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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00

Specifications

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00
Processor
Intel Core i7-7500U 2 x 2.7 - 3.5 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
Memory
16 GB 
, LPDDR3-1866, Dual-Channel, soldered
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, B140HAN03_1, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, 512 GB 
, 454 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio, Card Reader: MicroSD (UHS-II), 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-V (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 15.95 x 323.5 x 217.1 ( = 0.63 x 12.74 x 8.55 in)
Battery
57 Wh, 4830 mAh Lithium-Polymer, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 15.5 h
Camera
Webcam: 720p HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo 2x2 Watt, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 65-Watt USB-C-power adapter, HDMI to VGA adapter, LAN (RJ45) adapter, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.144 kg ( = 40.35 oz / 2.52 pounds), Power Supply: 356 g ( = 12.56 oz / 0.78 pounds)
Price
1599 Euro

 

Pricecompare

Average Score: 86.85% - good
Average of 17 scores (from 22 reviews)
price: - %, performance: 79%, features: 83%, display: 83% mobility: 84%, workmanship: 92%, ergonomy: 96%, emissions: 94%

Reviews for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HQS03P00

90.4% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 (Core i7, Full-HD) Laptop Review | Notebookcheck
New business benchmark? The 2017 ThinkPad X1 Carbon is already the 5th generation of the extremely portable business laptop. Lenovo not only equips its flagship device with modern Kaby Lake processors, but also uses a completely reworked chassis including modern ports. Update: The review is now complete.
100% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review: Loose screw prompts worldwide recall
Source: It Pro English Archive.org version
While not the thinnest ultrabook around, it is certainly one of the lightest, offering excellent portability and one of the most generous array of ports and optional extras we have seen on a device. It's built from the ground up to be a business companion, and it lives up to that beautifully. Only a mediocre screen keeps it back from true greatness.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/07/2018
Rating: Total score: 100%
80% Review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (5th gen)
Source: PC Authority English Archive.org version
The X1 Carbon has been one of our favourite ultraportables since it was introduced back in 2012, and in many ways this fifth generation changes little. It’s slim, unapologetically black, packs supremely quick components and has a price to match its high-end ambitions. We could have said the same five years ago.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/31/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%
90% ThinkPad X1 Carbon Review
Source: Toptenreviews English Archive.org version
At 16mm thin when closed and weighing just 1.13kg, this 14in laptop has lost a lot of weight compared to its predecessors, but it doesn’t come cheap. Prices start at ,380 for the model with an Intel Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and Windows 10 Home, rising to ,220 for a Core i7-7600U CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and Windows 10 Pro. Oddly, we were sent a custom model for review, with a Core i7-7500U, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB PCI-E SSD and Windows 10 Pro – the closest retail spec available is ,554, and is identical save for having 8GB of RAM instead.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/08/2017
Rating: Total score: 90%
94% Need a laptop for work? This Lenovo ThinkPad is an almost perfect choice.
Source: Reviewed.com English Archive.org version
Personally? That’s not me. There are maybe two times a month that I will flip a 2-in-1 around to be a tablet, and I almost never touch the screen. (I also don’t go in for fancy 3- and 4-finger gestures. Change frightens me.) The X1 Carbon isn’t a rebuke of those other laptops—this is still Lenovo after all—but it’s a stunning example of just how fantastic it can be when a company keeps things simple and executes to the best of its ability.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/31/2017
Rating: Total score: 94%
Review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2017, 5th Gen)
Source: Hexus English Archive.org version
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon has always been a very good Ultrabook and regular improvements over the years have combined to ensure that the fifth-generation model is the best yet.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/23/2017
80% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review: The perfect Windows remedy for MacBook haters
Source: Pocket Lint English Archive.org version
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a suited and booted style laptop with everything a classy globe-trotter needs. It's slim, tough, ultra-light, powerful and lasts an age between charges.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 08/16/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%
100% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review
Source: It Pro English Archive.org version
While not the thinnest ultrabook around, it is certainly one of the lightest, offering excellent portability and one of the most generous array of ports and optional extras we have seen on a device. It's built from the ground up to be a business companion, and it lives up to that beautifully. Only a mediocre screen keeps it back from true greatness.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/14/2017
Rating: Total score: 100%
90% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review (2017)
Source: Tech Advisor English Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 is a fantastic laptop with an up-to-date design, and one that doesn’t go for any of the feature-chopping you see in many alternatives without the same business leanings. Battery life is excellent, as is build quality and the keyboard, plus the X1 is as light as slim as promised. The only issues are to do with the screen, but many will be able to live with it. There’s also a question of price. ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptops have always been expensive, and so is this one: more than Dell's XPS 13 but hundreds less than model with an OLED touch bar.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/04/2017
Rating: Total score: 90%
90% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2017) review: Great design and all-day battery life
Source: Zdnet.com English Archive.org version
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon continues to impress. Smaller and lighter than last year's model, it packs in solid components and plenty of ports and connectors -- an object lesson for vendors who try to get away with providing the bare minimum.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/12/2017
Rating: Total score: 90%
90% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 Review: Mobility Perfected
Source: Gotta Be Mobile English Archive.org version
I don’t say this lightly: the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the best Ultrabook that you can purchase. It’s certainly the best Ultrabook I’ve come across since I reviewed the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2016 around this time a year ago, and I was a pretty big fan of that one as well.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 04/24/2017
Rating: Total score: 90%
80% Lenovo X1 Carbon (5th Gen) Review: Almost perfect
Source: Slashgear English Archive.org version
If you’re a fan of any (or all) of the past X1 Carbon laptops, you’ll love the 5th-generation update. This model has an 8-percent smaller footprint over the previous model, is lighter and thinner than just about any other ultrabook on the market, and it offers (almost) all of the ports and connectivity options a user could need. Thunderbolt 3 inclusion is a welcomed addition to the model, as is fast charging and the exceptional battery life. As long as you’re not dead-set on needing a regular SD card slot, the X1 Carbon would surely meet your (ultrabook) needs.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 04/11/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%
80% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2017)
Source: PC Mag English Archive.org version
The latest iteration of the Lenovo X1 Carbon is easy to carry everywhere, it's sleek enough to show off, it'll last all day (and then some), and it has the power to motor through office and multimedia tasks easily. In addition, the screen is brilliant, and the keyboard is top-notch. It's about $300 more expensive than the Lenovo ThinkPad X260, another favorite, but that extra cost gets you a thinner, lighter, and more powerful laptop, and adds forward-thinking features, like two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports and two USB 3.0 ports, to the mix. It's our top pick for business ultraportables.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 03/22/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%
80% Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Review
Source: Laptop Mag English Archive.org version
From its epic battery life and snappy keyboard to its luxurious, soft-touch chassis and strong performance, there are a lot of things to love about the 2017 edition of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 03/22/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

