Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is about to get even more extreme with the 2019 Gen 2 refresh

Last year's ThinkPad X1 Extreme continues to be one of our highest-rated business laptops because of its stable chassis design, excellent CPU performance, 4K UHD panel with no flickering, and ease of serviceability. Lenovo will be upping the ante this year with the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 by including Intel 9th gen Core i9 H-Series CPUs and a GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU to supplant the 8th gen H-series CPUs and GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q GPU of the 2018 model.

Other new features include a brighter 4K OLED touchscreen and an even higher 4 TB storage option. The OLED panel will likely be the same panel as found on the upcoming OLED IdeaPad C730 and OLED Razer Blade 15.

Beyond the above internal changes, the chassis of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 will remain identical to last year's model. Users can expect the exact same keyboard, touchpad, and port options between the two generations. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how much of a performance boost the 9th gen Core i9 can offer over the Core i7-8750H or if the system will have to throttle the CPU for thermal reasons.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 will begin shipping this July for a starting price of $1500 USD. While there's no word yet on a potential GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q option, we won't be holding our breath due to the already tight thermals of the ThinkPad X1 chassis design.