Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme made its debut at this week’s IFA 2018 convention in Berlin. Ideal for the workplace, this new laptop includes features that enhance security in the office, including a fingerprint reader, an infrared scanner, and a ThinkShutter cover for the built-in webcam. Measuring 0.72 inches thin and weighing up to 4.04 pounds. it’s nice and portable for workers on the go.
Although Lenovo didn’t provide any detailed specifics about the new laptop’s processors, the options will be based on Intel’s eighth-generation “Coffee Lake-H” family introduced in April. There are two Core i7 six-core processors in this family, along with two Core i5 four-core chips.
The processor backs a 15.6-inch IPS screen with two configurations: A 1,920 x 1,080 resolution with a decent brightness of 300 nits, and a touch-enabled 3,840 x 2,160 resolution with HDR support at a brighter 400 nits. These screens are powered by the CPU’s integrated graphics and a discrete GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q chip for decent gaming when the boss isn’t looking. The GPU includes 4GB of dedicated video memory.
According to the specs, this laptop supports up to 64GB of system memory (DDR4) clocked at 2,666MHz, meaning it can handle up to two 32GB sticks (2x slots). For storage, you can have two stick-shaped M.2 2280 PCIe SSDs supporting up to 2TB of storage (2x 1TB). If you need additional storage, just connect an external drive to one of the laptop’s many ports.
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme includes two USB-A ports (5Gbps), two Thunderbolt 3 ports (40Gbps), one SD card reader, and one HDMI 2.0 port. There doesn’t appear to be an Ethernet port, so networking falls back on the laptop’s Wireless AC connectivity, or an adapter or dock you can purchase separately. Presumably, Bluetooth is also on the menu, although it wasn’t included in Lenovo’s prerelease notes.
Lenovo says the top cover structure consists of four layers of reinforced carbon fiber. It also ships with a stylus that supports tilt and shade functions, and a 135-watt power supply that’s 25 percent smaller than what’s used by other ThinkPad models. An 80WHr rapid-charge battery powers this laptop, promising up to 15 hours of use on a single charge.
Sound is handled by Dolby Audio Premium, which includes support for Dolby Vision and Dolby ATMOS. The laptop weighs 3.75 pounds without the touchscreen and 4.04 pounds with touch intact. The fingerprint reader resides to the right of the backlit keyboard.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme arrives in September with a starting price of $1,860. Here are the specifications at a glance:
- Screen size: 15.6-inches
- Screen resolution: Full HD (300 nits) / 4K with Touch (400 nits)
- Processor: Up to Core i7 with vPro (Coffee Lake-H)
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q (4GB)
- Memory: Up to 64GB DDR4 @ 2,666MHz (2x 32GB)
- Storage: 2x M.2 2280 PCIe SSD up to 2TB (2x 1TB)
- Ports: 2x USB-A, 2x Thunderbolt 3, 1x SD card reader, 1x HDMI 2.0
- Audio: Dolby Audio Premium
- Battery: 80WHr
- Camera: HD with ThinkShutter, HD + IR
- Size: 14.24 x 9.67 x 0.72 inches
- Weight: 3.75 pounds (no touch) / 4.04 pounds (with touch)
