off a bit in terms of brightness with an average of 380 cd/m². Together with the slow response times, (there is a visible ghosting effect) the panel is far down the table of competing devices. However, the black level of 0.21 cd/m² is very low and leads to a maximum contrast ratio of over 1800:1.The display doesn't suffer from PWM and screen bleeding is largely absent.
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Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 381 cd/m²
Contrast: 1805:1 (Black: 0.21 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.7
ΔE Greyscale 4.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
77.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
75.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 B140UAN02.1, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U R140NW4D R0, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | HP EliteBook 840 G9 Chi Mei CMN1435, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Dynabook Portégé X40-K Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 TMX1422, IPS, 3120x2080, 14.20 | Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 LEN145WQXGA, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.50 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE ATNA40YK01-1, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -6% | -7% | -40% | 9% | -3% | 19% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 75.4 | 68.7 -9% | 67.6 -10% | 43.4 -42% | 89.8 19% | 71.8 -5% | 99.7 32% |
sRGB Coverage | 99.6 | 99.5 0% | 98.7 -1% | 64.6 -35% | 99.4 0% | 99.2 0% | 100 0% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 77.3 | 70.2 -9% | 69.7 -10% | 44.9 -42% | 84.2 9% | 73.1 -5% | 96.5 25% |
Response Times | 6% | -6% | 50% | 77% | 36% | 97% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 64.4 ? | 55.2 ? 14% | 66 ? -2% | 33.6 ? 48% | 20 ? 69% | 43.2 ? 33% | 1.2 ? 98% |
Response Time Black / White * | 42.5 ? | 43.2 ? -2% | 46.4 ? -9% | 20.4 ? 52% | 7 ? 84% | 25.9 ? 39% | 1.6 ? 96% |
PWM Frequency | 156000 ? | 342 ? | |||||
Screen | 19% | 17% | -63% | 24% | -11% | 16% | |
Brightness middle | 379 | 421.9 11% | 391.3 3% | 246.4 -35% | 595 57% | 386 2% | 400 6% |
Brightness | 383 | 420 10% | 368 -4% | 237 -38% | 550 44% | 366 -4% | 401 5% |
Brightness Distribution | 91 | 87 -4% | 86 -5% | 88 -3% | 85 -7% | 91 0% | 97 7% |
Black Level * | 0.21 | 0.29 -38% | 0.32 -52% | 0.41 -95% | 0.25 -19% | 0.26 -24% | |
Contrast | 1805 | 1455 -19% | 1223 -32% | 601 -67% | 2380 32% | 1485 -18% | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.2 | 1.69 47% | 1.49 53% | 6 -88% | 2.01 37% | 3.8 -19% | 2.2 31% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.3 | 3.55 51% | 3.29 55% | 21.16 -190% | 6.9 5% | 9.1 -25% | 4.3 41% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.7 | 0.5 71% | 0.44 74% | 1.86 -9% | 1.22 28% | 1.2 29% | 2.6 -53% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.5 | 2.8 38% | 1.7 62% | 6.4 -42% | 2.74 39% | 6.2 -38% | 1.2 73% |
Gamma | 2.19 100% | 2.13 103% | 2.12 104% | 2.01 109% | 2.4 92% | 2.09 105% | 2.22 99% |
CCT | 6249 104% | 6442 101% | 6488 100% | 6738 96% | 6319 103% | 6618 98% | 6364 102% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 6% /
12% | 1% /
9% | -18% /
-42% | 37% /
28% | 7% /
-3% | 44% /
30% |
* ... smaller is better
We measured the panel with the professional CalMAN software (X-Rite i1 Pro2) and, out-of-the-box, the image is a little too warm and also suffers from a yellow tint. For a business laptop, these values are acceptable. With our own calibration, we were able to improve the image (the profile can be downloaded above, free of charge) and only 100 % red remains an outlier. The panel covers the small sRGB color space and is sufficient for its intended use.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
42.5 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 24.7 ms rise | |
↘ 17.8 ms fall | ||
The 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. » 98 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
64.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 30.7 ms rise | |
↘ 33.7 ms fall | ||
The 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. » 97 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
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 17853 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Outdoors, it's often possible to find a suitable position, but in direct sunlight, the matte panel would benefit from being a bit brighter.
Performance - The ThinkPad is equipped with a Raptor Lake U
Once again, Lenovo is offering U and P series processors, However, as we discovered last year, the P series CPUs are not worth it due to poor cooling. The RAM is soldered and cannot be expanded.
Test conditions
For some time now, Lenovo has linked the additional Vantage software power modes to Windows power settings. For this reason, the following benchmarks and measurements were carried out using the Best Performance mode.
