Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 vs. 2021 ROG Strix G17: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 and 2021 ROG Strix G17 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is better than 2021 ROG Strix G17.

About 55% lighter

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 weighed 2.40 pounds, 55% lighter than the 5.29 pounds 2021 ROG Strix G17.

WeightLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Pound
2.40 lbs.
5.29 lbs.
Kilogram
1.09 kg
2.40 kg

2021 ROG Strix G17 Pros

Reasons that 2021 ROG Strix G17 is better than Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2020

Much faster CPU performance

AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX inside 2021 ROG Strix G17 has a 151% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-10610U inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
7,663
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 7-5800H
7,098
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 7-4800H
6,440
2021 ROG Strix G17 - AMD Ryzen 5-5600H
5,476
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

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 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
2021 ROG Strix G17
32 GB
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
16 GB
Supports faster memory

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 supports a faster memory speed than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8. It supports up to 3200MHz versus 2133MHz of system memory on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Memory type and speed
2021 ROG Strix G17 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz
Upgradable memory

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Slots
Onboard
x2
TypeLPDDR3DDR4
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 115W TGP vs. integrated

23% larger display

The 2021 ROG Strix G17 has a 17.3-inch screen size 23% larger than the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Display size
2021 ROG Strix G17
17.3-inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
14-inch

Prices

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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Price
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
$1,011.14
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
$459.97
Lenovo 2022 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Ultrabook,14.0" FHD IPS 500 nits Touch,i7-10610U,16GB RAM,512G PCIe SSD,Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, USB-C,Win 10 Pro| 3 Yrs Warranty
Lenovo 2022 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Ultrabook,14.0" FHD IPS 500 nits Touch,i7-10610U,16GB RAM,512G PCIe SSD,Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, USB-C,Win 10 Pro| 3 Yrs Warranty
By Lenovo
$1,175.00
2021 ROG Strix G17 Price
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 16GB DDR4, 512B PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713IE-EB74
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, 16GB DDR4, 512B PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713IE-EB74
By ASUS
$999.00
ASUS 2021 ROG Strix G17 17.3" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, Windows 10, Gray, 32GB USB SnowBell Card
ASUS 2021 ROG Strix G17 17.3" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, Windows 10, Gray, 32GB USB SnowBell Card
By ASUS
$1,448.00
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713QR-ES96
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, G713QR-ES96
By ASUS
$1,299.00
$1,799.99 28% OFF

Availability

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Released20202021
Release Date
  • Announced at CES 2020
Announced on January 13, 2021 (CES 2021)
PricingStarting at $1,553.30-
Applicable Models-
  • 2021 ROG Strix G17
  • ROG Strix G17 (2021)
  • ROG Strix G17 G713
Generations-

Exterior

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Dimensions12.71” 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)
15.55 x 11.10 x 0.84 - 0.97” (395 x 282 x 21.4 - 24.6 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.40 lbs (1.09 kg)5.29 lbs (2.40 kg)
Colors
  • Black
  • Black with Woven Top Cover
    Available only on UHD displays.
Original Black Eclipse Gray
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • New FN row F9-F11
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.
  • Full-size backlit keyboard with Numpad
    ROG Overstroke Calibrated Keystrokes N-Key Rollover Aura Sync Bigger arrow keys Gaps between function keys
  • Hotkeys 
    Volume down volume up mute HyperFan Armoury Crate
  • RGB Lighting Options
    Per-Key RGB lighting 4 x Zone RGB lighting
  • Touchpad 
    85% larger glass surface matte finish

Display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Size14 Inches17.3 Inches
Info
  • 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.
  • 17.3” FHD 300Hz
    16:9 1920 x 1080 300Hz 3ms 100% sRGB 75% Adobe RGB Non-touch IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync
  • 17.3” WQHD 165Hz
    16:9 2560 x 1440 165Hz 3ms 100% DCI-P3 Non-touch IPS Level Anti-Glare Adaptive-Sync

Ports

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
  • 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
2021 ROG Strix G17 Ports
Image Source: ASUS
Left (3)
  • 2 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Back (5)
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0b
  • 1 x RJ-45
    1 Gbps
  • 1 x power port

