I used to watch videos like this as just a regular consumer when I was younger. Now I am the IT guy of an amazing company, and these videos are gold for when I decide what to buy for new employees
"all right so i think it's time to take a break from gaming laptops and focus on something that appeals to the masses" ah yes a 2000$ laptop. My dad is very appealed by this thank you
Thinkpad X1 Carbon is the best work laptop I've used so far. I have the 6th gen version, and I used it for software development. I love how light it is while still offering great battery life and performance. I wonder how they fit such a nice keyboard in a thin chassis.
Same! Still rocking the 6th Gen and not sure if I’m gonna upgrade to 9th but definitely tempted lol. Sadly I got the 8GB RAM variant 3 years ago and regretting it with Teams and Chrome already taking it to 85% memory already. I’d love the 9th Gen with 16GB RAM.
You are not supposed to buy any Lenovo products at MSRP. Their entire sales strategy is unannounced rotating sales. It keeps you browse their website every now and then, and hunt for deals
8:50 I'm so glad that you opened the lid up to its limit. It's very important to me that I can open it as much as I want. On some laptops (like Apple) you can't entirely open the lid, it blocks at some point which is supposed to be the optimal angle, but some people are taller/shorter than others, and there are cases where you want to be able to open the lid more. Please include this "test" in all your future laptops reviews, some people need to know this information. Great review BTW!
We use X1 Carbons at my work (Gen6 & Gen 8 currently) and we love them. I need to see about getting the new Gen9 though only for the 16:10 screen. Excellent review!
I had the X1 6th gen. I loved everything about it except battery life. How long did you get on yours? I had the HDR display version and I got 3-5 5hours max.. I sold it 2 months ago
My gen6 had trackpad issues, wifi driver issues, mediocre battery life, weird fan curves and huge dpc latency spikes. The rest was fine and the keyboard was awesome, but overall I'm disappointed. If the M1X has more IO, my next notebook will be a MacBook.
@@changsta2004 I had the regular 1080p not HDR display and would get through a full work day on the battery ~8.5 hours on average. I'm a big fan of getting the best display usually but on a laptop they can really cut down on the battery life.
@@davidruppelt My job had purchased 14 of the gen 6 and only had issues with the SSD on two of them which were replaced under warranty without any hassles. That's unfortunate you had so many odd issues with yours. we have several of the Gen8 version that have also been pretty solid for us so far. My work is a Windows only shop with the exception of 4 computers for the marketing guys but the M1X products look very enticing on a personal level!
@@Quade1492 i would gladly buy the x1 carbons again under one condition: have an AMD option. I know they are refraining from swapping to Amd models on their top models (carbon and yoga) because of no thundebolt. AMD should really secure rights to thunderbolt ports. If I'm paying 1500 ton 2400 dollars for a premium laptop, i expect a premium cpu. 4 or 6 cores is not enough sometimes
Thinkpads are supposed to be utilitarian champs , it needs a SD card slot and a mini Ethernet port to be so . For the price you are paying and the fact this is advertised as a business laptop the webcam has to be very good.
ThinkPads are supposed to be laptops Lenovo offer a huge range of options from all-soldered to all-upgradeable at all price points. That' why they're the #1 PC manufacturer (by sales/market share) in the world.
Thinkpads have always been the gold standard for superior engineering on a Windows platform. IBM, the parent company that engineered Thinkpad technology built the first electronic computer ever and that legacy of excellence has not been compromised. Thinkpads, MacBooks and Toshiba are the best quality laptops available today, in my opinion.
Funny because it has also always been the gold standard for superior engineering on a Linux platform. So much that there is a ThinkPad Wiki dedicated to it
mac and surface are fine too. XPS is somewhat overrated with their quality control issues. On surface you do get a bit overprice and lack of specs, but it does last almost as good, except for when you try to damage it, then the thinkpad wins lol.
Thinkpads using Linux OS for C, C++, and Go programmers have been great and durable. Especially the T-series (Thinkpad T14, T15, and T16). The only weakness is the trackpad, but not too big of an issue if you have a wireless mouse. Dell's are durable with Windows and great for mid-level loads, especially Dell latitudes for excel gurus. Dell XPS 17 is powerful but best for Windows extreme use. Only use it for C#/Kotlin/Powershell programming or Machine learning with Azure. M1 Macbooks Pro are the best for Java/JavaScript programmers, especially with AWS. They are also great for DJs, Adobe editors, and video editing for RUclips. Only issue is the cost and lack of full compatibility use for anything Microsoft. It costs to be the Java boss.
@@DoubleOhSilver I decided to build a pc for my home office. So I decided to go with something smaller and lighter to carry with me. I also like the extreme line. It was my only device for a long time.
Lenovo make pretty good laptops. I remember wanting to buy a laptop from Lenovo when I needed a replacement, but I somehow ended with a Dell Precision thinking "maybe this time it'll be different". And you know what, I somehow ended with a perfectly assembled laptop. I'd love to get a thin laptop for a change, an X1 would be awesome.
lenovo makes the very worst aptops on the market, with over 17% of them failing in the first 2 years. BUT their thinkpad series are their only exception, even better than surface, apple and XPS, with XPS being the worst of all these). dont mistake thinkpad for a lenovo, because its still made with IBM in mind, and not with lenovo in mind.
I still have the old ThinkPad model you showed in this video - and yes, it STILL works just as great today as the day I first got it!! It hasn't even slowed down at all, which is amazing considering I've since owned quite a few laptops as well as an iPad and iMac (2007 models) that have ALL slowed down within the first couple of years of use and have ALL since well and truly died. In fact, my uncle currently uses the old ThinkPad laptop as his daily driver, since all he does is word documents and excel sheets and he doesn't need the latest and greatest hardware or operating system to do that.
@@ibbyv Literally all the time. If you check Thinkpad prices they're always -25 to -30% off. On black friday/labor day/surprise sales they go 50% off. MSRP means nothing for thinkpads, just like how stores mark up items, which they then put on "sale".
Just a suggestion: when you create your graphs, keep the subject laptop at the top and keep the other laptops consistent with regards their order. It'll be easier to follow especially when you scroll through each chart quickly.