Processor - A Core i7-1365U
The Raptor Lake generation Intel Core i7-1365U offers two fast performance cores at up to 5.2 GHz and eight efficiency cores with a maximum of 3.9 GHz, whereby the chip can process a maximum of 12 threads simultaneously. At the end of the day, we're dealing with the old Core i7-1265U at a slightly higher clock rate. As a U series chip, the nominal TDP sits at 15 watts, but, for a short time, the i7 inside the X1 Carbon can consume up to 55 watts which the cooling can only deal with for around one second. In every scenario, under continuous load, we observed fluctuating power consumption between 12 to 34 watts meaning the new model is only slightly ahead of its G10 predecessor. AMD processors are hard to come by in high-end business laptops and especially when it comes to multi-core performance, the Ryzen CPUs have a clear advantage. For this reason, it's not worth upgrading from last year's model and also because of the Raptor Lake P chip's poor cooling. In battery mode, the CPU performance is reduced slightly (~8 %) and additional CPU benchmarks can be found here.
Cinebench R15 Multi Continuous Test
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
CPU Performance Rating | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K -2! | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Average of class Office |
Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (7532 - 9576, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Average of class Office (1056 - 15743, n=123, last 2 years) |
Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (1877 - 1891, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (529 - 1995, n=122, last 2 years) |
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (2902 - 3669, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Average of class Office (356 - 5904, n=121, last 2 years) |
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (703 - 741, n=4) | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (181.3 - 764, n=121, last 2 years) |
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (1348 - 1604, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Average of class Office (160.8 - 2642, n=121, last 2 years) |
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (261 - 268, n=4) | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Average of class Office (82.6 - 284, n=119, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
Average of class Office (214 - 2844, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (373 - 430, n=3) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 |
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (33476 - 40424, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average of class Office (4226 - 62349, n=122, last 2 years) |
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (5722 - 5941, n=4) | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Average of class Office (2233 - 6687, n=122, last 2 years) |
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (8272 - 8778, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Average of class Office (1018 - 11980, n=123, last 2 years) |
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (1841 - 1938, n=4) | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (510 - 1974, n=123, last 2 years) |
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (8.61 - 10.3, n=4) | |
Average of class Office (1.55 - 17.4, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
Average of class Office (31.3 - 117.5, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (42.2 - 47.5, n=4) | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 |
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
Average of class Office (0.4244 - 1.397, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (0.4504 - 0.4586, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average of class Office | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average of class Office (763 - 24250, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (6720 - 8270, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average of class Office (4027 - 102228, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (33777 - 41487, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (1754 - 2216, n=4) | |
Average of class Office (279 - 4442, n=120, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (67557 - 69991, n=4) | |
Average of class Office (8031 - 113016, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Average of class Office (404 - 14288, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (4589 - 5145, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Average of class Office (2054 - 54365, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (16808 - 20668, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Average of class Office (5226 - 147611, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (34968 - 41413, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (519 - 650, n=4) | |
Average of class Office (67.6 - 1018, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average of class Office (432 - 12755, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (3513 - 4367, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (37846 - 43780, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (4814 - 48177, n=121, last 2 years) | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K |
System performance
The system performance is on a very high level and our subjective performance impressions are very good but that is the case for the SSDs found in practically all modern laptops. We experienced no issues during our testing period.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
PCMark 10 / Score | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5690 - 5980, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Average of class Office (2325 - 7157, n=106, last 2 years) |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (10635 - 11827, n=4) | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Average of class Office (5095 - 20841, n=106, last 2 years) |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Average of class Office (3041 - 10198, n=106, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (7206 - 7708, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (6392 - 6735, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Average of class Office (1912 - 9056, n=106, last 2 years) |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1605 - 1675, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (348 - 1891, n=107, last 2 years) |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1582 - 1650, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Average of class Office (393 - 1870, n=107, last 2 years) |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1713 - 1797, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (340 - 1982, n=107, last 2 years) |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1373 - 1427, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (258 - 2017, n=107, last 2 years) |
PCMark 10 Score | 5697 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (57654 - 69736, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (7158 - 88119, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (49203 - 54068, n=4) | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (7325 - 87297, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (70434 - 85570, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (7579 - 94965, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (44.3 - 188.3, n=123, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Average Intel Core i7-1365U (90.2 - 102.2, n=4) | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latencies
The review device displayed limitations in our standardised latency (surfing the internet, 4K YouTube playback, CPU load), with the current BIOS version.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
Lenovo equips the ThinkPad X1 Carbon with PCIe 4.0 SSDs - in our case the 1 TB version of the WD SN810. After the first start-up, the user has 902 GB at their disposal. The transfer rates are good but this high level cannot be maintained under constant load. However, that doesn't matter in everyday office use. Other SSD benchmarks are available here.
