Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is better than Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1180G7 inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has a 47% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-10610U inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - Intel Core i7-1180G7
4,474
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - Intel Core i7-1160G7
4,238
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - Intel Core i5-1130G7
4,079
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 - Intel Core i7-10610U
3,042
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 - Intel Core i5-10310U
2,992
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 - Intel Core i7-10510U
2,942
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 - Intel Core i5-10210U
2,933
Supports larger memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 supports a larger memory capacity than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Max system memory size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
32 GB
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 supports a faster memory speed than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 2133MHz of system memory on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Memory type and speed
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 over Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Price
LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon 9th Gen 9 Intel Core i7-1165G7, FHD Non-Touch Screen,16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, Backlit KYB Fingerprint Reader, Windows Pro
LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon 9th Gen 9 Intel Core i7-1165G7, FHD Non-Touch Screen,16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, Backlit KYB Fingerprint Reader, Windows Pro
By LENOVO
$1,009.77
LENOVO Latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 14" FHD+ Ultrabook IPS Touchscreen 400 nits,11th gen i7-1165G7, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Fingerprint Reader, Thunderbolt 4, Win 10 Pro, Black
LENOVO Latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 14" FHD+ Ultrabook IPS Touchscreen 400 nits,11th gen i7-1165G7, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Fingerprint Reader, Thunderbolt 4, Win 10 Pro, Black
By LENOVO
$1,059.77
$1,179.77 10% OFF
Latest Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 14" FHD+ Ultrabook, 11th gen i7-1185G7, 16 GB DDR4,512 GB SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Fingerprint Reader, Win 10 Pro (20XW003KUS), Black
Latest Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 14" FHD+ Ultrabook, 11th gen i7-1185G7, 16 GB DDR4,512 GB SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Fingerprint Reader, Win 10 Pro (20XW003KUS), Black
By lenovo
$898.77
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Price
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 14 Inch FHD 1080P Laptop, 8th Gen Intel 4-Core i7-8550U up to 4.0GHz, Intel UHD 620, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, FP Reader, Windows 10 (Renewed)
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 14 Inch FHD 1080P Laptop, 8th Gen Intel 4-Core i7-8550U up to 4.0GHz, Intel UHD 620, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, FP Reader, Windows 10 (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$379.00
Lenovo Latest Gen 8 ThinkPad X1 Carbon 14" FHD Ultrabook (400 nits) with 10th Gen Intel i7-10510U Processor up to 4.90 GHz, 1 TB PCIe SSD, 16GB RAM, and Windows 10 Pro
Lenovo Latest Gen 8 ThinkPad X1 Carbon 14" FHD Ultrabook (400 nits) with 10th Gen Intel i7-10510U Processor up to 4.90 GHz, 1 TB PCIe SSD, 16GB RAM, and Windows 10 Pro
By Lenovo
$988.00
LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 14" 16GB 256GB SSD Core i5-10310U 1.9GHz Win10P, Black (Renewed)
LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 14" 16GB 256GB SSD Core i5-10310U 1.9GHz Win10P, Black (Renewed)
By LENOVO
$435.98

Availability

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Released20212020
Release Date
  • Announced on January 11, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available starting February 2021
  • Announced at CES 2020
PricingStarting at $1,429Starting at $1,553.30

Exterior

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Dimensions12.38” x 8.72” x 0.59” (314.5 x 221.6 x 14.9 mm)12.71” x 8.54” x 0.59” (323 x 217 x 14.95 mm)
Width: 12.71” (323 mm)
Depth: 8.54” (217 mm)
Height: 0.59” (14.95 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)Starting at 2.40 lbs (1.09 kg)
Colors
Black
Optional woven carbon fiber top cover
  • Black
  • Black with Woven Top Cover
    Available only on UHD displays.
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • New FN row F9-F11
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • New FN row F9-F11
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.

