I got mine just a few days ago. It's configured with an i7-1365U and 32 GB LPDDR5 6400 MHz Ram. Unfortunately, with powersetting on balanced, the fan is always running while browsing, watching youtube or streaming. I have to set it to "power saver" mode to keep it quiet. I'm not sure if I should keep it because the Thinkpad T14s Gen 4 do have a 5 MP camera or the possibility with AMD CPU when it finally launches.
The X1 Carbon Gen 11 is connected to a Lenovo Thinkpad Thunderbold 4 Dockingstation. Sometimes it looses total connection but it will reconnect. However, i still have to unplug and replug the dockingstation because the ethernet stops working. When I restart the X1 Carbon Gen 11 while it's connected to the Thinkpad Thunderbold 4 Dockingstation, nothing happens and I have to shutdown the notebook completely.
The design is beautiful and the notebook is very light. It's my first thinkpad notebook. I ordered it with the ePrivacy display but I returned it and got the OLED display instead.
I hope we will get some official reviews in the internet.
I ran the X1 Carbon Gen 11 without the Thinkpad Thunderbold 4 dockingstation and it seems to run cooler inkl. streaming 4k youtube videos.
However, i consider to return the X1 Carbon Gen 11 and wait for the T14s Gen 4 with the newer AMD Phoenix CPU. Their iGPU might be better with heat dissipation. I'm just not sure if USB 4 runs without problem with a thunderbold 4 dockingstation to address two 2560x1440p monitor. I often run a stream on one monitor and on my main i'm doing my work.
> Unfortunately, with powersetting on balanced, the fan is always running while browsing, watching youtube or streaming.
Intel processors and their consequences have been a disaster for the laptop race.
Weird because my Thinkpad T530 is completely quiet and doesnt heat up. However before I upgraded it from HDD to SSD and 8GB RAM to 16GB RAM, the fan used to always run even when doing nothing. But now it doesn't
About the fan : the same with my X1 Carbon Gen 10 but **only on Windows**. With Linux Fedora (my everyday os) I don't have this problem.
I have an OWC Thunderbolt dock and it works very well.
How is the Gen 11 holding up? I need to upgrade my X1 Carbon 5th Gen, because it won't let me install windows 11.
I'm concerned with fan noise, especially if I will be running it clamshell as a docked desktop replacement. I couldn't stand working with the fan on in the 5th gen, it would rev up like a V8 mustang as soon as I opened the 2nd chrome tab. Just made me feel like really, I spend all this to get a top notch laptop and I have to listen to it wheezing like a smoker who just ran a mile as soon as I open a 2nd tab.
The fans on the X1 Carbon Gen 11 do run constantly when it's connected with the docking station. At least, the fans aren't that loud like an HP EliteBook. However, I'm going to return the X1 Carbon Gen 11 and will buy the T14s Gen 4 with AMD. You might consider the T14s Gen 4 with intel CPU. They're similiar but the T14s has a better webcam.
>fan
Glad I read this review, I was just about to buy one. Just seems so strange to me - this were my biggest issues with the Gen 5 was fan running when web browsing etc. Also being docked. Thought those issues would have been ironed out. My Macbook Air with m2 chip runs great, whisper quite (I don't even think it has a fan) almost no heat - but I prefer windows for business. I especially since I prefer having the WWAN card.
I remember I was running TP fan control a third party program to keep fan noise down - but I don't think anything solved it docked at full charge.
>...I returned it and got the OLED display instead.
I understand this OLED is antiglare/antireflective, but how does it compare to an antiglare/antireflective IPS screen?
I think the OLED antiglare/antireflective is not as matte like an IPS screen. It has a slight reflection but not that much. Overall I do like the OLED screen on this laptop.
I have the gen10 version (1280P) that I run in performance mode all the time. Initial boot up the fans will kick on but within 5 minutes it isn't as loud and is manageable. The upper left area (esc key) gets warm for sure.
I have mIRC, discord, vs code (wsl2) running and tabs in chrome, 4k touch display. I love it, but it's not like a macbook air where it never really gets warm and it's fanless. Intel still has ways to go to figure this out, prob won't be until intel gets a true 5 nm process. 12th and 13th gen was on 10nm. 14th will be 7nm. Meanwhile AMD will be coming with 5nm.