* ... smaller is better
Continuous Performance Read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The graphics card is the familiar Xe Graphics G7 from Intel, which has been in operation for some time now. This is certainly sufficient power for everyday office tasks. Also, the playback of high-resolution videos didn't present any problems. However, the performance wasn't stable and the device failed the 3DMark Time Spy stress test (75.8 %). In our Witcher 3 loop, we also observed significant fluctuations which reduces the iGPU's already limited gaming capabilities even further.
In battery mode, the performance is around an additional 10 % lower. Additional GPU benchmarks can be found here.
3DMark 11 Performance | 6746 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4810 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 1662 points | |
Help |
Blender / v3.3 Classroom HIP/AMD | |
Average of class Office (322 - 1215, n=18, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 |
Blender / v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
Average of class Office (343 - 3786, n=110, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (336 - 1259, n=95) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 |
* ... smaller is better
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Average of class Office (2.66 - 34, n=111, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K |
GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
Average of class Office (3.35 - 47.8, n=91, last 2 years) | |
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 | |
Dynabook Portégé X40-K |
Witcher 3 FPS diagram
low | med. | high | ultra | |
GTA V (2015) | 83.2 | 74.2 | 20.1 | 9.03 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 73 | 47 | 25 | 12.1 |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 36.8 | 36.3 | 35.5 | 34.8 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 40.6 | 21.8 | 21.8 | |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 40.7 | 33.8 | 30.6 | |
Strange Brigade (2018) | 85.5 | 33.7 | 27.5 | 22.2 |
F1 2021 (2021) | 89.2 | 42.3 | 34.2 | 22.8 |
F1 22 (2022) | 38 | 34.3 | 25.2 |
Emissions & energy
Noise emissions
In terms of the fans, the processor's high power limit makes itself known as both small fans have a lot to do under load. At a maximum of 42.7 dB(A) they also get too loud for this performance class. You have to be critical here and ask the question of why a U series processor runs with such high power limits. We were unable to detect additional electronic noises.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 24.8 / 24.8 / 28.5 dB(A) |
Load |
| 39.6 / 42.7 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.8 dB(A) |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1365U, WDC PC SN810 1TB | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1265U, Kioxia BG5 KBG5AZNV1T02 | HP EliteBook 840 G9 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1280P, SK hynix PC801 HFS512GEJ9X101N BF | Dynabook Portégé X40-K Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1260P, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HBLU | Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1360P | Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 Radeon 680M, R7 7735HS, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1260P, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | 9% | 5% | 14% | -2% | 6% | 9% | |
off / environment * | 24.8 | 23.2 6% | 24.3 2% | 22.8 8% | 25.4 -2% | 24.2 2% | 22.8 8% |
Idle Minimum * | 24.8 | 23.2 6% | 24.5 1% | 23.4 6% | 25.4 -2% | 24.2 2% | 22.8 8% |
Idle Average * | 24.8 | 23.2 6% | 24.5 1% | 23.4 6% | 25.4 -2% | 24.2 2% | 22.8 8% |
Idle Maximum * | 28.5 | 23.2 19% | 26 9% | 23.4 18% | 29.6 -4% | 24.2 15% | 24.6 14% |
Load Average * | 39.6 | 38.6 3% | 32.3 18% | 31.2 21% | 42 -6% | 36.2 9% | 38.2 4% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 42.7 | 38.5 10% | 39 9% | 27.1 37% | 42.7 -0% | 38.1 11% | |
Load Maximum * | 42.7 | 38.3 10% | 44.7 -5% | 40.5 5% | 40.9 4% | 36.2 15% | 38.2 11% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
There were no issues when it came to simple tasks but as soon as the processor was put under heavier load, the top left of the base unit gets heated up very quickly. In this area of the device, we measured up to 45 °C which is simply too much considering the loud fans and low performance. For this reason, Lenovo should give the model's cooling an overhaul.
In the stress test, we experienced the same behaviour as seen with the CPU load. The CPU briefly reached 55 watts and then started to vary in an area between 12 to 34 watts and stayed there for the remainder of the test.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.4 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.3 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.7 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.5 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.4 °C / 84.9 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-1.7 °C / -3 F).
