Almost every year, Lenovo brings out new versions of its most popular laptops, and 2023 is no exception with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 and ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8. Both come with a similar set of small upgrades, mostly bringing the processors up to Intel's latest 13th-generation models. These laptops are known to stay the same on the outside with each new iteration, but that's part of what makes them popular.
But while both of them are similar to their predecessors, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga are still fairly different from each other. If you're looking for a new business laptop to buy this year, they're both great choices, but which one is right for you? We're here to help with that.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 vs ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8: Pricing and availability
Lenovo announced the 2023 refreshes of both the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga at the end of 2022, but they're not set to launch until April 2023. As per usual, you'll probably want to check out Lenovo's website if you want to buy them because they're not likely to be available at stores like Best Buy any time soon. Plus, you'll get all configuration options directly at the source.
Officially, pricing starts at $1,729 for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and $1,859 for the ThinkPad X1 Yoga. Lenovo is almost always running some kind of sale on its website, though, so there's a good chance you'll be able to find them below that price shortly after launch.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 vs ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8: Specs
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8 |
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Operating system |
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CPU |
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Graphics |
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Display |
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Storage |
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RAM |
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Battery |
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Ports |
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Audio |
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Camera |
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Windows Hello |
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Connectivity |
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Color |
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Size (WxDxH) |
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Weight |
2.48 pounds (1.2 kg) |
3 pounds (1.38 kg) |
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Starting price |
$1,729 |
$1,859 |
Design and ports: Clamshell or convertible?
Usually, we start these comparisons by breaking down the performance and the display, but realistically, the biggest difference between these two laptops is in the design — the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a clamshell laptop while the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a convertible. That means while one is just a laptop, the other has a hinge that can rotate 360 degrees, letting you use it as a tablet or in different positions like tent mode for watching videos. That alone could make the decision for you, particularly if you value the versatility of a convertible.
Then, there are the looks. Lenovo's ThinkPad family has notably stuck with its iconic black look with red accents, which we see across almost the entire portfolio, including the X1 Carbon. The X1 Yoga, however, is an exception. While it does have the same classic design and red accents, the chassis is actually silver instead of black. Silver is a much more popular color across the rest of the laptop industry, but many ThinkPad fans do like that iconic black, so it's up to you what side you're on.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon starts at just 2.48 pounds, which is noticeably less than the 3 pounds of the X1 Yoga.
They're made from different materials, too. While the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is mostly made of aluminum, the X1 Carbon uses a mix of materials, including magnesium and carbon fiber, which give it a different feel and help make it lighter. Indeed, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon starts at just 2.48 pounds, which is noticeably less than the 3 pounds of the X1 Yoga, making it significantly more portable.
Ports are also the same across the two laptops. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an optional Nano SIM card slot in case you choose a model with cellular connectivity. And on that note, both laptops give you the option for either 5G or 4G LTE, so you can get what works best for your needs and budget.
Display: The X1 Yoga goes up to 4K
While the biggest differences between these two laptops are undoubtedly in their designs, there are some other differences in regard to the display. The base specs are about the same — both have 14-inch displays with a 16:10 aspect ratio, and both start with a WUXGA, or Full HD+ IPS panel.
However, because the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a convertible, it needs to support touch in every configuration, while only select models of the X1 Carbon have touch support. On that note, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga also has a built-in pen that you can use with the display for doodling or taking handwritten notes.
Most configurations are the same otherwise, except for the top-of-the-line option. On the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Lenovo only gives you the option for up to a 2.8K OLED panel, while the X1 Yoga can be configured with a 4K OLED display, which means it's theoretically much sharper. Realistically, a 14-inch display is small enough and both of these panels have very high resolutions, so it probably doesn't matter whether you have a 2.8K or a 4K panel. What's more, a 4K display can actually eat up the battery much more quickly, so the X1 Carbon gets an advantage in terms of battery life if you want the top-end configuration.
As for other media-related specs, things are pretty much the same. Both have 1080p webcams with infrared facial recognition and optional Computer Vision support, as well as quad-array microphones for audio pickup.
Performance: They're almost the same
We left performance for last because there really isn't much to say here. While Lenovo has yet to reveal the specific processor configurations for each laptop, based on last year's models, we can tell they'll be mostly the same. You could get up a P-series Intel Core i7 processor with option vPro support, which means you should get very good performance, though battery life may not be as great as it once was when these laptops were using U-series processors. Both laptops also came with up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, so the similarities continue.
The X1 Yoga has more trouble keeping its performance high.
The differences that exist will probably be in the thermal design and how each laptop is quipped to dissipate heat. If you look at our reviews of the previous iterations — the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 and the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 — you'll see that the X1 Yoga has more trouble keeping its performance high, and the X1 Carbon is faster across the board. That's especially visible in tests like 3DMark Time Spy and Geekbench 5.
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ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 Intel Core i7-1260P |
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 Intel Core i7-1260P |
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PCMark 10 |
5,178 |
5,168 |
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3DMark Time Spy |
1,761 |
1,458 |
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Geekbench 5 |
1,622 / 8,207 |
1,419 / 6,915 |
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Cinebench R23 |
1,309 / 7,115 |
1,375 / 6,831 |
Of course, it's possible the thermal solution has been improved for the new models, but that remains to be seen and Lenovo hasn't mentioned it. And these numbers don't necessarily mean performance will be bad on the X1 Yoga, but during demanding workloads, it just won't be as fast.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 vs ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8: Which should you buy?
These two laptops are identical in many ways, but since their differences mostly come down to form factor, which one you choose comes down to personal preference. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is more true to the iconic ThinkPad look, plus it's more portable, so those are good reasons to prefer it.
On the other hand, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga has a more premium and modern-feeling chassis with its silver colorway, and you get the versatility of a convertible. If you're interested in using your PC as a tablet, this is the right option for you. Of course, it does come in at a higher price, so you'll need to weigh the benefits against the cost.
The more objective point of comparison is in performance, and even that is similar on paper. It's possible that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon may be faster, but unless you're working on heavy workloads like video editing, it's possible you won't even notice the difference.
You'll have to wait until April to be able to buy these laptops, so you have some time to think it over. We'll be sure to have links below for you to buy either laptop once they're available.