NotebookCHECK - Notebook Forum

"no ThinkPad X1 Carbon has had a worse keyboard thus far"

Well damn. Despite its obvious drawbacks I was considering the X1 Carbon just for its keyboard to type all-day while traveling, but I'm not too sure now.

I don't run the show here, but how does this laptop get a recommendation with its abysmal power tuning?

@Dorby, this x1 doesn't look as an all-day laptop based on the battery life figures in the review. I'd aim for something with at least 10hrs if I'm away from the plug. Factor in a few hrs on top of your estimated usage hrs, just to be on the safe side.

@DOC, I find that weird as well, I guess consistency started to be an issue for them. Just look at the figures and do your own judgement about the product, skip their conclusions and rating.

Why would you spend this much money on a 4 core machine with a terrible webcam and poor battery life in 2021?

As a X1C9 owner, I have experienced the throttling issue on an everyday basis.  Lenovo doesn't seem to think it's a problem though and defines it as "working as designed" - see thread below:

forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-X-Series-Laptops/Lenovo-X1-Carbon-Gen-9-Throttling-Issues/m-p/5073083?page=5

From what I can read, Lenovo does not intend to fix this throttling problem, as they don't even acknowledge it as an issue.  Buyers beware!

Yeah hum.... same question as _DOC : what the hell?!
That machine basically can't use its CPU, how can it be recommended?!
Do you know for a fact that a good fix is coming?

@Benjamin Herzig

I think the battery tests need to be standardised. It is simply wrong tests and comparisons all tests refering to max brightness when one laptop has 300cd/m² and another 600cd/m².

Can you imagine IPC performance test "at max Frequency"?!

There needs to be battery tests at standard brightness levels like at 300cd/m² etc.

@Traveller888

I have an Inspiron 14 7000 w/ 1165g7 and 78 whr battery. It had similar weird issues with power throttling, but I managed to get Dell to issue a bios fix and while the PL1 is still too low at 20w, it is consistent.

I would expect better from Lenovo's Thinkpad line.

Had that same throttle appear while using zoom and showing a client mobile version of a site, while debugging it. I just couldnt believe it. I was pondering about keeping it and hoping for a fix but I decided that's too much hassle fo the money. Returned it the next day. It's not just gaming.
I DONT want to use throttlestop to get a 2400 dollar machine to work properly. The review confirmed this fault by design.

Forgot to mention:
Had that trackpoint drift after using it for scrolling, bluetooth mouse was lagging terribly (that power saver checkbox didnt help, its evo platform issue), speakers are meh, touchpad is too short (5.5 cm) because of basically unusable trackpoint.

Quote from: WTHCPU on May 09, 2021, 14:52:04That machine basically can't use its CPU, how can it be recommended?!

There is no issue with the CPU performance. The issue is with the GPU performance, which, while bad, isn't exactly a deal-breaker for a productivity focused business laptop.

Quote from: Konstantinos on May 09, 2021, 16:10:19I think the battery tests need to be standardised.

The battery tests already are standardized - 150 cd/m² brightness for the Wi-Fi test and the Big Buck Bunny test.

The CPU throttling issue has made the computer completely difficult to use normally. >:( >:( >:(
Imagine that if you drive to 120km/h, the vehicle will automatically slow down to 10km/h every minute for 10 seconds. Do you still think this is an excellent car?
Until Lenovo solves this problem, it is not recommended to buy this computer.

2800€ for a laptop. Great laptop indeed, but seriously...

The 500nits non glossy screen in FHD is only 10€ less than the WUHD when the 400nits is -210€ less. That's annoying as well as I consider 400 to not be enough for business / travel. Lenovo sadly doesn't offer 500nits screen on a (much) less expensive package.

I've bought a Lenovo Ideapad and to use an ethernet cable I lost the precious usb port. As if the missing sd card reader wasn't enough. Never again I'm going to buy a laptop without a decent amount of essential ports.

Too all asking "how can somthing like this get a recomentation?".

Is it a retoric question? It uses Intel, so it gets a recomentation even if it crushes at BIOS in every boot.

Please do a full comparison article of X1 Carbon Gen 9 with X1 Yoga Gen 6 comparing battery, screen brightness, clickpad and trackpoint, weight etc.

I really don't get it. who the hell asks for a thin and light!? enough bullshit lenovo, you've literally destroyed thinkpad brand. we don't need thin and light we need thick & heavy that can go through any challenge it faces. bring old thick notebooks with SILENT cooling and ALL DAY battery life or stop spamming with THINKPAD name! >:(  >:(  >:(  >:(

Quote from: we want thick and heavy! on May 11, 2021, 11:36:17
I really don't get it. who the hell asks for a thin and light!? enough bullshit lenovo, you've literally destroyed thinkpad brand. we don't need thin and light we need thick & heavy that can go through any challenge it faces. bring old thick notebooks with SILENT cooling and ALL DAY battery life or stop spamming with THINKPAD name! >:(  >:(  >:(  >:(

hmm, so what you want is to carry a brick in your backpack that ends up breaking your shoulders and back.

Quote from: we want thick and heavy! on May 11, 2021, 11:36:17
I really don't get it. who the hell asks for a thin and light!?

That will be the enterprises that actually pay full price for these machines. Furthermore, while we have these new "thin and light" laptops, the full-blown mobile workstations are still available to purchase. That's why your rant is a self-defeating argument. It's not like Lenovo removed all choice and now we can only buy that type of machine -- the choice is very much still there, their actual customers are the ones preferring the machines *you* don't want.

Beggars can't be choosers. Vote with your money and buy the machines you want new and straight from Lenovo. If you are waiting for the eBay/second-hand discount price, then you'll simply have to make due with whatever is the preference of the enterprise market.