Thanks for this very comprehensive review. It's interesting to contrast the comments on other X1C9 reviews to the comments here, which I think reflects the fact that the audience for this channel is probably quite different from the target market for this laptop. Some general responses: (1) Camera: Most laptop webcams are trash. Some are worse than others, but nobody expects to see great video quality in Zoom calls. If you're chained to your desk on Zoom calls all day, and it's vitally important that others see you in high quality, why don't you already have an external monitor and webcam? (2) Performance: This is a business ultrabook, not a gaming laptop. It gives acceptable performance with light gaming, and it doesn't claim to do anything more. If Ryzen's multi-core superiority is important to you, get something with a Ryzen: you're not starved for choice (whether from Lenovo or some other manufacturer). (3) Price: Aren't we all used to Lenovo's nonsensical pricing by now? Nobody buys these laptops at MSRP, so you can't base the price-performance ratio on the MSRP. It takes barely any time and effort to get a heavy discount, even if you're not a corporate buyer. I see quite a few comments saying that MacBooks are cheaper: well, where I am, I can get an X1 Carbon for significantly less than an equivalent-spec MacBook Pro (which has a smaller screen, is heavier, and has zero upgradeability). (4) It's telling that, in the comments section, there's no real suggestion that any other thin-and-light Windows laptops are of higher quality. I'm all ears, but all I'm seeing are comments that other devices are cheaper irrespective of quality.
8GB of ram for the base model legit would make excel work a nightmare. What do these people do for a living? Just answer emails? If that's the performance you need, you can get it for a lot cheaper elsewhere. Not to mention none of these are fixable or upgradeable. What about these do you think makes them a great business laptop? Why is 0.5lbs worth 80% performance declines? At what point does being thin and light offer diminishing returns. They (and you) say it's a good business laptop and my challenge to you is simple: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. What makes this substantially better than any other no GPU laptop? 🤔 Or is it just because it says Lenovo?
@@telquel7843 If 8GB RAM isn't enough, don't get 8GB RAM. Just because it's theoretically possible to order a model with 8GB, that doesn't mean that's the necessary comparison point. All of the pre-built models available in my country have at least 16GB. For a custom-built model ... well, it's a custom model, so a prospective buyer should pick what they need. As for the "80% performance decline", that's a much more "extraordinary" claim than suggesting that it's a good business laptop. The X1C9 isn't for everyone, and it sounds like it's not for you. That's fine: just pick a device that is aimed more towards your needs and wants.
@@p.a.5148 It's ridiculous to have laptops with 8GB of ram starting at $1500. No amount of mental gymnastics will change the fact that this generation offers objectively worse performance per dollar than those of the past for Lenovo. Windows 10 will use up half the RAM in the base model which it's hard to understand how that would ever be a reasonable spec. I think it's reasonable to point out that having a base configuration so impractical is silly especially for a mid range price. Costs have gone up for manufacturers but that doesn't account for the gap entirely. As for 80% performance reduction, it is clear that I am speaking of the trend to sacrifice all for the thin and light in the laptop sector in general not a specific product. That said, 80% performance reduction would be generous when you look at integrated UHD graphics vs the ability to have a dedicated GPU. I like the idea of reviewing less gamer crap, but then I would like to see more relevant productivity benchmarks and laptops that aren't clearly priced for bulk discounting to corporate offices/government.
Not necessarily, although the M1 MacBook Air is great, this is a different category, the Air doesn't have the same durability, keyboard, security and ports, this is more of a work laptop than a regular consumer one. This price includes things like a vPro processor, that are way more expensive (but irrelevant for regular users).
I love ThinkPads and right now, I am still rocking my years old X240 which however is fine for casual desktop use and the type of CAD work we use it for at work. But the soldered RAM and that painful to look at webcam is a downer to me. Also expanding it? Certainly not on the all soldered inside. The keyboard is fine though. I still like the OG ThinkPad's keyboard better but the newer style ones are fine too.
@@MegaManNeo try something like the newer T14 I have the P14s AMD (gen 1) (which is actually rebranded T14 AMD gen 1) and it has been pretty good except for the slightly annoying battery drain during S3 sleep which should be fixed in upcoming BIOS updates
The Lenovo website here in Canada has the price "starting at" ~ $1900, but the lowest tier model is listed at $4,759. Also estimated delivery is December-January. I'd love to buy this at the prices Eber lists, but the current offerings are ridiculous. Lenovo, if you are out of stock, just say so, don't gouge consumers! I may consider this machine in the new year if the prices calm down
The prices he lists are horrible. Legit been a Lenovo fan for ages but these are trash and it's insane to me that anyone considers them decent performance for their price. Asus g14 is a way better laptop for way less money. It's still pretty light and you can actuay upgrade things and it's components are actually valuable. Reading some of these comments makes me feel like I'm taking crazy pills. The ram on these is probably like 2666mhz. 😕
@@ZackWolfMusic thats subjective, sure. its a beast regardless. 2 m.2 slots, a 2.5 inch slot, 4 ram slots, 4gb dedicated gpu, up to 64gb. im content with it
I thought I would find something in this Notebook that would tempt me to give up my 4K, i7 1065G7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB SSD XPS 13 9300, but I did not. By the way, my configuration cost $1229 when I purchased it earlier this year, brand new, from Dell.
The XPS 13 Lacks ports, but even if you buy the thunderbolt 4 hub it's still cheaper than the Think Pad. I'm about that dollar value, and the Think Pad isn't cutting it, personally.
Seriously, Windows 95?! You look way young for that! The first system I worked on as a child was running Win98 and I look twice as old as you! good skin care lol, keep up friend!
Lenovo's msrp basically has to be disregarded entirely. The "sales" are pretty much the actual prices, and even then comparable laptops often still go for less. The "normal" prices are unreasonably marked up.
I just switched to this laptop from an older model HP EliteBook, I like the built quality and the keyboard, their docks are also very nice, great video.
Great vid. I'd love to see Lenovo get rid of the "Yoga" line on the Thinkpads and just put a 360 hinge on the Carbon. Or get rid of the Carbon and figure out how to reduce the weight of the Yoga line so it's less than 2.5lbs.
