This review is for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 that I received for my participation in the Lenovo Insiders Program. I have not had an X1 in a few years so I was anxious to become re-acquainted. The model that I received is ThinkPad traditional black. Silver is also available from Lenovo Sales.

In comparison with my other ThinkPads, the X1 Carbon is the thinnest and lightest one that I own at only 2.49 lbs.

  
In the short time that I’ve used it, as I’ve traveled around the state with it this model has been extremely portable and comfortable.

Tech Specs Available from Lenovo Sales 

Processor
* Up to 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7600U Processor (4MB Cache, up to 3.90GHz) (*This unit has Intel Core i7-7600U CPU @ 2.80GHz)
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Display
14.0″ WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS Anti-Glare Non-Touch
*14.0″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare Non-Touch
(*This unit is 1920 x 1080)
For increased screen detail, Lenovo recommends upgrading to a WQHD display
Graphics
Intel® HD Graphics 620
Camera
HD 720p
Memory
*Up to 16GB LPDDR3 1866 MHz
(* This unit has 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 930MHz (14-17-17-40)
Storage
*Up to 1TB SSD PCIe OPAL2.0
(* This unit has 238GB THNSF5256GPUK TOSHIBA)
Battery
*Up to 15.5 hours
* Based on testing with MobileMark 2014. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, & other factors.
Audio
Dolby® Audio™ Premium
Security
dTPM 2.0
Touch fingerprint reader
I/O (Input / Output) Ports
2 Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3
2 USB 3.0
HDMI
Native RJ45
MicroSD
MicroSIM
Connectivity
WWAN: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X7 LTE-A
WLAN: Intel® Dual-Band Wireless-AC(2×2) 8265
Bluetooth®
Bluetooth® 4.1
Bluetooth® 4.1 vPro
Dimensions (W x D x H)
12.7″ x 8.5″ x 0.6″ / 323.5 x 217.1 x 15.95 (mm)
Weight
Starting at 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)
Colors
Black
Silver

Yes, those are military specs because the X1 Carbon is designed for businesses. Could I stand on the X1C? Probably, but I’m not going to try it because I don’t believe in abusing anything that Lenovo sends me. I’ll leave that up to the pros whose job it is to put laptops through rigorous testing.

One plus that I appreciate is the backlit keyboard. Even though my desk at home is by a window, as dusk settles in I very often find myself so focused on what I’m doing that I need the backlighting to get me to a stopping point in a project so I can get up and turn on a light in the room.

As mentioned above, this unit’s display is 1920 x 1080 . My personal preference would be a better resolution. I do quite a bit of artwork as a designer of smartwatch faces, so I need a bright display with clarity and details. I am wishing that the resolution on this X1C could be a bit better. It serves the purpose, but if I were going to order an X1C, I would opt for an upgraded display. Having said that, I feel that the many pros outweigh the cons on this one, so I would not hesitate to recommend it to others. Whether for business or for the home consumer, the X1 Carbon Generation 5 definitely deserves a thumbs up.

Disclosure: Lenovo sent me this product as part of the Lenovo INsiders program and did not provide additional compensation. All opinions are my own.