Internal Specs

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Processor
  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
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.90 → 4.20 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 8MB L3 Cache, 45W
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 3.30 → 4.20 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.20 → 4.40 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    8 cores, 16 threads, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 16MB L3 Cache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  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
  1. AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    7 Graphics Cores, 1600 MHz
  2. AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    7 Graphics Cores, 1800 MHz
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2000 MHz
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    AMD Radeon™ Graphics
    8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Memory
  • 8GB 16GB
    2133 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR3 SRAM.
16GB 32GB
Dual-Channel DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM.
2 x SODIMM slots
Discrete Graphics-
  • NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 1650
    4GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1615MHz at 50W (65W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060
    6GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1802MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
  • NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070
    8GB GDDR6 VRAM, with ROG Boost up to 1660MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost).
Storage
  • 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
    M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe (Replaceable).
512GB 1TB 2TB
M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0.
2 x M.2 SSD slots.

Connectivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Wi-Fi
  • 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.
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax) 2x2 multi-antenna
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.1
Ethernet- Gigabit LAN
Speed: 10/100/1000 Mbps.
MoreOptional WWAN: Integrated Global Mobile Broadband 4G LTE-A-

Battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Size
  • 4-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 51 Wh
56Wh 90Wh
4-cell lithium-ion battery.
Battery Life
  • Up to 19.5 hours
* Tested with MobileMark 2014
Up to 12 hours of video playback.
Power Supply65 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
Supports Rapid Charge.
  • 240W
      ø6.0 mm power adapter.
  • 100W
      USB-C power adapter.
  • Supports fast charging technology with up to 50% in 30 minutes.

Software

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
OS
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Pro
Built-in Apps
  • Lenovo Vantage
Armoury Crate GameVisual Aura Creator Scenario Profiles

Camera & Audio

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Camera
  • Front-facing camera with ThinkShutter privacy cover
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • Optional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
No Built-in camera.
Audio
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • 4 x 360-degree far-field microphones
  • Speakers
    • 2 x 4W speaker with Smart Amp Technology.
    • 2.8x Louder Volume.
    • 3x More Bass.
    • 6.5dBa Dynamic Range.
  • Microphones
    • Built-in array microphone.
    • Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation.

Misc

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
Sensors
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
-
Security
  • 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 8
  • 65W AC adapter
  • 4 Cell 51Wh Internal battery
  • Quick Start Guide
-
Warranty1-year Depot or Carry-in-

Key Features

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17
At Glance
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
Released in
2021
16:9 WQHD
17.3”
1440p 165Hz
Weight
5.29 lb
2.40 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX
8C/16T, 3.30 → 4.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,416
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,663
Multi-Core
With integrated
AMD Radeon™ Graphics
8 Graphics Cores, 2100 MHz
Upgradable up to
32GB
3200 MHz DDR4
2021 ROG Strix G17 Ports
Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3070
8GB GDDR6 115W TGP

Comparison Summary

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 vs. 2021 ROG Strix G17

Lenovo has released the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8, a 14-inch machine, in 2020. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-10610U with a boost clock speed up to 4.90 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics (24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 17.3-inch ROG Strix G17 was introduced by ASUS about a year later in 2021. It comes with up to an octa-core AMD Ryzen 9-5900HX with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with 8GB GDDR6 115W TGP.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 81
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U94466.67%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U95767.58%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10310U with vPro™94666.81%
4
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10610U with vPro™96868.36%
2021 ROG Strix G171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H1,07876.13%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H1,24087.57%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H1,33494.21%
4
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX1,416100.00%
01,416

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 81
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U2,93338.27%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U2,94238.39%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10310U with vPro™2,99239.04%
4
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10610U with vPro™3,04239.70%
2021 ROG Strix G171
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800H6,44084.04%
2
AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H5,47671.46%
3
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H7,09892.63%
4
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX7,663100.00%
07,663

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 has a 14-inch display which is considerably smaller than the 17.3-inch 2021 ROG Strix G17. In addition, The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 weighs 2.40 lbs. about 120% lighter than the 5.29 lbs. 2021 ROG Strix G17. Moreover, measured at 12.71” x 8.54” x 0.59”, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is much more portable than the 2021 ROG Strix G17 at 15.55” x 11.10” x 0.97”.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 82021 ROG Strix G17

Moving over to upgradability, Lenovo claims that the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 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 2021 ROG Strix G17, it supports up to 32GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also has two M.2 slots that users can easily swap or add an extra SSD to get extra space when needed.

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