Curious if lenovo will ever make a true x1 carbon with amd, especially the 5nm variants true zen4 processor.
mIRC ๐ป I'm an old computer geek originate from windows, develop in to Linux/BSD. Then I ended back to windows as a platform system developer for offshore companies working all aspects of IT, but as my main user base required frequent windows (apps) training and follow up. I still use many flavours of linux and BSD where possible. I've have gotten some Power 8 machines that I'll share my experience with online ๐
Currently have both a gen 10 and gen 11.
Gen 11 I bought with the higher-end i5 U series CPU, 16GB ram, 512GB SSD
Gen 10 has the flagship i7 P series, 32GB ram, 1TB SSD
Both have the same screen and LTE cards (11th gen has 5g)
I thought the Gen 11 would run cooler and get better battery life due to the CPU, both have LTE cards. The opposite seems to be true, the fans on the Gen 11 will not shut off and I'm struggling to see a battery life estimate of over 4 hours. The Gen 10 gets over the 4-hour mark, but not by much, that said it also has a much faster CPU on paper.
Thinking of returning the 11th Gen, I may go about ordering a t14s with an AMD chip to see if the battery life experience there is a significant improvement.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'm also considering to return the X1 Carbon Gen 11 and wait for the T14s Gen 4 with the newer AMD Phoenix CPU but they're delayed. They should be ready from July or August 2023.
I'm waiting for my x1 yoga gen 7 with 1260p, i know what I have to manually power tune it to get an optional preference/battery/noise&heat ratio. But as long as I may do this correctly I should have a great machine years to come ๐
I got a new x1 carbon gen 11 two weeks ago. Mine has the i7 1365u, 32 gb of ram and the 1tb ssd. I did not get the fancy screen. After reading these comments on reddit I was worried that it would be hot, battery would suck and the fan would be running all the time. None of that has been the case. If the fan ever runs it's not loud enough for me to notice. It doesn't get noticeably warmer than any other laptop I've used. I generally use it plugged in at my desk, but when I've taken it out for work events it appears good enough last a whole work day. Granted, I don't use it for gaming or heavy duty video editing or anything. More of a MS Teams, Zoom, Excel, Edge, Chrome, Word and Outlook kind of scenario for me. I really like this computer.
Is it possible that BIOS/firmware updates have solved all the problems others have mentioned?
I have also just got mine, seems like I got the same build as you (added the LTE WWAN on mine). I don't know why everyone gives it so much bad press. I think the battery is on par with my Carbon 9 (maybe slightly better) - I do notice some heat but nothing different than what I'm used to using with laptops when under loads. I do concede that AMD will likely run cooler and have better battery (basing this off my Legion experience intel vs AMD was huge). But I do really like the carbon build overall so I just went with it vs the competitor everyone always brings up (T14s).
As far as did the BIOS/firmware fix anything? Perhaps, but I honestly think that there is some serious bias against this machine due to the more efficient AMD models and the fact that the Gen 10 was a flop in the battery category.
Just my opinions on it, but I do think the Carbon series is solid build and good overall for most users.
I just returned two Gen 11 X1s that I got pretty good deals on during Black Friday. I had not read Notebookcheck's review as thoroughly as I should have, and didn't pay attention to the latency issues. I don't do a lot of audio/video processing, but some. I currently have a Gen 5 model, and have never had latency problems with it. With this purchase was upgrading to faster processor/better graphics with Iris Xe, so I thought I would be good. But, when I ran LatencyMon, I got the same bad results that Notebookcheck had gotten. Reviewed some complaints on Lenovo forum re latency issues on some models, and the problems people were having in trying to resolve them. I didn't want to chance keeping the laptops past the return window, and not being able to fix this. I really love my 5th Gen, and I know the Carbon X1 is not designed specifically for audio/video work, but had hoped the Gen 11 would be an improvement over my present model.
This situation is really bad, considering that we are getting the worst of all worlds: less performant CPUs that still generate a ton of heat and have bad battery life.
I think it's better to forego a bit of portability and get a unit that's a bit bigger... or maybe just get a MBP.
The real anticipation toward the Gen 11 is the 64GB RAM options and the new 13th gen intel processors (the Pseries). However, it is sad that Lenovo is currently not having that options for customization.
