Surface Pro 6 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Surface Pro 6 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Surface Pro 6 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 6 is better than Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7.

About 30% lighter

Surface Pro 6 weighed 1.7 pounds, 30% lighter than the 2.40 pounds Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7.

WeightSurface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Pound
1.7 lbs.
2.40 lbs.
Kilogram
0.77 kg
1.09 kg

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 is better than Surface Pro 6.

Newer manufacturing

2019 vs. 2018

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-10710U inside Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 has a 23% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-8650U inside Surface Pro 6.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - Intel Core i7-10710U
4,786
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - Intel Core i7-8665U
4,209
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i7-8650U
3,879
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - Intel Core i5-8365U
3,442
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8350U
2,982
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - Intel Core i7-10510U
2,942
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - Intel Core i5-10210U
2,933
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - Intel Core i7-8565U
2,327
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - Intel Core i5-8265U
2,132
Surface Pro 6 - Intel Core i5-8250U
1,971
Supports faster memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 supports a faster memory speed than the Surface Pro 6. It supports up to 2133MHz versus 1866MHz of system memory on the Surface Pro 6.

Memory type and speed
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz
Surface Pro 6 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
Upgradable storage

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsSurface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
13% larger display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 has a 14-inch screen size 13% larger than the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 6.

Display size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
14-inch
Surface Pro 6
12.3-inch

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Pro 6 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7.

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 6
16 GB
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
16 GB

Prices

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

Surface Pro 6 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB) - Newest Version (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$254.00
$329.00 23% OFF
MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 6 I7-8650U 16 512 SSD - PLATINUM
MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 6 I7-8650U 16 512 SSD - PLATINUM
By Microsoft
$464.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB) - Black - NKR-00001
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB) - Black - NKR-00001
By Microsoft
$351.00
$459.00 24% OFF
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 Price
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Generation Ultrabook, 14" FHD(1920x1080) Display, Intel Core i7-8650U, Up to 3.6GHz, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Generation Ultrabook, 14" FHD(1920x1080) Display, Intel Core i7-8650U, Up to 3.6GHz, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$380.99
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen Business Laptop, 14.0-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Webcam, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen Business Laptop, 14.0-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Webcam, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Lenovo
$327.99
$349.00 6% OFF
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen : 14-Inch fhd IPS Screen, 16GB RAM, 512GB Nvme SSD, Win 10 Pro, i7-8565U, Black
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen : 14-Inch fhd IPS Screen, 16GB RAM, 512GB Nvme SSD, Win 10 Pro, i7-8565U, Black
By Lenovo
$799.00

Availability

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Released20182019
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 2, 2018 (Microsoft October Event)
  • Pre-ordered: October 2, 2018
  • Released: October 16, 2018
-
PricingStarting at 899$-
Generations-

Exterior

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Dimensions11.50” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.9” (201 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.5 mm)
12.71” x 8.54” x 0.58” (323 x 217 x 14.95 mm)
Width: 12.71” (323 mm)
Depth: 8.54” (217 mm)
Height: 0.58” (14.95 mm)
Weight
  • Intel Core i5: 1.7 lbs (770 g)
  • Intel Core i7: 1.73 lbs (784 g)
Starting at 2.40 lbs (1.08 kg)
Colors
Matte Black Platinum
Black
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
    • Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
    • Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
  • Keyboard:
    • 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.
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.

Display

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Size12.3 Inches14 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch
  • Corning® Gorilla® Glass
  • 10nm Oleophobic Coating
  • 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, low power, anti-glare, 400 nits.
  • 14” FHD (1920 x 1080)
    IPS, PrivacyGuard, anti-glare, 400 nits.
  • 14” FHD (1920 x 1080)
    IPS, anti-glare, touchscreen, 300 nits.

Ports

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Surface Pro 6 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
  • 1 x Full-size USB 3.0
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x Surface Connect™
    Supports charging and docking station.
  • 1 x Headset jack
  • 1 x microSD™ card reader
  • 1 x Type Cover port
  • 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 WWAN slot
  • 1 x Power button
  • 1 x Kensington lock slot

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
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. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8265U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 3.90 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8365U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8565U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.60 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  4. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8665U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.90 → 4.80 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  5. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.60 → 4.20 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  6. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  7. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10710U
    6 cores, 12 threads, 1.10 → 4.70 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. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8265U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8365U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8565U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  4. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8665U
    Intel® UHD Graphics 620
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  5. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
  6. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
  7. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10710U
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
  • 8GB 16GB
    2133 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR3 SRAM.
Storage
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
BGA PCIe SSD
  • 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
    M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe (Replaceable).

Connectivity

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • Intel Wireless-AC 9560 2x2 AC
    Up to 867 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.1 technology
  • Bluetooth 5.0

Battery

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Size45 Wh
  • 4-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 51 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 13.5 hours of video playback
  • Up to 18.3 hours
* Tested with MobileMark 2014
Power Supply
  • 44W power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 39W
65 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
Supports Rapid Charge.

Software

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
OS
  • For Consumer: Windows 10 Home
  • For Commercial: Windows 10 Pro
Free upgrade to Windows 11
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 365 30-days trial
  • Lenovo Vantage

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
  • Front-facing camera
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • IR & 720p HD Camera with microphone
Audio
  • Dual microphones
  • 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio™ Premium
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • 4 x 360-degree far-field microphones

Misc

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
InkingSupports Surface Pen
4096 levels of pressure
Tilt sensing
Best in class latency
Paper feel
0.1mm precision
magnetic storage
-
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
  • 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
  • Surface Pro 6
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
-
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
  • Commercial: Advanced Exchange warranty service with expedited device replacement
-
More
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 165 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
-

Key Features

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
At Glance
Released in Late
2018
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.7 lb
0.77 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
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 6 Ports
Released in
2019
16:9 4K UHD
14”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
2.40 lb
1.09 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-10710U
6C/12T, 1.10 → 4.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,051
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,786
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3

Comparison Summary

Surface Pro 6 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7

Microsoft has released the Surface Pro 6, a 12.3-inch machine, in late-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 7 was introduced by Lenovo about a year later in 2019. It comes with up to a hexa-core Intel Core i7-10710U with a boost clock speed up to 4.70 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics (24 Execution Units, 300 → 1150 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Surface Pro 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U77167.99%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U86276.01%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U1,10697.53%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 71
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8265U64556.88%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8365U1,04992.50%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8565U80470.90%
4
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8665U1,134100.00%
5
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U94483.25%
6
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U95784.39%
7
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10710U1,05192.68%
01,134

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Surface Pro 61
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8250U1,97141.18%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8350U2,98262.31%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8650U3,87981.05%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 71
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8265U2,13244.55%
2
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8365U3,44271.92%
3
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8565U2,32748.62%
4
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8665U4,20987.94%
5
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10210U2,93361.28%
6
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10510U2,94261.47%
7
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10710U4,786100.00%
04,786

The Surface Pro 6 has a 12.3-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7. In addition, The Surface Pro 6 weighs 1.7 lbs. about 41% lighter than the 2.40 lbs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7. Moreover, measured at 11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33”, the Surface Pro 6 is much more portable than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 at 12.71” x 8.54” x 0.58”.

Surface Pro 6Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7

Moving over to upgradability, Microsoft claims that the Surface Pro 6 supports up to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. It also has soldered storage, and there are no M.2 slots for expansion.

For Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7, it supports up to 16GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 memory. Like Surface Pro 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.

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