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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 laptop review: Performance flagship with 16:10 touchscreen

Powerful X1 in its fourth generation. In a year of numerous ThinkPad redesigns, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is one of the most significant - after all, it's the very first 16-inch ThinkPad laptop. We are also pleased with the other features of this premium multimedia laptop, although battery life is disappointing.

When Lenovo launched the ThinkPad X1 Extreme in 2018, you could clearly tell which competitor it was targeting: The Dell XPS 15. Consequently, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 1's configuration configuration was close to that of the Dell XPS 15 9570 at the time, with a few additional business features. Little has changed in the formula in all the following generations; Lenovo has stuck to CPU/GPU updates, meaning that last year's Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 was still based on the same design as the first model.

This changes with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4. The new model has a new design and also sets itself apart from the Dell XPS series to a greater extent for the first time: Instead of counting on a 15-inch LCD like Dell and expanding the lineup with a 17-inch model, Lenovo has chosen something in between by switching to the 16-inch format, which is becoming increasingly more popular. As a result, not only does the X1 Extreme 2021 have to face Dell's XPS competition, but also Apple's latest MacBook Pro 16 with its ARM CPU.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) (ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-11800H 8 x 2.3 - 4.6 GHz, 70 W PL2 / Short Burst, 55 W PL1 / Sustained, Tiger Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1035 MHz, Memory: 1375 MHz, 35 W TDP, GA107, 471.41, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-3200, 2x SO-DIMM, dual-channel
Display
16.00 inch 16:10, 3840 x 2400 pixel 232 PPI, 10-point multitouch, native pen support, LP160UQ1-SPB1, IPS LED, anti-reflective, glossy: yes, HDR
Mainboard
Intel WM590 (Tiger Lake PCH-H)
Storage
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR, 1024 GB 
, M.2 2280, NVMe PCIe 4.0, 891 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC3306
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 4.0 40 Gbps, 2 Thunderbolt, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio jack, Card Reader: SD card, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18.2 x 359.5 x 253.8 ( = 0.72 x 14.15 x 9.99 in)
Battery
90 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1080p w/IR and ThinkShutter
Additional features
Speakers: 2-watt stereo, Keyboard: six-row chiclet, full size, 1.5 mm travel, Keyboard Light: yes, 170-watt Slim Tip charger, Lenovo Commercial Vantage, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
2.004 kg ( = 70.69 oz / 4.42 pounds), Power Supply: 534 g ( = 18.84 oz / 1.18 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible contenders in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
89 %
11/2021
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
2 kg18.2 mm16.00"3840x2400
90.1 %
01/2021
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
i7-10750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q
1.7 kg18.7 mm15.60"1920x1080
88.4 %
08/2021
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
1.9 kg18 mm15.60"3456x2160
87.9 %
07/2021
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
2.5 kg19.5 mm17.00"3840x2400
93.2 %
11/2021
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
M1 Pro, M1 Pro 16-Core GPU
2.2 kg16.8 mm16.20"3456x2234

Case: X1 Extreme Gen 4 with a familiar housing but a new format

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4

Lenovo has been bold enough to throw the familiar ThinkPad design traits out the window with some models from the ThinkPad X1 series, such as the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 - more metal surfaces, no black chassis color. In contrast, Lenovo has stayed true to the typical ThinkPad design with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4, which resembles the X1 Carbon Gen 9. The exterior carbon surface of the display lid, which is exclusive to the 4K UHD models, is also in line with this.

Its texture is barely perceptible, and it's subtle enough not to look pretentious. Grease stains are quickly visible and difficult to remove. This is the most annoying characteristic of the rubberized material that provides the Lenovo laptop with a good grip. An interesting mix of materials continues to be used underneath the coating: Carbon fiber plastic for the A-cover or display lid, aluminum for the bottom cover/D cover, and magnesium for the palm rest/C cover. Our touch model specifically has a glass panel in front of the monitor. There are no noticeable vulnerabilities, and both the display cover and the base unit can hardly be twisted.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is perfectly built. However, the heavy display panel with its glass pane can only be opened with two hands. Nonetheless, a full opening angle of 180 degrees is still possible. 

Compared with the predecessor, our touch version of the X1 Extreme Gen 4 weighs about 300 grams (~10.6 oz) more. This makes the weight comparable with that of the Dell XPS 15 9510 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16. The Dell XPS 17 9710 is considerably heavier at 2.5 kilograms (~5.5 lb).

In terms of size, the Lenovo laptop is somewhere between the XPS 15 and XPS 17 - larger than the former, smaller than the latter. Despite the larger 16:10 screen, the size has hardly changed compared to the X1 Extreme Gen 3; Lenovo has primarily reduced the display bezel below the monitor.

Size comparison

374.45 mm / 14.7 inch 248.05 mm / 9.77 inch 19.5 mm / 0.768 inch 2.5 kg5.46 lbs361.8 mm / 14.2 inch 245.7 mm / 9.67 inch 18.7 mm / 0.736 inch 1.7 kg3.76 lbs359.5 mm / 14.2 inch 253.8 mm / 9.99 inch 18.2 mm / 0.717 inch 2 kg4.42 lbs355.7 mm / 14 inch 248.1 mm / 9.77 inch 16.8 mm / 0.661 inch 2.2 kg4.75 lbs345 mm / 13.6 inch 230 mm / 9.06 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.27 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity: ThinkPad laptop receives a variety of ports

Fortunately, Lenovo has almost kept everything the same in terms of connectivity. Unlike the Dell XPS 15 and XPS 17, USB-A ports and HDMI are still present. The only change is the upgrade from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 4.

