Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura

Measurements come from NotebookCheck's review unit 21NS0010GE with the Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe 5.0 SSD and the non-touch 2.8K OLED panel.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V has 8 cores (4 performance and 4 efficiency), boosting to 4.8 GHz. It is a low-power chip tuned for battery life: fast for office work, browsing and photo edits, slower than 45W H-series chips in long renders. Its NPU is rated at 47 TOPS for on-device AI features.

NotebookCheck measured about 20W of sustained CPU power in this chassis. The chassis limit, not the chip rating, is what decides long render times. Across the 24 systems NotebookCheck has tested with the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, it averages 555 points in Cinebench 2024 multi-core (range 406 to 660) and 118.7 single-core. Where this laptop lands in that range depends on how much power it lets the chip draw.

PugetBench (creative apps). These are Puget Systems' public results for the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V in its standard test, pooled across every system it was tested in, so this laptop's power limits can move them up or down. Higher is better.

Graphics come from the integrated Intel Arc Graphics 140V. It handles video playback, photo edits and lighter or older games at modest settings.

Gaming (average across systems). These are NotebookCheck's average frame rates for the Intel Arc Graphics 140V across every system it has tested with this GPU, not this laptop alone. Power limits differ between laptops, so this one can land above or below the average.

Memory: fixed. 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 is built into the chip package, so buy the amount you will need for the life of the laptop. Lunar Lake versions like this one top out at 32GB; only Arrow Lake versions offer 64GB.

Storage: replaceable. One M.2 slot, already in use (M.2 2280), PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe.

The 14-inch OLED panel runs at 2880x1800 (243 pixels per inch) and 120Hz. It is rated at 400 nits. NotebookCheck measured 410 nits with the near-infinite contrast OLED is known for. Color coverage is 100% sRGB and 100% P3, good enough for photo and video work. Response time is 1.9 ms, so motion stays sharp. The panel flickers at 240 Hz (PWM) at lower brightness, which matters if you are sensitive to it.

NotebookCheck found the panel not very accurate out of the box, so calibrate it before color work.

NotebookCheck measured 40.5 dB(A) under load and 23.2 dB(A) at idle. You will hear it, but it is not intrusive. The hottest surface reached 42.3 °C.

The Lunar Lake chip runs noticeably cooler than Gen 12: the hottest spot is the keyboard center, and the palm rests stay cool. The fans are silent at idle and no coil whine was found.

The battery is 57Wh, larger than 60% of the business laptops we list. NotebookCheck got 11 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, but only 1 hour 24 minutes under full load. Fast charging: Rapid Charge, up to 80 percent in about 1 hour (with the system off or in standby).

That is roughly 30 percent more than Gen 12, making this the first OLED X1 Carbon with good stamina.

Materials: Carbon fiber lid, magnesium bottom cover and keyboard frame (aluminum bottom on some models). At 0.99 kg it is lighter than every other business laptop we list. It measures 312.8 x 214.75 x 16.95 mm. The hinge opens slightly past 180 degrees with no wobble, and the lid can be lifted with one finger.

At about 982 g in the tested build, this is the lightest X1 Carbon yet and roughly ten percent lighter than Gen 12, helped by a switch to a magnesium base under the carbon fiber lid. The body still feels solid, with only slight give when pressing the center of the bottom panel, though the black finish shows fingerprints quickly.

The spill-resistant six-row keyboard has 1.5mm of travel and a typical ThinkPad feel that balances firmness and softness, with grouped function keys, larger arrow keys and a Copilot key that replaces the right Ctrl key. The backlight has two levels.

The reviewed unit uses a large matte glass haptic touchpad with adjustable click strength and built-in TrackPoint click zones, while a classic glass trackpad with three physical TrackPoint buttons is the other option and is the version NotebookCheck said US units shipped with at launch. Sign-in: Match-on-chip fingerprint reader in a keyboard key, IR camera for Windows Hello.

It has 2x Thunderbolt 4, which runs docks, fast external drives and displays over one cable. It can drive up to 2 external displays. It charges over USB-C.

Full list: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 40Gbps, 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack, Kensington Nano Security Slot, Nano-SIM slot. Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE201 2x2 and Bluetooth 5.4.

Webcam: 1080p FHD + IR with privacy shutter (8MP + IR option also listed). Speakers: 2x 2W stereo, Dolby Atmos, upward-firing under the keyboard.

The 1080p webcam gives weak image quality for a premium machine, which the review called the one real misstep. Business features include a discrete TPM, bottom-cover tamper detection, a fingerprint reader, an IR camera and a Kensington Nano slot, but there is no smart card reader and only the SSD and the customer-replaceable battery can be swapped.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition name covers several builds. Processors: Core Ultra 5 226V, Core Ultra 5 228V, Core Ultra 5 238V, Core Ultra 7 256V, Core Ultra 7 258V, Core Ultra 7 266V, Core Ultra 7 268V, Core Ultra 5 225U, Core Ultra 5 235U, Core Ultra 7 255U, Core Ultra 7 265U, Core Ultra 5 225H, Core Ultra 5 235H, Core Ultra 7 255H and Core Ultra 7 265H. Graphics: Intel Arc Graphics 130V, Intel Arc Graphics 140V, Intel Arc 130T, Intel Arc 140T and Intel Graphics. Memory: 16GB or 32GB soldered LPDDR5X-8533 on package for Lunar Lake; 64GB only with Arrow Lake (LPDDR5X-8400). Screens: 14in WUXGA 1920x1200 IPS non-touch 500 nits 60Hz; 14in WUXGA 1920x1200 IPS on-cell touch 500 nits 60Hz; 14in WUXGA 1920x1200 IPS Privacy Guard 500 nits 60Hz; 14in 2.8K 2880x1800 OLED non-touch 400 nits 120Hz; 14in 2.8K 2880x1800 OLED non-touch 500 nits 120Hz VRR; 14in 2.8K 2880x1800 OLED add-on film touch 500 nits 120Hz VRR. Check the exact configuration on the listing before you buy.

No longer the newest: Lenovo has released the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition (PSREF listing and a NotebookCheck review with Intel Core Ultra Series 3 Panther Lake chips), so Gen 13 is now the previous generation.

• Dell Latitude 5450 (Core i7-1355U, 16GB, 512GB): Core i7-1355U, heavier at 1.50 kg and upgradeable RAM.
• HP EliteBook 1040 G11 (Core Ultra 7 165U, 16GB, 512GB): Core Ultra 7 165U, heavier at 1.34 kg.
• Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 (Core Ultra 7 155U, 16GB, 512GB): Core Ultra 7 155U, heavier at 1.38 kg and upgradeable RAM.

Measurements come from NotebookCheck's review unit 21NS0010GE with the Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe 5.0 SSD and the non-touch 2.8K OLED panel.

• NotebookCheck: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition laptop review (21NS0010GE, Core Ultra 7 258V)
• Lenovo PSREF: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition spec sheet (PDF)
• Lenovo US: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition (14in Intel) product page
• NotebookCheck: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Arrow Lake review (21NX008PGE)
• NotebookCheck: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 review
• Lenovo PSREF: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
• Puget Systems PugetBench public results