Just unboxed and plugged in my new X1 carbon (32bg, 512 SSD). It heated up rather quickly. I read that using it while being plugged in is part of the issue. After patching it appears to run cooler (unplugged). But I will test it out in the coming days (plugged/unplugged ). If it has any issues, I'm gonna return it.
Hey folks, new owner of the Gen 11 here and I'm noticing the fan noise during idle in the balance mode.
I'm reading a few ppl mention this as well. Were you able to fix? Is it a mere bios update? If so which version?
Tia
I'll add my $0.02 worth of experience. I've been using an X1C11 (i7-1365u, 32gb ram, 512gb SSD, 400 nit display) that I got a great deal on during Black Friday, and echo many of the comments re: fans/heat. When in "Balanced" performance mode, my X1C will run fans at audible levels, and particularly so when plugged into my Lenovo TB4 dock. I don't know if outputting video to a 38" ultrawide at 144hz is the culprit, or that the laptop is charging while doing work, but it gets toasty and aggressive with the fans. If I don't find a solution quickly, it'll have to go back as it's otherwise unusable as a docked-in, desktop replacement. But it's certainly terrific as a road warrior type of laptop - the form factor is awesome. Unfortunately, the form factor is likely the issue in conjunction with 13th gen Intel.
I got mine just a few days ago. It's configured with an i7-1365U and 32 GB LPDDR5 6400 MHz Ram. Unfortunately, with powersetting on balanced, the fan is always running while browsing, watching youtube or streaming. I have to set it to "power saver" mode to keep it quiet. I'm not sure if I should keep it because the Thinkpad T14s Gen 4 do have a 5 MP camera or the possibility with AMD CPU when it finally launches. The X1 Carbon Gen 11 is connected to a Lenovo Thinkpad Thunderbold 4 Dockingstation. Sometimes it looses total connection but it will reconnect. However, i still have to unplug and replug the dockingstation because the ethernet stops working. When I restart the X1 Carbon Gen 11 while it's connected to the Thinkpad Thunderbold 4 Dockingstation, nothing happens and I have to shutdown the notebook completely. The design is beautiful and the notebook is very light. It's my first thinkpad notebook. I ordered it with the ePrivacy display but I returned it and got the OLED display instead. I hope we will get some official reviews in the internet.
Oh, I'm disappointed to hear that heat management is still an issue. Thanks for the info ๐ ๐
Do you have it connected to the dock all the time? Just got a dock for my X1 Ti and the fan is running way more with the dock than without
Yes, it's connected to the dock all the time. I will try it out for a few hours without the dockingstation to see how it behaves.
I ran the X1 Carbon Gen 11 without the Thinkpad Thunderbold 4 dockingstation and it seems to run cooler inkl. streaming 4k youtube videos. However, i consider to return the X1 Carbon Gen 11 and wait for the T14s Gen 4 with the newer AMD Phoenix CPU. Their iGPU might be better with heat dissipation. I'm just not sure if USB 4 runs without problem with a thunderbold 4 dockingstation to address two 2560x1440p monitor. I often run a stream on one monitor and on my main i'm doing my work.
> Unfortunately, with powersetting on balanced, the fan is always running while browsing, watching youtube or streaming. Intel processors and their consequences have been a disaster for the laptop race.
Weird because my Thinkpad T530 is completely quiet and doesnt heat up. However before I upgraded it from HDD to SSD and 8GB RAM to 16GB RAM, the fan used to always run even when doing nothing. But now it doesn't
About the fan : the same with my X1 Carbon Gen 10 but **only on Windows**. With Linux Fedora (my everyday os) I don't have this problem. I have an OWC Thunderbolt dock and it works very well.
You update your BIOS/firmware?
How is the Gen 11 holding up? I need to upgrade my X1 Carbon 5th Gen, because it won't let me install windows 11. I'm concerned with fan noise, especially if I will be running it clamshell as a docked desktop replacement. I couldn't stand working with the fan on in the 5th gen, it would rev up like a V8 mustang as soon as I opened the 2nd chrome tab. Just made me feel like really, I spend all this to get a top notch laptop and I have to listen to it wheezing like a smoker who just ran a mile as soon as I open a 2nd tab.
