Abstract
- Speedy processing and 32GB of RAM accommodates most multitasking effectively.
- Because the lightest ThinkPad to this point, it is extraordinarily moveable and does not compromise on energy.
- Its vibrant 2.8K OLED show gives spectacular graphics with beautiful colour distinction.
As the primary AI-powered ThinkPad, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) Aura Edition may not promote itself with AI alone. However its high-powered processing, featherlight construct, OLED show, and general efficiency make it a successful possibility.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version
As one of many first-ever ThinkPads with Microsoft CoPilot AI, this laptop computer packs a big punch with options like AI wellness instruments, a beautiful OLED show, and a CPU that may deal with multitasking.
- Speedy processing that may deal with loads of multitasking
- Featherlight construct for moveable computing
- Stunning 2.8K OLED show
- Good ThinkPad keyboard & TrackPad
- Requires at the least two prices per 8-hour workday
- Show may very well be brighter
Value and Availability
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version has two configurations with a beginning retail value of $2,519 at Lenovo when not on sale. Nonetheless, it extra usually prices round $2,267 when discounted at Lenovo.
A Lighter ThinkPad With a Acquainted Look and Really feel
Weighing in at simply 2.17 kilos, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version is the lightest ThinkPad X1 Carbon to this point, shedding vital weight from its predecessors. This discount does not, nevertheless, compromise its sturdy construct that is normal for ThinkPad X1 Carbons. Lenovo caught to the acquainted design, together with the matte black end (that, for me, screams “costly!”) and the enjoyable pink indicator mild within the ThinkPad emblem.
For those who’re somebody (like me) who hates fingerprint marks on gadgets, the matte black end is a win-win. Besides you will have to wash off occasional smudges from the pure oils in your fingers.
On its base is a large chiclet keyboard which measures about 10.75 by practically 4.5 inches, that includes LED backlighting and a typical tenkeyless format. Included within the bottom-middle of the keyboard is the long-lasting pink TrackPoint button for exact actions, which additionally has a useful possibility menu when double-clicked that brings up choices for microphone settings, voice typing, a battery cost threshold possibility, and an audio playback dropdown. The keyboard additionally features a fingerprint reader beside the arrow buttons, and beside that could be a Microsoft CoPilot key for any AI inquiries one could have.
Above the 14-inch show is the low-profile prime bezel the place the built-in digital camera is, in addition to a useful dandy privateness shutter.
Ports Galore
Regardless of its ultra-thin profile, the X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version does not skimp on ports. The left aspect homes two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports and a USB-A 3.2 port, whereas the best aspect contains one other USB-A port and an HDMI port that helps an as much as 4K decision at 60Hz.
For such a small laptop computer, I used to be thrilled to see the inclusion of each USB-C and USB-A ports, as a result of that meant I by no means needed to attain for a USB hub each time I wished to plug one thing in. This made the ThinkPad Aura Version good for taking with me to work in a espresso store or library.
Extremely Snug Keyboard and TouchPad
Like most ThinkPads I’ve reviewed, together with the ThinkPad X1 Nano (Gen 3) and the ThinkPad Z16 (Gen 2), the ThinkPad X1 Cabon Aura Version has a premium type-feel that stored me happy whereas I wrote articles for work, replied to emails, and performed round with CoPilot. Its mixture of springiness with simply the correct quantity of motion (roughly 1.5mm journey) made it really feel like I did not must work laborious to kind. And I additionally did not discover myself making extreme typos from too-loose keys.
The glass touchpad was a pleasant dimension for navigating, clicking, scrolling, and pinching. Centered instantly beneath the keyboard, it was simple to maneuver my hand from typing to clicking with one swift motion. And like most different ThinkPads, it additionally options three delicate buttons for exact right- and left-clicking, which is a characteristic I want all laptops included as normal on their touchpads since I am not a giant fan of getting to faucet and double-tap the touchpad itself.
Beautiful Colour and Distinction for Streaming, Modifying, and Gaming
Because of its 14-inch 2.8K OLED show, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version was simple to like once I was streaming movies, films, and reveals, modifying photographs, and gaming. The two,800 by 1,800p decision made the visuals crisp and clear, however the colour distinction stood out probably the most. DisplayHDR True Black 500 made blacks and grays practical, whereas the sharpness of vibrant blues and greens took its efficiency residence.
Particularly, I loved how shiny blue skies, pure lakes, lush mountains, and inexperienced foliage appeared in nature movies. However actually, the entire gamut of the colour spectrum got here by, making something I watched extra fascinating. For instance, nature pictures of lion cubs and cheetahs got here to life, with their fur fantastically contrasting towards the golden grasses of the Savannah.
A 120Hz refresh price made viewing exceptionally pleasant, as I observed (principally) no latency. Plus, for the reason that show additionally had an anti-glare and anti-reflective coating, I may at all times see the display screen anyplace I used to be—even when I used to be sitting in direct daylight.