I wish Lenovo made a "in the middle" resolution, like 1600p or 1800p. 1200p is kinda low for a laptop of this price but 4K is overkill in this size, you're just wasting battery for nothing.
really frustrating that both thunderbolt ports are on the same side so you can only charge the laptop from that side, manufactures should know how convenient it is to be able to charge on either side......
Thinkpad is Legendary Laptop by Lenovo. But yeah, this laptop has high price and only Businesses that can buy it Plus Something that I hate about Premium Laptop 1. Soldered RAM and fixed capacity 2. No additional Slot for Storage 3. If it Intel Quad Core, yeah I feel like "Noop" while AMD Ryzen "Yeah"
Rockin' the 1st gen here using Chrome OS 91 (since its a bit old by today's standards). Was gonna try using chrome 69 from the Chromebook Pixel 2013 because the specs are nearly identical but it wasn't worth the lack of google play support. Cant wait to finally see it boot.
Lenovo is nailing it with their ThinkPads, the keyboard is solid and despite the bloatware they are creeping in, they are still doing a solid job overall.
There is one problem with the camera on the current crop of Thinkpads...and that is the fact that they are Up-The-Nose Cams. With their resolution and their placement, it enables your colleagues, friends and family members a revealing look up your nostrils in HD! I know a number of people who have bought recent Lenovos and then gone out shortly thereafter to buy a webcam that sits on the top of the bezel.
T480s, i7 8gen, 40GB Ram, First driver Samsung 970 Pro 1TB NVMe , and second drive 512 NVM in WAN port. Ethernet, USBC, USB3, Hdmi. Best daily for IT admin.
IIRC the lack of usb 3.2 gen 2 on the A ports, is down to having maxed out the available pcie lanes with all the other various internal / IO integrations (the two thunderbolt 4 ports are separate).
Great review. thanks. Let me know,do you recommend Win 11 or Win 10? I have the XPS 13 now. Would you recommend the X1 over a new XPS, or go with another XPS13? I do a lot of photo editing with Adobe suite of products.
Really enjoyed the review, but having lived with this laptop myself for the past 3 weeks (same 4k 16:10) spec... my webcam is MILES better than the results you saw. Perhaps this was a lighting issue?
How is the battery on yours with 4k? I saw some very mixed reviews and deciding between 4k and FHD. Also, how about the display readability and glossiness, can you compare to something? (mac, ipad)
@@kokos1920 Battery life is not anything to brag about, but it's more than sufficient for my use. If you're not watching videos or chewing up CPU/GPU cycles, it's more than acceptable. Legibility in the sun is about the same as my wife's 2019 MacBook pro, which is largely irrelevant to me, since 90% of my use is plugged in at a desk. If you're going to spend most of your time on battery, then 4k Ultrabook is going to suit your needs though... so there's that. My #1 criteria was the international service, which I require due to relocating to Central America. My options were the Carbon or XPS line, and for the money, the Carbon can't be beat (when you leverage all the potential discounts/sales/etc.)
gen 9 is the first x1c using the chasis design. and is the only one that manage the heat fairly. the 10th and 11th gen overheat like hell. they need a cooling system upgrade for sure
Let's be honest, this class of notebooks just can't compete with the new ARM based MacBooks if they're based on traditional CPUs from Intel and AMD. And no, I'm not a Apple fanboy. I never owned a MacBook, iPhone or some other hardware from Apple.
Yeah, the M1 Macs are the first products from Apple in a very long time that I feel are genuinely innovative and good. I'm excited for the wave of ARM pc's that are sure to follow. There is even an arm based Linux tablet in development! (Jingpad A1)
Mac OS still has a long way to go to meet the needs of enterprises and governments. So no, the M1 MacBook is not a viable alternative for the target consumers of X1 Carbon.
I have a 6th and 7th gen. The 6th gen is silver and is the perfect finish to keep clean. The 7th gen is the carbon black and finger prints are crazy. That said the 7th gen has the power button on the side vs under the lid. Makes it way more convenient when you dock it to a screen, keyboard/mouse set up. Dont like that the 9th gen doesnt have the power button on the side.
If the flow x13 and blade stealth can hold a 3050ti/1650ti in it, so can the x1 carbon and other ultrabooks. Just solder in the chip, set to dynamically balance cpu n gpu tdp and done. seems to me only those two manufactures are doing something. This should have a equivalent quadro in it.
@@johnsullivan8673 how is it a user issue? Chrome was updated to separate tab processes hence memory usage skyrocketed. How's it not a chrome issue? I have a 16gb P50 and VS code occasionally eats all that as well.
@@aberba then switch to a light weight browser unless you really need to write stuff for V8. If I can dev safely critical stuff on a RasPi, you have 0 excuses. Well, incompetence is sort of an excuse.
the comments here make it sound like the X1 carbon is the ONLY thinkpad offered. "it needs this, it needs that... " there are literally 10+ different platforms under the ThinkPad brand to suite your needs. All those wanting super thin and "all the ports".... SMH.
FAR from perfection. We currently have around 20 of these out for repair because for some reason, they will suddenly decide that the 65w power supply that's plugged into them is really only a 15w and so will not charge while powered on, and will usually lose charge. Many people on the Lenovo forum have this issue and it goes back to at least a year ago. Lenovo seems to think a BIOS update will fix the problem, but it does not. These laptops are now practically useless. The only fix that seems to work is getting a new mainboard installed, and that's not even a guarantee the issue won't come back as it had for one person at least 3 times. From the user perspective, Lenovo has no interest in fixing this problem or even really admitting it exists. If it was up to me, we'd go back to being a Dell shop tomorrow.
hahaha relatable, have had 50+ at my work with faulty usb-c ports that will not power anymore,... they also mentioned a BIOS update for that.... still waiting. T 14 gen 3s on the other hand arent bad
How is that with these videos, there's never criticism of soldered RAM. Who's buying a $2,000 laptop with soldered RAM? And who would ever recommend that....?