Foreign Reviews

87% Wovon MacBook-Nutzer heimlich träumen
Source: Netzwelt German DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/15/2017
Rating: Total score: 87% performance: 70% features: 90% display: 80% ergonomy: 100%
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon (2017) (i7-7600U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
Source: Com! - 7/2017 German
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 06/01/2017
91% Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon
Source: PC Welt German DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/15/2017
Rating: Total score: 91% performance: 95% features: 91% display: 83% mobility: 86% ergonomy: 94% emissions: 100%
80% Test Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2017)
Source: CNet France French FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 07/10/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 5. Test jednego z najlepszych laptopów mijającego roku
Source: Antyweb Turkish PL→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Impressive design; nice display; comfortable keyboard; long battery life; support 4G LTE.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/29/2017
Kipróbáltuk: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon - 2017
Source: HWSW HU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Long battery life; light weight; nice display.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/08/2017
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon: pátá generace nejlepšího notebooku na světě (recenze)
Source: CNews.cz CZ→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Perfect ergonomy; nice display; thin frames; nice connectivity; support LTE module. Negative: No touchscreen option; high price; no SD card reader.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/13/2017
Recenze: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 5 – zrozen pro extrémní nasazení
Source: CZC CZ→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Solid workmanship; fast system; good ergonomy; silent; long battery life; quick charging. Negative: Weak hardware; no SD card reader; high price.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/20/2017
74% ThinkPad黑将2017的双面人生 游戏商务双管齐下
Source: PC Online.com.cn zh-CN→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 03/31/2017
Rating: Total score: 74%

