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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11
The ultimate business laptop
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 has everything you’d want in a business laptop, from solid build quality and colorful display to an array of ports and connectivity options. It also has an improved battery life, so working longer hours won’t be a problem.
Pros
- Optional 4G and 5G connectivity
- Improved battery life compared to the previous generation
- Runs cooler than previous gen and has a wide range of ports
Cons
- Throttles under heavy load
- Doesn’t have a 4K option
- Soldered RAM
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Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2
A refreshed look
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is unlike many other laptops in the ThinkPad lineup. It sports a distinct body made from sustainable materials, and its inner components, such as up to 64GB RAM, Ryzen 7000 Pro series CPU, and 2TB SSD, are sure to help enhance your productivity.
Pros
- New design provides a sense of uniqueness
- Beautiful OLED display and better CPUs
- Improved touchpad and excellent keyboard
Cons
- Lacking in ports
- Soldered RAM
Lenovo is a brand that has produced some of the best laptops on the market. While the brand offers a wide range of notebooks, its ThinkPad lineup is one of the most popular options among business owners, and that is for a good reason. The ThinkPad lineup has many business-centric features, making it a no-brainer for most professionals. From top-of-the-line components to excellent displays and build quality, you’d be hard-pressed to find business laptops that are just as good as a ThinkPad in the same category.
However, choosing between two laptops from the same lineup can be daunting since they have excellent specs and build quality. Today, we’re looking at the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2, and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11, both of which feature the latest AMD and Intel processors, vibrant OLED displays, up to 64GB RAM, and up to 2TB storage. Since both laptops offer impressive features and cater to the needs of most professionals, which one would suit you better? Join me as I dissect the design, specifications, performance, and overall value to help you make an informed decision.
Price and availability
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is currently available on Lenovo’s website and other retail stores. Its base model has 16GB RAM, 13th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, and 256GB SSD, starting at $1729. You can upgrade it to higher specifications, which would, in turn, cost you more.
On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 isn’t available as of the time of writing. It’s supposed to ship sometime in July with a starting price of $1,249. Lenovo is currently running a deal on its website on the X1 Carbon Gen 11, so you can grab it at a cheaper price.
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 Brand Lenovo Lenovo Color Deep Black Arctic Grey and Bronze Storage Up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD Up to 2TB SSD CPU 13th-generation Intel Core U-series processors AMD Ryzen 7000 PRO series Memory Up to 64GB LPDDR5x Up to 64GB Operating System Windows 11 Windows 11 Pro Battery 57Wh battery 51.5Whr Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3.5mm headphone jack, nano-SIM slot (optional) 2x USB-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack Camera Up to 1080p Full HD MIPI RGB + IR webcam with Computer Vision and physical shutter 1080p FHD hybrid infrared (IR), 1080p FHD RGB and IR discrete camera Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED, 500 nits (HDR), 100% DCI-P3 13.3-inch 2880×1800 (2.8K) OLED display with Dolby Vision, 1920×1200 IPS display (touch and non-touch) Weight 2.48 pounds (1.2kg) 2.62 pounds (1.19 kg) GPU Intel Iris Xe graphics (integrated) Integrated AMD Radeon graphics Dimension 12.42×8.76×0.60 inches (315.6 x 222.5 x 15.36mm) 11.59 x 7.85 x 0.55 inches (294.4 x 199.6 x 13.99mm) Network Intel Wi-Fi 6E 2×2, Bluetooth 5.2, optional 5G/4G LTE Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 (or higher), 4G LTE support Speakers 2 x 2W woofers and 2 x 0.8W tweeters, Dolby Atmos Dolby Atmos speaker system, Dolby Atmos headphone, 2x mics with Dolby Atmos Voice Price Starting at $1,729 (MSRP) Unavailable Model ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 Finish Carbon fiber (top) + aluminum (bottom) Aluminum and flax material
Design: A classic look or more sustainability
In terms of design, the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 and X1 Carbon Gen 11 speak different languages. The Z13 Gen 2 sports a recycled aluminum finish but has something else going for the A-cover. Unlike the previous Z13 generation, which has a leather cover, the Gen 2’s cover is made from flax fiber and bronze-colored polished sidewalls. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has a design that’s similar to other laptops in the ThinkPad lineup. You get an all-black magnesium and aluminum finish with red accents. It also comes in an optional carbon fiber weave to make your laptop look unique.
Both laptops have solid build quality and are pretty portable. The Z13 Gen 2 is 13.99 mm thick while the X1 Carbon is a little thicker at 15.36 mm. However, despite its thickness, the X1 Carbon is lighter at 2.48 pounds while the Z13 Gen 2 has more heft at 2.62 pounds. Nonetheless, you can’t go wrong with either if portability and build are what you’re looking for. The keyboards on both devices are well-built, as they offer excellent tactility, key travel, and are easy to type on. The Z13’s keyboard is an edge-to-edge, spill-resistant keyboard, while the X1 Carbon has speaker grills on the side of its keyboard.
