X1 Carbon 7th gen choice

[kpevav]

I am choosing from three pretty basic configurations of the X1 Carbon 7th gen.

Processor RAM SSD Display
i5-8265U 8GB 256GB FHD 400 nits non-touch
i7-8565U 16GB 256GB FHD 400 nits non-touch
i7-8565U 16GB 512GB FHD 300 nits Touch

Pertinent points:

• The i5 version saves $200-250 off the i7 versions, but comes with just 8GB RAM

• The first two listings come with the non-touch screen. I am inclined towards that because of its brightness plus lower energy use

• The storage space is not an issue, since the SSD's are replaceable if I need a larger one.

My questions, therefore, revolve around the processor and RAM.
1) Will the i5 processor run cooler -- and so use the fan less -- and use less energy? My priorities include a quiet computer and as long a lasting battery as practical.
2) Will there be much of a performance penalty?
3) Is the 8GB RAM a significant limiting factor?

I use the laptop primarily for:
1) Writing (Word)
2) E-mail
3) Web browsing
4) A simple checkbook program
5) Video viewing
6) Excel spreadsheets, sometimes with figures, but nothing extensive or demanding
7) Photo processing (ON1 RAW or Faststone principally)
Powerpoint presentations that may include graphics, photographs, and an occasional video clip
9) Occasional Skype
and normal other apps, for security, etc.

[dr_st]

1) Will the i5 processor run cooler -- and so use the fan less -- and use less energy?

Don't know the answer to that.

2) Will there be much of a performance penalty?

Probably not.

3) Is the 8GB RAM a significant limiting factor?

Depends on who you ask, and depends on how long you keep your computer. Since I normally keep my laptops for many years, I would not buy one with 8GB non-upgradeable RAM in 2019.

[RealBlackStuff]

Even if you take only the i5 CPU, you should still order it with 16GB, since all RAM is soldered (stupid really...).

[kpevav]

Yes, the RAM is the thing that concerns me. I never had too much RAM, presently with 20GB (an older Thinkpad that could accept more RAM). I will go with the 16GB, it seems more a better functional investment.

[jdhurst]

I have an X1 4th generation i7 16 GB 1 TB SSD NVMe

At the time I purchased (2016)

1. To get 16 GB (soldered in as noted above) I had to order the i7 CPU. Check that on your own customization.
2. Screen is non-touch. I have an M73 Desktop with touch screen. I do not have any issue with the X1 non-touch. Better battery life for non-touch according to Lenovo.
3. i7 runs very cool - little noticeable heat at any time.
4. Battery when new went for 6 or 7 hours of use. 3 years later I have a replacement battery on order.
5. For ordinary use, 8 GB is fine. Photo Processing may demand more. I use virtual machines so 16 GB is good for that.
6. 256 GB SSD would be very limiting for me. I have had 512 GB or more since Windows 7 in 2009.

[kpevav]

I have been considering an upgrade to the new X1 Carbon for three reasons.

One is battery life on the T460s that I have used for 3 1/2 years. After about a year or so, it decreased, and I started using it less. Replacement batteries were difficult to get.

The second is the processor speed gains.

The third is to lose a little weight, about a half pound. Not significant in the grand scheme of things, but it does help a bit given intermittent back problems.

I am wondering if buying new batteries for the T460s (it holds two separate batteries) would get me close to the X1 Carbon 7th gen with i7 and low-energy display? The total of the two batteries should be 49w compared to the 51w of the X1, but then again, the older processor and display are less efficient. I admittedly never had wonderful battery life on the T460s, but read conflicting reports about the X1 7th gen.

I have 20GB in the T460s, so the 16GB is really the only choice in the X1.

The keyboard on the T460s is superb, and I have read that the new X1 has a flattened keyboard with less key travel. Does anyone have one -- or at least tested one out?

I'm thinking of maybe keeping the T460s and getting new batteries.

