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ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura EditionBlack
Lenovo

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition

The X1 Carbon Gen 13 is one of the lightest business laptops, with a 2.8K OLED.

Laptops
8.1/10What the pros sayExcellentExpert consensus · Verified Oct 8, 2026See score breakdown ↓
Storage
Finish · Black
Buying call

Buy the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 if you want a remarkably light laptop with the best ThinkPad keyboard: reviewers praised its sturdy build, 2.8K OLED and long battery. Skip it if you need strong multicore speed or good speakers, because reviewers found both lacking. It has no SD card slot, and upgrades, especially the OLED, are pricey. The newer Gen 14 adds a more repairable design.

Full verdict ↓
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Real-world useBased on everyday testing, not a spec sheet
Unbiased reviewIndependent and objective, sources shown
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura EditionCheck priceSee price
Key specs
Battery
57Whr
Highlights

Specs that matter

Display
Panel
IPS
Resolution
1920x1200
Refresh
60 Hz
Brightness
500 nits
Performance
Processor
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 225U Processor (E-cores up to 3.80 GHz P-cores up to 4.80 GHz)
GPU
Integrated Graphics
RAM
16 GB LPDDR5X
Storage
512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC Opal
OS
Windows 11 Home Lenovo recommends Windows 11 Pro for business.
Battery
Wired charge
65 W
Body
Weight
2.23 lb (1.01 kg)
Dimensions
8.08 – 14.37mm x 312.8mm x 214.75mm
Colors
Black
At a glance

Product highlights

Verified attributes, grouped for quick scanning.

DisplayIPSIPS
ChipsetIntel® Core™ Ultra 5 225U Processor (E-cores up to 3.80 GHz P-cores up to 4.80 GHz)16 GB RAM · Integrated Graphics
RAM / storage16 GB · 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC OpalWindows 11 Home Lenovo recommends Windows 11 Pro for business.
Weight2.23 lb (1.01 kg)8.08 – 14.37mm x 312.8mm x 214.75mm
23 attributes · See all specifications
Price & availability

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Available in 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC Opal.
Buying decision

Should you buy it?

Buy the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 if you want a remarkably light laptop with the best ThinkPad keyboard: reviewers praised its sturdy build, 2.8K OLED and long battery. Skip it if you need strong multicore speed or good speakers, because reviewers found both lacking. It has no SD card slot, and upgrades, especially the OLED, are pricey. The newer Gen 14 adds a more repairable design.

Best for

Frequent travelers who want a very light ThinkPad.

Not for

Anyone who needs heavy multicore performance or good audio.

Main strengthRemarkably light
Main weaknessWeak multicore performance
Reasons to buy
Remarkably light
Stellar 2.8K OLED display
Excellent keyboard and TrackPoint
Long battery life
Reasons to avoid
Weak multicore performance
Tinny audio
No SD card slot
Measured view8.1/10What the pros say · verified oct 8, 2026.
ScoreVerified Oct 8, 2026
Independent coverage

What other reviewers say

Reviews from other sites and creators. They don't change the Gadget Clash score.

Submit your review
Laptop Mag3.5/5
Article · Full reviewLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition review: Sleek and refined, but one flaw vexes meJoanna Nelius · Jan 2025Read on Laptop Mag ↗
PCMag5/5
Article · Full reviewLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition ReviewEric Grevstad · Jan 2025Read on PCMag ↗
Tom's Hardware4/5
Article · Full reviewLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) Aura Edition Review: Lightest Carbon YetAvram Piltch · Jan 2025Read on Tom's Hardware ↗
Just JoshThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13: The Laptop You Want, But Can't AffordWatch on YouTube ↗
Andrew Marc DavidX1 CARBON IS SOOO BACK!!! ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition REVIEWWatch on YouTube ↗
Head to head

How it stacks up

Open a comparison for the full side-by-side view.

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ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
This deviceThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
VS
AlternativeMacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024)
Chipset
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 225U Processor (E-cores up to 3.80 GHz P-cores up to 4.80 GHz)M4: 10-core CPU (4P+6E), 10-core GPU, hardware ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 120GB/s
Full comparison
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
This deviceThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
VS
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)
AlternativeMacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)
Chipset
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 225U Processor (E-cores up to 3.80 GHz P-cores up to 4.80 GHz)M6: 12-core CPU (2 super, 4 performance, 6 efficiency cores), 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and hardware ray tracing, Dual 16-core Neural Engine, u
Full comparison
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
This deviceThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
VS
ASUS ExpertBook A7 (14", AMD) AM7406CKA
AlternativeASUS ExpertBook A7 (14", AMD) AM7406CKA
Chipset
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 225U Processor (E-cores up to 3.80 GHz P-cores up to 4.80 GHz)AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 / Ryzen AI 7 345
Full comparison
Same category

Alternatives worth a look

Other phones in the database, with their stored scores and prices.

