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

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

Compare With
Please enter device name or part of it
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 image

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

See at Amazon
Compare With
Please enter device name or part of it
Surface Pro 8 image

Surface Pro 8

See at Amazon

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Pros

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

7% larger display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has a 14-inch screen size 7% larger than the 13-inch Surface Pro 8.

Display size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
14-inch
Surface Pro 8
13-inch
Has two more ports and slots

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has more ports and slots count than the Surface Pro 8. It has eight versus six amount of ports and slots on the Surface Pro 8.

PortsLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
HDMIYesNo
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotYesNo
nanoSIM card slotYesNo
SSD slotNoYes
Surface ConnectNoYes
Surface Type CoverNoYes
Thunderbolt 4Yes x2Yes x2
USB-AYes x2No
Total86
More versatile connectivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 8. It has four versus two commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Pro 8.

PortsLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 4YesYes
HDMIYesNo
USB-AYesNo

Surface Pro 8 Pros

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

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1185G7 inside Surface Pro 8 has a 8% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1180G7 inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i7-1185G7
4,864
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
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Surface Pro 8 - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
About 22% lighter

Surface Pro 8 weighed 1.96 pounds, 22% lighter than the 2.49 pounds Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

WeightLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
Pound
2.49 lbs.
1.96 lbs.
Kilogram
1.13 kg
0.89 kg

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 and Surface Pro 8.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 32GB

Both laptops supports up to 32GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
32 GB
Surface Pro 8
32 GB
Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 4267MHz LPDDR4X RAM.

Memory type and speed
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Surface Pro 8 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz

Prices

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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Price
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 20XW004QUS -14-inch (1920 x 1200) - Intel i5-1135G7 Quad-core (2.40 GHz) - 8 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Black - Windows 10 Pro – Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Renewed)
 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 20XW004QUS -14-inch (1920 x 1200) - Intel i5-1135G7 Quad-core (2.40 GHz) - 8 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Black - Windows 10 Pro – Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$399.00
See at Amazon
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
$1,019.00
See at Amazon
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
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 128GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$737.90
$1,099.99 33% OFF
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i5-8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Graphite (Latest Model) (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$649.99
$697.00 7% OFF
See at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 8-13" Touchscreen - Intel® Evo Platform Core™ i7-16GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Device Only - Platinum (Latest Model)
By Microsoft
$957.99
$1,050.01 9% OFF
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
Released20212021
Release Date
  • Announced on January 11, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available starting February 2021
  • Introduced: September 22, 2021
  • Pre-ordered: September 22, 2021
  • Released: October 5, 2021
PricingStarting at $1,429
  • $1,099.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 128GB
    Platinum only.
  • $1,199.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,399.99 
    i5-1135G7 8GB 512GB
  • $1,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 256GB
  • $1,899.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 512GB
  • $2,199.99 
    i7-1185G7 16GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
  • $2,599.99 
    i7-1185G7 32GB 1TB
    Platinum only.
Generations-

Exterior

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
Dimensions12.38” x 8.72” x 0.59” (314.5 x 221.6 x 14.9 mm)11.3” x 8.2” x 0.37” (287 mm x 208 mm x 9.3 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)1.96 lb (889 g)
Colors
Black
Optional woven carbon fiber top cover
Matte Black Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • New FN row F9-F11
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.
  • Not included.
  • Compatible with 
    Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Surface Pro X Keyboard
  • Type Cover Features:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
  • Surface Slim Pen Storage
    • Magnetic dock
    • Automatically wireless charge Surface Slim Pen

Display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
Size14 Inches13 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
  • Resolution: 2880 x 1920
    5.53M Pixels.
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
    60Hz default.
  • PixelSense™ Flow Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: GPU Ink Acceleration
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch

Ports

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 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
Surface Pro 8 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Type Cover
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x SSD slot
    M.2 2230 NVMe slot

Internal Specs

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 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. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    2 cores, 4 threads, 3.00 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
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. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    48 Execution Units, 400 → 1250 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB 32GB
4266 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR4x Memory.
8GB 16GB 32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
Storage
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2TB
M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 SSD (Replaceable).
128GB 256GB 512GB 1TB
Removable SSD.

Connectivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 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.
Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 5.1Bluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology
MoreOptional WWAN: 4x4 MIMO 5G (LTE CAT20) / 4G (LTE CAT12)-

Battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
Size57 Wh
  • 51.5Wh
    Nominal battery capacity.
  • 50.2Wh
    Minimum battery capacity.
Battery LifeUp to 15 hours
Based on MobileMark® 2018 battery-life benchmark test
Up to 16 hours of typical device usage
Power Supply65 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
Supports Rapid Charge.
  • 60W power supply with USB-A (5W) (65W total)
  • Supports Fast Charge (0-80% in about one hour)

Software

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
OS
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Windows 11 Home
Built-in Apps
Lenovo Vantage
  • Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps
  • Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial
  • Preloaded Xbox app
  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate one month trial

Camera & Audio

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
Camera
  • Front-facing camera with ThinkShutter privacy shutter
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • Optional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 10.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD and 4K video
Audio
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • Dolby® Voice®
  • 4 x 360-degree microphones
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos®

Misc

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 8
Inking-
  • Supports Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP)
    4096 levels of pressure Tilt sensing Best in class latency Paper feel 0.1mm precision magnetic storage
  • Supports Tactile signals with Surface Slim Pen 2
Sensors
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • NFC
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
  • Ambient Color Sensor (brightness and color)
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
  • Firmware TPM chip for enterprise-grade security and BitLocker support
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
  • 65W AC adapter
  • 57Wh Internal battery
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Surface Pro 8
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year Depot or Carry-in1-year limited hardware warranty

Key Features

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9Surface Pro 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 Late
2021
3:2 2.8K
13”
1920p 60~120Hz
Weight
1.96 lb
0.89 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C/8T, 3.00 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,404
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,864
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1350 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Pro 8 Ports

Comments

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

Loading Comments...