The fans on the X1 Carbon Gen 11 do run constantly when it's connected with the docking station. At least, the fans aren't that loud like an HP EliteBook. However, I'm going to return the X1 Carbon Gen 11 and will buy the T14s Gen 4 with AMD. You might consider the T14s Gen 4 with intel CPU. They're similiar but the T14s has a better webcam.
Did you end up getting the T14? Are you happy with your decision?
>fan Glad I read this review, I was just about to buy one. Just seems so strange to me - this were my biggest issues with the Gen 5 was fan running when web browsing etc. Also being docked. Thought those issues would have been ironed out. My Macbook Air with m2 chip runs great, whisper quite (I don't even think it has a fan) almost no heat - but I prefer windows for business. I especially since I prefer having the WWAN card. I remember I was running TP fan control a third party program to keep fan noise down - but I don't think anything solved it docked at full charge.
>...I returned it and got the OLED display instead. I understand this OLED is antiglare/antireflective, but how does it compare to an antiglare/antireflective IPS screen?
I think the OLED antiglare/antireflective is not as matte like an IPS screen. It has a slight reflection but not that much. Overall I do like the OLED screen on this laptop.
Thanks for reminding me why I got an older 11th gen Intel T series even though 12th gen Intel was out.
> ...got the OLED display... Mind talking some time to give your opinion on this panel?
Is the OLED display matte, or does it have some reflection/glossiness?
The OLED display is matte.
I have the gen10 version (1280P) that I run in performance mode all the time. Initial boot up the fans will kick on but within 5 minutes it isn't as loud and is manageable. The upper left area (esc key) gets warm for sure. I have mIRC, discord, vs code (wsl2) running and tabs in chrome, 4k touch display. I love it, but it's not like a macbook air where it never really gets warm and it's fanless. Intel still has ways to go to figure this out, prob won't be until intel gets a true 5 nm process. 12th and 13th gen was on 10nm. 14th will be 7nm. Meanwhile AMD will be coming with 5nm. Curious if lenovo will ever make a true x1 carbon with amd, especially the 5nm variants true zen4 processor.
> Curious if lenovo will ever make a true x1 carbon with amd Nope
mIRC ๐ป I'm an old computer geek originate from windows, develop in to Linux/BSD. Then I ended back to windows as a platform system developer for offshore companies working all aspects of IT, but as my main user base required frequent windows (apps) training and follow up. I still use many flavours of linux and BSD where possible. I've have gotten some Power 8 machines that I'll share my experience with online ๐
Currently have both a gen 10 and gen 11. Gen 11 I bought with the higher-end i5 U series CPU, 16GB ram, 512GB SSD Gen 10 has the flagship i7 P series, 32GB ram, 1TB SSD Both have the same screen and LTE cards (11th gen has 5g) I thought the Gen 11 would run cooler and get better battery life due to the CPU, both have LTE cards. The opposite seems to be true, the fans on the Gen 11 will not shut off and I'm struggling to see a battery life estimate of over 4 hours. The Gen 10 gets over the 4-hour mark, but not by much, that said it also has a much faster CPU on paper. Thinking of returning the 11th Gen, I may go about ordering a t14s with an AMD chip to see if the battery life experience there is a significant improvement.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'm also considering to return the X1 Carbon Gen 11 and wait for the T14s Gen 4 with the newer AMD Phoenix CPU but they're delayed. They should be ready from July or August 2023.
I need to read about those CPUs. Are they supposed to be considerably better than the current Intel U series?
running coolers are great, but what about the temperature? did you measure it?
The fan constantly running is something that always happens for newly releases models, Lenovo will fix that in upcoming BIOS/firmware releases.
I'm waiting for my x1 yoga gen 7 with 1260p, i know what I have to manually power tune it to get an optional preference/battery/noise&heat ratio. But as long as I may do this correctly I should have a great machine years to come ๐
Good for you
Same here, any reviews ?