Left: Slim Tip power supply, 2x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, 3.5 mm audio jack
Left: Slim Tip power supply, 2x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, 3.5 mm audio jack
Right: SD card, 2x USB A 3.2 Gen 1, Kensington lock
Right: SD card, 2x USB A 3.2 Gen 1, Kensington lock

SD card reader

Contrary to the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3, the SD card reader doesn't fully accommodate the SD cards anymore, so it's not suitable for permanent storage expansion. In return, it proves to be a model with above-average speeds in our benchmarks with the 128 GB AV PRO microSD V60 reference memory card.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
  (AV Pro V60)
224 MB/s ∼100% +30%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
178.1 MB/s ∼80% +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
  (AV Pro V60)
172.4 MB/s ∼77%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
  (Angelbird AV Pro V60)
121 MB/s ∼54% -30%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
103 MB/s ∼46% -40%
Average of class Multimedia
  (17.6 - 226, n=66, last 2 years)
84.1 MB/s ∼38% -51%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
211.9 MB/s ∼100% +21%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
  (AV Pro V60)
202.8 MB/s ∼96% +16%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
175.7 MB/s ∼83% 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
  (AV Pro V60)
175.1 MB/s ∼83%
Average of class Multimedia
  (16.8 - 266, n=61, last 2 years)
97.9 MB/s ∼46% -44%

Communication

In the variant under review here, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 only includes one communication module, the Intel Wireless AX210. This is a 2x2 Wi-Fi module that supports the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard. The ThinkPad laptop performs accordingly well in our Wi-Fi benchmarks and joins the ranks of laptops that are also equipped with this Intel WLAN solution.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2021 is also optionally available with WWAN (5G). 

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1368 (669min - 1440max) MBit/s ∼100% +43%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1346 (725min - 1495max) MBit/s ∼98% +41%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1288 (1090min - 1387max) MBit/s ∼94% +35%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210
  (675 - 1602, n=27)
1166 MBit/s ∼85% +22%
Average of class Multimedia
  (277 - 1446, n=37, last 2 years)
994 MBit/s ∼73% +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210
955 (771min - 1028max) MBit/s ∼70%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
772 (748min - 792max) MBit/s ∼56% -19%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1507 (1482min - 1563max) MBit/s ∼100% +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1383 (1007min - 1505max) MBit/s ∼92% +5%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1319 (1015min - 1489max) MBit/s ∼88% 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210
1315 (1034min - 1426max) MBit/s ∼87%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210
  (914 - 1716, n=27)
1309 MBit/s ∼87% 0%
Average of class Multimedia
  (137 - 1684, n=37, last 2 years)
1099 MBit/s ∼73% -16%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
760 (404min - 869max) MBit/s ∼50% -42%
77184692199610711146122112961371Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti); iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1314 (1034-1426)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti); iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø955 (771-1028)

Webcam

The X1 Extreme Gen 4 is one of the first ThinkPad laptops to be equipped with a 1080p webcam. However, images captured with it are not much better, and the Lenovo ThinkPad continues to lack a camera that's actually good.

ColorChecker
24.4 ∆E
20.1 ∆E
21.9 ∆E
20.4 ∆E
18.6 ∆E
17 ∆E
17 ∆E
22.8 ∆E
18.5 ∆E
13.6 ∆E
15.2 ∆E
10.4 ∆E
8.4 ∆E
18.1 ∆E
14.8 ∆E
14.7 ∆E
10.1 ∆E
14.1 ∆E
1.8 ∆E
12.7 ∆E
13.5 ∆E
11.1 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
8 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti): 14.68 ∆E min: 1.76 - max: 24.43 ∆E

Security

As a ThinkPad, the X1 Extreme Gen 4 also targets the business segment. For this purpose, it offers many security options like a fingerprint reader (integrated into the power button), an infrared camera for Windows Hello, a Kensington lock slot, and a mechanical camera shutter. No longer present: A smart card reader.

Accessories

A 170-watt charger with a Slim Tip connector is included. Among the optional model-specific accessories are the ThinkPad Thunderbolt 4 Workstation Dock and the Lenovo ThinkPad Pen Pro.

Maintenance

Seven ordinary cross-head screws have to be loosened; the screws remain stuck in the case when they are unscrewed. Afterwards, two clips between the hinges need to be released, and the base cover can be immediately removed then.

Unlike all other X1 ThinkPads, the X1 Extreme has upgradeable RAM. The SSD can also be upgraded, and the second M.2-2280 slot is available as well in our review sample. However, the Wi-Fi module is soldered. An M.2 slot for WWAN is available, but not the antenna and SIM slot. The battery and cooling system are easy to replace or clean, but replacing the keyboard is complicated. According to the Hardware Maintenance Manual, the Lenovo laptop needs to be completely disassembled for this.

ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - View of the interior
ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - View of the interior

Warranty

A three-year warranty comes as standard with more expensive ThinkPads from Lenovo, but only with bring-in service. Having the device repaired at home is possible, but on-site service is charged extra. The same is true for an extended battery warranty, accident protection, and an extension of the warranty period to five years.

Input devices: The X1 Extreme 2021 comes with a controversial keyboard redesign

Keyboard

At first glance, the backlight keyboard of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4 doesn't appear to have undergone any dramatic changes. This is misleading, because Lenovo has reduced the key travel from 1.8 to 1.5 millimeters, and the keycaps are slightly lower as well. We already saw these changes in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, even though the keyboard of the larger X1 Extreme continues to have the full standard width. This makes the switch easier, even though the typing experience will naturally still be different. The keys simply have less depth.