Quote from: Anonym on May 12, 2021, 11:55:17
It's not like Lenovo removed all choice and now we can only buy that type of machine -- the choice is very much still there, their actual customers are the ones preferring the machines *you* don't want.

Beggars can't be choosers. Vote with your money and buy the machines you want new and straight from Lenovo. If you are waiting for the eBay/second-hand discount price, then you'll simply have to make due with whatever is the preference of the enterprise market.

Is there a thicker version of X1C? Waiting for price drop for which particular device?
ThinkPad T14 and T14s Gen 2 with legacy 16:9 screen, poor battery life, that lame cooling fan etc?

Quoteno ThinkPad X1 Carbon has had a worse keyboard thus far.

I am afraid (but happy) that you have not had to experience the 2nd generation Carbon.

The X1 Carbon Gen 2 had a worse keyboard layout for most users, but better typing experience.

I am not sure why all the negative reviews on this laptop regarding the keyboard. I bought the unit, typing on it right now and find the keyboard to be EXCELLENT... i have older models Carbons and yes it feels a bit different but is still excellent, still the best laptop keyboard on the market.
I bought it with 32 gb of ram soldered and 4k display, it has a very high end feel to it, top notch all around. The only complaint is the battery runs out very quick but thats to be expected.

Lenovo just updated their BIOS to v1.39 with the changelog claiming performance fixes. Please update the benchmarks and stress tests accordingly; thanks!

We do not have the X1 Carbon in for review anymore, unfortunately. A review update is planned however for the X1 Yoga Gen 6 4K, which uses the same firmware, so we will test if the new update fixes the problem.

+1 for the request to update perf & gaming benches with the new BIOS version.

Releasing the laptop the way it happened was a pretty big screw up on the part of Lenovo but they did their homework, they should be given the chance to redeem themselves for the bad press they got.

Quote from: shm on May 11, 2021, 19:01:00
hmm, so what you want is to carry a brick in your backpack that ends up breaking your shoulders and back.

Yes! I would like to see a laptop that's half a pound heavier than the current ones but comes with an Ethernet port, a bigger battery and a full width keyboard with 1.8 mm key travel and a cooling system that does not throttle.

I would also love to see many nerdy whiners like you scream in agony and collapse dead because that half a pound was too much for their manly frame. Either that, or you learn to address what was actually said.

May I know how could I know the exact PL1 and PL2 settings of the machine? My X1 Carbon gen 9 is equipped with Core i7-1185G7, and HWINFO64 reported 64W for both PL1 and PL2 under maximum performance settings. Is there anything went wrong? Many thanks.

So to summarise, commenters here want:
- a thin and light, except that they want it thicker and heavier
- ethernet in an ultraportable that will be used on wifi 99.9% of the time
- a PC that can use the CPU flat out for hours without throttling, but are looking at this rather than workstations
- can't afford this device so are complaining it's not as fast/big/heavy as their €600 laptop
Jeez.  I've used these since Gen 1 (did see a gen 2 in the flesh, yikes) and are generally lovely things to live with. They are expensive because they are solid yet light.  They are great for 99% of use cases - go get a P1 if you need to run it flat out 24x7.
For home use?  Would be great as a sofa laptop, but damn that's an easy way to spend €500 more than you need to.  For somebody using it for work 9 hours a day for the next 3 years?  A bargain.

Hi. I see there is some BIOS update on lenovo website from today. Sorry, can't post a link here. But you can find it on the pcsupport.lenovo.com
when searching for the thinkpad x1 carbon 9th gen.
Maybe you can check if it solves the stability issues.

Thank you

What about the "touch" display, has anyone used it so far? Is the lenovo pen compatible with 9th GEN X1 ?

The X1 Carbon Gen 9 is not compatible with a digitizer pen. Its sister product X1 Yoga Gen 6 however is.  ;)

Anyone actually happy with the 4K model? I have been comparing it against the FHD model and find the glare a big distraction. It does have a better keyboard than the FHD model although the trackpad is better on the FHD model, The 4K model is heavier though as the FHD is lighter and feels almost toylike in comparison. The extra weight makes me feel it's better but the glare is too much. Am I wrong?

Thanks

What the X1 Carbon needs is separate function keys, true international warranty and a return of the SD card slot.

I have one of these laptops. I got it in April 2022. Within a month, it stopped charging on the back port. I did some searching and found numerous threads on the Lenovo Forum describing the same problem. The fix is to have the system board replaced. Fortunately, the front port would still charge, so I was able to use it while waiting for an appointment with onsite support. (They had to order in the system board, which took a while.)

Around a month later, the same thing happened again, but this time, the front port would only charge at 15W, meaning that the charger could not keep up, so during the time that I was waiting for another appointment for a system board replacement, I had to shut it off periodically to charge the battery enough so I could still work.

A couple of months later and the same thing happened again. This time, the front port is still working. Fortunately, I work for a large Corporation with thousands of Lenovo laptops, so Lenovo offered me a replacement. I didn't want another one of these POSes, so I ordered an X1G10. So far, it has been reliable. I haven't heard any reports of system board failures on the X1G10.

There are a lot of people that have experienced this problem and have reported it on the Lenovo Forum. Lenovo basically denies it's a problem, even though there are many reports of this problem. I used to think Lenovo was the best laptop brand to have. Previously, I've had quite a few Lenovo laptops and they were always rock solid. Since the last Lenovo laptop I had, I was using primarily HP and Dell. When I found out that the company was switching to Lenovo, I was looking forward to getting the X1. I've been very disappointed. The Lenovo of today is no longer the same company that it used to be. I would think twice before picking up one of these laptops.