Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 over Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is better than Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2018

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-1180G7 inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has a 15% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-8650U inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6.

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 6 - Intel Core i7-8650U
3,879
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 - Intel Core i5-8350U
2,982
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 - Intel Core i5-8250U
1,971
Supports larger memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 supports a larger memory capacity than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6.

Max system memory size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
32 GB
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6
16 GB
Supports faster memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 supports a faster memory speed than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6. It supports up to 4267MHz versus 2133MHz of system memory on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6.

Memory type and speed
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz

Prices

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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 Price
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (6th Gen) 14-inch FHD Laptop, Intel Quad Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe-PCIe SSD, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Pro, Black (Renewed)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (6th Gen) 14-inch FHD Laptop, Intel Quad Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe-PCIe SSD, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Pro, Black (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$329.00
Lenovo X1 Carbon 6th Generation Ultrabook: Core i7-8550U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 14inch Full HD Display, Backlit Keyboard (Renewed)
Lenovo X1 Carbon 6th Generation Ultrabook: Core i7-8550U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 14inch Full HD Display, Backlit Keyboard (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$351.57
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen Ultrabook 14" FHD Laptop, Intel Core i5-8350U 8GB RAM 256GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen Ultrabook 14" FHD Laptop, Intel Core i5-8350U 8GB RAM 256GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Win 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$252.00
$268.00 6% OFF
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Price
Lenovo Gen 9 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop with Intel i7-1165G7 Processor, 14" WUXGA 100%sRGB Anti-Glare Display, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 2.49lbs, Carbon Fiber, Windows11 Pro, and Three Year Premier Warranty
Lenovo Gen 9 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop with Intel i7-1165G7 Processor, 14" WUXGA 100%sRGB Anti-Glare Display, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 2.49lbs, Carbon Fiber, Windows11 Pro, and Three Year Premier Warranty
By Lenovo
$1,129.99
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 20XW004QUS -14-inch (1920 x 1200) - Intel Core 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 Core i5-1135G7 Quad-core (2.40 GHz) - 8 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Black - Windows 10 Pro – Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$499.99
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

Availability

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Released20182021
Release Date-
  • Announced on January 11, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available starting February 2021
Pricing-Starting at $1,429

Exterior

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Dimensions12.73” x 8.54” x 0.62” (323.5 x 217.1 x 15.95 mm)
Width: 12.73” (323.5 mm)
Depth: 8.54” (217.1 mm)
Height: 0.62” (15.95 mm)
12.38” x 8.72” x 0.59” (314.5 x 221.6 x 14.9 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)Starting at 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)
Colors
BlackBlack with color coded hinges
Black
Optional woven carbon fiber top cover
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • 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 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Size14 Inches14 Inches
Info
  • 14” FHD
    1920 x 1080, IPS, 60Hz, anti-glare, 300 nits, multi-touch.
  • 14” WQHD
    2560 x 1440, IPS, 60Hz, anti-glare, 300 nits, multi-touch.
  • 14” HDR WQHD
    2560 x 1440, IPS, 60Hz, glossy, Dolby Vision™ HDR, 500 nits, multi-touch.
  • 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

Ports

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
  • 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3
    Supports Power Delivery & DisplayPort.
  • 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1
    Full-size USB-A ports always on.
  • 1 x Network extension for Ethernet/side mechanical docking
  • 1 x HDMI 1.4
  • 1 x Headphone / mic combo
  • 1 x MicroSD card reader
  • 1 x WWAN slot (Fibocom L850-GL 4G LTE-A cat 9) (optional)
  • 1 x Power button
  • 1 x Kensington lock slot
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

Internal Specs

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 3.40 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.70 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  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
Integrated Graphics
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  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
Memory
  • 8GB 16GB
    2133 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR3 SRAM.
8GB 16GB 32GB
4266 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR4x Memory.
Storage
  • 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
    M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe (Replaceable).
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2TB
M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 SSD (Replaceable).

Connectivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Wi-Fi
  • Intel® Dual-Band Wireless-AC(2x2) 8265
    Up to 867 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac.
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.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth 5.1
More
  • WWAN: Fibocom L850-GL 4G LTE-A cat 9
Optional WWAN: 4x4 MIMO 5G (LTE CAT20) / 4G (LTE CAT12)

Battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Size
  • 3-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 57 Wh
57 Wh
Battery Life
  • Up to 15 hours
* Tested with MobileMark 2014
Up to 15 hours
Based on MobileMark® 2018 battery-life benchmark test
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 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
OS
  • Windows 10 Home 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 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • IR Facial Authentication (optional)
  • Front-facing camera with ThinkShutter privacy shutter
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • Optional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
Audio
  • Dolby Audio™ Premium
  • Dolby Atmos® for headphones
  • Noise-cancelling dual-array far-field microphones
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • Dolby® Voice®
  • 4 x 360-degree microphones

Misc

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Sensors
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • NFC
Security
  • Fast Identity Online (FIDO) authentication capabilities
  • Match-on-Chip Fingerprint Reader
  • dTPM 2.0 chip
  • ThinkShutter camera cover
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Kensington lock slot
  • 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
In the box-
  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
  • 65W AC adapter
  • 57Wh Internal battery
  • Quick Start Guide
Warranty-1-year Depot or Carry-in

Key Features

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
At Glance
Released in
2018
16:9 WQHD
14”
1440p 60Hz
Weight
2.49 lb
1.13 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-8650U
4C/8T, 1.90 → 4.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,106
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,879
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 620
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3
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

Comparison Summary

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

Lenovo has released the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6, a 14-inch machine, in 2018. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-8650U with a boost clock speed up to 4.20 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics 620 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 was introduced by Lenovo about three years later in early-2021. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1180G7 with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U77156.52%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U86263.20%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U1,10681.09%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 91
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G71,23890.76%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G71,34198.31%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™1,364100.00%
01,364

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U1,97144.05%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U2,98266.65%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U3,87986.70%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 91
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G74,07991.17%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G74,23894.73%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™4,474100.00%
04,474

Both Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 have the same 14-inch display size. In addition, they both have the same weight at 2.49 lbs. Moreover, measured at 12.73” x 8.54” x 0.62”, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 is slightly bulkier than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 at 12.38” x 8.72” x 0.59”.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

Moving over to upgradability, Lenovo claims that the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 supports up to 16GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, it supports up to 32GB 4267 MHz LPDDR4X memory. Like Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

Comments

Ask questions or share your thought and experience about the comparison between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 6 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

Loading Comments...