Lenovo's new ThinkPad X1 Carbon is an extremely high-quality and well-built business notebook. It is clearly focused on the mobility, because the 14-inch system is very portable at little more than just 1.1 kg. The Chinese manufacturer was also able to reduce the footprint even further compared to the previous model.

The new chassis is also equipped with new ports. Lenovo not only implements two Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C jack), but also regular connectors like UBS-A or HDMI. This means the flagship device is future-proof without the constant need for an adapter. The input devices were further improved as well. The key travel is now on par with the larger T-series models; we even like the new keyboard a bit better thanks to the higher stability and the richer feedback. The glass touchpad also left a very good impression.

The Full HD panel of our test model manages decent results, but some consumer models show that there is still room for improvements. The optional WQHD panel will probably be available mid 2017, but the matte FHD IPS screen is certainly not a bad choice.

The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a very good business notebook and a great choice if you are looking for a very portable and versatile system. But the compact chassis also has drawbacks. You will have to live with high surface temperatures and a clearly audible fan when you really stress the system.

The performance leaves mixed impressions. The X1 Carbon 2017 is very fast in practice thanks to the Core i7 and the PCIe-SSD, but the cooling quickly struggles under sustained workloads. The Core i7 will drop below the performance potential of a Core i5 in this case and you will have to live with high surface temperatures as well as a quickly reacting fan.

X1 Carbon 2017 SKUs with the Core i5 might be the better choice when you consider all these aspects. The lower clocks should result in more headroom for the cooling solution and the temperatures should be lower as well. We will check this with a corresponding test model soon.

We really don't like the limitation for the LTE module. You have to know whether you need LTE or not before you buy the machine. The X1 Carbon 2017 has to be ordered with LTE or you will not be able to upgrade it afterwards due to the missing antennas. The microSD-reader is not very useful in our opinion, either. The slot is tricky to access and the usability of microSD-cards is limited, so you will probably have to use an external card reader anyway.

The combination of high-quality chassis, large screen, excellent input devices, comprehensive port selection, long battery runtimes and the high mobility still results in an extremely compelling and currently almost rivaled package, despite the mentioned drawbacks.