[jdhurst]

Batteries deliver posted performance for about a year and good performance for the second year. At three years, they normally need to be replaced. I put in new batteries in my T61p (gone) and X230 after about 30 months. I have a battery on order for my X1 (at 36 months).

Batteries are just a can of chemicals which get used up. I am very happy with my X1 in this regard.

[w0qj]

1. Recommend you get i7 CPU if you feel you can take advantage of hyperthreading for faster batch photo processing.
(CPU is also soldered, cannot be upgraded).

2. Definitely get your maximum 16 GB for future proofing your X1C7, since RAM is soldered, cannot be upgraded.
16 GB RAM especially since you've mentioned that you would be doing photo processing.

Your RAM usage also depends on the number of tabs constantly open in your browser(s).
Videos are regularly embedded into webpages now, dramatically blowing up your RAM usage.
We regularly have 30+ browser pages open (press [F5] for the latest update info), email program, X1 Search, and instant messaging (WeChat), and our RAM usage is always above 8 GB RAM!

3. .SSD can be upgraded as/when needed; agree that 500 GB should be the "minimum" for multi-year use of your X1C7.

4. Should budget allow, you can also consider to deploy Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Graphics Dock with the *desktop* version of NVIDIA(R) GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5) graphics card!
http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/acc500012
~This morphs your X1C7 similar to a "lightweight workstation" when maxed out, with the portability of your X1 Carbon!


Do have FUN deciding on the final specs of your X1C7 !

[kpevav]

Given my uses, how significant a difference would the X1 Carbon 7th gen make? I am pretty satisfied with my T460s, but would like something lighter weight and better battery life. But it’s a lot of money to spend for what be fairly modest differences.
T460s has i5-6250U processor, 20GB RAM, 500GB SSD, 250 nit screen — which is usually bright enough except for occasional dark scenes in movies. I need to replace the two batteries to get back to 6-6.5 hours on a charge. My Lenovo cart expires in 12 hours, so I would have to wait for the next big sale.

[ZaZ]

Only applications that need more processing power and can take advantage of the extra cores will benefit from bumping up to a quad. There's not many of those on your list. If you're happy with the T460s that's a pretty good argument to wait if you don't want to spend the money. You could look at last years gen 6, which will get you near the gen 7, but will likely be more wallet friendly. The Lenovo Outlet can sometimes offer excellent value if you have the luxury of waiting for the right one to come along.

[dr_st]

The Lenovo Outlet can sometimes offer excellent value if you have the luxury of waiting for the right one to come along.

Do they still only offer 1-year, non-upgradable warranties on their outlet units? If so I have a few places where they can shove their excellent value.

[kpevav]

Only applications that need more processing power and can take advantage of the extra cores will benefit from bumping up to a quad. There's not many of those on your list.

I'm thinking it might be better to try the new batteries and see how that works. If it doesn't improve things sufficiently, I imagine the Black Friday sale should be at least as good as the Labor Day sale, and that's not too far away. There's nothing wrong with the T460s particularly, I would just like something a bit lighter and was hoping for all day battery life.

[ZaZ]

Do they still only offer 1-year, non-upgradable warranties on their outlet units?

I thought they relaxed that a few years back, though my degree of certainty about said statement is probably less than 25%. I solve this problem by purchasing with Citibank credit card. Most Citibank cards give an automatic two year warranty extension. I used it to get the back cover of my outlet purchased ProBook replaced as it causing the WiFi to fail. Not sure if it'll work in Israel.

[kpevav]

I went ahead and ordered the X1. It will be interesting to see how it operates, I’m expecting to be surprised — hopefully positively!

[jdhurst]

I am happy with my machine. I purchased it through Lenovo and got a 4 year warranty at time of purchase. So it remains under warranty at this point.

I did the same for my M73 Desktop and one BIOS update caused the machine to not boot. Early evening and I called Lenovo Support and after they looked up some information, they suggested resetting BIOS to Default (I had changed VT-D to support 64-bit virtual machines). Default BIOS allowed the machine to start normally. The Desktop remains under warranty as well.