What really sets the Z13 Gen 2 apart is the touchpad and TrackPoint Quick Menu. Since it’s a laptop focused on hybrid work environments, Lenovo included a quick menu that allows you to adjust some of your camera and mic settings by double-tapping on the signature red dot in the middle of the keyboard. This quick menu will enable you to change your camera settings, mic volume, enable noise suppression, and more. Combine this with the Dolby Voice-enabled microphones, and your online meetings and calls should go much more smoothly.
Lenovo also partnered with Sensel to create a new touchpad for the Z13 and Z16 Gen 2, with enhancements like better haptics and palm rejection. The trackpad is also larger than the one on the previous generation, and it has virtual haptic buttons at the top that make it easy to access your left and right mouse clicks while using the TrackPoint but without taking up valuable space like they do on the X1 Carbon.
Display: Not much difference
The displays on both devices are similar. They both have IPS and OLED display configurations as well as touch and non-touch configurations. The Z13’s IPS displays maxes out at 1920×1200 resolution, while the X1 Carbon’s IPS display maxes out at 2240×1400 (2.2K) resolution. On the OLED front, both ThinkPad laptops have a 2880×1800 (2.8K) display resolution, though the Z13 Gen 2 has Dolby Vision support.
I recommend choosing the OLED options on both devices since it translates to better contrast levels, vibrant colors, and deeper blacks. The OLED configurations on both laptops also support DCI-P3, so you’d be getting excellent value for money if you’re a creator. However, if you are keen on getting a touchscreen display, you’d have to settle for one of the 1920×1200 IPS screens since the OLED options on both laptops don’t have touch support.
With that said, the Z13 has thinner bezels than the X1 Carbon. Lenovo says the Z13 has the highest screen-to-body ratio on any ThinkPad device at over 91%. Both laptops have a 1080p webcam at the top of their displays, so you can easily utilize Windows Hello. However, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon has a configuration with no IR camera, so you want to be careful when purchasing, as you’ll be unable to use Windows Hello facial recognition if you get that configuration. Both cameras are excellent for conference calls, which means you’d be able to collaborate and share insights with your team easily.
Performance: AMD or Intel, take your pick
The Z13 Gen 2 and ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 are expected to differ in the performance department. The Z13 Gen 2 is an all-AMD laptop featuring AMD 7000 series processors and an integrated AMD RDNA graphics card. On the other hand, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is an all-Intel laptop as it sports Intel’s 13th Gen processors and an integrated Intel Xe graphics card. While the Z13 Gen 2 isn’t available yet, the improved CPU and integrated graphics mean you’d get more efficiency in terms of performance, given that the last gen’s AMD 6000 processors didn’t throttle much under heavy load.
Both laptops support Windows 11, but the Z13 comes with the Pro version right out of the gate. In contrast, only the highest configuration of the X1 Carbon Gen 11 supports Windows 11 Pro out of the box. According to Lenovo, the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 has a 51.5Wh battery, the same size as the Gen 1. However, expect the battery life on the Gen 2 to be much better than the Gen 1 since it houses the Ryzen 7000 processors, which provide better efficiency than their Ryzen 6000 counterparts. As for the battery life on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11, it sports a 57Wh battery, so you should be able to get through your day with no issues.
Ports: The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is far more robust
The Z13 is severely lacking on the port side, with just two USB-C ports on either side of the laptop and a headphone jack on the right side. While that means you can charge your computer on either side, you’d have to buy a dongle or USB hub to connect devices that don’t use USB-C to your laptop.
On the other hand, the X1 Carbon comes with a wide array of ports, including two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, two USB-A ports, and one headphone jack. With these many ports, you can connect any modern device to your computer without worry.
Both laptops have Wi-Fi 6E support, but the X1 Carbon has 4G and 5G models, while the Z13 only supports 4G LTE to ensure you’re always connected. Also, both laptops support Bluetooth 5.1 or higher, depending on your chosen specs.
Which should you buy?
Personally, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is a solid option. It has an excellent display, great battery life, a well-built keyboard, a wide array of ports, and 4G and 5G connectivity options. While its Intel processor means it throttles under heavy load; you’ll still get top-notch performance from this machine.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11
The classic powerhouse
Reliable business performance
$1800 $2157 Save $357
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 mixes Lenovo’s classic ThinkPad design with a host of powerful components to provide you with a high-class productivity machine. From its 13th-gen Intel processors to its OLED display and up to 64GB RAM, you’re sure to have a swell time using this laptop.
The Z13 Gen 2 is also an incredible machine. I like its flax-fiber design language, improved efficiency from its AMD chips, better battery life, edge-to-edge and spill-resistant keyboard, and work-focused glass trackpad. However, it offers a display similar to the X1 Carbon, both keyboards have identical build quality, and its lack of ports and 5G connectivity makes it feel inferior to the X1 Carbon Gen 11.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2
The sophisticated option
Elegant and efficient
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a fun, unique design with its flax material lid. This refresh is also more efficient than the previous gen thanks to the new AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro series processors its packing under the hood.