All laptops →
—
AppleMacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024)14.2" (361 mm) · M4: 10-core CPU (4P+6E), 10-core GPU, hardware ray tracing, 16-core Neural Engine, 120GB/s · 16 GB
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)—
AppleMacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)14.2" (361 mm) · M6: 12-core CPU (2 super, 4 performance, 6 efficiency cores), 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and hardware ray tracing, Dual 16-core Neural Engine, u · 16 GB
ExpertBook A7 (14", AMD) AM7406CKA—
AsusExpertBook A7 (14", AMD) AM7406CKA14" (356 mm) · AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 / Ryzen AI 7 345 · 16 GB
Product data

Full specifications

23 attributes, grouped for quick scanning. Verified Oct 8, 2026. Spot a wrong value? Hit the next to it.

Performance

NPU
Up to 13 trillion operations per second (TOPS) AI performance

Battery

Battery
  • 57Whr
  • customer replaceable unit (CRU)
  • Supports Rapid Charge (60 minutes = 80% capacity)
  • requires 65W or higher power adapter

Connectivity

Wireless
Intel® WiFi 7 802.11BE (2 x 2) & Bluetooth® 5.4 (Select Models)
Ports
  • 2 x USB-C® (Thunderbolt™ 4, USB 40Gbps)
  • 2 x USB-A (USB 5Gbps)
  • Headphone / mic combo
  • HDMI 2.1 (supports resolution up to 4K@60Hz)
  • Nano SIM slot*
  • actual speeds will vary and may be less than expected.
Webcam
FHD 1080p & infrared (IR) with webcam privacy shutter; 8MP & IR MIPI with webcam privacy shutter
Audio
  • 2 x 360-degree microphones
  • 2 x speakers
  • Dolby Atmos®
  • Dolby Voice®

Keyboard & Input

Keyboard
  • Air intake keys
  • Backlit with white LED lighting
  • Dual-function TrackPoint: navigate like a mouse or double-tap to open TrackPoint Quick Menu
  • Glass TrackPad with 3 buttons* or haptic TouchPad*
  • Spill-resistant
  • ThinkPad TrackPoint Copilot Keyboard (1.5mm travel)
Chassis
  • 3% post-industrial recycled carbon fiber in plastic frame on top cover (A)
  • 90% recycled magnesium on keyboard frame (C)
  • 90% recycled magnesium on bottom cover (D) on models with OLED display & WLAN only
  • 45% hydro aluminum on bottom cover (D) on all models except OLED / WLAN
  • 90% post-consumer content (PCC) recycled plastic used in speaker enclosure
  • 90% PCC recycled plastic used in the battery enclosure
  • 90% PCC recycled plastic used in power adapter
  • 85% PCC recycled plastic used in keycaps (backlit only)
  • 35% PCC recycled plastic used in cable / antenna holders
  • 25% PCC recycled plastic used in hall sensor magnet (measures magnetic fields through changes in voltage)
  • Low-temperature solder on memory modules
  • SSD board & fingerprint module
  • Plastic-free primary packaging with Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certification

Body

Dimensions
8.08 – 14.37mm x 312.8mm x 214.75mm
Colors
  • Black

Software & Launch

Operating system
Windows 11 Home Lenovo recommends Windows 11 Pro for business.
Preloaded software
  • Intel Connectivity Performance Suite
  • Intel® Unison™
  • Lenovo Aura Edition Smart Experiences
  • Lenovo Commercial Vantage
  • Lenovo TrackPoint Quick Menu
  • Lenovo AI Now*
  • Lenovo View (for camera)
  • Office 365 (trial)
Warranty
1 Year Courier or Carry-in
Certifications
  • ENERGY STAR® 9.0
  • Eyesafe®
  • Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) packaging
  • Intel® Evo™
  • MIL-STD-810H
  • TCO 10
  • EPEAT® Gold with Climate+
In the box
  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition (14in Intel)
  • USB-C® 65W GaN AC adapter
  • Internal Battery
  • Quick Start Guide
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Community says

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