So far business sector just looks like suckers who spend other people's money recklessly because they're clueless. This laptop is not good value. Anyone who can get by with 8GB of ram doesn't need anything near this expensive. Legit this is approaching a $1500 iPad.
@@johnsullivan8673 I work in corporate IT but I appreciate your ignorant two cents being thrown in months later. Your comparison is stupid because business class tickets allow you to board earlier, often give you access to the lounge, different food and drink options, and more space for yourself and your things. So is that basically the extra tech support you're trying to equivalate? You take a huge downgrade on the hardware components because someone is quicker to answer the phone? The difference is the plane doesn't fly slower when you buy a business class ticket. I do understand value. Your comment was of low value. Have a great day.
why would anyone buy this when we have m1 macbook air that is much cheaper with better processor at lower price or amd laptops like acer swift X that has rtx3050ti in a thin and light.
well I've had Thinkapds since the series evolved (yes I had the 770 you pictured) and right now I'm typing this on an X220 because I just can't abide where the Carbon has gone to. Everyone seems to forget the built in lamp in the frame and a good keyboard that you could type on ... heck I typed my masters thesis on x21 and x30 (upgraded) laptops. If you type (what's that) then the modern keys take a LOT to get used to and if you then use a desktop you feel weird going back to those flat chicklet keys. Why has the Caps Lock lost its LED? Oh, and if you know the word sold (I sold my car) you don't pronounce that as sodd ... so why Americans imagine that solder is "sodder" is beyond imagination
Because a significant percentage of these end up in the hands of project “managers” who only use them for ppt and excel with a bit of acrobat sprinkled on. IT depts run on a budget and they don’t mess around with consumer level hardware.
This fellow must have worked as a hip hop ramp attendant at the airport, he waves his hands around so much, Passengers no doubt found it highly entertaining but I'm thinking it distracts yugely from what he's trying to say.
I used to watch videos like this as just a regular consumer when I was younger. Now I am the IT guy of an amazing company, and these videos are gold for when I decide what to buy for new employees
You’re a good guy if you do this and don’t just go after the best price
You're awesome!
Check out the framework laptop!
@Central Based Agency Dell latitudes are terrible. Don't do it.
What is your point...?
"all right so i think it's time to take a break from gaming laptops and focus on something that appeals to the masses" ah yes a 2000$ laptop. My dad is very appealed by this thank you
Lol 😆🤣😂
I know, these tech RUclips guys don't understand that lol.
If you finish the quote, he says "something that appeals to the masses: thin and light laptops"
@@caseygreen6818 nah youre the one that dont understand
@@caseygreen6818 LTT "budget laptop" is always 1500
Thinkpad X1 Carbon is the best work laptop I've used so far. I have the 6th gen version, and I used it for software development. I love how light it is while still offering great battery life and performance. I wonder how they fit such a nice keyboard in a thin chassis.
Same! Still rocking the 6th Gen and not sure if I’m gonna upgrade to 9th but definitely tempted lol. Sadly I got the 8GB RAM variant 3 years ago and regretting it with Teams and Chrome already taking it to 85% memory already. I’d love the 9th Gen with 16GB RAM.
@@familynguyen5656 Go for 32 GB ram. 16GB is not future proof if you buy now.
hi. how long does your battery last?
I know how ......
@@tazbir1cs true I still think 32 is overkill for most laptops though
TLDR: Good laptop, just don't buy this at MSRP....
the quote of 2021 sadly... ouf
It's so boring seeing all the average/good laptop inflating in price. It seems you can't get a decent pc if you don't spend $1600+ on it. :/
@@refreshfr And a lot of times they have problems before the 3 year mark which is unacceptable
@@refreshfr Nah, most decent ultrabooks start at $600. You just have to avoid these business laptops that charge $1600 with Core i3.
You are not supposed to buy any Lenovo products at MSRP. Their entire sales strategy is unannounced rotating sales. It keeps you browse their website every now and then, and hunt for deals
8:50 I'm so glad that you opened the lid up to its limit. It's very important to me that I can open it as much as I want. On some laptops (like Apple) you can't entirely open the lid, it blocks at some point which is supposed to be the optimal angle, but some people are taller/shorter than others, and there are cases where you want to be able to open the lid more. Please include this "test" in all your future laptops reviews, some people need to know this information. Great review BTW!
We use X1 Carbons at my work (Gen6 & Gen 8 currently) and we love them. I need to see about getting the new Gen9 though only for the 16:10 screen. Excellent review!
I had the X1 6th gen. I loved everything about it except battery life. How long did you get on yours? I had the HDR display version and I got 3-5 5hours max.. I sold it 2 months ago
My gen6 had trackpad issues, wifi driver issues, mediocre battery life, weird fan curves and huge dpc latency spikes. The rest was fine and the keyboard was awesome, but overall I'm disappointed. If the M1X has more IO, my next notebook will be a MacBook.
@@changsta2004 I had the regular 1080p not HDR display and would get through a full work day on the battery ~8.5 hours on average. I'm a big fan of getting the best display usually but on a laptop they can really cut down on the battery life.
@@davidruppelt My job had purchased 14 of the gen 6 and only had issues with the SSD on two of them which were replaced under warranty without any hassles. That's unfortunate you had so many odd issues with yours. we have several of the Gen8 version that have also been pretty solid for us so far. My work is a Windows only shop with the exception of 4 computers for the marketing guys but the M1X products look very enticing on a personal level!
@@Quade1492 i would gladly buy the x1 carbons again under one condition: have an AMD option. I know they are refraining from swapping to Amd models on their top models (carbon and yoga) because of no thundebolt. AMD should really secure rights to thunderbolt ports.
If I'm paying 1500 ton 2400 dollars for a premium laptop, i expect a premium cpu. 4 or 6 cores is not enough sometimes
Thinkpads are supposed to be utilitarian champs , it needs a SD card slot and a mini Ethernet port to be so . For the price you are paying and the fact this is advertised as a business laptop the webcam has to be very good.
the ethernet realy is a deal breaker for me
Technically for corporate use, an integrated NFC card reader would be optimal.