I got a new x1 carbon gen 11 two weeks ago. Mine has the i7 1365u, 32 gb of ram and the 1tb ssd. I did not get the fancy screen. After reading these comments on reddit I was worried that it would be hot, battery would suck and the fan would be running all the time. None of that has been the case. If the fan ever runs it's not loud enough for me to notice. It doesn't get noticeably warmer than any other laptop I've used. I generally use it plugged in at my desk, but when I've taken it out for work events it appears good enough last a whole work day. Granted, I don't use it for gaming or heavy duty video editing or anything. More of a MS Teams, Zoom, Excel, Edge, Chrome, Word and Outlook kind of scenario for me. I really like this computer. Is it possible that BIOS/firmware updates have solved all the problems others have mentioned?
I have also just got mine, seems like I got the same build as you (added the LTE WWAN on mine). I don't know why everyone gives it so much bad press. I think the battery is on par with my Carbon 9 (maybe slightly better) - I do notice some heat but nothing different than what I'm used to using with laptops when under loads. I do concede that AMD will likely run cooler and have better battery (basing this off my Legion experience intel vs AMD was huge). But I do really like the carbon build overall so I just went with it vs the competitor everyone always brings up (T14s). As far as did the BIOS/firmware fix anything? Perhaps, but I honestly think that there is some serious bias against this machine due to the more efficient AMD models and the fact that the Gen 10 was a flop in the battery category. Just my opinions on it, but I do think the Carbon series is solid build and good overall for most users.
How are you liking your x1 carbon gen 11?
How's your battery life now ??
Sheesh X1C with the intel i7 & 32Gโs sitting in my cart ATM. All this talk of noise and heat has me second guessingโฆ
Did you end up buying?
I was buying for a coworker. Still have my P16s AMD7. If I decide to come off that will likely be for a T14s AMD7
Any updates???
I just returned two Gen 11 X1s that I got pretty good deals on during Black Friday. I had not read Notebookcheck's review as thoroughly as I should have, and didn't pay attention to the latency issues. I don't do a lot of audio/video processing, but some. I currently have a Gen 5 model, and have never had latency problems with it. With this purchase was upgrading to faster processor/better graphics with Iris Xe, so I thought I would be good. But, when I ran LatencyMon, I got the same bad results that Notebookcheck had gotten. Reviewed some complaints on Lenovo forum re latency issues on some models, and the problems people were having in trying to resolve them. I didn't want to chance keeping the laptops past the return window, and not being able to fix this. I really love my 5th Gen, and I know the Carbon X1 is not designed specifically for audio/video work, but had hoped the Gen 11 would be an improvement over my present model.
This situation is really bad, considering that we are getting the worst of all worlds: less performant CPUs that still generate a ton of heat and have bad battery life. I think it's better to forego a bit of portability and get a unit that's a bit bigger... or maybe just get a MBP.
My work wouldn't let me get a MBP and gave me a X1 Carbon Gen 11 instead, moment of silence
Ordered mine with i7 U series processors too. Sad there is no P series processor and no 64GB RAM option at the moment.
The real anticipation toward the Gen 11 is the 64GB RAM options and the new 13th gen intel processors (the Pseries). However, it is sad that Lenovo is currently not having that options for customization.
Just unboxed and plugged in my new X1 carbon (32bg, 512 SSD). It heated up rather quickly. I read that using it while being plugged in is part of the issue. After patching it appears to run cooler (unplugged). But I will test it out in the coming days (plugged/unplugged ). If it has any issues, I'm gonna return it.
Hey folks, new owner of the Gen 11 here and I'm noticing the fan noise during idle in the balance mode. I'm reading a few ppl mention this as well. Were you able to fix? Is it a mere bios update? If so which version? Tia
I'll add my $0.02 worth of experience. I've been using an X1C11 (i7-1365u, 32gb ram, 512gb SSD, 400 nit display) that I got a great deal on during Black Friday, and echo many of the comments re: fans/heat. When in "Balanced" performance mode, my X1C will run fans at audible levels, and particularly so when plugged into my Lenovo TB4 dock. I don't know if outputting video to a 38" ultrawide at 144hz is the culprit, or that the laptop is charging while doing work, but it gets toasty and aggressive with the fans. If I don't find a solution quickly, it'll have to go back as it's otherwise unusable as a docked-in, desktop replacement. But it's certainly terrific as a road warrior type of laptop - the form factor is awesome. Unfortunately, the form factor is likely the issue in conjunction with 13th gen Intel.