It's still an excellent keyboard with concave keys and an ideal pressure point; the competition in the form of the Dell XPS laptops and the Apple MacBooks can still be beaten in this regard - but the lower key travel brings the keyboard closer to other "modern" keyboards, which results in the special ThinkPad flair becoming somewhat lost.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - Keyboard area
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - Keyboard area

Touchpad and TrackPoint

Like the keyboard, the touchpad seems unchanged, but it has actually undergone some changes as well, since Lenovo has made it wider. The area of the matte glass trackpad measures 11.5 x 6.5 cm (~4.5 x 2.6 in) now. All in all, it's still a very good trackpad with an integrated click mechanism that can be used to control the mouse cursor easily as well as perform multitouch gestures.

The red TrackPoint can't be missing on any ThinkPad. The pointing stick, manufactured by ELAN in this case, makes it possible to move the mouse cursor accurately and quickly without taking your hand off the keyboard. While the TrackPoint itself is virtually unchanged, its mouse buttons are not: The three dedicated TrackPoint buttons are now flat, as has been the case on the X1 Carbon since 2019. After a short familiarization period, the buttons are just as easy to use as the mouse buttons on the older ThinkPads.

Touchscreen

Besides the touchpad and TrackPoint, our test device also features a 10-point multi-touchscreen as an additional alternative. It works flawlessly and is ideal when you want to zoom into pictures on the fly. The pen compatibility is much more unusual for non-convertibles; the screen can also be operated with a Wacom AES digitizer. Nevertheless, a pen was not included.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4: Touchpad
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4: Touchpad
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4: TrackPoint
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4: TrackPoint

Display: 4K touchscreen now in 16:10 format and with a 16-inch diagonal size

ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - Subpixel matrix
ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - Subpixel matrix
Backlight bleeding (represented in an intensified way here)
Backlight bleeding (represented in an intensified way here)

Lenovo implemented the most important change in the display: Instead of being a 15.6-inch one in the 16:9 format, it's now a 16-inch screen in the 16:10 format. There are also considerable changes when it comes to the available options: Full HD (1920x1080) as the base resolution as well as OLED are both history; instead, Lenovo provides a choice between QHD/WQXGA (2560x1600) and 4K UHD+/WQUXGA (3840x2400) LCDs.

Our test device is equipped with a WQUXGA display, namely the semi-glossy touch variant. We were already able to test the panel installed here in the matte non-touch variant of the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4. Lenovo advertises it with a brightness of 600 cd/m², and the LG panel in our test device delivers an average of 612 cd/m². This makes it brighter than all competitors, beating both the OLED panel in the Dell XPS 15 9510 and the miniLED LCD in the Apple MacBook Pro 16 in SDR mode. Positive: The IPS panel in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 doesn't experience PWM, unlike the XPS 15 OLED. One drawback, however, are the high response times.

591
cd/m²
555
cd/m²
613
cd/m²
599
cd/m²
639
cd/m²
661
cd/m²
596
cd/m²
605
cd/m²
647
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LP160UQ1-SPB1
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 661 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 611.8 cd/m² Minimum: 14 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 639 cd/m²
Contrast: 1360:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.2 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2, calibrated: 1.4
ΔE Greyscale 1.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
97.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
84.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.31
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
LP160UQ1-SPB1, IPS LED, 3840x2400, 16.00
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
N156HCE-GN1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
SDC414D, OLED, 3456x2160, 15.60
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Sharp LQ170R1, IPS, 3840x2400, 17.00
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Liquid Retina XDR, Mini-LED, 3456x2234, 16.20
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
LP160UQ1-SPB1, IPS LED, 3840x2400, 16.00
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
B160QAN02.M, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00
Display
-24%
7%
5%
3%
1%
-9%
Display P3 Coverage
84.3
61
-28%
99.9
19%
94.8
12%
99.1
18%
85.7
2%
77.3
-8%
sRGB Coverage
98.3
89.9
-9%
100
2%
100
2%
100
2%
99.4
1%
99.9
2%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
97.8
62.2
-36%
98.1
0%
100
2%
88
-10%
98.9
1%
78.1
-20%
Response Times
46%
94%
25%
-45%
17%
35%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
60 ?(29, 31)
33.6 ?(17.2, 16.4)
44%
3.6 ?(2, 1.6)
94%
44.8 ?(20.8, 24)
25%
42.8 ?(19.6, 23.2)
29%
55.2 ?(26.8, 28.4)
8%
40.8 ?(20.4, 20.4)
32%
Response Time Black / White *
42 ?(23, 19)
22.4 ?(12.8, 9.6)
47%
2.8 ?(1.2, 1.6)
93%
32 ?(15.6, 16.4)
24%
91.6 ?(76, 15.6)
-118%
31.2 ?(16.4, 14.8)
26%
26.4 ?(14, 12.4)
37%
PWM Frequency
26040 ?(50)
59.5 ?(99)
14880
Screen
-5%
37%
-19%
239%
1%
-16%
Brightness middle
639
518
-19%
362
-43%
536.5
-16%
514
-20%
630
-1%
420
-34%
Brightness
612
513
-16%
367
-40%
489
-20%
497
-19%
622
2%
401
-34%
Brightness Distribution
84
88
5%
97
15%
85
1%
95
13%
90
7%
90
7%
Black Level *
0.47
0.38
19%
0.06
87%
0.37
21%
0.02
96%
0.41
13%
0.3
36%
Contrast
1360
1363
0%
6033
344%
1450
7%
25700
1790%
1537
13%
1400
3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.2
2.1
5%
2.1
5%
2.46
-12%
1.4
36%
2.2
-0%
2.5
-14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.3
4.5
15%
4.1
23%
7.74
-46%
2.8
47%
5
6%
4.9
8%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.4
1.3
7%
2.5
-79%
1.85
-32%
1
29%
1.6
-14%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.7
2.7
-59%
1.4
18%
2.9
-71%
2.3
-35%
2.7
-59%
3.4
-100%
Gamma
2.31 95%
2.35 94%
2.18 101%
2.12 104%
2.27 97%
2.26 97%
2.24 98%
CCT
6390 102%
7042 92%
6608 98%
6868 95%
6792 96%
6886 94%
6479 100%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
57.7
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
90.4
Total Average (Program / Settings)
6% / -2%
46% / 38%
4% / -7%
66% / 141%
6% / 3%
3% / -7%