ThinkPads are supposed to be laptops
Lenovo offer a huge range of options from all-soldered to all-upgradeable at all price points. That' why they're the #1 PC manufacturer (by sales/market share) in the world.
Yeah im disapointed too. But carbon was pushed to be slim/light. I hope x1 xtreme or yoga could have better options
To be fair, Lenovo MSRP's are basically BS (at least in my country). They are pretty much constantly on sale much like Dell laptops.
Thinkpads have always been the gold standard for superior engineering on a Windows platform.
IBM, the parent company that engineered Thinkpad technology built the first electronic computer ever and that legacy of excellence has not been compromised. Thinkpads, MacBooks and Toshiba are the best quality laptops available today, in my opinion.
Funny because it has also always been the gold standard for superior engineering on a Linux platform. So much that there is a ThinkPad Wiki dedicated to it
Lol you're supposed to install Linux on ThinkPad's
mac and surface are fine too. XPS is somewhat overrated with their quality control issues. On surface you do get a bit overprice and lack of specs, but it does last almost as good, except for when you try to damage it, then the thinkpad wins lol.
Thinkpads using Linux OS for C, C++, and Go programmers have been great and durable. Especially the T-series (Thinkpad T14, T15, and T16). The only weakness is the trackpad, but not too big of an issue if you have a wireless mouse.
Dell's are durable with Windows and great for mid-level loads, especially Dell latitudes for excel gurus. Dell XPS 17 is powerful but best for Windows extreme use. Only use it for C#/Kotlin/Powershell programming or Machine learning with Azure.
M1 Macbooks Pro are the best for Java/JavaScript programmers, especially with AWS. They are also great for DJs, Adobe editors, and video editing for RUclips. Only issue is the cost and lack of full compatibility use for anything Microsoft. It costs to be the Java boss.
I'm pretty sure Spielberg used this webcam to film Saving Private Ryan.
I have this laptop , jumped to this from my x1 extreme gen 1 . And it’s very nice!!! Love it so far .
Just out of curiosity, why did you move away from the extreme line?
@@DoubleOhSilver I decided to build a pc for my home office. So I decided to go with something smaller and lighter to carry with me. I also like the extreme line. It was my only device for a long time.
Hi there
If you don't mind me asking, how many hours of battery life do you get?
That webcam killed my thoughts about buying this laptop. I love the ThinkPad line. Love them. But that webcam.
Have the gen7, the cam on that's pretty decent lol.
Lenovo make pretty good laptops.
I remember wanting to buy a laptop from Lenovo when I needed a replacement, but I somehow ended with a Dell Precision thinking "maybe this time it'll be different".
And you know what, I somehow ended with a perfectly assembled laptop.
I'd love to get a thin laptop for a change, an X1 would be awesome.
lenovo makes the very worst aptops on the market, with over 17% of them failing in the first 2 years. BUT their thinkpad series are their only exception, even better than surface, apple and XPS, with XPS being the worst of all these).
dont mistake thinkpad for a lenovo, because its still made with IBM in mind, and not with lenovo in mind.
So how's the Dell precision going after 1 year?
@@faziolifairmont8125they make the best laptops
I can Always count on very detailed reviews from you and I enjoy your videos. You have a nice relaxed spoken voice that is appealing as well.
It’s my first Thinkpad. I’m loving it! I7 - 512Gb
Love my P14s Gen2 AMD, that 5850 ryzen 7 pro is a beast
the cinematography on your videos are just amazing
I still have the old ThinkPad model you showed in this video - and yes, it STILL works just as great today as the day I first got it!! It hasn't even slowed down at all, which is amazing considering I've since owned quite a few laptops as well as an iPad and iMac (2007 models) that have ALL slowed down within the first couple of years of use and have ALL since well and truly died. In fact, my uncle currently uses the old ThinkPad laptop as his daily driver, since all he does is word documents and excel sheets and he doesn't need the latest and greatest hardware or operating system to do that.
1:14 Those Days ❤😂🎉
What happend to the keyboard and the camera? OMG that gotten so much worse
Thinkpads are great.I have the 7th generation. Some advice to new purchasers. Lenovo frequently has sales with huge discounts so wait for that.
When do they have sales?
@@ibbyv Literally all the time. If you check Thinkpad prices they're always -25 to -30% off. On black friday/labor day/surprise sales they go 50% off. MSRP means nothing for thinkpads, just like how stores mark up items, which they then put on "sale".
Great overview and review, thank you. I would swear by my IBM ThinkPad T60 any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Just a suggestion: when you create your graphs, keep the subject laptop at the top and keep the other laptops consistent with regards their order. It'll be easier to follow especially when you scroll through each chart quickly.
I wish more laptop manufactures release more 17inch versions of their ultrabook lineups
Thanks for this very comprehensive review. It's interesting to contrast the comments on other X1C9 reviews to the comments here, which I think reflects the fact that the audience for this channel is probably quite different from the target market for this laptop. Some general responses:
(1) Camera: Most laptop webcams are trash. Some are worse than others, but nobody expects to see great video quality in Zoom calls. If you're chained to your desk on Zoom calls all day, and it's vitally important that others see you in high quality, why don't you already have an external monitor and webcam?
(2) Performance: This is a business ultrabook, not a gaming laptop. It gives acceptable performance with light gaming, and it doesn't claim to do anything more. If Ryzen's multi-core superiority is important to you, get something with a Ryzen: you're not starved for choice (whether from Lenovo or some other manufacturer).
(3) Price: Aren't we all used to Lenovo's nonsensical pricing by now? Nobody buys these laptops at MSRP, so you can't base the price-performance ratio on the MSRP. It takes barely any time and effort to get a heavy discount, even if you're not a corporate buyer. I see quite a few comments saying that MacBooks are cheaper: well, where I am, I can get an X1 Carbon for significantly less than an equivalent-spec MacBook Pro (which has a smaller screen, is heavier, and has zero upgradeability).
(4) It's telling that, in the comments section, there's no real suggestion that any other thin-and-light Windows laptops are of higher quality. I'm all ears, but all I'm seeing are comments that other devices are cheaper irrespective of quality.
8GB of ram for the base model legit would make excel work a nightmare. What do these people do for a living? Just answer emails?
