Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 laptop review: First major refresh in three years
After utilizing the same chassis design from the ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9 to the X1 Carbon G11, Lenovo has finally introduced a full-on refresh for this year's ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12. The launch of the new model coincides with the launch of Intel's new Meteor Lake-H platform and so users are getting the latest Core Ultra processors as well.
Our test unit has been configured with the Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, integrated Arc 8 GPU, 32 GB of LPDDR5x 6400 MHz RAM, and a non-touch 1800p OLED display for approximately $2700 USD. Lesser SKUs are available with 16 GB of RAM and lower resolution IPS panels, but all options at the moment include the same processor.
Alternatives to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 include other business-oriented 14-inch subnotebooks like the Dell Latitude 7440, HP EliteBook 1040 series, Asus ExpertBook series, or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
More Lenovo reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
90.8 % | 02/2024 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Cores | 1.1 kg | 14.96 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | |
89.1 % | 11/2023 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 i7-1370P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 15.36 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | |
87.8 % | 01/2024 | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE R7 PRO 7840U, Radeon 780M | 1.3 kg | 21.8 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
86.7 % | 02/2024 | Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Cores | 1.2 kg | 14.9 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | |
91.4 % | 02/2024 | HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Cores | 1.5 kg | 16.9 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | |
90.3 % | 07/2023 | Dell Latitude 7440 i5-1345U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.2 kg | 17.95 mm | 14.00" | 2560x1600 |
Case — Refined And Lighter Than Before
The new chassis introduces several visual changes from the outgoing design. Firstly, the webcam portion has been redesigned with a small glossy bar on the outer lid to allow for a larger webcam sensor and to act as a grip for opening the lid. Secondly, the bottom and top bezels are now even thinner than before for a smaller footprint. Thirdly, the stereo speakers have been relocated to be hidden underneath the keyboard requiring no dedicated speaker grilles. And lastly, additional tactile markings have been added to select keys on the keyboard to aid users who may be visually impaired.
Additional changes can be seen on the clickpad and bottom panel as well, but overall chassis rigidity and texture remain the same as before for that familiar ThinkPad X1 Carbon feel. Keep in mind that Gorilla Glass protection is not available on non-touch SKUs and so the display is more prone to damage or twisting than say the display on the Spectre x360 14.
As if the X1 Carbon G11 wasn't light enough already, the new G12 is even lighter by about 100 grams to be one of the lightest 14-inch subnotebooks you can buy. The LG Gram 14 is still lighter at under 1 kg, but that model currently ships with slower Core U options only. Our Lenovo also manages to be smaller than many of its competitors including the Latitude 7440 and EliteBook 1040.
Connectivity
All ports from the G11 have returned for G12 albeit rearranged. The ports are packed rather tightly especially along the left edge. Charging must also be done via the left edge whereas the Razer Blade 14 design includes USB-C ports on both sides of the laptop for more freedom of charging.
An integrated SD card reader continues to be absent, but that is a trend we're also seeing on the latest Latitude 7440 and HP Dragonfly models.
Communication
An Intel AX211 comes standard for Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E support. We experienced no connectivity issues or irregularities when paired to our Asus AXE11000 test router.
Webcam
The webcam sensor remains at 2 MP with no higher resolution options despite the chassis changes. Many HP systems like the recent Spectre x360 14 offer 5 MP options.
Both IR and a physical shutter come standard for privacy.
Maintenance
The bottom panel is secured by only four Phillips screws for easy servicing. The internals have been completely revised as shown by the comparison pictures below. Upgrade options are nevertheless the same including the single M.2 2280 PCIe SSD slot, removable WAN module, and soldered RAM and WLAN.
Accessories And Warranty
There are no extras in the box other than the paperwork and AC adapter. Disappointingly, only a one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies if purchased in the US instead of the base three-year warranty on some ThinkPad T options.
Input Devices — Small But Comfortable
Keyboard
The ThinkPad keyboard is so iconic that Lenovo tends to make just minor adjustments between chassis redesigns. In this case, Lenovo has removed the dedicated PrtSc button along the bottom on the G11 keyboard for a fingerprint reader instead. The PrtSc button is now a part of the F9 button where the videoconferencing hotkeys have also been dropped in favor of Microsoft Snippet Tool and Phone Link. Otherwise, the typing experience should be crisp and familiar to existing ThinkPad owners.