Sadly, the place the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version fell a bit brief was its brightness. Lenovo lists it at 400 nits, which is okay for many lighting situations. Nonetheless, I observed that once I was operating the laptop computer on battery energy (versus plugged in), I might sometimes discover the show did not really feel shiny sufficient.
In my sunny workplace, for example, I usually tried to show up the brightness when it was already at 100% and was left dissatisfied. I wished a bit extra backlighting once I was in reasonably sunny rooms. Once I skilled this problem, I toggled off Lenovo Vantage’s “Brightness Management” possibility (which lowers brightness to avoid wasting energy). This didn’t change my expertise with the brightness, nevertheless, and I nonetheless had points sometimes squinting when the display screen felt too dim.
Due to this lighting problem, I had some bother watching films with darker casts to their scenes. Whereas streaming the horror flick Umma, beautiful blacks and grays got here by in dimmer scenes, however due to my problem with the display screen brightness in the course of the daytime, it was sometimes laborious to make out as crisply as I had hoped.
Whereas the Xe2 GPU generated stunning graphics, the dim display screen did them no justice in even reasonably shiny environments. When the display screen did seem shiny sufficient, I may completely get pleasure from stunning graphics from video games like Open Roads and These Who Stay or whereas streaming reveals like Stranger Issues, all of which got here by easily with crisp element and distinction.
Intel’s Lunar Lake CPU
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version’s CPU is the Intel Core Extremely 7 258V, which has eight cores, eight threads, and a 12MB cache. As a part of Intel’s Lunar Lake lineup, this CPU is particularly for skinny laptops. Its efficiency and energy-efficient cores are break up instantly down the center (4 high-performance and 4 energy-efficient cores) with a clock pace of as much as 4.8GHz.
As somebody who multitasks rather a lot, I used to be a bit skeptical of how a lot energy I may eke out of a laptop computer with simply eight threads. I sometimes favor a better thread depend (and no, I am not speaking about bedding). Due to a reasonably strong efficiency from the Extremely 7, I can safely say the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version can deal with most of the computing on a regular basis individuals may need (save being an important gaming PC, which it’s not). Its snappy processing allowed me to undertake each activity I wanted, from picture modifying to phrase processing to streaming. That’s to say, it might probably deal with rather a lot however nonetheless may not exceed your expectations in the event you’re used to a better thread depend.
AI Good Modes and Options
As a Collection 2, it might probably run over 45 TOPS for AI apps, which makes its sensible modes fast and efficient. The AI options on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version are value noting, however I would not say they’d promote this laptop computer. Built-in into this laptop computer’s Lenovo Vantage app (obtainable on PC solely) are some useful little AI options known as “Good Modes.”
“Protect” let me activate an automated display screen blur (blurring my display screen when somebody got here subsequent to the laptop computer) and alerted me when somebody seemed over my shoulder whereas I used to be working. There was additionally an choice to auto-prompt a VPN when on Wi-Fi.
“Consideration” served as my taskmaster. It is a productiveness device that units “focus periods,” not not like the Pomodoro technique. Once I turned this mode on, it muted notifications on the laptop computer and set a 20-minute work stint with a five-minute break following. I altered the time within the settings for this characteristic to alter the main focus periods to 60 minutes with five-minute breaks.
“Collaboration” adjusted the laptop computer’s lighting if it was too dim as I entered video calls, a useful characteristic that appeared to work effectively.
“Wellness” gave me the choice to set posture reminders and eye-strain reminders (a reminder to comply with the 20-20-20 rule). When toggled on, the posture setting gave me a pop-up warning me to right my posture once I was outdoors the specified distance from the laptop computer (30, 50, 70, or 90cm, or a customized distance). I discovered this characteristic probably the most helpful and likewise probably the most telling. I can not let you know what number of pop-up posture warnings I acquired.
Lastly, with the Intel Unison app (PC, Google Play, and iOS), I may hyperlink my telephone and easily faucet it towards the laptop computer to share footage between the gadgets. This was handy for exchanging recordsdata between my telephone and laptop computer, however the tapping was finicky and did not at all times work.
Loads of Energy For Each day Computing and Then Some
Working with the Intel Core Extremely 7 258V Processor and the laptop computer’s 32GB LPDDR5x RAM, I used to be in a position to breeze by all of my on a regular basis work duties with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version. I’ve definitely labored on laptops that may deal with extra within the multitasking division, however this gave the impression to be the little engine that might. From picture modifying with Photoshop, streaming music or movies, and looking the net, oftentimes concurrently, I skilled swift computing with no interruptions.
Once I did push the CPU and RAM to its restrict, it was whereas operating a ridiculously cluttered Microsoft Edge (15 or extra browser tabs, together with a YouTube video streaming within the background), the Intel Unison App, the Lenovo Vantage app, the (ridiculously buggy if I am sincere) ChatGPT app, the Xbox app operating a sport obtain, and the Home windows Activity Supervisor. I opened the Activity Supervisor, as a result of, lo and behold, the laptop computer was freezing.
The freeze was transient (possibly about two minutes earlier than it righted itself).