* ... smaller is better

Colors
Colors
Grayscales
Grayscales
Saturation
Saturation
Colors (calibrated)
Colors (calibrated)
Grayscales (calibrated)
Grayscales (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)
Saturation (calibrated)

There is a "Color Calibrated" sticker on the palm rest, and Lenovo also preinstalls some color profiles. Out of the box, there are a few deviations with the default profile. We used the CalMAN software and the X-Rite i1Pro 2 colorimeter to analyze the display. Calibration with the X-Rite i1Profiler leads to better measurements.

The display is of high quality, even if the contrast and black level aren't entirely at the highest level. Both the sRGB and AdobeRGB color spaces are almost fully covered, so this 8-bit + FRC panel is well suited for simple image editing.

sRGB: 98.3%
sRGB: 98.3%
AdobeRGB: 97.8%
AdobeRGB: 97.8%
DCI-P3: 84.3%
DCI-P3: 84.3%
Outdoors (cloudy)
Outdoors (cloudy)

The display is glossy, but reflections have been significantly reduced. Combined with the high brightness, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 can be used outdoors without any issues.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 19 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 (22.3 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
60 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 29 ms rise
↘ 31 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 95 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.2 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18889 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4's viewing-angle stability is beyond reproach.

Performance: A lot of CPU and GPU power in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4

The Intel CPUs available are: Two Intel Core i7s (i7-11800Hi7-11850H), and one Core i9 (i9-11950H). In addition, there are four Nvidia GPUs: The RTX 3050 TiRTX 3060RTX 3070, and RTX 3080. Furthermore, the X1 Extreme Gen 4 can also be configured without a dGPU.

The maximum RAM capacity is 64 GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and two SO-DIMM slots are available for easy upgradeability. Our review sample also comes with two M.2-2280 slots for SSDs, but this is only available in the models with the RTX 3050 Ti or an Intel GPU.

HWiNFO
HWiNFO
GPU-Z Intel iGPU
GPU-Z Intel iGPU
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z SPD
CPU-Z SPD

Processor

The Intel Core i7-11800H is the entry-level model among the i7 CPUs of the H-series. As an H-CPU, the typical TDP for this Tiger Lake processor is 45 watts, with clock rates of 2.3 to 4.6 GHz. Our CPU Benchmarks article can be used for detailed comparisons with other processors.

Our configuration of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is comparable to that of the ThinkPad P1 Gen 4 that we already reviewed. In the meantime, however, Lenovo has released a new UEFI version that has changed the power limits: In Boost mode, the processor can use a maximum of 70 watts, after which its consumption stabilizes at 55 watts. This is considerably more than in the ThinkPad P1, resulting in much better CPU performance for the X1 Extreme. Compared to the X1 Extreme Gen 3 predecessor, the CPU runs 67% faster.

There's a slight CPU performance reduction on battery power: The processor can't make use of the boost to 70 watts here and is limited to 55 watts.

Cinebench R15 Multi endurance test

1166.91271.91376.91481.91586.91691.91796.91901.92006.9Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) Intel Core i7-11800H: Ø1877 (1839.5-2023.47)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00 Intel Core i7-10750H: Ø1183 (1166.86-1256.76)
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED Intel Core i7-11800H; Ultra Performance: Ø1663 (1589.38-2024.19)
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED Intel Core i7-11800H: Ø1625 (1566.05-2009.95)
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060 Intel Core i7-11800H: Ø1750 (1720.87-1845.87)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro Apple M1 Pro: Ø1681 (1674.55-1690.12)
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE Intel Core i7-11800H: Ø1405 (1380.5-1547.99)
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00 Intel Core i7-11850H: Ø1803 (1759.48-1988.07)
CPU Performance Rating: Percent
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 5.4: 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
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro -5!
Apple M1 Pro
82.8 pt ∼83%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
79.1 pt ∼79%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
77.9 pt ∼78%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060 -2!
Intel Core i7-11800H
75.5 pt ∼76%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
 