If that's the performance you need, you can get it for a lot cheaper elsewhere. Not to mention none of these are fixable or upgradeable.
What about these do you think makes them a great business laptop? Why is 0.5lbs worth 80% performance declines? At what point does being thin and light offer diminishing returns.
They (and you) say it's a good business laptop and my challenge to you is simple: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. What makes this substantially better than any other no GPU laptop? 🤔 Or is it just because it says Lenovo?
@@telquel7843 If 8GB RAM isn't enough, don't get 8GB RAM. Just because it's theoretically possible to order a model with 8GB, that doesn't mean that's the necessary comparison point. All of the pre-built models available in my country have at least 16GB. For a custom-built model ... well, it's a custom model, so a prospective buyer should pick what they need.
As for the "80% performance decline", that's a much more "extraordinary" claim than suggesting that it's a good business laptop.
The X1C9 isn't for everyone, and it sounds like it's not for you. That's fine: just pick a device that is aimed more towards your needs and wants.
@@p.a.5148 It's ridiculous to have laptops with 8GB of ram starting at $1500. No amount of mental gymnastics will change the fact that this generation offers objectively worse performance per dollar than those of the past for Lenovo. Windows 10 will use up half the RAM in the base model which it's hard to understand how that would ever be a reasonable spec. I think it's reasonable to point out that having a base configuration so impractical is silly especially for a mid range price.
Costs have gone up for manufacturers but that doesn't account for the gap entirely.
As for 80% performance reduction, it is clear that I am speaking of the trend to sacrifice all for the thin and light in the laptop sector in general not a specific product. That said, 80% performance reduction would be generous when you look at integrated UHD graphics vs the ability to have a dedicated GPU.
I like the idea of reviewing less gamer crap, but then I would like to see more relevant productivity benchmarks and laptops that aren't clearly priced for bulk discounting to corporate offices/government.
Because people know what's up. Recent reviews of Framework laptop and the TongFang 14" chassis all over YT Tech channels has been a wake-up call.
"Their vega architecture is really really starting to show its age"
-Pulls up a chart where vega 8 is the only gpu that didn't failed
19:27
Yeah why does this vid feel like an ad instead of a review?
Just because it works doesn't mean it's not old or bad. Vega *is* all but dead at this point.
@@ishaanm8270 don't take it serious that was a joke none of these GPUs are capable of heavy graphic tasks nor acceptable gaming fps
@@sohailbarvar7817 yesh I figured lol, maybe Arc'll be better lmao
I think R6 Siege doesn't accept Iris XE as a dGPU and that's why the Vega 8 is the only one that didn't fail
any ultralight released today always should be compared to the M1 mb air, because at this price point it's just ridiculous
Not necessarily, although the M1 MacBook Air is great, this is a different category, the Air doesn't have the same durability, keyboard, security and ports, this is more of a work laptop than a regular consumer one. This price includes things like a vPro processor, that are way more expensive (but irrelevant for regular users).
Macs don’t have great compatibility with corporate productivity suites. People buy X1 carbons for serious stuff.
I love ThinkPads and right now, I am still rocking my years old X240 which however is fine for casual desktop use and the type of CAD work we use it for at work.
But the soldered RAM and that painful to look at webcam is a downer to me.
Also expanding it? Certainly not on the all soldered inside.
The keyboard is fine though. I still like the OG ThinkPad's keyboard better but the newer style ones are fine too.
maybe look at ehe thinkpad T series, they have 1 soldered and 1 expandable
@@drishalballaney6590 I have a T420, it's cool but 14" is too bulky for my taste to carry around.
@@MegaManNeo try something like the newer T14
I have the P14s AMD (gen 1) (which is actually rebranded T14 AMD gen 1)
and it has been pretty good except for the slightly annoying battery drain during S3 sleep which should be fixed in upcoming BIOS updates
I have a w530 from 2012 and is still a beast, just changed the Hard drive to an SSD.
They removed the physical privacy switch from the Webcam? That's disappointing
The Lenovo website here in Canada has the price "starting at" ~ $1900, but the lowest tier model is listed at $4,759. Also estimated delivery is December-January. I'd love to buy this at the prices Eber lists, but the current offerings are ridiculous. Lenovo, if you are out of stock, just say so, don't gouge consumers! I may consider this machine in the new year if the prices calm down
The prices he lists are horrible. Legit been a Lenovo fan for ages but these are trash and it's insane to me that anyone considers them decent performance for their price.
Asus g14 is a way better laptop for way less money. It's still pretty light and you can actuay upgrade things and it's components are actually valuable.
Reading some of these comments makes me feel like I'm taking crazy pills. The ram on these is probably like 2666mhz. 😕
Currently have the P50. It’s a beast!
But p50 looks ugly!
@@ZackWolfMusic like any other thinkpad
@@GTReaper37 No the p1 thinkpad looks better so does x1 carbon, c940 etc other Lenovo products look better than the p50!
@@ZackWolfMusic thats subjective, sure. its a beast regardless. 2 m.2 slots, a 2.5 inch slot, 4 ram slots, 4gb dedicated gpu, up to 64gb. im content with it
I thought I would find something in this Notebook that would tempt me to give up my 4K, i7 1065G7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB SSD XPS 13 9300, but I did not. By the way, my configuration cost $1229 when I purchased it earlier this year, brand new, from Dell.
The XPS 13 Lacks ports, but even if you buy the thunderbolt 4 hub it's still cheaper than the Think Pad. I'm about that dollar value, and the Think Pad isn't cutting it, personally.
Seriously, Windows 95?! You look way young for that! The first system I worked on as a child was running Win98 and I look twice as old as you! good skin care lol, keep up friend!
Lenovo's msrp basically has to be disregarded entirely. The "sales" are pretty much the actual prices, and even then comparable laptops often still go for less. The "normal" prices are unreasonably marked up.
Yep, although you have to wait a few weeks before the sales begin. They're more than happy to charge the full "retail" price to early adopters...
The guy made a mistake here, these ARE the discounted prices. MSRP is like $2500.
Been hoping for this machine, thank you.