As for benchmarks, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version scored 6,698 general in PCMark10, which was above the common 2023 workplace laptop computer rating of 5,848 and under the common 2023 gaming laptop computer efficiency. It scored over 9,000 in Necessities, Productiveness, and Digital Content material Creation, however appeared to battle a bit in rendering and visualization with a GPU load hitting as much as 99%.
Regardless of this small efficiency hiccup, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version will do completely effectively for most individuals who do a reasonable degree of multitasking. I efficiently edited photographs, listened to music, and used all of the essential Microsoft Workplace applications with no issues. And that 32GB of RAM is greater than sufficient energy for most individuals available in the market for a piece laptop computer.
Good for Informal Gaming Solely
Though the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version has nice graphics, a beautiful show, and loads of energy, it’s not a gaming laptop computer. Due to this fact, I had enjoyable enjoying principally informal video games on the laptop computer. Low useful resource indie video games like Open Roads or Inscryption performed effectively, with no noticeable latency.
Larger useful resource video games like Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle, Warhammer 40,000: Darkish Tide, and Mafia: Definitive Version have been nearly unplayable due to the large lag, even once I lowered the graphics to low or medium, tried each the 60 and 120Hz refresh price, and scaled again on extra settings.
For reference, the laptop computer’s rating on Time Spy was under common, hitting solely 3,542, in comparison with a median funds gaming laptop computer’s rating of 10,069. In accordance with the benchmark, at a 1080p decision, this laptop computer may eke out about 45+ FPS for Crimson Useless Redemption 2 or 125+ FPS enjoying Apex Legends.
Mid-Vary Audio system, Digicam, and Microphones
As is usually the case for thinner laptops, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version has solely two audio system. These two audio system are down-firing, which each helps and harms the sound high quality. When listening to music, streaming, or enjoying video games at my desk, these audio system sounded pretty loud and happy me sufficient to keep away from utilizing Bluetooth headphones.
However the omission of up-firing audio system made the sound much less immersive and likewise a little bit squashed when utilizing the laptop computer on my lap. Moreover, when pumping the amount to over 65%, the sound high quality dropped off and sounded squashed. The overly compressed sound wasn’t as pleasant, so I sometimes stored the amount hovering round 50%. That I may comfortably hear on the midway makes me really feel these audio system put out a better quantity than different small laptops, since I am often cranking it as much as 80% each time I can on comparable fashions.
The FHD 1080p IR digital camera supplied me with a crisp, clear stream throughout video calls and likewise supplied some AI options like auto-tracking to maintain me within the body, background blur choices, and the “eye contact” choice to maintain my eyes seemingly directed on the digital camera lens once I wasn’t taking a look at it. Frankly, although, the attention contact characteristic simply made my eyes look larger than they’re and seemed extra creepy than the rest, so I might advise towards that until you need to freak out your video chat mates.
For a built-in digital camera, this delivers a pleasant stream, nevertheless it nonetheless does not beat an exterior webcam with a better decision.
Moreover, the 2 built-in 360-degree quad-array microphones (with Dolby Voice) are undoubtedly above common for delivering a pleasant, clear sound and should even beat the digital camera’s high quality.
So-So Battery Life and Charging
For the quantity of energy this ThinkPad pushes out, its fast-draining battery is not stunning. Whereas it is not the worst energy drain I’ve seen, it additionally is not the best. I might additionally anticipate extra battery life from a Lunar Lake CPU. My settings have been sometimes at 100% brightness on “Balanced” mode whereas utilizing the laptop computer for writing shifts. Throughout these shifts, my essential activity was phrase processing, and I used AI instruments for modifying and opened many browser home windows. Utilizing the laptop computer over a two-week interval gave me a median battery drain of 0.39% per minute, which is about 93% drain in 4 hours. I needed to plug in at the least as soon as each workday, however when doing heavier duties, I plugged in twice per day.
The excellent news is the 65W charger is tremendous moveable, so it did not suck to take each the laptop computer and its charger with me when out of the home. The charging pace averaged 0.63% acquire per minute, so I usually reached a full cost in 2 hours and 40 minutes. I by no means reached the mission 80% cost in 60 minutes utilizing Fast Cost, and my ideas are regardless that it says a 65W charger is the minimal requirement for this, you will probably want a extra highly effective charger to hit that mark.
Ought to You Purchase the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version?
Though I would not suggest shopping for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) Aura Edition primarily based on its AI options alone, its highly effective computing is sufficient to promote it in the event you’re on the lookout for a enterprise laptop computer that may deal with some multitasking. Its CPU, 32GB of RAM, and trusted ThinkPad identify make it an excellent purchase for somebody who makes use of a reasonable quantity of energy of their work.
My two cents—in the event you’re in it for the AI alone, you would possibly need to wait till PCs with AI integration get a little bit extra superior so that you get extra bells and whistles.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version
As one of many first-ever ThinkPads with Microsoft CoPilot AI, this laptop computer packs a big punch with options like AI wellness instruments, a beautiful OLED show, and a CPU that may deal with multitasking.
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