Touchpad
The clickpad is now slightly larger than before at 12 x 5.7 cm. It can still feel cramped especially when making vertical cursor movements on the tall 16:10 screen, but the dedicated tactile buttons make the experience a lot less painful.
Display
New to the G12 this year is a 120 Hz display whereas the G11 was limited to 60 Hz. The faster refresh rate is greatly appreciated as it improves UI responsiveness. Otherwise, the Samsung OLED panel, DCI-P3 colors, and 1800p resolution remain the same as before. The new panel unfortunately does not support adaptive sync or Windows VRR which would have improved battery life.
Note that the screen is set to 60 Hz by default and so users must manually enable 120 Hz mode through the Advanced display settings.
Additional display options are available depending on the configuration:
- 1920 x 1200, IPS, 400 nits, 100% sRGB, Glossy, Touchscreen, 60 Hz
- 1920 x 1200, IPS, 400 nits, 100% sRGB, matte, Touchscreen, 60 Hz
- 1920 x 1200, IPS, 500 nits, 100% sRGB, matte, Non-touch, 60 Hz
- 2880 x 1800, OLED, 400 nits (HDR 500), 100% DCi-P3, Glossy, Non-touch, 120 Hz
- 2880 x 1800, OLED, 400 nits (HDR 500), 100% DCi-P3, Glossy, Touchscreen, 120 Hz
|
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 417 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.26 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.68
ΔE Greyscale 1.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.27
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 Samsung ATNA40YK20-0, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 ATNA40YK15-0, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE Lenovo MNE007JA1-1, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y Samsung ATNA40YK07-1, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng SDC4197, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Dell Latitude 7440 AU Optronics B140QAX, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -0% | -19% | 0% | -3% | -15% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 99.7 | 99.9 0% | 69.4 -30% | 99.9 0% | 99.8 0% | 75.4 -24% |
sRGB Coverage | 100 | 100 0% | 99.9 0% | 100 0% | 100 0% | 99.9 0% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 98.2 | 97 -1% | 71.4 -27% | 98.3 0% | 89.3 -9% | 76.2 -22% |
Response Times | -34% | -4442% | -31% | 39% | -5004% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 0.91 ? | 1.19 ? -31% | 45.9 ? -4944% | 1.19 ? -31% | 0.77 ? 15% | 56 ? -6054% |
Response Time Black / White * | 0.76 ? | 1.68 ? -121% | 30.7 ? -3939% | 1.62 ? -113% | 0.75 ? 1% | 30.8 ? -3953% |
PWM Frequency | 240.3 | 363 ? 51% | 362.3 ? 51% | 480 100% | ||
Screen | -144% | -30% | 0% | -4% | -90% | |
Brightness middle | 417 | 427 2% | 414 -1% | 336.6 -19% | 378 -9% | 517.3 24% |
Brightness | 417 | 427 2% | 392 -6% | 339 -19% | 384 -8% | 488 17% |
Brightness Distribution | 98 | 98 0% | 89 -9% | 98 0% | 97 -1% | 88 -10% |
Black Level * | 0.26 | 0.34 | ||||
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.26 | 4.5 -257% | 1.9 -51% | 0.84 33% | 1.4 -11% | 3.3 -162% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.6 | 9.6 -167% | 3.6 -0% | 3.1 14% | 2.2 39% | 7.81 -117% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.68 | 5 -635% | 0.8 -18% | 1.02 -50% | ||
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.3 | 0.7 46% | 2.9 -123% | 1.4 -8% | 1.7 -31% | 5.6 -331% |
Gamma | 2.27 97% | 2.2 100% | 2.26 97% | 2.24 98% | 2.17 101% | 2.37 93% |
CCT | 6355 102% | 6470 100% | 6227 104% | 6439 101% | 6256 104% | 6804 96% |
Contrast | 1592 | 1521 | ||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -59% /
-85% | -1497% /
-762% | -10% /
-8% | 11% /
7% | -1703% /
-890% |
* ... smaller is better
The display comes well-calibrated out of the box with average deltaE values of only 1.3 and 1.26, respectively. An end-user calibration is therefore not required for most users.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
0.76 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.41 ms rise | |
↘ 0.35 ms fall | ||
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 1 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
0.91 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.54 ms rise | |
↘ 0.37 ms fall | ||
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 1 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 240.3 Hz | ||
The display backlight flickers at 240.3 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 240.3 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. 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. |
Pulse-width modulation or flickering is present on all brightness levels as is typical of most OLED panels. We're able to detect a constant frequency of 240 Hz from 0 to 100 percent brightness.
