Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review

Inside, the Intel Core i5-3427U processor runs each of its two cores at 1.8GHz, but can reach 2.8GHz using Turbo Boost. It’s paired with 8GB of (non-removable) RAM and a 256GB SSD, so understandably it sped through our multimedia benchmarks with an overall score of 55. That isn’t quite as fast as some Core i7-powered Ultrabooks, but it’s still more than quick enough for all your everyday applications. The extra memory will help with larger applications such as databases too.

Clearly, the X1 Carbon wasn’t built as a gaming laptop, so it should come as no surprise that it relies on the integrated graphics chip built into the processor for video and 3D rendering performance. Intel’s HD 4000 might be a step up from the previous generation, but it still struggles in newer games. Our Dirt 3 test finished with a choppy average frame rate of 19.7fps. That’s a slight step up from other Ultrabooks we’ve seen, but mostly because our review sample was using a faster processor. If you opt for the less expensive X1 with a Core i5-3317U, you should expect gaming performance to be around 10 per cent slower depending on the title.

The main benefit from opting for integrated graphics is that they’re much more forgiving on battery life. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon performed admirably in our light-use test, managing a little under eight hours away from the mains. You should be able to get a full working day out of a single charge if you stick to light tasks.

It’s difficult to recommend the X1 Carbon to anyone needing a laptop purely for home use; you’d be paying extra for features that you wouldn’t need, such as the integrated 3G modem and vPro compatibility, and would perhaps be better off with the Samsung Series 9, but for business users there’s almost nothing to fault here. It’s fantastic to use, packed with useful features and software, powerful and long-lasting. If you’re after a new business workhorse, this should be it.