Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review

Despite packing a middle-of-the-road Intel Core i5 processor, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon stormed our benchmark tests. The score of 9601 in our Cinebench test puts it on par with many Intel Core i7 laptops we've seen, which shows that Lenovo has chosen the very best chip on offer.

In real terms this means that any modern program is fair game for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and you could multitask even the most demanding software - be it bespoke business packages or classic applications such as Photoshop or Microsoft Office.

Graphics capability isn't so hot, since the responsibility for 3D is left to the onboard Intel HD 4000 core, which is built into the processor.

Onboard graphics aren't as woeful as they used to be, and there's plenty enough power to keep Windows fast and responsive, and enable picture and video editing, but if you're working professionally with HD video rendering, or looking to play the odd game in your spare time, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon will come up short.

If there's one triumph of the Lenovo X1 Carbon, it's the excellent power management, which comes via some nifty Lenovo technology. We turned the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon up to maximum performance and looped HD video to kill the battery within a respectable 164 minutes.

However, if you use the built-in software, accessible via the taskbar, you can dynamically alter the power usage to achieve around six hours of use. This is predominantly achieved by dimming the ferociously bright LED display, which makes a huge difference in the Ultrabook's stamina.

Benchmarks
Cinebench: 9601
3D Mark: 5237
Battery Eater: 164 mins