I just switched to this laptop from an older model HP EliteBook, I like the built quality and the keyboard, their docks are also very nice, great video.
Hello from 2022. This still looks like a good purchase to be honest.
Great vid. I'd love to see Lenovo get rid of the "Yoga" line on the Thinkpads and just put a 360 hinge on the Carbon. Or get rid of the Carbon and figure out how to reduce the weight of the Yoga line so it's less than 2.5lbs.
i tried both G11 and G9, i think G9 in 2024 still is a powerful machine and it's officially supported by Ubuntu as well.(which is a plus)
I wish Lenovo made a "in the middle" resolution, like 1600p or 1800p. 1200p is kinda low for a laptop of this price but 4K is overkill in this size, you're just wasting battery for nothing.
Woukd love to see the review of the Lenovo P1 and The MSI Creator Z16! Would really love to see them compared to the MBP 16"
I recently got my i7 carbon gen9, however, the fan noise is actually quite loud
really frustrating that both thunderbolt ports are on the same side so you can only charge the laptop from that side, manufactures should know how convenient it is to be able to charge on either side......
Thinkpad is Legendary Laptop by Lenovo. But yeah, this laptop has high price and only Businesses that can buy it
Plus
Something that I hate about Premium Laptop
1. Soldered RAM and fixed capacity
2. No additional Slot for Storage
3. If it Intel Quad Core, yeah I feel like "Noop" while AMD Ryzen "Yeah"
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Totally love my t14, just wish it had this one’s screen
T14 model is nice and reliable. I highly recommend it for writers, C++ programmers, and Go programmers.
Rockin' the 1st gen here using Chrome OS 91 (since its a bit old by today's standards). Was gonna try using chrome 69 from the Chromebook Pixel 2013 because the specs are nearly identical but it wasn't worth the lack of google play support. Cant wait to finally see it boot.
Lenovo is nailing it with their ThinkPads, the keyboard is solid and despite the bloatware they are creeping in, they are still doing a solid job overall.
Especially their T-series (T14, T15, and the new T16). Best for durability and for C++/Go programming on Linux.
My main issue is that the base model only has a 250gig ssd and 8gb of ram... other than that it seems aight
yeah + the fact you cant upgrade the ram
RC100 wont work because it is connected via sata, please try to use a nvme drive
There is one problem with the camera on the current crop of Thinkpads...and that is the fact that they are Up-The-Nose Cams. With their resolution and their placement, it enables your colleagues, friends and family members a revealing look up your nostrils in HD! I know a number of people who have bought recent Lenovos and then gone out shortly thereafter to buy a webcam that sits on the top of the bezel.
T480s, i7 8gen, 40GB Ram, First driver Samsung 970 Pro 1TB NVMe , and second drive 512 NVM in WAN port. Ethernet, USBC, USB3, Hdmi. Best daily for IT admin.
Another thing I like about this is the premium onsite support
I think the one you used when you were young is the Thinkpad T60 🤓
Hope you review the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 real soon.
Thinkpad series is a solid laptop ..but apple m1 chips and architecture is totally a game changer
Well done! Thanks for the video!
Information on another level..the camera sucks though....I am sold...just ordered mine..😃 let's see how the camera functions
4:57 The weight of X1 Carbon gen. 9 is 1.13 kg, not 1.33 kg.
I dont like the soldered ram and price.. This is not the thibkpad it used to be
IIRC the lack of usb 3.2 gen 2 on the A ports, is down to having maxed out the available pcie lanes with all the other various internal / IO integrations (the two thunderbolt 4 ports are separate).
Great review. thanks. Let me know,do you recommend Win 11 or Win 10? I have the XPS 13 now. Would you recommend the X1 over a new XPS, or go with another XPS13? I do a lot of photo editing with Adobe suite of products.
i will really love it if you guys put some de esser on the mic voice.
impressive video！ I still use the gen6, it runs well except for the battery
Really enjoyed the review, but having lived with this laptop myself for the past 3 weeks (same 4k 16:10) spec... my webcam is MILES better than the results you saw. Perhaps this was a lighting issue?
Same here.
How is the battery on yours with 4k? I saw some very mixed reviews and deciding between 4k and FHD. Also, how about the display readability and glossiness, can you compare to something? (mac, ipad)
@@kokos1920 Battery life is not anything to brag about, but it's more than sufficient for my use. If you're not watching videos or chewing up CPU/GPU cycles, it's more than acceptable. Legibility in the sun is about the same as my wife's 2019 MacBook pro, which is largely irrelevant to me, since 90% of my use is plugged in at a desk. If you're going to spend most of your time on battery, then 4k Ultrabook is going to suit your needs though... so there's that. My #1 criteria was the international service, which I require due to relocating to Central America. My options were the Carbon or XPS line, and for the money, the Carbon can't be beat (when you leverage all the potential discounts/sales/etc.)
I am so curious about the Thinkpad X1 Extreme Gen 4! Do you have plans to review it soon?
Fuer die Arbeit beim Auswärtigen Amt perfekt danke
gen 9 is the first x1c using the chasis design. and is the only one that manage the heat fairly. the 10th and 11th gen overheat like hell. they need a cooling system upgrade for sure
I've had three x1 carbon. I won't buy any other laptop for business use. Am software dev. Keyboard is perfect.
How would you compare the laptop keyboard in comparison to the Samsung Chromebook?
Seems more like you are trying to sell the product
Why is it so difficult to get a decent web cam in a laptop? After all these years, they still suck for the most part.
Let's be honest, this class of notebooks just can't compete with the new ARM based MacBooks if they're based on traditional CPUs from Intel and AMD. And no, I'm not a Apple fanboy. I never owned a MacBook, iPhone or some other hardware from Apple.
True and look at the exorbitant pricing too. Windows pc makers need to up their game.
I agree
Yeah, the M1 Macs are the first products from Apple in a very long time that I feel are genuinely innovative and good. I'm excited for the wave of ARM pc's that are sure to follow. There is even an arm based Linux tablet in development! (Jingpad A1)
Mac OS still has a long way to go to meet the needs of enterprises and governments. So no, the M1 MacBook is not a viable alternative for the target consumers of X1 Carbon.