74.9 pt ∼75%
Average of class Multimedia
 
71.6 pt ∼72%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
71.4 pt ∼71%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
64.3 pt ∼64%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
55.4 pt ∼55%
Cinebench R23 / Multi Core
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
12446 Points ∼100%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
12370 Points ∼99% -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
11935 Points ∼96% -4%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (6508 - 14088, n=47)
11696 Points ∼94% -6%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
11668 (7361.61min - 11667.6max) Points ∼94% -6%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3127 - 19147, n=108, last 2 years)
10941 Points ∼88% -12%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
10531 Points ∼85% -15%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
9376 Points ∼75% -25%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
7458 Points ∼60% -40%
Cinebench R23 / Single Core
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
1552 Points ∼100% +2%
Average of class Multimedia
  (819 - 2054, n=106, last 2 years)
1547 Points ∼100% +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
1534 Points ∼99% +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
1521 Points ∼98%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
1502 Points ∼97% -1%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
1498 Points ∼97% -2%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (1386 - 1522, n=44)
1497 Points ∼96% -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
1452 Points ∼94% -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
1262 Points ∼81% -17%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
4726 Points ∼100%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
4663 Points ∼99% -1%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (2498 - 5408, n=49)
4472 Points ∼95% -5%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
4352 Points ∼92% -8%
Average of class Multimedia
  (1192 - 7350, n=105, last 2 years)
4077 Points ∼86% -14%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
3848 Points ∼81% -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
3552 Points ∼75% -25%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
2827 Points ∼60% -40%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
2721 Points ∼58% -42%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
607 Points ∼100% +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
585 Points ∼96%
Average of class Multimedia
  (316 - 792, n=105, last 2 years)
583 Points ∼96% 0%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
581 Points ∼96% -1%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
579 Points ∼95% -1%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (520 - 586, n=46)
576 Points ∼95% -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
563 Points ∼93% -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
488 Points ∼80% -17%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
393 Points ∼65% -33%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
2024 Points ∼100% 0%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
2010 Points ∼99% -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
2023 (1839.5min - 2023.47max) Points ∼100%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
1988 (1759.48min - 1988.07max) Points ∼98% -2%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (1342 - 2173, n=49)
1900 Points ∼94% -6%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
1846 (1720.87min - 1845.87max) Points ∼91% -9%
Average of class Multimedia
  (570 - 3023, n=117, last 2 years)
1809 Points ∼89% -11%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
1690 (1675min - 1690max) Points ∼83% -16%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
1548 (1380.5min - 1547.99max) Points ∼76% -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
1257 (1166.86min - 1256.76max) Points ∼62% -38%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
233 Points ∼100% +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
230 Points ∼99%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
228 Points ∼98% -1%
Average of class Multimedia
  (119 - 297, n=105, last 2 years)
228 Points ∼98% -1%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
225 Points ∼97% -2%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (201 - 231, n=45)
225 Points ∼97% -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
218 Points ∼94% -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
209 Points ∼90% -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
205 Points ∼88% -11%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
375 Seconds * ∼100% -49%
Average of class Multimedia
  (166 - 956, n=101, last 2 years)
343 Seconds * ∼91% -36%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
340 Seconds * ∼91% -35%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
298 Seconds * ∼79% -18%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (217 - 454, n=45)
276 Seconds * ∼74% -10%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
261 Seconds * ∼70% -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
257 Seconds * ∼69% -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
252 Seconds * ∼67%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
183.3 Seconds * ∼49% +27%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
51729 MIPS ∼100% +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
50552 MIPS ∼98% +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
49194 MIPS ∼95%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (33718 - 56758, n=45)
48500 MIPS ∼94% -1%
Average of class Multimedia
  (11813 - 78016, n=98, last 2 years)
45344 MIPS ∼88% -8%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
42570 MIPS ∼82% -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
37641 MIPS ∼73% -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
34433 MIPS ∼67% -30%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
5762 MIPS ∼100% +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
5621 MIPS ∼98%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
5513 MIPS ∼96% -2%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (5138 - 5716, n=45)
5487 MIPS ∼95% -2%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
5481 MIPS ∼95% -2%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
5427 MIPS ∼94% -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
5341 MIPS ∼93% -5%
Average of class Multimedia
  (2898 - 6591, n=98, last 2 years)
5304 MIPS ∼92% -6%
Geekbench 5.4 / Multi-Core
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
12499 Points ∼100% +53%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
9451 Points ∼76% +16%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3307 - 15348, n=105, last 2 years)
8987 Points ∼72% +10%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (4655 - 9851, n=39)
8566 Points ∼69% +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
8172 Points ∼65%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
8164 Points ∼65% 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
6495 Points ∼52% -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
5650 Points ∼45% -31%
Geekbench 5.4 / Single-Core
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro
Apple M1 Pro
1768 Points ∼100% +12%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
1659 Points ∼94% +5%
Average of class Multimedia
  (843 - 2001, n=105, last 2 years)
1590 Points ∼90% +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
1576 Points ∼89%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (1429 - 1625, n=39)
1560 Points ∼88% -1%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
1540 Points ∼87% -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
1538 Points ∼87% -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
1300 Points ∼74% -18%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
14.6 fps ∼100% +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
14.4 fps ∼99% +5%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (7.38 - 17.4, n=45)
13.8 fps ∼95% +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
13.7 fps ∼94%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
12.4 fps ∼85% -9%
Average of class Multimedia
  (4.12 - 22.3, n=98, last 2 years)
12.4 fps ∼85% -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
10.8 fps ∼74% -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
9.45 fps ∼65% -31%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Average of class Multimedia
  (6.7 - 89.1, n=98, last 2 years)
49.9 s * ∼100% -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
49 s * ∼98% -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
49 s * ∼98% -18%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
47.5 s * ∼95% -15%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (38.6 - 59.9, n=44)
46.5 s * ∼93% -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
45.8 s * ∼92% -11%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
45.4 s * ∼91% -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
41.4 s * ∼83%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H
0.597 sec * ∼100% -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H
0.595 sec * ∼100% -7%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H
0.567 sec * ∼95% -2%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H
  (0.548 - 0.615, n=45)
0.566 sec * ∼95% -2%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H
0.56 sec * ∼94% -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H
0.554 sec * ∼93%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H
0.541 sec * ∼91% +2%
Average of class Multimedia
  (0.4067 - 0.994, n=100, last 2 years)
0.538 sec * ∼90% +3%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
2023 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
199 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
230 Points
Help

System performance

We measure the general system performance with PCMark 10. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 achieved a good result here, which is superior to that of the predecessor.

