Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon line dates again to 2012, and now, in its twelfth incarnation, the laptop computer has reached a stage of maturity few different manufacturers can boast. In the present day’s X1 Carbon has been honed to a wonderful level—but it might be legitimately tough to tell apart from the unique. I’d know, as a result of I reviewed it for WIRED method again when.
The music writ giant stays the identical as ever. That is Lenovo’s flagship ultralight, the enterprise laptop computer designed to kill all others. It retains the identical measurement 14-inch LCD (with 16:10 facet ratio, now at 2,880 x 1,800 pixels) that it has all the time had, with the load now hitting 2.2 kilos— exhibiting a wholesome and regular weight reduction through the years.
I measured the thickness at 21 millimeters, largely owing to a large rubber foot that runs alongside the again of the bottom to prop the keyboard up a bit. The present chassis, in Lenovo’s phrases, is comprised of “recycled aluminum, magnesium, aerospace-grade carbon fiber, in addition to post-consumer supplies which might be used all through its development.”
Many different improvements listed here are incremental at greatest. I imply, when the model begins speaking about “new tactile markings” on the keyboard—these little bumps on the F and J keys—you understand we’re getting near an innovation terminus. There’s additionally a small ridge that juts out on the prime of the display the place the webcam (that includes a handbook shutter) seems, plus a relocated fingerprint reader, however another beauty adjustments are robust to suss out.
The massive information is beneath the hood, with the inclusion of the brand new Intel Core Extremely CPU, this mannequin that includes an Extremely 7 155H chip operating at 1.4 GHz. A small brigade of producers is dropping machines with Extremely chips this month, with the large pitch being round synthetic intelligence efficiency, higher energy effectivity, and improved built-in graphics. AI-driven benchmarks are nonetheless a brand new factor, so till I’ve a good base of outcomes to attract from, I’m reporting on my normal battery of assessments that blend varied enterprise apps and graphics benchmarks.