Lenovo X1 versus P1

What's the difference?

Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 laptop and​ ThinkPad P1 mobile workstation
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​What’s the difference between Lenovo’s flagship corporate laptop and their leading mobile workstation?
​​Both are designed to be thin and light while providing high levels of performance and excellent display quality, but each is designed for very different types of user.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Mobile Workstation

Who are these devices designed for?

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X1 Carbon

Executive teams
Travellers and commuters
Corporate fleets
Customer-facing company representatives

P1 Workstation

Engineering and research
Financial modelling and data analysis
Cinema and video post-production
Architecture and industrial design

Common features

Carbon Fibre and Magnesium Alloy casing
Optional Touch Screen
Dolby Atmos speakers
2 USB 3 ports, 2 USB-C Thunderbolt 3, LAN connector and headphone jack

Both are robustly designed with backlit keyboards, webcams with privacy shutters and a similar look-and-feel.

Comparative features

Blue = better | Red = lower

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X1 Carbon

8th Gen Intel Core i5 to i7 quad core
14” IPS Full HD or WQHD display
Anti-glare display
Intel UHD 620 graphics
Up to 16GB memory
Up to 1TB PCIe SSD storage
Up to 18.3 hours battery, 51 Whr
802.11 AC Wi-Fi 5
Weight from 1.09kg

P1 Workstation

9th Gen Intel Core i7, Xeon 6 core or i9 8 core
15.6” IPS Full HD, UHD or OLED UHD display
Optional Dolby Vision with Anti-Glare (IPS)
Up to NVIDIA Quadro T2000 Max-Q graphics
Up to 64GB memory
Up to 2x M.2 SSD with RAID 0/1 support
Up to 13.8 hours battery, 80 Whr
802.11 AX Wi-Fi 6
Weight from 1.7kg

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X1 Pros

Substantially lighter
Longer battery life
Strong performance for corporate applications
Lie-flat hinge and optional touch screen

X1 Cons

Not suitable for workstation applications
Not as able to run multiple high-resolution displays or 3D applications
Smaller display
Slower storage and wireless connectivity

P1 Pros

Substantially more performance – up to 2x CPU application performance under load
Larger display with up to 4K OLED internal and external display support
Faster storage and wireless connectivity
Pen and touch screen option with lie-flat hinge

P1 Cons

Heavier
Shorter battery life
Overpowered for corporate applications

​The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 has been proven as a strong performer across enterprise fleets – higher performance users opting for Intel Core i7 with 16GB of memory will find ample performance and long-haul flight battery-life.  The device is particularly slim and light and offers a premium look and feel that far exceeds cheaper fleet and retail devices.  This is well-suited for deployment across a typical corporate or government workforce where durability and dependability is important.
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The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 2, is similar looking on the outside but quite different under the skin.  While remarkably thin and light (and pretty) for a mobile workstation, its heavy-weight performance does mean the device is heavier and uses more power than the X1 (while running faster).  Despite the powerful components, typical corporate users won’t see an appreciable difference in performance for applications like Word or Outlook.  However, users of complex and massive Excel worksheets, Tableau, crypto and workstation-class engineering, editing, design and animation suites will notice a substantial boost.  

Typical deployment - performance environment

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Admin and management

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7
Intel Core i5 to i7 quad core depending on usage
16GB memory recommended for 3 year life cycle 
256GB storage

Alternative Lenovo models
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
360 degree laptop-tablet hybrid (enhanced usability)

Lenovo ThinkPad T490s
Lower-cost corporate fleet ultraportable laptop

Specialist users

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 2
​Intel Core i7 six core or i9 eight core
Intel Xeon six core for certified application support
NVIDIA Quadro T1000 for multi-4K support
Quadro T2000 for 3D applications and simulations
32-64GB memory
512GB or greater storage, depending on application

Alternative Lenovo models
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme laptop
Similar features without application stability optimisations or Intel Xeon option (gaming-class optimisations)
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Lenovo ThinkPad P53s mobile workstation
Lower cost quad-core with workstation-class cooling to reduce thermal throttling seen in equivalent specification non-workstation laptops

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What about the X1 Extreme?

The ThinkPad P1 Gen 2 has a near-twin in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme.
With NVIDIA GeForce graphics, the X1 Extreme is optimised for high frame rates and superior gaming performance. 
The NVIDIA Quadro graphics found in the P1 are optimised for stability, sustained thermal load and fidelity.  Like-for-like, we would opt for the P1 for users who need workhorse-like stability for productivity, especially for staff on billable time. 
The X1 Extreme is extremely attractive for corporate users who need quality gaming time when overseas.  We would give the entry level Intel Core i5 a miss in favour of an i7 six core or greater setup to make the most of the device.

More Fintech Solutions

More about the Lenovo P1

More about the Lenovo X1

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