The fact that we still experienced problems when using the device is not a result of its performance - instead, the graphics problem that we had observed in the P1 Gen 4 is also present here. We suspect a driver problem with the Intel graphics driver - the bug didn't occur with the Intel GPU disabled in the BIOS.

PCMark 10 / Score
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
6706 Points ∼100% +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
6524 Points ∼97%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (6019 - 6556, n=5)
6355 Points ∼95% -3%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3580 - 8083, n=88, last 2 years)
6075 Points ∼91% -7%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
6019 Points ∼90% -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i7-10750H, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
5225 Points ∼78% -20%
PCMark 10 / Essentials
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
10846 Points ∼100%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (9490 - 10846, n=5)
10071 Points ∼93% -7%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
10035 Points ∼93% -7%
Average of class Multimedia
  (7715 - 12144, n=88, last 2 years)
10000 Points ∼92% -8%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
9490 Points ∼87% -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i7-10750H, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
9395 Points ∼87% -13%
PCMark 10 / Productivity
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
8660 Points ∼100% +2%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (8176 - 8723, n=5)
8466 Points ∼98% 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
8450 Points ∼98%
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=88, last 2 years)
8366 Points ∼97% -1%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
8344 Points ∼96% -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i7-10750H, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
7457 Points ∼86% -12%
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
9415 Points ∼100% +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
8223 Points ∼87%
Average Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (7475 - 8577, n=5)
8175 Points ∼87% -1%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
7475 Points ∼79% -9%
Average of class Multimedia
  (2679 - 11777, n=88, last 2 years)
7412 Points ∼79% -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i7-10750H, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
5526 Points ∼59% -33%
PCMark 10 Score
6524 points
Help

DPC latencies

With the LatencyMon analysis, it was determined that the our review sample of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 has a latency problem - this can result in lag in video and audio applications.

LatencyMon
LatencyMon
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
1914 μs * ∼100% -101%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
950 μs * ∼50%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i7-10750H, Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
635 μs * ∼33% +33%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, i7-11800H, Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
566 μs * ∼30% +40%

* ... smaller is better

Storage

In comparison, the Samsung PM9A1 in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is significantly faster than the models in the comparison laptops. However, it has an even higher potential, because the M.2-2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD in the ThinkPad laptop performs below average for this model.

Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
Sequential Read: 4588MB/s
Sequential Write: 1625MB/s
4K Read: 75.2MB/s
4K Write: 182.9MB/s
4K-64 Read: 1318MB/s
4K-64 Write: 3056MB/s
Access Time Read: 0.041ms
Access Time Write: 0.022ms
Score Read: 1852Points
Score Write: 3402Points
Score Total: 6069Points
Drive Performance Rating - Percent
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
 
94.7 pt ∼95%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
81 pt ∼81%
Average of class Multimedia
 
