Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 vs. Surface Laptop 3: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 and Surface Laptop 3 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 image

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8

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Surface Laptop 3

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is better than Surface Laptop 3.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-10610U inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 has a 10% better multi-core CPU performance score than the AMD Ryzen 7-3780U Microsoft Surface Edition inside Surface Laptop 3.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Laptop 3 - Intel Core i7-1065G7
3,722
Surface Laptop 3 - Intel Core i5-1035G7
3,691
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
Surface Laptop 3 - AMD Ryzen 7-3780U Microsoft Surface Edition
2,741
Surface Laptop 3 - AMD Ryzen 5-3580U Microsoft Surface Edition
2,438
About 14% lighter

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 weighed 2.40 pounds, 14% lighter than the 2.79 pounds Surface Laptop 3.

WeightLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
Pound
2.40 lbs.
2.79 lbs.
Kilogram
1.09 kg
1.27 kg

Surface Laptop 3 Pros

Reasons that Surface Laptop 3 is better than Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Supports faster memory

Surface Laptop 3 supports a faster memory speed than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8. It supports up to 3733MHz versus 2133MHz of system memory on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

Memory type and speed
Surface Laptop 3 - LPDDR4X
3,733 MHz
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 and Surface Laptop 3.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
16 GB
Surface Laptop 3
16 GB

Prices

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

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
$419.99
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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
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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
$447.98
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Surface Laptop 3 Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-8GB Memory - 256GB Solid State Drive (PKX-00003) Matte Black (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5" Touch-Screen Intel Core i5-8GB Memory - 256GB Solid State Drive (PKX-00003) Matte Black (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$299.00
$319.00 6% OFF
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Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 – 13.5" Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 512GB Solid State Drive (Latest Model) – Platinum with Alcantara (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 – 13.5" Touch-Screen – Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 512GB Solid State Drive (Latest Model) – Platinum with Alcantara (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$406.99
$470.81 14% OFF
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Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5in Touchscreen Intel i5 8GB RAM 256GB SSD Win 10 (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5in Touchscreen Intel i5 8GB RAM 256GB SSD Win 10 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$328.38
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
Released20202019
Release Date
  • Announced at CES 2020
  • Introduced: October 2, 2019 (Microsoft October Event)
  • Pre-ordered: October 2, 2019
  • Released: October 22, 2019
PricingStarting at $1,553.30
  • Surface Laptop 3 (13.5”) › Starting at 999$
  • Surface Laptop 3 (15”) › Starting at 1,199$

Exterior

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
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)
  • Surface Laptop 3 (13.5”)
    12.1” x 8.8” x 0.57” (308 mm x 223 mm x 14.5 mm).
  • Surface Laptop 3 (15”)
    13.4” x 9.6” x 0.57” (339.5 mm x 244 mm x 14.69 mm).
WeightStarting at 2.40 lbs (1.09 kg)
  • Surface Laptop 3 (13.5”)
    • 2.84 lb (1,288 g)
      Sandstone and Matte Black
    • 2.79 lb (1,265 g)
      Cobalt Blue and Platinum
  • Surface Laptop 3 (15”)
    • 3.40 lb (1,542 g)
Colors
  • Black
  • Black with Woven Top Cover
    Available only on UHD displays.
  • Surface Laptop 3 (13.5”)
    • Metal
      Matte Black Sandstone
    • Alcantara
      Matte Black Platinum
  • Surface Laptop 3 (15”)
    • Metal
      Matte Black Platinum
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • New FN row F9-F11
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.
  • Keyboard:
    • Full-size backlit keyboard with the soft-touch feel and full 1.3mm travel.
    • Large palm rest with premium Alcantara® material for maximized typing comfort.
  • Trackpad:
    • Larger size 115 mm x 76.66 mm, glass.
    • Supports up to Five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
Size14 Inches13.5 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.
  • Surface Laptop 3 (13.5”)
    • Resolution: 2256 x 1504 (3.4M Pixels)
    • Pixel Per Inch: 201
  • Surface Laptop 3 (15”)
    • Resolution: 2496 x 1664 (4.15M Pixels)
    • Pixel Per Inch: 201
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating
  • 100% sRGB color, individually calibrated

Ports

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
  • 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
Surface Laptop 3 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 1 x Full-size USB 3.0
  • 1 x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2
    Supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
  • 1 x Surface Connect™
    Supports charging and docking station.
  • 1 x Headset jack

Internal Specs

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
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. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.20 → 3.70 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.30 → 3.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 5 3580U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.10 → 3.70 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 4MB L3 Cache, 15W
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 7 3780U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.30 → 4.00 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 4MB L3 Cache, 15W
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. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G7
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics
    64 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G7
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics
    64 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. AMD Ryzen™ 5 3580U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    Radeon™ Vega 9 Graphics
    9 Graphics Cores, 1300 MHz
  4. AMD Ryzen™ 7 3780U Microsoft Surface® Edition
    Radeon™ RX Vega 11 Graphics
    11 Graphics Cores, 1400 MHz
Memory
  • 8GB 16GB
    2133 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR3 SRAM.
  • Surface Laptop 3 (13.5”)
    • 8GB 16GB
      3733 MHz LPDDR4X RAM
  • Surface Laptop 3 (15”)
    • 8GB 16GB
      2400 MHz DDR4 RAM
Storage
  • 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
    M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe (Replaceable).
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
Removable M.2 NVMe SSD

Connectivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
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.
  • Surface Laptop 3 (13.5”) Wi-Fi 6: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax compatible.
  • Surface Laptop 3 (15”) Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
MoreOptional WWAN: Integrated Global Mobile Broadband 4G LTE-A-

Battery

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
Size
  • 4-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 51 Wh
45.8 Wh
Battery Life
  • Up to 19.5 hours
* Tested with MobileMark 2014		Up to 11.5 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 8Surface Laptop 3
OS
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
  • Lenovo Vantage
Microsoft Office 365 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
Camera
  • Front-facing camera with ThinkShutter privacy cover
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • Optional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 720p HD front-facing video camera
Audio
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • 4 x 360-degree far-field microphones
  • Dual far-field Studio Mics
  • OmniSonic stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium

Misc

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
Inking-Supports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Sensors
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • 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
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
  • 65W AC adapter
  • 4 Cell 51Wh Internal battery
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Surface Laptop 3
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty1-year Depot or Carry-in
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
More-Supports Surface Dial
Supports off-screen interaction only

Key Features

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8Surface Laptop 3
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
2019
3:2 2.5K
13.5”
1664p 60Hz
Weight
2.79 lb
1.27 kg
Up to
AMD Ryzen 7-3780U Microsoft Surface Edition
4C/8T, 2.30 → 4.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
721
Single Core
Geekbench 5
2,741
Multi-Core
With integrated
Radeon™ RX Vega 11 Graphics
11 Graphics Cores, 1400 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
3733 MHz LPDDR4X
Surface Laptop 3 Ports

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