The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme gen4 represents the technological pinnacle of the ThinkPad X1 collection. As such, it has the best potential configuration choices of any X1 and reveals how far Lenovo’s laptop computer expertise can go for that era of laptops.

When it launched, the specs and configuration choices seemed terrific. Now, we’re going to dive deeper into the strengths and potential tradeoffs of packing a lot energy right into a 3.99 Lbs chassis. We will let you know who, how, and when this laptop computer might be most useful (to).

Specifications highlights + config choices

Our check unit is a ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen4 with a Core i7-11800H CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD (KXG7AZNV512G LA KIOXIA), and the NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU. As configured, this unit is on the decrease spectrum of efficiency the X1 Extreme Gen4 gives, so preserve that in thoughts. Lenovo has appreciable configuration choices.

CPU choices embody the Core i7-11800H (ours), Core i7-11850H, and Core i9-11950H. The important distinction between them is the utmost Frequencies of 4.6, 4.8, and 5.0 GHz, respectively.

Users can order or set up a most of 64GB RAM (DDR4-3200) through two SO-DIMM modules, making this laptop computer appropriate for data-heavy work. The following OSes can be found: Win10, Win11, Linux (Ubuntu), and no OS.

The discrete GPU choices embody the RTX 3050 Ti 4GB, RTX 3060 6GB (ours), RTX 3070 8GB, and RTX 3080 16GB. More selections than prime opponents.

Storage choices of “up to” 2TB are barely totally different relying on the laptop computer tiers: RTX 3050Ti and beneath get two M.2 slots, whereas RTX 3060 and above get solely one M.2 slot.

Industrial Design

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme gen4 makes use of a barely modified chassis in comparison with final yr’s. The most notable evolutions are the brand new show 16:10 ratio and the new audio system’ location on both keyboard facet.

The show cowl is manufactured from Carbon, whereas the remainder of the chassis is generally Aluminum. It’s all coated by the same old ThinkPad soft-touch paint that Lenovo has used for years (with minor tweaks), so in case you’ve seen a latest ThinkPad earlier than, the floor therapy could be very comparable.

“THE CORE I9-11950H+RTX 3080 THINKPAD X1 EXTREME SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM BEATING THESE COMPETITORS WHEN IT COMES TO PERF/WEIGHT RATIO”

With a weight of 3.99 Lbs (4.1 Lbs for the touchscreen SKU), it’s a 16-inch mild pc, on par with the brand new Dell XPS 15, however a bit heavier than the three.5 Lbs Macbook Pro.

That mentioned, the Core i9-11950H+RTX 3080 ThinkPad X1 Extreme shouldn’t have any downside beating these opponents in the case of Perf/Weight ratio. By “how much” it wins stays to be seen.

Keyboard and Trackpad

On the floor, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme inputs appear like your typical ThinkPad keyboard and largely really feel the identical. However, the key-travel appears a bit extra shallow, and that’s additionally true for the trackpad click on depth.

This small change doesn’t hassle me, however people who cherished the traditional ThinkPad keyboard for its deep key journey would possibly discover and should resolve for themselves. Most probably, you’ll get used to it in a short time, and that’s most likely the value to pay for having such highly effective inner elements in a skinny chassis.

The keyboard backlight has the usual two brightness ranges, however it could have been good to have the next peak backlight brightness.

The bigger (glass) trackpad is easy and makes utilizing any gestures comfy. The bodily left/proper trackpad buttons make click on operations extra correct and dissociated from any mouse cursor movement.

Ports & Connectivity

This laptop computer has all of the ports one would usually want, and I can’t think about requiring a dongle, aside from Ethernet connectivity, maybe. That may very well be a steep benefit over super-slim opponents with solely USB-C ports.

The presence of a full-size SD card reader is an efficient trace that Lenovo had Creative customers in thoughts, and it’s an excellent concept as a result of this laptop computer will entice a lot of them for its dimension/weight/efficiency ratio.