The 400-nit brightness is about average for high-end subnotebooks for average outdoor visibility. Brighter conditions or direct sunlight will wash onscreen colors in spite of the wide OLED viewing angles. Certain models from HP offer 1000-nit display options which continue to be absent on Lenovo ThinkPads.
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set Windows to Performance mode prior to running the benchmarks below. There are no separate power profiles in Lenovo Vantage to streamline the number of settings for the end-user.
Processor — Performance Consistency Issues
The Core Ultra 7 series effectively replaces the older Core P series. Raw multi-thread performance from our Core Ultra 7 155H is only about 5 to 15 percent faster than the Core i7-1370P in the outgoing X1 Carbon G11 model, but the gap becomes significantly wider when accounting for throttling or when compared to configurations running on Core U-series CPUs. Even so, performance is roughly comparable to the Ryzen 7 7840U.
While upfront performance is good, the processor suffers from throttling when stressed for long periods similar to what we observed on the X1 Carbon G11. When running CineBench R15 xT in a loop, for example, the initial score of 2297 points would remain relatively steady at first before falling steeply to 1444 points halfway into the stress test for a deficit of 37 percent. Performance would recover thereafter at a very slow pace before steadily falling again which is an unusual behavior not seen on most other laptops. Repeating the stress test would not result in any major differences to confirm our findings. High Turbo Boost sustainability is never expected from thin and lightweight laptops like the X1 Carbon, but performance consistency should still be a target.
At the very least, the undesirable throttling behavior is not as steep as what we recorded on the 2023 X1 Carbon G11 with the Core i7-1370P as shown by the graph below.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
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 6.2: Multi-Core | Single-Core
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
Geekbench 6.2 / Multi-Core | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (10696 - 13656, n=28) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE |
Geekbench 6.2 / Single-Core | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (2287 - 2459, n=28) | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng |
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 6.2: Multi-Core | Single-Core
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
* ... 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 ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Dell Latitude 7440 |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
Stress Test
CPU clock rates would cycle when under stress instead of remaining steady. When running Prime95, for example, the CPU would boost to 3 GHz, 105 C (!), and 54 W for only a couple of seconds before dropping to 2.2 GHz and eventually cycling between 1.5 and 2.1 GHz, 82 to 96 C, and 24 to 35 W. This behavior relates to the unsteady CineBench results above and it contrasts the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U in the ThinkPad P14s which would hold steadier clock rates when subjected to the same Prime95 test.
Similar results can be observed when running Witcher 3 to represent more real-world demanding loads. In this scenario, the GPU would run at 2250 MHz but with occasional drops to 1600 MHz for seemingly no reason. Frame rates would become more unsteady as a result. Overall core temperature would be quite warm in the 80 to 95 C range compared to 65 to 80 C on the slightly thicker Latitude 7440.
CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
System Idle | -- | -- | 43 |
Prime95 Stress | 1.5 - 2.1 | -- | 82 - 96 |
Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.3 - 1.8 | 300 - 750 | 76 - 89 |
Witcher 3 Stress | 0.4 - 1.5 | 1600 - 2250 | 80 - 85 |
System Performance
PCMark results are excellent with scores that are consistently higher than what we recorded on the older ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11. The largest notable gain can be seen in the Digital Content Creation subtest where the uptick in GPU performance between generations can be felt the most.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
PCMark 10 / Score | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (5159 - 7529, n=18) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (9557 - 11289, n=18) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (7822 - 10591, n=18) | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (4985 - 9999, n=18) | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (1366 - 1903, n=18) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (1291 - 1717, n=17) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (1519 - 1929, n=17) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (939 - 1700, n=17) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng |
WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (255 - 299, n=18) | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE |
WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (241 - 263, n=14) | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (517 - 565, n=18) | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
* ... smaller is better
PCMark 10 Score | 6751 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (62397 - 95631, n=26) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (60544 - 90647, n=26) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (64852 - 93451, n=26) | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (125.8 - 173, n=26) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon shows DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise perfect with no dropped frames recorded unlike what we observed on some recent AMD-powered Hawk Point models.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our unit ships with a 1 TB Kioxia XG8 instead of the WD PC SN810 on last year's version. The new drive does not throttle nearly as much as what we observed on the X1 Carbon G11 as shown by the comparison graph below; transfer rates would fall from ~6900 MB/s to ~6000 MB/s after just a few minutes compared to ~2300 MB/s on the X1 Carbon G11.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance — Intel's Redemption Arc
The new Arc 8 iGPU is a leap forward over the aging Iris Xe 96 EUs by as much as 70 to 100 percent. In fact, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon series has been utilizing the same Iris Xe graphics for several years running and so the upgrade to Arc was sorely needed.
While the performance bump over the previous generation is impressive, it only barely outperforms the competing Radeon 780M which was made available almost a full year ahead of the new Intel solution. Games are nonetheless very playable at 1080p including even modern titles like Baldur's Gate 3 so long as graphical settings are set to low.
Overall performance can be inconsistent. For example, running on the Performance power profile would return nearly identical Fire Strike results to running on battery power as shown by the table below, but scores would drop significantly if running on Balanced mode. Results would not improve when retesting under a cold state to account for any potential throttling.
Power Profile | Graphics Score | Physics Score | Combined Score |
Performance Mode | 8561 | 23177 | 3038 |
Balanced Mode | 8036 (-6%) | 14084 (-39%) | 2471 (-19%) |
Battery Power | 8857 (+3%) | 24182 (+4%) | 3137 (+3%) |
3DMark 11 Performance | 12071 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 27018 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 7874 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 3341 points | |
Help |
* ... smaller is better
Baldur's Gate 3 | |
1280x720 Low Preset | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (52.2 - 52.6, n=2) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
1920x1080 Low Preset | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (24.5 - 36.9, n=5) | |
1920x1080 Medium Preset | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (22.8 - 30.2, n=6) | |
1920x1080 High Preset | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (20.6 - 26.8, n=6) | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (19 - 24.4, n=6) |
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands | |
1280x720 Lowest Preset (DX12) | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (80.8 - 87, n=6) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
1920x1080 Low Preset (DX12) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (44.9 - 53.8, n=6) | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
1920x1080 Medium Preset (DX12) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (35.3 - 42.7, n=6) | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
1920x1080 High Preset (DX12) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (24.7 - 31.5, n=6) | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Dell Latitude 7440 | |
1920x1080 Badass Preset (DX12) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (20.2 - 25.1, n=6) | |
Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y | |
Dell Latitude 7440 |
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Phantom Liberty | |
1280x720 Low Preset (FSR off) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (37.3 - 53.8, n=6) | |
1920x1080 Low Preset (FSR off) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (11.3 - 36.5, n=14) | |
1920x1080 Medium Preset (FSR off) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (9.42 - 29.6, n=13) | |
1920x1080 High Preset (FSR off) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 | |
Average Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU (7.3 - 25.2, n=14) |
Performance when idling on Witcher 3 is not as stable as we would like. Frame rates would fluctuate between 50 and 60 FPS continuously instead of remaining constant. If the system must throttle, then a more gradual decrease in frame rates would have been preferable over constant fluctuations.