64.4 pt ∼64%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
60.5 pt ∼61%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
54.3 pt ∼54%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
41.2 pt ∼41%
DiskSpd
seq read
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (1761 - 4677, n=58)
3718 MB/s ∼100% +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
3285 (3229.03min - 3284.63max) MB/s ∼88%
Average of class Multimedia
  (756 - 4861, n=92, last 2 years)
2393 MB/s ∼64% -27%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
2220 (2078.73min - 2220.05max) MB/s ∼60% -32%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
1877 (1850.74min - 1877.16max) MB/s ∼50% -43%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
1864 (1740.72min - 1864.2max) MB/s ∼50% -43%
seq write
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (2226 - 4516, n=58)
3557 MB/s ∼100% +23%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
2886 (2821.51min - 2885.78max) MB/s ∼81%
Average of class Multimedia
  (500 - 5015, n=92, last 2 years)
2413 MB/s ∼68% -16%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
2094 (2014.52min - 2093.59max) MB/s ∼59% -27%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
2049 (2036.12min - 2048.8max) MB/s ∼58% -29%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1806 (1669.11min - 1806.23max) MB/s ∼51% -37%
seq q8 t1 read
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
6641 (6202.75min - 6640.63max) MB/s ∼100%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (3421 - 7061, n=58)
6397 MB/s ∼96% -4%
Average of class Multimedia
  (989 - 7093, n=91, last 2 years)
4264 MB/s ∼64% -36%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
3288 (2736.76min - 3288.47max) MB/s ∼50% -50%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
3224 (2977.45min - 3223.74max) MB/s ∼49% -51%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
3213 (2586.28min - 3212.84max) MB/s ∼48% -52%
seq q8 t1 write
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
4922 (4873.36min - 4922.03max) MB/s ∼100%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (2226 - 5259, n=58)
4824 MB/s ∼98% -2%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
3160 (3003.54min - 3160.2max) MB/s ∼64% -36%
Average of class Multimedia
  (497 - 6104, n=92, last 2 years)
3100 MB/s ∼63% -37%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
3035 (3022.03min - 3034.8max) MB/s ∼62% -38%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
2869 (2808.3min - 2869.32max) MB/s ∼58% -42%
4k q1 t1 read
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
78.4 (78.15min - 78.4max) MB/s ∼100%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (48.7 - 97.4, n=58)
77.1 MB/s ∼98% -2%
Average of class Multimedia
  (18.6 - 149.1, n=92, last 2 years)
58.4 MB/s ∼74% -26%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
53.3 (53.08min - 53.34max) MB/s ∼68% -32%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
45.8 (44.91min - 45.84max) MB/s ∼58% -42%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
29 (20.95min - 28.96max) MB/s ∼37% -63%
4k q1 t1 write
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (49.9 - 275, n=58)
186.4 MB/s ∼100% +16%
Average of class Multimedia
  (74.3 - 373, n=92, last 2 years)
169.6 MB/s ∼91% +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
161 (160.33min - 161.4max) MB/s ∼86%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
156 (154.24min - 156.48max) MB/s ∼84% -3%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
113 (108.47min - 113.45max) MB/s ∼61% -30%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
112 (108.82min - 112.38max) MB/s ∼60% -30%
4k q32 t16 read
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (376 - 4185, n=58)
2480 MB/s ∼100% +95%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1540 (1533.42min - 1539.69max) MB/s ∼62% +21%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
1270 (1253.28min - 1269.52max) MB/s ∼51%
Average of class Multimedia
  (271 - 4178, n=92, last 2 years)
1232 MB/s ∼50% -3%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
723 (660.69min - 722.57max) MB/s ∼29% -43%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
720 (687.45min - 719.86max) MB/s ∼29% -43%
4k q32 t16 write
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (291 - 3559, n=58)
1829 MB/s ∼100% +390%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1549 (1544.99min - 1548.7max) MB/s ∼85% +315%
Average of class Multimedia
  (221 - 3612, n=92, last 2 years)
1028 MB/s ∼56% +176%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
426 (417.99min - 426.38max) MB/s ∼23% +14%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
422 (416.05min - 421.67max) MB/s ∼23% +13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
373 (360.07min - 372.6max) MB/s ∼20%
AS SSD
Score Total
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (2577 - 9147, n=59)
6723 Points ∼100% +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
6069 Points ∼90%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
4757 Points ∼71% -22%
Average of class Multimedia
  (1659 - 9380, n=88, last 2 years)
4393 Points ∼65% -28%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
4308 Points ∼64% -29%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
2160 Points ∼32% -64%
Score Read
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (983 - 3469, n=59)
2376 Points ∼100% +28%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
1852 Points ∼78%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1767 Points ∼74% -5%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
1619 Points ∼68% -13%
Average of class Multimedia
  (515 - 3634, n=88, last 2 years)
1534 Points ∼65% -17%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
545 Points ∼23% -71%
Score Write
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
3402 Points ∼100%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (921 - 4043, n=59)
3204 Points ∼94% -6%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
2358 Points ∼69% -31%
Average of class Multimedia
  (545 - 4026, n=88, last 2 years)
2128 Points ∼63% -37%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1711 Points ∼50% -50%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
1319 Points ∼39% -61%
Seq Read
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (2638 - 5621, n=59)
4806 MB/s ∼100% +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
4588 MB/s ∼95%
Average of class Multimedia
  (1192 - 5639, n=88, last 2 years)
3342 MB/s ∼70% -27%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
2688 MB/s ∼56% -41%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
2553 MB/s ∼53% -44%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
1362 MB/s ∼28% -70%
Seq Write
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (1617 - 4477, n=59)
3195 MB/s ∼100% +97%
Average of class Multimedia
  (388 - 4218, n=88, last 2 years)
2051 MB/s ∼64% +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
1625 MB/s ∼51%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
1566 MB/s ∼49% -4%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
1440 MB/s ∼45% -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
974 MB/s ∼30% -40%
4K Read
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
75.2 MB/s ∼100%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (45.9 - 88.1, n=59)
72.6 MB/s ∼97% -3%
Average of class Multimedia
  (27.5 - 109.4, n=88, last 2 years)
57.6 MB/s ∼77% -23%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
55.2 MB/s ∼73% -27%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
49.69 MB/s ∼66% -34%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
38.43 MB/s ∼51% -49%
4K Write
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (118.6 - 241, n=59)
186.1 MB/s ∼100% +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
182.9 MB/s ∼98%
Average of class Multimedia
  (85.5 - 322, n=88, last 2 years)
169.1 MB/s ∼91% -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
139.5 MB/s ∼75% -24%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
125.8 MB/s ∼68% -31%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
121.4 MB/s ∼65% -34%
4K-64 Read
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (421 - 2854, n=59)
1823 MB/s ∼100% +38%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1462 MB/s ∼80% +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
1318 MB/s ∼72%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
1295 MB/s ∼71% -2%
Average of class Multimedia
  (322 - 2966, n=88, last 2 years)
1142 MB/s ∼63% -13%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
370.5 MB/s ∼20% -72%
4K-64 Write
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
3056 MB/s ∼100%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (367 - 3451, n=59)
2698 MB/s ∼88% -12%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
2076 MB/s ∼68% -32%
Average of class Multimedia
  (281 - 3413, n=88, last 2 years)
1754 MB/s ∼57% -43%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
1474 MB/s ∼48% -52%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
1054 MB/s ∼34% -66%
Access Time Read
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
0.063 ms * ∼100% -54%
Average of class Multimedia
  (0.02 - 0.168, n=88, last 2 years)
0.0602 ms * ∼96% -47%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
0.042 ms * ∼67% -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
0.041 ms * ∼65%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (0.02 - 0.083, n=59)
0.03688 ms * ∼59% +10%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
0.034 ms * ∼54% +17%
Access Time Write
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Micron 2300 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TDV
0.246 ms * ∼100% -1018%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Micron 2300 512GB MTFDHBA512TDV
0.135 ms * ∼55% -514%
Average of class Multimedia
  (0.012 - 0.4, n=88, last 2 years)
0.06285 ms * ∼26% -186%
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
  (0.018 - 0.101, n=59)
0.03375 ms * ∼14% -53%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Toshiba XG6 KXG6AZNV1T02
0.031 ms * ∼13% -41%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR
0.022 ms * ∼9%