Display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Size14 Inches14 Inches
Info
  • 14" UHD+
    16:10 3840 x 2400 IPS low-power HDR400 with Dolby Vision™ DCI P3 100% 500 nits TÜV Rheinland-certified for reduced blue light emissions
  • 14" FHD+
    16:10 1920 x 1200 IPS anti-glare low-power 100% sRGB 400 nits Low-power TÜV Rheinland-certified for reduced blue light emissions
  • 14" FHD+ with Touch support 
    16:10 1920 x 1200 IPS anti-glare touchscreen 100% sRGB 400 nits TÜV Rheinland-certified for reduced blue light emissions
  • 14" FHD+ with Touch & PrivacyGuard support 
    16:10 1920 x 1200 IPS anti-glare touchscreen 100% sRGB PrivacyGuard 500 nits
  • 14” UHD (3840 x 2160)
    IPS, glossy, Dolby Vision™ HDR 400, 500 nits.
  • 14” WQHD (2560 x 1440)
    IPS, anti-glare, 300 nits.
  • 14” FHD (1920 x 1080)
    IPS, PrivacyGuard, anti-glare, 500 nits.
  • 14” FHD (1920 x 1080)
    IPS, anti-glare, low power, touchscreen, 400 nits.
  • 14” FHD (1920 x 1080)
    IPS, anti-glare, 400 nits.

Ports

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Ports
Image Source: Lenovo
Left (4)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
Right (4)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 1 x nanoSIM card slot
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Always On
  • 1 x lock slot
    Kensington Lock
  • 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3
    Supports Power Delivery & DisplayPort.
  • 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1
    Full-size USB-A ports (1 port is always on).
  • 1 x Network extension for Ethernet/side mechanical docking
  • 1 x HDMI 1.4
  • 1 x Headphone / mic combo
  • 1 x WWAN slot
  • 1 x Power button
  • 1 x Kensington lock slot

Internal Specs

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.00 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.20 → 4.40 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.20 → 4.60 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 4.20 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10310U with vPro™
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 4.40 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10610U with vPro™
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10310U with vPro™
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  4. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10610U with vPro™
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB 32GB
4266 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR4x Memory.
  • 8GB 16GB
    2133 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR3 SRAM.
Storage
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2TB
M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 SSD (Replaceable).
  • 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
    M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe (Replaceable).

Connectivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Wi-FiIntel® Wi-Fi 6™ AX201 802.11AX (2 x 2)
Up to 2400 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
  • Intel® Wi-Fi 6™ AX201 802.11AX (2 x 2)
    Up to 2400 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.1
  • Bluetooth 5.0
MoreOptional WWAN: 4x4 MIMO 5G (LTE CAT20) / 4G (LTE CAT12)Optional WWAN: Integrated Global Mobile Broadband 4G LTE-A

Battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Size57 Wh
  • 4-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 51 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 15 hours
Based on MobileMark® 2018 battery-life benchmark test
  • Up to 19.5 hours
* Tested with MobileMark 2014
Power Supply65 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
Supports Rapid Charge.
65 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
Supports Rapid Charge.

Software

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
OS
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Built-in Apps
Lenovo Vantage
  • Lenovo Vantage

Camera & Audio

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Camera
  • Front-facing camera with ThinkShutter privacy shutter
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • Optional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
  • Front-facing camera with ThinkShutter privacy cover
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • Optional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
Audio
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • Dolby® Voice®
  • 4 x 360-degree microphones
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • 4 x 360-degree far-field microphones

Misc

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Sensors
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • NFC
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Power-on Touch Fingerprint Reader
  • Match on Chip Touch Fingerprint Reader
  • dTPM 2.0 chip
  • Webcam privacy shutter
  • HPD sensor with IR Camera
  • ThinkPad PrivacyGuard
  • ThinkPad PrivacyAlert
  • Kensington™ lock slot
  • Fast Identity Online (FIDO) authentication capabilities
  • Match-on-Chip Fingerprint Reader
  • dTPM 2.0 chip
  • ThinkShutter camera cover
  • Optional: ThinkPad PrivacyGuard
  • Optional: ThinkPad PrivacyAlert*
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Kensington lock slot
In the box
  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
  • 65W AC adapter
  • 57Wh Internal battery
  • Quick Start Guide
  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
  • 65W AC adapter
  • 4 Cell 51Wh Internal battery
  • Quick Start Guide
Warranty1-year Depot or Carry-in1-year Depot or Carry-in

Key Features

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
At Glance
Released in Early
2021
16:9 4K UHD+
14”
2400p 60Hz
Weight
2.49 lb
1.13 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1180G7
4C/8T, 2.20 → 4.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,364
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,474
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Ports
Released in
2020
16:9 4K UHD
14”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
2.40 lb
1.09 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-10610U
4C/8T, 1.80 → 4.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
968
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,042
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3

Comments

Ask questions or share your thought and experience about the comparison between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Loading Comments...