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
low | med. | high | ultra | |
GTA V (2015) | 160.3 | 148.2 | 33.5 | 14.2 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 135.1 | 88.1 | 51.7 | 25.5 |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 104.6 | 90.9 | 74.9 | 72.3 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 56.6 | 36.3 | 23.9 | |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 52.4 | 41 | 35.7 | |
Far Cry 5 (2018) | 69 | 45 | 37 | 36 |
Strange Brigade (2018) | 173.8 | 75.4 | 59.7 | 47 |
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (2022) | 53.8 | 42.6 | 31.5 | 25 |
F1 22 (2022) | 72.4 | 67 | 51.1 | 14.1 |
Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 36.9 | 30.2 | 26.8 | 24.4 |
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 31.7 | 26.5 | 22.5 |
Emissions
System Noise — Calm And Quiet
Fan noise is generally quieter than on the G11. The fans notably do not pulse when under load despite the cycling performance results mentioned above. We're able to record a maximum of 38 dB(A) at the loudest when running Witcher 3 or other demands loads for extended periods which is comparable to the ThinkPad P14s. For more typical browsing or video streaming loads, however, fan noise would instead hover around 26 dB(A) against a silent background of 24 dB(A) to be almost inaudible.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 24 / 24 / 24 dB(A) |
Load |
| 31.5 / 37.8 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 23.8 dB(A) |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 Arc 8-Cores, Ultra 7 155H, Kioxia XG8 KXG8AZNV1T02 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1370P, WDC PC SN810 2TB | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE Radeon 780M, R7 PRO 7840U, SK hynix PC801 HFS512GEJ9X162N | Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y Vega 8, R7 7730U, Micron 2400 MTFDKBA512QFM | HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng Arc 8-Cores, Ultra 7 155H, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV2T04 | Dell Latitude 7440 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1345U, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -3% | 3% | -10% | 7% | 8% | |
off / environment * | 23.8 | 23.3 2% | 22.4 6% | 22.6 5% | 23.4 2% | 22.8 4% |
Idle Minimum * | 24 | 23.3 3% | 22.4 7% | 22.6 6% | 23.4 2% | 22.8 5% |
Idle Average * | 24 | 23.3 3% | 22.4 7% | 22.6 6% | 23.4 2% | 22.8 5% |
Idle Maximum * | 24 | 23.3 3% | 22.4 7% | 22.6 6% | 25.6 -7% | 22.8 5% |
Load Average * | 31.5 | 35.9 -14% | 31.3 1% | 40.7 -29% | 25.6 19% | 26.3 17% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 37.8 | 41 -8% | 39.5 -4% | 46.6 -23% | 30.9 18% | 30 21% |
Load Maximum * | 37.8 | 40.9 -8% | 39.2 -4% | 52.5 -39% | 32.6 14% | 38.3 -1% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Surface temperature development is largely symmetrical due to the cooling solution within. The hot spots on the keyboard center and bottom cover can be as warm as 43 C each when gaming or running other demanding loads. However, this is still cooler than what we recorded on the older G11 model by a few degrees C and roughly comparable to the Zenbook 14 running on the slower Ryzen 7 7730U. The palm rests and much of the keyboard never become uncomfortably warm, but some larger ventilation grilles on the bottom could have improved temperatures nonetheless.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.2 °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 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.3 °C / 79 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 25.6 °C / 78.1 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 (+2.1 °C / 3.8 F).
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 Intel Core i7-1370P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, AMD Radeon 780M | Asus ZenBook 14 UX3405MA Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU | HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc 8-Cores iGPU | Dell Latitude 7440 Intel Core i5-1345U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | -5% | 4% | 8% | 11% | 7% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 44.2 | 42.2 5% | 41.1 7% | 40.9 7% | 39.3 11% | 39 12% |
Maximum Bottom * | 41.2 | 43.8 -6% | 48.2 -17% | 46.8 -14% | 45 -9% | 40.6 1% |
Idle Upper Side * | 29.4 | 32 -9% | 26.5 10% | 24.1 18% | 23.8 19% | 28 5% |
Idle Bottom * | 31.2 | 33.7 -8% | 26.9 14% | 24.6 21% | 24 23% | 28.8 8% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 97% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (4.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy Management — Improved Performance-Per-Watt
Power Consumption
Idling on desktop at the lowest brightness setting can draw as little as 4 W while the maximum brightness setting on an all-white screen would demand 4x as much power. Users trying to conserve as much power as possible should consider inverting the colors when emailing or working on spreadsheets since white colors demand much more power on an OLED panel.
Consumption when running demanding loads like games is about 10 to 15 percent more demanding than on last year's G11 model. However, this pales in comparison to the 2x GPU performance increase over the older Iris Xe 96 EUs as mentioned above and so the slightly higher consumption is well worth it.
We're able to record a temporary maximum draw of 68 W from the small (~8.8 x 5.2 x 2.3 cm) 65 W AC adapter when running Prime95 stress as shown by the screenshots below.