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 Intel Core i7-1365U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U Intel Core i7-1265U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | HP EliteBook 840 G9 Intel Core i7-1280P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Dynabook Portégé X40-K Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 Intel Core i7-1360P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 8% | 18% | 16% | -18% | 2% | -20% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 44.4 | 41.2 7% | 32.8 26% | 31.6 29% | 46.5 -5% | 39.2 12% | 50 -13% |
Maximum Bottom * | 45.3 | 41 9% | 36.6 19% | 32.8 28% | 44.7 1% | 49.8 -10% | 49.7 -10% |
Idle Upper Side * | 24.9 | 23.2 7% | 21.6 13% | 24 4% | 34.9 -40% | 24.2 3% | 32.4 -30% |
Idle Bottom * | 25.7 | 23.4 9% | 22.2 14% | 24.8 4% | 32.9 -28% | 25.1 2% | 32.3 -26% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
The speakers continue to be very good, especially for a business device. In this area, the X1 Carbon shouldn't feel the need to hide, even from subnotebooks such as the Huawei Matebook X Pro. Your expectations should be kept in check when it comes to bass but, despite this, the quality is sufficient for video conference calls and the like.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 98% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (94 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 9.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power consumption
Overall, the power consumption is very inconspicuous and the device is also very efficient in idle use. In the stress test, we briefly measured ~64 watts with the consumption quickly settling to between 20 to 45 watts, following the fluctuations we also observed in the test. All in all, the compact 65-watt power adapter (313 grams) is well-sized.
Off / Standby | 0.44 / 0.74 Watt |
Idle | 3.9 / 6.3 / 6.9 Watt |
Load |
41.8 / 63.4 Watt |
Power consumption Witcher 3 / stress test
Power consumption with an external monitor
Battery life
When it comes to the X1 Carbon's battery life, its low-power display helps show its best side. At 150 cd/m² (representing 78 % of the display's maximum brightness) we recorded a runtime of around 14 hours in both the video and Wi-Fi tests. Even at full brightness, the Wi-Fi test still ran for around 10 hours and under load, the device gave up the ghost after one and a half hours. As a comparison: Last year's OLED model only managed 5 hours in our Wi-Fi test - a full 9 hours less. With the laptop switched on, a complete charge takes 113 minutes; but after about 39 minutes, 60 % battery is available to the user.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000 i7-1365U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 Core i7-1265U i7-1265U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | HP EliteBook 840 G9 i7-1280P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 51 Wh | Dynabook Portégé X40-K i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 53 Wh | Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 i7-1360P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 60 Wh | Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 R7 7735HS, Radeon 680M, 73 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 21CB00DCGE i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | Average of class Office | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | -53% | -46% | -34% | -7% | 0% | -64% | -2% | |
H.264 | 848 | 527 -38% | 903 6% | 705 ? -17% | ||||
WiFi v1.3 | 839 | 393 -53% | 457 -46% | 554 -34% | 580 -31% | 783 -7% | 300 -64% | 592 ? -29% |
Load | 84 | 124 48% | 86 2% | 117.7 ? 40% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - The X1 Carbon has performance issues
The G11 generation of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a fairly small update with a Raptor Lake processor and can now be optionally fitted with a 5G module. The rest of the device has remained the same including the display option. The standard, built-in, lower-power display is still a good choice but we would like to see the business laptop get an upgrade. For example, a premium IPS panel with better brightness, decent response times and a higher refresh rate. The OLED option (that we reviewed in the G10 model) is, in our opinion, not a good option, despite the good image quality (PWM flickering, massively reduced battery life) and also the ePrivacy screen has problems with heavily limited viewing angles (even when the integrated privacy filter is deactivated).
However, we are surprised that Lenovo has not managed to get to grips with the power delivery, with not much else being new. It's worth posing the critical question of why the power limits are set so high considering the limited cooling performance. In short benchmarks performance is good but the user is unlikely to feel the benefits especially when the performance quickly dips and the fans get really loud.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 has performance issues on its hands and, all in all, the Raptor Lake chip doesn't offer any noteworthy improvements. An update is due, especially when it comes to the basic display. However, the X1 Carbon also has many positive aspects in the form of a solid case, extensive features and a very long battery life.
The X1 Carbon still offers many advantages, starting with the robust case, excellent selection of ports (with an optional 5G module), a good keyboard (even though it used to be better), proficient speakers as well as a long-lasting battery paired with the low-power display. However, at $2135 (no LTE), it's hardly a bargain and at this price, you shouldn't be having to deal with performance issues.
Price and availability
A model similar to our review device (no LTE) is available from Lenovo's online store for around $2135.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11-21HNS00000
-
06/22/2023 v7
Andreas Osthoff
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.