Verdict
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is well the top of ThinkPads with its featherweight human body , solid power and reverend OLED screen . It also come in with a well interface selection , well-off keyboard and seemly endurance . Just watch over out for its high-pitched price tag .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition bear on Lenovo ’s long - condition praxis of bring ultrabook sensibility to a traditionally utilitarian product line .
As the latest in a farseeing business of their X1 - suffixed ThinkPad model , this latest alternative cuts the weighting down even more to under a kilo , make this one of the lightest laptops in its size category .
As well as this , my sample distribution also came with a adequate Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor , 32 GB of DDR5 RAM , a 1 TB SSD and an excellent 14 - column inch 2880×1800 organic light-emitting diode screen with a sleek smooth 120Hz refresh pace .
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In this specification , the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is going to run you £ 2420/$2549 . That easily makes it one of the more premium job laptop computer choices available against both theDell Pro 14 Premiumand Lenovo ’s ownThinkPad T14s Gen 6 , as well as more slick and stylish big - covert ultrabooks , including theAsus Zenbook S 16 ( 2024 ) .
I ’ve been testing this lightweight marvel of a ThinkPad for the last couplet of weeks to see how well it performs as my primary work laptop computer and whether it ’s one of thebest laptopswe’ve examine .
Design and Keyboard
The ‘ Carbon ’ designated Lenovo ThinkPad laptop computer have been around since 2012 , and have always been about legerity . That ’s one affair that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition seems to have take to heart .
This is a 14 - column inch laptop made of a stiff , but featherweight alloy that combines recycled Al , carbon paper fibre , atomic number 12 and plastic to offer a long-lasting refinement and an vastly portable car with a curb weight of just 984 g.
That ’s virtually on equivalence with theAsus Zenbook A14 , and provides you with a laptop computer that ’s incredibly easy to sling into a bag and take to your significant confluence .
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As this laptop carries the touch ThinkPad stigmatization , I suppose it mean that Lenovo has n’t had to comply with some of the modern pain points of fashionable ultrabooks , such as a meagre larboard selection – I ’m expect at you , HP Omnibook X 14 ) . The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition have a pair of Thunderbolt 4 - able USB - Cs and a USB - A on the left , along with a second USB - A , HDMI , and headphone manual laborer on the right .
It also arrive with other classic ThinkPad fixtures and fittings , such as a idle - up logo on the lid , and the classic Trackpoint pointing marijuana cigarette in the middle of the keyboard . There is also a handy ballad - flat hinge that ’s well-fixed to fold up down for more collaborative workloads .
The keyboard itself is the same peachy option that has been fitted to laptop of its variety since 2012 . Its distinctive tactility and slightly dampened sense make type a air . It ’s also a ready to hand 75 % layout with a set of pointer keys and a utile function row with navigation key in the top proper corner . It also come with a enough white backlight for when you need to work after dark and want the keys to be a bit more visible .
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It ’s on the trackpad side of thing where this ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is a smidge different to other laptop of its kind I ’ve tested . A lot of other ThinkPads I ’ve used add up with dedicated computer mouse release at the top of the trackpad , where this choice goes for capacitive inking pad instead . The trackpad itself is quite roomy for a laptop computer this sizing , and comes with exact and responsive tracking to boot .
Display and Sound
A passel of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 models come with Lenovo ’s tried - and - tested 14 - inch 1920×1200 closure IP concealment . This model bumps it up to a much strong 2880×1800 resolution OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh charge per unit for acute output and quiet motion .
The benefit of OLED on laptop screen may be well - traversed by this point , but that still does n’t arrest it from helping this panel look wondrous . It features the signature ink-black blacks with a evaluate horizontal surface of 0.01 , while there is also some excellent dynamic reach to displayed images with a careful 29180:1 dividing line proportion with my trustworthy colorimeter , and a about utter colour temperature of 6600K.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition ’s colours are also virtually faultless , with 100 % insurance coverage of both the sRGB and DCI - P3 gamut , while induce 95 % Adobe RGB is also a exploit in itself . It helps to leaven this gore to be ideally - beseem to both more stock productivity tasks , and for more creative workloads , too .
A peak SDR brightness of 400.2 nits meet Lenovo ’s quoted 400 nit pinnacle , as well as giving this screen a sightly amount of biff in its exhibit images . It does n’t necessarily light into the same ambush as some other OLED screen with a more meagre luminousness fig .
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition ’s Speaker are quite good for a set of downwards - firing laptop computer option , with a decent bit of astuteness and space to their speech sound that makes them perfectly cromulent for casual listening . There is also Dolby Atmos smarting here for more spatial presentation , too .
Test Data
Performance
indoors , my sample of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition pack one of Intel ’s Lunar Lake laptop computer chips , with the mid - range Core Ultra 7 258V that ’s become quite the linchpin in this weight course of instruction . It ’s an eight - marrow / eight - thread chip that offers some decent performance overall .
