Basically, every new ultrabook or laptop released since last autumn is equipped with Intel's new 8th Gen ULV-processors. They offer four native CPU cores and are much faster compared to the old dual-cores. However, this also results in higher power consumption and higher temperatures. We have already tested numerous devices and there can be big differences when it comes to the performance utilization. The current ThinkPad lineup alone shows massive differences, as we have seen in this article.

Today, we are going to have a closer look at the processor core voltage with two examples, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Core i7-8550U) and the ThinkPad T480s (Core i5-8250U). Not every processor is identical, so Intel sets a default voltage to make sure the processor works without problems at the designed specs. This leaves unused potential for optimizations, so you can improve your laptop with some time and testing. We already explained how this undervolting process works in this dedicated article. We used the free tool Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) for the following examples.

Note: The shown values only apply for our specific test models. Even identical configurations can behave differently and you should be conservative when you try to find the limit. We recommend reducing the voltage in small steps and testing every level with the integrated Intel XTU stress test (see following picture), for example. Notebookcheck assumes no liability for possible damage caused by modifications.