Comment

Series: The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 is considered to be the most expensive and well recognized portable business notebook Lenovo has to offer and probably rightfully so since Lenovo acquired IBM’s PC division. What does this year’s X1 carbon has to offer in comparison to its competitor? It is powered by an Intel Core i7-7500U, up to 16 GB of soldered RAM, a super-fast 512 GB NVMe SSD, and a 14-inch IPS FHD panel. As the 7th Gen T4xx series has started to somewhat blur the difference between the X1 and the T4xx lineup, Lenovo practically had to go back to the drawing board to set it apart again starting with its chassis design. In terms of material choice, the X1 Carbon still uses a composite magnesium alloy for the base body with a matte rubbery feeling. This allows the X1 Carbon to maintain an extremely rigid, sturdy and rugged design. Unless you are intentionally applying a lot of pressure, the most you are going to be able to flex is the keyboard. However, in daily use this would never happen. The lid is made of a composite carbon fiber reinforced plastic, which might not be much of a comparison to the base chassis. However, it should be noted that you would still need a lot of force to intentionally warp or even damage it. Overall the chassis has really be well designed to meet its challenges. In terms of IO the X1 Carbon is well equipped with two USB type C Gen 2 connectors with Thunderbolt support, two full sized USB 3.0 type-A ports, a full sized HDMI video out, a mini Ethernet port,a microSD card reader and of course a headphone jack. When compared to other notebooks the only gripe is that the microSD card reader is a little hard to access without a SIM tool.

Naturally, as this is a business orientated notebook it also includes security features such as an integrated TPM 2.0 chip, a fingerprint reader and the usual Kensington lock. The only security feature missing here is a SmartCard reader which shouldn’t really be an issue since most of the common security features of a business notebook are already included. It should be noted that an optional IR camera can also be chosen, but it seems Lenovo has not started offering it yet. While the notebook is commonly shipped with your standard power adapter, Lenovo also offers a dock which is almost too commonly marketed with the Think lineup of notebooks. The optional docks are the USB C station dock and the newer Thunderbolt 3 station dock, with the latter being more feature-rich, but bulky in return. Moving over to the user inputs it is quite normal to say that the AccuType keyboard types like a wonder as in most Think series notebooks. However, the mechanics of this keyboard has been improved, while the previous generation of the keyboard felt a little shallow, the new improved version feels a bit deeper when it comes to key travel. This puts the X1 Carbon’s keyboard firmly at 1st place among most slim notebooks. As in most Think series notebooks, the signature track point and touchpad are a wonder to use. The glass touchpad remains nice to glide fingers on and is as accurate and precise as can be. One major point to emphasize here is that touchpad and click buttons remain separate, which should be the way, not the touchpad/clickpad combo nonsense most manufacturers are rolling out these days just to save costs. As for the trackpoint, the only honorable mention that can be done is it does its job as it was designed to.

As for the display, Lenovo actually offers two choices, the default FHD resolution panel with an option to choose the WQHD panel depending on the users need. Last on the list is the battery life. It is not surprising that X1 Carbon scored high. It achieved a battery lasting about 8 hours and 16 minutes on Wi-Fi and a whopping 11 hours and 9 minutes on video playback. The new 2017 X1 Carbon truly is a remarkable piece of hardware and is clearly well built with a focus on mobility.

Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Intel HD Graphics 620: Integrated GPU (GT2) found on some Kaby-Lake CPU models (15 W ULV series).

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.


i7-7500U: Kaby-Lake based SoC with two CPU cores clocked at 2.7 to 3.5 GHz, HyperThreading and manufactured with an improved 14nm process.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.


14.00":

There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.

The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.


Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.

In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.

In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.


86.85%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.


» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

 

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Stefan Hinum, 2017-04-14 (Update: 2019-04-30)