So you where sponsored yet use another youtubes video for your sponsoredship?
0:01 there goes your life for the next 5 to 10 years.
I have a 6th and 7th gen. The 6th gen is silver and is the perfect finish to keep clean. The 7th gen is the carbon black and finger prints are crazy. That said the 7th gen has the power button on the side vs under the lid. Makes it way more convenient when you dock it to a screen, keyboard/mouse set up. Dont like that the 9th gen doesnt have the power button on the side.
If the flow x13 and blade stealth can hold a 3050ti/1650ti in it, so can the x1 carbon and other ultrabooks. Just solder in the chip, set to dynamically balance cpu n gpu tdp and done.
seems to me only those two manufactures are doing something. This should have a equivalent quadro in it.
Great review guys! Well done
watching this on my 2nd gen X1 Carbon from 2014
I have a 3rd gen I bought for work but not happy with it, the 8gb ram is not enough. Vs code eats it all!!
@@aberba so you code in VS and you bought a laptop with 8 gigs of RAM? Lol. That’s a user issue, not a product issue.
@@johnsullivan8673 how is it a user issue? Chrome was updated to separate tab processes hence memory usage skyrocketed. How's it not a chrome issue?
I have a 16gb P50 and VS code occasionally eats all that as well.
@@aberba then switch to a light weight browser unless you really need to write stuff for V8. If I can dev safely critical stuff on a RasPi, you have 0 excuses. Well, incompetence is sort of an excuse.
the comments here make it sound like the X1 carbon is the ONLY thinkpad offered. "it needs this, it needs that... " there are literally 10+ different platforms under the ThinkPad brand to suite your needs. All those wanting super thin and "all the ports".... SMH.
Love my ThinkPad s5 (gen 2)
Only issue is I'm an fps gamer and my constant key mashing has destroyed the wasd keys
FAR from perfection. We currently have around 20 of these out for repair because for some reason, they will suddenly decide that the 65w power supply that's plugged into them is really only a 15w and so will not charge while powered on, and will usually lose charge. Many people on the Lenovo forum have this issue and it goes back to at least a year ago. Lenovo seems to think a BIOS update will fix the problem, but it does not. These laptops are now practically useless. The only fix that seems to work is getting a new mainboard installed, and that's not even a guarantee the issue won't come back as it had for one person at least 3 times. From the user perspective, Lenovo has no interest in fixing this problem or even really admitting it exists. If it was up to me, we'd go back to being a Dell shop tomorrow.
hahaha relatable, have had 50+ at my work with faulty usb-c ports that will not power anymore,... they also mentioned a BIOS update for that.... still waiting. T 14 gen 3s on the other hand arent bad
You can explain as much as you can. There is non One to buy... Lenovo really Bad for Avaiblty.. and ill never forget this.
How is that with these videos, there's never criticism of soldered RAM. Who's buying a $2,000 laptop with soldered RAM? And who would ever recommend that....?
I wish they would not make these so thin that they compromise performance. Make the laptop as thick as it needs to be to run these cpus at max.
ok its nice but...
xiaomi mi notebook 15 pro with 4k OLED 600 nit, ryzen 5800h and 16 gb of ram for 1300$ says hi
So, is SSD upgradable?!
Yes more thinkpads/business laptop please.
So far business sector just looks like suckers who spend other people's money recklessly because they're clueless.
This laptop is not good value. Anyone who can get by with 8GB of ram doesn't need anything near this expensive. Legit this is approaching a $1500 iPad.
@@telquel7843 you don’t understand “value” and you certainly don’t understand corporate IT. Why do you think business class air tickets exist? Lol.
@@johnsullivan8673 I work in corporate IT but I appreciate your ignorant two cents being thrown in months later.
Your comparison is stupid because business class tickets allow you to board earlier, often give you access to the lounge, different food and drink options, and more space for yourself and your things.
So is that basically the extra tech support you're trying to equivalate? You take a huge downgrade on the hardware components because someone is quicker to answer the phone? The difference is the plane doesn't fly slower when you buy a business class ticket.
I do understand value. Your comment was of low value. Have a great day.
the price/performance relation could`t get any worse with the base model.
X1 carbons aren’t meant for peasants. Stay in your lane.
We buy these for all the executives at my company. They're REALLY nice!
The next iteration of this with Alder Lake will be fantastic.
damn i feel u when talk about thinkpad in the old days
why would anyone buy this when we have m1 macbook air that is much cheaper with better processor at lower price or amd laptops like acer swift X that has rtx3050ti in a thin and light.
well I've had Thinkapds since the series evolved (yes I had the 770 you pictured) and right now I'm typing this on an X220 because I just can't abide where the Carbon has gone to. Everyone seems to forget the built in lamp in the frame and a good keyboard that you could type on ... heck I typed my masters thesis on x21 and x30 (upgraded) laptops. If you type (what's that) then the modern keys take a LOT to get used to and if you then use a desktop you feel weird going back to those flat chicklet keys.
Why has the Caps Lock lost its LED?
Oh, and if you know the word sold (I sold my car) you don't pronounce that as sodd ... so why Americans imagine that solder is "sodder" is beyond imagination
Very interesting, Thank you.
Does it work with the standard docking station?
There must be some weird setting on his webcamera, mine looks totally fine. Colours and exposure are totally fine. Definitely better than gen 6.
why it is not perfect:
no 5800u
not the best battery life and cap
almost twice the price zenbook oled version(which has 5800u)
They still sell 8 GB RAM models?
Whyyyyyyyy?!?
Please, stop! It's not 18th century anymore!
Because a significant percentage of these end up in the hands of project “managers” who only use them for ppt and excel with a bit of acrobat sprinkled on. IT depts run on a budget and they don’t mess around with consumer level hardware.
This fellow must have worked as a hip hop ramp attendant at the airport, he waves his hands around so much, Passengers no doubt found it highly entertaining but I'm thinking it distracts yugely from what he's trying to say.
that X1 emblem ruined the logo.. first impressions last, and Thinkpad's simple but elegant/professional logo with an led dot is everything.