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Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is a mainstream business laptop that nails the basics for enterprise use, while giving users a range of configuration options to suit more specific needs. It’s also relatively affordable and comes in two color options.
Pros
- Significantly cheaper
- Includes RJ45 Ethernet
- AMD and Intel options
Cons
- Thicker and heavier than the X1 Carbon
- No 5G support
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 builds on its predecessor with newer and more powerful 13th-gen Intel processors. It keeps the iconic ThinkPad design and features you know and love, too.
Pros
- Thinner and more portable
- Up to 64GB of RAM
- Better webcam by default
Cons
- No RJ45 Ethernet
- Fairly expensive
Lenovo ThinkPads are some of the best business laptops on the market, and the company has been smart enough to create a wide range of devices that cater to different price segments and needs. Among the many options you can choose from, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and ThinkPad T14 are some of the most popular, and both of them have been refreshed for 2023. So let’s take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 and ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 to help you determine which one is right for you since they do have fairly different target audiences.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is arguably Lenovo’s crown jewel when it comes to business laptops, being the oldest and most consistent entry in the lineup. It’s more expensive, but it delivers a premium experience across the board. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is a more mainstream device focused on nailing the essentials for business users while still being affordable.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 vs X1 Carbon Gen 11: Pricing and availability
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 was the first of the two laptops to be announced in late December 2022. It launched a few months later, with the first configurations showing up on Lenovo’s website in March. The official starting price is $1,729, but pricing will vary a lot depending on the configuration. The price will likely be lower, as the laptop becomes more widely available and Lenovo starts circulating it in its many sitewide sales.
Meanwhile, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 was announced at the end of February, and it became available to buy toward the ends of April. While the official starting price is $1,239, the models currently available cost over double that, starting at $2,699. This tends to happen with Lenovo laptops, and in fact, the X1 Carbon had a similar situation when it first launched. Prices will come down significantly over the next few weeks.
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Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 Color Storm Grey, Deep Black Deep Black Storage Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD Up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD CPU 13th-generation Intel Core processors or AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors 13th-generation Intel Core U- and P-series processors Memory Up to 32GB LPDDR5x Up to 64GB LPDDR5x Battery 39.3Whr or 52.5Whr battery 57Wh battery Ports 2 x Thunderbolt 4 (Intel) / USB4 (AMD) 2 x USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1) 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x RJ45 Ethernet 3.5mm combo headphone jack SIM card slot 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3.5mm headphone jack, nano-SIM slot (optional) Camera 720p HD webcam, 1080p Full HD webcam + IR, 5MP webcam + IR Up to 1080p Full HD MIPI RGB + IR webcam with Computer Vision and physical shutter Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 2.8K OLED, 400 nits, 100% DCI-P3, 90Hz refresh rate 14-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED, 500 nits (HDR), 100% DCI-P3 Weight 2.92 pounds 2.48 pounds (1.2kg) GPU Intel Iris Xe graphics, Nvidia GeForce MX550 (optional, Intel only)/AMD Radeon graphics Intel Iris Xe graphics (integrated) Dimension 12.51 x 8.93 x 0.70 inches 12.42×8.76×0.60 inches (315.6 x 222.5 x 15.36mm) Network Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.1 Cellular (optional): 4G LTE Intel Wi-Fi 6E 2×2, Bluetooth 5.2, optional 5G/4G LTE Speakers Dolby Audio speaker system with Dolby Audio 2 x 2W woofers and 2 x 0.8W tweeters, Dolby Atmos Price Starting at $1,239 (MSRP) Starting at $1,729 (MSRP)
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 vs X1 Carbon Gen 11: Design
At first glance, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 and X1 Carbon Gen 11 may look incredibly similar, and to be fair, they do share most of the design elements. Most ThinkPads do, but there are some differences in the finer details.
Most notably, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is an impressively thin and light laptop. It measures just 0.6 inches thick and weighs under 2.5 pounds, which is very good for a 14-inch laptop. That’s partly because it uses a mix of aluminum and carbon fiber, which helps it be lightweight. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad T14 measures 0.7 inches thick and starts at 2.92 pounds, so it’s not quite as easy to carry around in a backpack for long periods, although still relatively portable.
Source: Manufacture
The larger design of the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 does yield some space for an RJ45 Ethernet port, which may be useful for wired internet connections if you need them. On the other hand, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 offers the option for 5G cellular connectivity, so you can use the internet from almost anywhere. Otherwise, both laptops have two Thunderbolt 4 ports (or USB4 ports, in the case of the AMD version of the T14), two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, and a headphone jack.
