Lenovo’s powerhouse ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 4) is coming in August with new 16:10 display and much more
This looks to be the best ThinkPad X1 Extreme yet, and it’s not even close.
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What you need to know
Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 3)was one of the most exciting laptops I reviewed earlier this year, but I warned potential buyers that big changes were likely coming for the Gen 4 models. And now that Lenovo has taken the lid off of the latest X1 Extreme, it looks like this is indeed the biggest and most thorough refresh the laptop has ever seen.
Not only is it now packing the latest 11th Gen Intel Core H-series vPro processors (CPU) and NVIDIA RTX 30-series Laptop graphics cards (GPU), it has a new set of display options, new connectivity, larger battery, better sound, and much more. Let’s take a look at some of the major changes compared to the X1 Extreme (Gen 3).
What’s new with the ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 4)
Lenovo has made a number of significant changes to the X1 Extreme (Gen 4), making this one of the best refreshes in recent memory. Here’s what the changes look like on paper.
Here’s a closer look at the exact specifications we’re expecting to see when the laptop launches in August.
The most exciting part of this refresh is undoubtedly the move to ataller 16:10 display. It provides you with more screen real estate, and it removes the unsightly chin below the screen. The result is a look that’s much more modern, especially now that Lenovo has shaved off more bezel on all sides.
The new 16-inch IPS panel starts at a 2560x1600 resolution, with 400 nits brightness, 100% sRGB color reproduction, 60Hz refresh rate, and low blue light tech to protect your eyes. It’s non-touch and finished with an anti-glare coating. Moving up, you enter into a 3840x2400 resolution available in either touch or non-touch. Both panels have 600 nits brightness, 100% AdobeRGB color, Dolby Vision HDR 400, 60Hz refresh rate, low blue light, and 8+2 bit color. The touch version has an anti-reflective finish, with non-touch goes with anti-glare. Lenovo mentions factory color calibration and inking setups are possible in certain scenarios.
The excellent ThinkPad keyboard remains mostly unchanged, but the touchpad is now wider, measuring 4.53 inches (115mm). The TrackPoint system remains for those who prefer the red pointing nub and physical buttons. Flanking the sides of the keyboard are larger speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning; no more down-firing sound. For better collaboration, the webcam has been boosted to 1080p from 720p, available with a standard shutter. An IR camera is also available for extra security, and the fingerprint reader is now located on the power button.
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Connectivity has received a nice boost, with Wi-Fi 6E and optional 5G available for those who need to stay connected everywhere. On that note, Thunderbolt 4 is now included and HDMI looks to have seen a bump up to 2.1 for models with RTX graphics. You can configure models with up to an RTX 3080 Laptop GPU and 11th Gen Intel Core i9 H-series vPro CPU for incredible performance and remote management capabilities. Two M.2 slots are available, each with PCIe 4.0 compatibility.
This is still a relatively thin and light laptop for what you’re getting inside. It measures just 0.78 inches (19.9mm) thin and weighs in at 3.99 pounds (1.81kg) for non-touch models. The laptop is finished in a new anti-fingerprint paint, which will be interesting to test since ThinkPads have long suffered from severe smudging.
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 4) is expected to release August 2021, with models starting at $2,149 before any of Lenovo’s frequent automatic discounts. Check out our roundup of thebest Lenovo laptopsto see how it compares.
Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.