Off / Standby | 0.12 / 0.48 Watt |
Idle | 3.9 / 5.8 / 16 Watt |
Load |
46.1 / 67.4 Watt |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Cores, Kioxia XG8 KXG8AZNV1T02, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 i7-1370P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WDC PC SN810 2TB, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE R7 PRO 7840U, Radeon 780M, SK hynix PC801 HFS512GEJ9X162N, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y R7 7730U, Vega 8, Micron 2400 MTFDKBA512QFM, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Cores, Kioxia XG8 KXG80ZNV2T04, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Dell Latitude 7440 i5-1345U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | -6% | 17% | -23% | 25% | 5% | |
Idle Minimum * | 3.9 | 7 -79% | 2.9 26% | 7.9 -103% | 3.2 18% | 4.5 -15% |
Idle Average * | 5.8 | 7.9 -36% | 5.1 12% | 8.8 -52% | 4.2 28% | 6.5 -12% |
Idle Maximum * | 16 | 8.1 49% | 5.6 65% | 14.7 8% | 4.9 69% | 7.3 54% |
Load Average * | 46.1 | 40.5 12% | 51.2 -11% | 46.9 -2% | 40.5 12% | 52.5 -14% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 50.4 | 43 15% | 49.9 1% | 44.9 11% | 37.9 25% | 46.2 8% |
Load Maximum * | 67.4 | 66 2% | 60.2 11% | 65.2 3% | 68.6 -2% | 63 7% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Power Consumption external Monitor
Battery Life
Runtimes are up despite the fact that battery capacity has not changed when compared to the outgoing design. We're able to clock in just over an hour longer than last year's ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 when browsing the web on the Balanced profile for a total WLAN runtime of almost eight hours. It's not quite as long as the ThinkPad P14s G4 or ZenBook 14, but these alternatives run on a lower resolution IPS panel and have a higher capacity battery, respectively.
Charging from empty to full capacity takes just under two hours.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Cores, 57 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 21HNS54T00 i7-1370P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G4 21K5000LGE R7 PRO 7840U, Radeon 780M, 52 Wh | Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402Y R7 7730U, Vega 8, 75 Wh | HP Spectre x360 14-eu0078ng Ultra 7 155H, Arc 8-Cores, 68 Wh | Dell Latitude 7440 i5-1345U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 57 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | -2% | 19% | 83% | 52% | 78% | |
Reader / Idle | 1069 | 1107 4% | 1427 33% | |||
WiFi v1.3 | 466 | 389 -17% | 685 47% | 725 56% | 555 19% | 781 68% |
Load | 70 | 80 14% | 63 -10% | 203 190% | 129 84% | 164 134% |
H.264 | 592 | 999 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — CPU Troubles Mar An Otherwise Excellent Redesign
In our review of the 2023 ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11, we praised its design and comfortable inputs while criticizing its uneven performance and underwhelming battery life. For this 2024 revision, the latest model has improved upon most aspects of the G11 to make it a worthwhile upgrade for anyone with an older generation model. The faster native refresh rate and even lighter weight with longer battery life make the user experience noticeably smoother and more enjoyable to use especially for constant travelers.
The new design is lighter, smaller, faster, and more comfortable to use than before. However, the low resolution webcam isn't aging so well and performance can be inconsistent at times.
Processor performance continues to be a sticking point on an otherwise excellent system. Clock rates cycle and fluctuate more frequently than we would like much like on last year's G11. The new Meteor Lake-H CPU is still faster than the previous generation Raptor Lake-P even after accounting for any throttling behavior, but steadier performance under stress is nonetheless preferable. Thankfully, all but the most hardcore of users will not notice this specific drawback.
Competing models like the Dell Latitude 7440 or HP Spectre x360 14 offer higher resolution webcams or 360-degree hinges which might appeal to certain usage scenarios. We certainly don't expect any major redesigns for 2025, but smaller upgrades related to performance stability and the aging 2 MP webcam should be near the the top of Lenovo's to-do list.
Price and Availability
Lenovo is now shipping the ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12 starting at $2300 USD for the 16 GB configuration or $2700 USD if configured with 32 GB of RAM.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G12
-
02/23/2024 v7
Allen Ngo
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.