Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4 Review: The best Multimedia Laptop thanks to Core i9 and RTX 3080?

We already tested all three available screens for the new ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4 or ThinkPad P1 G4, respectively. Our test unit is equipped with the glossy 4K touchscreen (identical panel ID) and we have analyzed it in our review of the slower X1 Extreme G4 configuration.

Lenovo used to offer additional performance settings, which were available via Vantage app. For a while now, however, they are implemented into the regular Windows power settings, which is very comfortable. Shortly before the release of this review, Lenovo offered a new BIOS version (1.13) with updated thermal settings. We noticed small performance gains in some tests, so we decided to repeat all the tests and measurements with the new BIOS version.

Our test unit is equipped with the Core i9-11950H, which supports Intel’s vPro technology. The processor can reach a maximum clock of 5.0 GHz on one core and up to 4.5 GHz when you stress all cores, respectively. We saw a maximum clock of 4.9 GHz during the benchmarks for one core and 4.4 GHz for all 8 cores, which results in a power consumption of 100 Watts. This value can only be maintained for a brief period and the device has to be “cold”, otherwise the maximum TDP is limited to 80W. Both values quickly drop under sustained workloads and the processor will level off at little more than 60W. The BIOS update to version 1.13 improved the situation a bit and the performance was lower before. All in all decent results, but this means the Core i9 only has an advantage in very short peak-load scenarios or when you stress one core, but it is not much faster than the supposedly slower Core i7 chips in sustained workloads. 

The AMD counterpart AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX in the Asus Zephyrus Duo 15 is noticeably faster in multi-core tests and there is no performance drop (TDP @ 70W). Apple’s M1 Pro or M1 Max CPU is also slightly faster in native apps like Cinebench R23, but is just miles ahead in terms of efficiency with a power consumption of just ~30W.

All in all, the optional Core i9-11950H does nor make much sense in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4. The TDP fluctuates quite a lot between 35W and 70W on battery power, so the benchmark results vary as well (between 1500-1670 points @CBR15 Multi), so you will have to expect a performance deficit between 20-30 percent if you are not running on mains. More CPU benchmarks are available in our tech section.

Models with the more powerful vapor chamber cooling solution only have one M.2-2280 slot for SSDs, but it does at least support the fast PCIe 4.0 interface and the Kioxia XG7 in our unit can utilize the new standard. It offers a storage capacity of 1 TB (895 GB are available after the initial setup) and manages very high transfer rates of more than 6 GB/s. More SSD benchmarks are available here.