WiFi-6E makes this laptop computer future-proof for native wi-fi networking. The subsequent stage can be to get the non-compulsory 5G connectivity powered by Qualcomm’s X55 modem that was utilized in high-end telephones not so way back. Integrated 5G is at all times a lot better and extra handy than making a hotspot along with your telephone.

Finally, in case you have a number of 4K shows and even exterior GPUs, Thunderbolt 4 is a good bonus to have on this laptop computer.

ThinkPad X1 Extreme Sound high quality

The two up-firing audio system (2x 2-Watt) are positioned on both facet of the keyboard and are a big improve from earlier X1 Extreme generations that had bottom-firing audio system. This is without doubt one of the most optimum speaker placement on a laptop computer.

“CUSTOMERS WILL BE SATISFIED WITH THE X1 EXTREME’S IMPROVED SOUND SYSTEM”

They output a great high quality sound that’s clear, distortion-free, and highly effective sufficient to get pleasure from a great motion film in your mattress or lodge room. Lenovo’s soundbar on YOGA Laptops is a bit higher, and so are choose laptops just like the Macbook Pro 16, the brand new Huawei MateBook 16, or Dell XPS 15 (4 audio system).

Still, I feel that prospects shall be happy with the X1 Extreme’s improved sound system.

Display

Lenovo continues to roll out 16:10 ratio shows, and that’s nice from a productiveness standpoint because it supplies a bit extra vertical area for content material. Perhaps we’ll see a 3:2 version sometime, just like the 2021 X1 Titanium.

Our unit’s show is the 16-inch WQXGA (2560×1600), a non-touch panel with a matte end. A matte show is just not as vulnerable to glare as a shiny display screen, however it’s additionally true that colours don’t “pop” as a lot, and shiny shows would possibly look a bit sharper.

The show high quality is excessive, with wonderful coloration gamut (95% sRGB measured) and good coloration accuracy as nicely (avg Delta-E < 2.2). The picture high quality makes this pc appropriate for Creative skilled utilization.

A brightness of 354 NITs measured makes it readable sufficient open air, however that’s simply above common. Fortunately, Lenovo has higher, dearer choices with even higher picture high quality.

If you wish to go the additional mile, it is best to calibrate it your self utilizing a Spyderx datacolor, or get a pre-calibrated show just like the Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen2 workstation.

For gaming functions, understand that the refresh charge is 60Hz. For most customers, that’s utterly nice, and I get pleasure from taking part in at a sustained 60FPS myself. But some players are a bit pickier and would possibly need a display screen that reaches 120Hz+ simply because this laptop computer can run some video games at a really excessive velocity.

The new 1080p webcam is noticeably sharper than your typical 720p digicam. That mentioned, a mid-range telephone selfie digicam Is nonetheless higher than any laptop computer we reviewed, together with this one, however it’s good to see some progress on this entrance, and I encourage OEMs to proceed pushing the envelope.

ThinkPad X1 Extreme Performance

From a efficiency standpoint, the benchmark numbers present the ThinkPad X1 Extreme to be an impressive performer, with considerably larger common “Productivity” efficiency than the most recent X1 Carbon.

For CPU-heavy Creative duties, our Core i7-11800H CPU proves to be a bonus when in comparison with laptops outfitted with Core i7-11375H processors, regardless that they might have an analogous graphics processor.

Typically not seen within the benchmarks, however in some purposes, you would possibly get a lift in reminiscence efficiency in case you go for a unit with two reminiscence modules because it will increase the height RAM bandwidth. Some RAM configurations include one module solely.

Laptops with the RTX 3070 or 3080 GPUs are even quicker, as demonstrated by the Acer Predator Triton 500 SE. However, you will need to have in mind the cooling capability of every pc design. These two GPUs generate a number of warmth, and I don’t understand how quick this X1 Extreme chassis can dissipate it, regardless that Lenovo is ventilating it as a lot as potential.

Also, trying on the efficiency “per Lbs” reveals how nice this X1 Extreme design is for individuals who care about each little bit of weight.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme is designed as a enterprise pc or mild workstation. That’s why it doesn’t function a large gaming-like cooling system (and chassis). Gaming laptops are designed to run sizzling and noisy.