There are some aesthetic differences, too. Certain configurations of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon use a carbon fiber pattern on the lid, which helps it look a bit more unique. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad T14 comes in either Deep Black or Storm Grey, so you can get a different color altogether.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 vs X1 Carbon Gen 11: The displays are (almost) the same
The differences start to become less apparent when we go to the display. Both the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 and X1 Carbon Gen 11 come with a 14-inch panel that uses a 16:10 aspect ratio. At first glance, the configuration options are also similar. They start with a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS panel and go up to a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED panel.
However, while the base model does have the same resolution, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 maxes out at 300 nits of brightness, which means outdoor visibility won’t be all that great, especially in bright sunlight. Out of the box, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon starts you off with a 400-nit panel, which will make a big difference. It’s also worth noting that, while we know the X1 Carbon Gen 11 covers 100% of sRGB, Lenovo hasn’t provided color gamut coverage results for the base model of the ThinkPad T14, so there’s a good chance things will look noticeably less vivid on that screen. On the flip side, Lenovo says the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4’s OLED panel has a 90Hz refresh rate, but this isn’t mentioned in the spec sheet for the X1 Carbon Gen 11, so you may get a better experience with the former.
A similar situation applies to the camera. By default, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 includes a 1080p webcam with a privacy shutter, and you have the option to add an infrared camera or even upgrade to a MIPI camera (instead of USB), which enables support for Computer Vision and features like human presence detection. On the other hand, while the ThinkPad T14 starts with a 720p webcam, you can configure it with up to a 5MP camera, so the sensor should be better than the one on the X1 Carbon.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 vs X1 Carbon Gen 11: Performance
ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 10)
Finally, you shouldn’t expect huge differences between these two laptops as far as processors go, at least when considering the Intel model of the ThinkPad T14. Both laptops come with 13th-generation Intel Core processors from either the P series or U series. Performance should be about the same, barring any differences in cooling performance. However, there is an AMD Ryzen variant of the ThinkPad T14 to consider, and in this case, you may see a noticeable performance difference. However, since Lenovo has yet to specify which AMD processors will be used, we can’t compare detailed results just yet.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 can be configured with an optional discrete GPU from Nvidia, the GeForce MX550. This is very much an entry-level GPU for laptops, but it does offer a nice performance boost if you have tasks that need the GPU, whether that’s some light gaming or content creation like video editing. Plus, the AMD models also have slightly faster integrated graphics compared to Intel’s Iris Xe, so the GPU aspect is a potential win for the T14 Gen 4 overall.
One benefit of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon over the T14 Gen 4 is that it can be configured with a whopping 64GB of RAM, double of what’s possible in the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4. This is a new benefit this year considering previous models of the X1 Carbon Gen 11 maxed out at 32GB of RAM, and the T14 Gen 3 actually had options for up to 48GB. Things have turned around this year, and if you use memory-intensive applications, the X1 Carbon Gen 11 may be the one for you. Otherwise, both laptops have up to 2TB of SSD storage.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 vs X1 Carbon Gen 11: Which should you buy?
While it’ll come down to what you need, it’s fair to say that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is the best laptop overall. It’s a more modern machine with a thin and light design, plus it offers a better experience by default when it comes to the display since even the base model has a fairly bright 400-nit panel. Plus, you can configure the X1 Carbon Gen 11 with up to 64GB of RAM, which gives you more headroom for workloads that require more memory. That’s not to mention 5G support, which is also good to have on a modern business laptop since it makes it that much easier to work from anywhere.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is a premium business laptop with a thin and light design and great features that make it a good choice for any professional user. It does come with a hefty price tag, but it offers a great experience across the board.
However, you’d be hard-pressed to say that the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is a bad deal (once its real price gets closer to the announced MSRP), and if you want something more affordable, it has a lot to offer. You get a similar level of performance with the same Intel processors in general, plus an optional Nvidia GPU. You can also opt for an AMD model if you prefer that. You do give up some portability, but the ThinkPad T14 does give you RJ45 Ethernet if you need a wired internet connection, and still has cellular support, even if it sticks to 4G LTE instead of 5G.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is looking to be a great workhorse laptop. It brings newer 13th-generation Intel CPUs, or AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs, as well as the option for an OLED display. Even the webcam has been improved thanks to the option for up to a 5MP camera.
If you’re not interested in something this expensive or business laptops just aren’t for you, maybe check out the best laptops in general to see some other options.