The divergence between this chip and the 268V in the Dell Pro 14 Premium is a 200MHz higher cost increase clock on the central processor ’s four Performance CORE , but they are virtually identical otherwise .
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition ’s zippy single - core performance in Geekbench 6 and Cinebench R23 is therefore comparable to Dell ’s choice , while also being similar to the Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 chip inside the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 .
The multi - core result in both tryout are solid with comparably - priced AMD machines , such as the MSI Prestige A16 AI+ and Asus Zenbook S 16 ( 2024 ) that do good from eight more thread to make it a much more potent chip for those more intensive labor . Nonetheless , this Lenovo choice is no slouch , but without hyperthreading , it falls some elbow room behind .
The Intel Arc 140V integrated graphic within the Core Ultra 7 258V are seemly , and equate well in the 3DMark Time Spy test against AMD ’s cohort with the Radeon 880 M iGPU . It is also a lot firm than theMicrosoft Surface Laptop 7 , with its Snapdragon X Elite chip and much sapless Adreno incorporate graphics .
Where this ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is unmatched with other laptops I ’ve tested up and down the price ravel is with its SSD .
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The 1 TB capacity deep down have this one of the high - tier up modelling on the options list and gives you a good snatch of space to work with , but its measured read and write speed of 13873.34 Mbit / s and 11748.03 MB / s easily make it the fastest SSD I ’ve try in any laptop , thanks to it being an SK Hynix PCIe Gen 5 part . The 32 GB of RAM on fling also gives you enough headway for lots of multi - tasking , as well as to undertake more intensive tasks if you so wish .
Software
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition come with a fair install of Windows 11 with little in the way of additional software system . The only Lenovo - branded software package that shipped with my sample was Lenovo Commercial Vantage , which allow you to do everything from chit on system usage to fiddling with power and battery options . It ’s a ready to hand catch - all app .
There is also a modest menu that can be accessed by double - tap the Trackpoint . This menu brings up spry options for choosing everything from the spacial audio options of the onboard microphone to system volume and a barrage fire charge threshold to keep the internal prison cell in as good condition as potential for as long as potential .
The Core Ultra 7 258V chip inside is also sinewy enough to touch Microsoft ’s lower limit necessity for this ThinkPad to be classified as a Copilot+ PC . This means you’re able to access some of Microsoft ’s special AI features that have been featured on most of the other recent ultrabook releases , such as the option for AI filters and generative image workplace in Paint and Photos , and the nifty Windows Studio webcam effects for auto - frame and maintaining eye contact .
Battery Life
With the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition , Lenovo is quoting up to 18 minute from its lowly 57Whr cell , which would make for a healthy consequence . In the PCMark 10 battery exam with the brightness at 150 nit though , this Lenovo laptop computer only manage to last for 11 hours and 51 minutes .
This vex our usual 10 - minute target and means you ’ll be able to get through nearly two working days by from the main . However , it is well behind other occupation - grade laptops , with a final result that ’s fundamentally half of the Dell Pro 14 Premium ’s nearly 23 - hours . Even the adjacent ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 with the same mental ability endure for an extra two minute .
The 65W USB - C battery charger does a decent line of putting succus back into the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition , film 45 minutes to get it from zero to half armorial bearing , while a full heraldic bearing took 91 minutes .
Should you buy it?
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition impresses with its sub-1 kg frame that also does n’t skimp out on good ports , a well-fixed keyboard and exact trackpad .
This Lenovo laptop is quite expensive for a laptop of its spec , and you’re able to get most of the experience afforded by this ThinkPad by die for a cheaper mannequin .
Final Thoughts
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is easy the tiptop of ThinkPads with its featherweight physique , solid power and sublime OLED screen .
It also comes with a good port pick , comfortable keyboard and decent endurance . Just watch out for its higher toll tag . With this in mind , a comparably pricedDell Pro 14 Premiumditches the OLED filmdom and scant a small on ports against this ThinkPad , and is also a slight bit heavier .
Go the other agency towards theAsus Zenbook S 16 ( 2024)and you ’ll get a more powerful laptop computer with a larger screen and innovational , sleek looks , as well as for a substantial saving .
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Nonetheless , the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition stay the quintessential ThinkPad in 2025 , as long as you ’ve got the scratch for it . For more options , check out our list of thebest laptopswe’ve tested .
Trusted Score
How we test
This laptop has been put through a series of uniform check designed to gauge central factor , including build quality , performance , screen tone and electric battery life . These include conventional synthetic benchmarks and written tests , plus a series of substantial - world checks , such as how well it runs democratic apps .
FAQs
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition weighs under a kilogram at just 984 g , make it one of the lightest 14 - inch laptops useable .
Full Specs
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