Instead, the X1 Extreme is skinny and visually pleasant to a enterprise atmosphere, and that features conserving a low fan noise (solely ~51db max, vs. 60db+ for gaming laptops).

Our RTX 3060 GPU ran sizzling, practically reaching 88-90 Celcius, and whereas it’s okay for minutes of benchmarking, it’s not perfect for sustained efficiency as warmth builds up and thermal efficiency throttling units in to stop overheating. Note that we didn’t have any type of stability points.

Lenovo doesn’t present software program fan controls, and having a few of these capabilities would assist customers get essentially the most from this laptop computer. In the meantime, you’ll be able to management the followers utilizing tpfancontrol, however I’d like to see a local resolution.

If your finances is tight and you may get by with solely 4GB of video reminiscence, the RTX 3050 Ti SKU is likely to be a sensible choice. It would possibly maximize the value/velocity ratio by maximizing the thermal dissipation capabilities.

In benchmarks, the graphics efficiency “per Lbs” of this RTX 3060 X1 Extreme could be very similar to the sunshine Acer Triton Predator 300 SE gaming laptop computer. For a enterprise laptop computer, it’s spectacular and a large enchancment over final yr’s X1 Extreme Gen3.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 gives workstation-level SSD efficiency, with barely higher total efficiency than the heavier ThinkPad P15 Gen2. The writes are usually not as quick because the Predator Triton 500 SE as a result of Acer makes use of a RAID0 configuration in that laptop computer, pushing it above everybody with out RAID0.

Since this laptop computer has PCIe 4.0, it is best to get larger efficiency by manually upgrading to the most recent PCIe 4.0 SSDs from Samsung or different OEMs, however this stays to be confirmed independently.

ThinkPad X1 Extreme Battery Life

The 88Wh battery capability could be very respectable given the small chassis dimension, and the 6h48mn battery endurance through the steady “Office Productivity” battery check is in keeping with laptops with the identical efficiency envelope.

If you wish to have a for much longer battery life, you will want to choose a pc with a decrease efficiency profile. That’s all there may be to it. If you need Gaming-like graphics efficiency, you additionally want a higher-wattage CPU and GPU that may devour extra energy always. Intel’s new Alder Lake structure ought to assist significantly with energy effectivity sooner or later.

That’s why the 2021 ThinkPad X1 Carbon has a for much longer battery life, regardless of that includes a a lot smaller battery.

It is feasible to cost the X1 Extreme utilizing the USB-C ports, however you want a high-power USB-C charger. I’m unsure what the minimal is, however I’ve a 100W USB-C charger, and it labored, whereas a 65W from one other Lenovo laptop computer didn’t. I’ll strive discovering out what the precise flooring is, however be conscious of this till then.

That mentioned, solely the 230W unique Lenovo energy provide can fulfill this laptop computer’s vitality requirement to run at full velocity. But in case you lose it, it’s good to have another emergency choice (like borrowing from a buddy).

Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen4 (official page) is a formidable replace from a yr in the past. It is without doubt one of the greatest skinny & mild 16-inch enterprise laptops for its peak efficiency and total options. And understand that we solely examined the slower model of this pc!

With quicker RTX 3070 and 3080 GPU choices, the graphics efficiency has extra potential. Even although I’m wondering how thermal limitations may have an effect on their peak efficiency, I do know that peak speeds can be considerably larger.

“THE LENOVO THINKPAD X1 EXTREME HAS THE BEST CONFIGURATION OPTIONS IN ITS CATEGORY”

Objectively, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has one of the best configuration choices in its class, making it very laborious to beat in its most “extreme” model: Core i9-11950H+RTX 3080.

For quick and heavy compute workloads going from 20mn to 5mn remains to be a fascinating and measurable productiveness acquire. You’ll should determine this out in your use case and value it.

In conclusion, as essentially the most “extreme” ThinkPad X1, this laptop computer is a good product that may deal with any enterprise software and shall be an excellent companion throughout instances of enjoyable as nicely.

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