* ... smaller is better

Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics card

GPU-Z Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
GPU-Z Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti

This Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which is the entry-level option among the Nvidia graphics chips. Compared with the other GPUs, this chip is noticeably the slowest variant, since it's limited to a TGP of 35 watts. Starting with the RTX 3060, Lenovo provides the X1 Extreme Gen 4 with a better cooling system that uses a vapor chamber and grants the GPU a TGP of 80 watts.

The P1 Gen 4 with the RTX 3070 and the vapor chamber is 70% faster in the cumulative results of the 3DMark tests. In comparison to the GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q found in the predecessor, the RTX 3050 Ti is 46% faster in turn.

The RTX 3050 Ti is also exactly 46% faster when plugged into a power source. As a result, the GPU performance of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is considerably reduced on battery power.

Our GPU Benchmarks article can be used for general comparisons with the RTX 3050 Ti.

3DMark Performance Rating - Percent
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11850H
100 pt ∼100%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
82 pt ∼82%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
 
59.4 pt ∼59%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
58.7 pt ∼59%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
53.2 pt ∼53%
Average of class Multimedia
 
50.4 pt ∼50%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
45.8 pt ∼46%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10750H
40.3 pt ∼40%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11850H
30237 Points ∼100% +69%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
24844 Points ∼82% +39%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
17845 Points ∼59%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (7952 - 20905, n=26)
17652 Points ∼58% -1%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
15387 Points ∼51% -14%
Average of class Multimedia
  (1365 - 60250, n=95, last 2 years)
15299 Points ∼51% -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
14614 Points ∼48% -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10750H
12275 Points ∼41% -31%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11850H
22472 Points ∼100% +73%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
17960 Points ∼80% +39%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (7917 - 15611, n=26)
13090 Points ∼58% +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
12962 Points ∼58%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
12119 Points ∼54% -7%
Average of class Multimedia
  (920 - 46022, n=94, last 2 years)
11323 Points ∼50% -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
10266 Points ∼46% -21%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10750H
9105 Points ∼41% -30%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11850H
8391 Points ∼100% +69%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
7042 Points ∼84% +42%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (3744 - 6122, n=27)
5177 Points ∼62% +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
4973 Points ∼59%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
4591 Points ∼55% -8%
Average of class Multimedia
  (301 - 17620, n=95, last 2 years)
4212 Points ∼50% -15%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-11800H
3651 Points ∼44% -27%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10750H
3332 Points ∼40% -33%
3DMark 11 Performance
17158 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
11841 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
5262 points
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Gaming performance

The Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti is suitable for gaming. However, the FPS needs to be compromised for 4K resolution and maximum detail levels. But 60 frames per second at 1080p and a minimum of high quality is possible for most games with the X1 Extreme Gen 4.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y4S0KS00
Intel Core i7-11850H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
86.8 (74min) fps ∼100% +69%
Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7 RTX 3060
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
72.3 (68min) fps ∼83% +41%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti)
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
51.4 (42min) fps ∼59%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
  (19 - 58.5, n=29)
47.5 fps ∼55% -8%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
43.7 (32min, 34P1) fps ∼50% -15%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
37.1 (33min, 35P1) fps ∼43% -28%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
36.2 (31min, 32P1) fps ∼42% -30%
Dell XPS 15 9510 11800H RTX 3050 Ti OLED
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
34.3 (30min, 31P1) fps ∼40% -33%
Average of class Multimedia
  (5 - 139.2, n=103, last 2 years)
42 fps ∼48% -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G4-20Y30017GE
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU
38 (35min, 35P1) fps ∼44% -26%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen3-20TLS0UV00
Intel Core i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q
36.1 (34min, 35P1) fps ∼42% -30%

The Witcher 3 FPS diagram

45Tooltip
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4-20Y5CTO1WW (3050 Ti) i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU: Ø47.3 (45-50)
low med. high ultraQHD4K
GTA V (2015) 180 172 130 69 50.6 43.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 249 166 95.2 51.4 32.4
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 158 137 130 121 71.4
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 110 90.2 73.2 49.5
Strange Brigade (2018) 281 129 89.5 64.8 35.8

Emissions: Lenovo lets the fans loose

Noise emissions

The two fans of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2021 remain off in idle use. When the ThinkPad is put under load, the fan becomes loud quite quickly. The approximately 43 dB(A) in the medium-load test is already very audible. Under maximum load in the stress test, Lenovo lets the fan run much louder at around 52 dB(A); no other comparison device is louder at this point.

We were unable to hear any coil whine in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4.

Noise Level

Idle
23.52 / 23.52 / 23.52 dB(A)
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